Blogoscoped corralled Ruth Kedar of KedarDesigns into recounting the story of how she came up with the Google logo back in 1999. It’s a charming story, but not one that should have taken 619 words to explain. Here’s a version for the ADD among us.

Was teaching design at Stanford in 1999. This particular logo was selected because it was playful, deceptively simple. Subtle as to look almost non-designed, the reading effortless.

The colors evoke child play, but stray from the color wheel to hint to serendipity and the irreverence and boldness of the “I’m feeling lucky” link. The texture and shading lift it from the page, giving it both weight and lightness. Solid but ethereal.

The chosen typeface is an old-style serif typeface. Search, by nature, is an activity that requires we look into the past; historical ties seemed appropriate.

Source:Valleywag

A tipster writes in after seeing the MacBook Air advertisement with the uber-thin notebook removed from a manila envelope:

Way back when, DEC (Digital Equipment Corp) unveiled a really thin laptop (was it one of the Hinote machines?). Anyway, they had a TV ad that went something like this:

- man puts briefcase on a table
- opens the briefcase
- starts taking stuff out: papers, folders, etc.
- finally the briefcase is empty
- he reaches into the little pocket on the inside cover of the briefcase
- takes out a manila envelope (10×13 mailer)
- rips open the envelope
- takes out the DEC laptop and puts it on the table

Sound familiar?

newVideoPlayer(”MacBook_Air_Ad.flv”, 475, 376,”");

Source:Valleywag

“I was told that Rupert is actually a friend of one of our execs,” Bebo employee and accidental tipster Emma Carlsgaard commented on our post detailing how News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch paid a visit to Bebo. Mmhmm. Just friends, eh? Like what kind? Harry and Sally? Rachel and Ross? Carrie and Big? Hamlet’s mom and Hamlet’s uncle?

A tipster sent us this alternate version of the Apple teaser ad currently up on Apple.com. According to our tipster, Steve Jobs spent hours meditating to choose between “air” and “water” themes for Macworld. What could “There’s something in the water” mean? We can only speculate, but our best guess is a waterproof ultrathin notebook called the MacBook Water. The MacBook Water was to be specifically designed for scuba divers and other water-sports enthusiasts. (Ahem.) Have any more information? Leave a comment.

Source:Valleywag

News Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch recently paid a visit to social network Bebo, according to Bebo employee Emma Carlsgaard, who posted an update to her Bebo profile about the sighting. What’s Rupe doing visiting Bebo? A recent rumor suggests acquisition talks.

Last we heard from the social network, Bebo had just hired a bank in order to find a buyer. A flack soon hushed acquisition talk, saying the company was just looking to get more funding. Murdoch’s appearance belies that spin, however.

Why buy Bebo? Three words: Britain, Britain, Britain. According to Hitwise, while MySpace was the no. 10 most visited site in the U.K., Bebo came ahead at No. 7. Murdoch’s not known to happily stay in second place, especially in a key market like the U.K.