Gossip

Wireless logos "rise" to the occasion

An industry body, WiMAX, has just sent us an announcement of considerable importance. But what is it about these wireless bodies? Are they actually thinking about "bodies" ?

Have a look at the red, upright, and throbbing letter "i" in the WiMAX logo. - Does it remind you of anything? An antenna, yes! - that's it. What else?

There does seem to be a problem with the design of a radio antenna, which conjures up images in the minds of the designer. But do they always have to be the same image?

For example, many will remember the old BT logo, when it was first privatised. It was a circle, and inside it something that looked like the letter "T" but, when looked at more closely, turned out to be a semi-erect tube with two circles. Engineers inside BT quickly referred to it as the "floppy dick" logo.

Management changed it. But not all people seem to understand why their customers snigger when they get a brochure.

Radiant Networks may have more trouble redesigning the "Radiant vibrator"- as technicians affectionately call their antenna housing. But I bet there are plenty of other good erections of antennae around ...