As mourning for the late Queen Elizabeth II has come to a close, King Charles III—the oldest person to take over the British throne—has chosen the monogram to represent his reign.
The new royal cipher features the initial ‘C’, for Charles, entwined with the letter ‘R’ for Rex, Latin for king. The Roman numeral III sits inside the latter, and the British Crown floats atop the visual identity.
It was designed by the College of Arms, made up of members of the Royal Household, and takes the place of Queen Elizabeth II’s longstanding ‘E II R’ symbol (‘R’ here denoting Regina, or queen). An alternative version in Scotland will replace the top with the Scottish Crown.
Charles himself has been the patron of numerous art and design efforts. Last year, as the Prince of Wales, he founded the Terra Carta design lab with former Apple design chief Jony Ive through London’s Royal College of Art (RCA). King Charles was appointed the Royal Patron of the National Gallery in London back in 2016, and he presented nearly 80 of his watercolor landscape paintings for the first time earlier this year.
King Charles III’s monogram first went into use in the Buckingham Palace post room on Tuesday, franking letters from the Royal Households for the first time. Following that, it will be decked across public buildings, uniforms, post boxes, and official stationery.
“The decision to replace [ciphers] will be at the discretion of individual [organizations], and the process will be gradual,” elaborates Buckingham Palace in a statement.
A new monarch means banknotes, coins, and stamps will have to be redesigned too.
Success invites imitation, and there is little doubt that international QSR brand Kentucky Fried Chicken—or KFC if brevity is more your thing—has ruled the roost when it comes to tasty morsels of deep-fried poultry and sides. So many copycats have hatched over the years that KFC has decided to address the phenomenon again with a cheeky website called Chicken Stock.
Styled after popular stock photography websites, Chicken Stock offers free-to-use high-resolution images of KFC’s menu items. On Chicken Stock’s about page, the QSR brand explained that it had noticed many competitors using fuzzy, pixelated pictures of its signature chicken. Rather than let its food get poorly represented, they’re making available quality photography. KFC explains that “even though they [competitors] can borrow our pictures, they will never borrow our taste.”
It’s not the first time KFC has used copycats to remind folks of the real deal, made with a secret blend of 11 herbs and spices. In 2019, the brand ran its “Guys, we’re flattered” campaign that featured a clever poster composed of different imitators’ store signs arranged alphabetically, in addition to TV advertising.
While the Colonel takes no umbrage with all the Kentucky Fake Chickens, there is a limit, of course. In 2013, the brand threatened to take legal action against a Thailand restaurant with a trade dress styled after KFC’s that replaced Sanders with Adolf Hitler.
The new Street Fighter 6 reeks of “esports.” Ditching the colourful, bombastic, and immediately recognisable style of previous entries, which adopted certain colour palettes and graffiti-like font as franchise signature, the SF6 logo is now being accused of being a simple stock Adobe one.
When we say it reeks of esports, it’s not just coming out of thin air. Look at this quote directly taken from SF6’s press release: “Capcom is developing the title with the aim of elevating the fighting game genre to a new level in the world of esports while also utilizing its cutting-edge development technology to produce an enthralling game experience.”
The creative director for Ars Technica tweeted out a picture of an $80 Adobe stock logo picture and let’s just say the resemblance is uncanny. “I knew it was generic but I didn’t realize it was this bad.”
If you want to believe it’s all a big coincidence, by all means, but let’s be perfectly honest, a company as big as Capcom, with a historied track record of coming up with some legendary iconography over the years, can’t allow for such a slip-up to happen.
FGC content creator Steve “Infinite SGE” called out Capcom for their laziness, comparing the SF6 logo to something one could commission on Fiverr, an online marketplace for artists that may sometimes not deliver things up to standards you’d find elsewhere.
The jury’s still out on whether Capcom will stick to their guns or do a complete turnaround on SF6’s universally panned logo.
Social media users in Israel are mocking Facebook’s company name change to Meta, as it sounds similar to the Hebrew word for “dead.”
Many Twitter users scoffed at the social media company’s rebrand — revealed by founder Mark Zuckerberg earlier this week — using the hashtag #FacebookDead. “Somebody did not do their #branding research,” one post read.
Dr Nirit Weiss-Blatt, author of The Techlash and Tech Crisis Communication, tweeted: “In Hebrew, *Meta* means *Dead* The Jewish community will ridicule this name for years to come.”
“Grave error?? Facebook’s new name Meta means dead in Hebrew. Hilarious. #FacebookDead” another user tweeted.
Zuckerberg’s efforts to revamp Facebook come as the company faces what could be its most potent scandal since it launched in 2004.
The social media giant is under the spotlight following the publication this week of “The Facebook Papers,” a series of internal documents obtained by 17 news organizations, including CNN, that underpin whistleblower Frances Haugen’s claims the company is riddled with institutional shortcomings.
The documents reveal how Facebook has propelled misinformation, struggled to eliminate human trafficking-related content on the site, and tried to increase its teenage audience, despite internal research suggesting that its platforms, especially Instagram, can have an adverse effect on their mental health.
Facebook isn’t the first company to be ridiculed after its branding didn’t translate abroad.
In 2019, Kim Kardashian West was accused of cultural appropriation after debuting her shapewear brand, which she initially named Kimono. Kardashian even appeared to have trademarked the word “kimono,” a decision that the mayor of Kyoto, Daisaku Kadokawa, criticized in an open letter on Facebook.
“We think that the names for ‘Kimono’ are the asset shared with all humanity who love Kimono and its culture therefore they should not be monopolized,” Kadokawa wrote.
Kardashian changed the name of her brand to Skims later that year.
In 2017, McDonald’s name change in China raised eyebrows. Customers were left confused when the company swapped Maidanglao, a Chinese iteration of the English name, to Jingongmen, which loosely translates to “Golden Arches.” One customer said it “sounds like a furniture store.”
While the introduction of chip-and-pin technology made it more difficult for someone to use a stolen credit card for fraudulent transactions in person, hackers tend to be endlessly creative when it comes to theft. The reality is, there are plenty of ways thieves can get their hands on your credit card account numbers, which they can easily use to make purchases or wreak other types of havoc using your name.
A stolen credit card or account number could also be one of the first signs of identity theft, so keep an eye out for credit card fraud and take steps to mitigate the damage if you find any.
Phishing emails
Phishing emails may look official, but these fraudulent messages are crafted with a nefarious purpose. Most phishing emails try to get you to click a button or link that takes you to a familiar-looking fraudulent site to enter your account information.
Another common phishing tactic is to provide an urgent (and entirely bogus) reason that you need to call a company, like your credit card company or Social Security office, list a fraudulent phone number and when you call, request your personal information, and even your card details, to “confirm your identity.”
2. Spyware
Downloading, or even opening, the wrong file from an email or website can add spyware to your computer, which is put there with the goal of exporting your card details and other information hackers can use to steal your money or your identity. Be careful what you download and prevent spyware by purchasing your own antivirus software. 3.
3. Public Wi-Fi networks
Public internet networks, like the ones you find in hotels and airports, can easily put you at risk if you enter your account information or open sensitive documents and someone is monitoring the network. Make sure to install a VPN on your computer if you need to use the internet away from home fairly often.
4. Your trash
Finally, don’t forget that some thieves still try to steal your credit card data the old-fashioned way. Your trash can be a treasure trove when it comes to finding credit card and account numbers or for figuring out which companies you use for your savings or investment accounts.
5. Major data breach
Large institutions, including banks and retail businesses, may be the victim of a data breach that puts your credit card information and other personal details at risk. Some of the biggest data breaches of the last decade, including the Capital One data breach of 2019, led to tens of millions of consumers having their information stolen.
What to do if your credit card number is stolen
If your credit card number has been stolen, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) outlines the steps you should take right away:
• Report the loss of your credit card or card number to your issuer immediately, which you can usually do using its toll-free number or 24-hour emergency phone number.
• Follow up with a letter or email that includes your account number, the date and time the card was noticed missing and when you reported the loss.
• Check your credit card statement carefully for purchases you didn’t make, and let your card issuer know of any fraudulent transactions immediately.
• Carefully monitor your credit reports to make sure nobody has more of your information and that the theft of your card hasn’t led to other instances of identity theft.
• You can check your credit reports for free once a year from all three credit bureaus—Experian, Equifax and TransUnion—using the website AnnualCreditReport.com.
How to protect your credit card information
When it comes to protecting your credit card information and identity, there are plenty of steps you can take right away. Most of them are also easy to implement, including the following:
Only use secure websites
According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), it’s crucial to avoid entering your credit card numbers and personal information on unsecured websites. “Sometimes a tiny icon of a padlock appears to symbolize a higher level of security to transmit data,” according to the bureau’s site. “This icon is not a guarantee of a secure site but provides some assurance.”
Don’t give your account number over the phone
The FTC warns that you should proceed cautiously with anyone who wants your credit card number over the phone. This is especially true if they called you to initiate the transaction.
Check your credit card statements regularly
The best way to protect against credit card fraud is by keeping a close eye on your accounts. Check your statements at least once a month to make sure each charge on your credit card is actually yours. If you find suspicious charges or purchases on your accounts, inform your credit card issuer right away.
Keep an eye on your card during in-person transactions
If you’re using a credit card in a restaurant or a retail store, try to avoid situations where the employee processing your card walks away from you and takes your card out of your view. If they are able to take your card into another area away from you, they might have the chance to write down your card number, expiration date and security code.
We’ve seen plenty of logo disputes over the years, with most of them involving a huge brand going after the little guy. But every now and again we see two biggies go head to head – and this time it was a giant of fashion against a titan of tech.
Chanel was unhappy with Huawei’s new logo, arguing that the design, made specifically for Huawei’s computer hardware, too closely resembles its own. Sure, both consist of two interlocking curves inside a circle – but they’re essentially opposites of one-another. We’ll go out on a limb here and say Huawei probably didn’t take logo inspiration from the French fashion house.
Somewhat unsurprisingly, Chanel has just lost an EU court battle over the logos. According to the BBC, the EU General Court in Luxembourg ruled this week that the logos “share some similarities but their visual differences are significant”.
Not only do the curves face a completely different direction, but Chanel’s logo features more rounded curves and thicker lines. Oh, and they are, of course, completely different brands in completely different sectors. Let’s be honest – nobody is going to see Huawei’s logo on a computer and assume it was made by a perfume company.
After 105 years, the Ohio-based baseball team is changing its name, which has been criticized for being racist, the team confirmed in a statement provided to PEOPLE.
“In our statement in June 2020, we acknowledged the importance of taking a leadership role in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts across the community and enhancing our support for underserved and under-represented groups,” the statement said. “As part of that commitment, we heard from individuals and groups who shared a variety of views and opinions on the issue. We are deeply grateful for the interest and engagement from Native American communities, civic leaders, leading researchers, fans, corporate partners, players, and internal teammates devoted to these formal and informal conversations.”
The statement said, “After reflecting upon those discussions, we believe our organization is at its best when we can unify our community and bring people together – and we believe a new name will allow us to do this more fully.”
The team said the change will be a multi-phase process, and that “future decisions, including new name identification and brand development, are complex and will take time. While we work to identify a new and enduring franchise name, we will continue using the Indians name.”
The name change comes after the Cleveland team removed the Chief Wahoo logo from game jerseys and caps two years ago. The league said that the logo, which features a smiling Native American, is not appropriate for field use.
“Major League Baseball is committed to building a culture of diversity and inclusion throughout the game,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement at the time. “Over the past year, we encouraged dialogue with the Indians organization about the club’s use of the Chief Wahoo logo. During our constructive conversations, [Indians owner] Paul Dolan made clear that there are fans who have a long-standing attachment to the logo and its place in the history of the team.
“Nonetheless, the club ultimately agreed with my position that the logo is no longer appropriate for on-field use in Major League Baseball, and I appreciate Mr. Dolan’s acknowledgment that removing it from the on-field uniform by the start of the 2019 season is the right course,” Manfred added.
Earlier this year, the Cleveland baseball team announced that they would look into the changing of the name, hours after the NFL’s Washington Football Team announced a similar move in July. Similar to the Washington team, Cleveland has faced pressure for years to change its name.
“We are committed to making a positive impact in our community and embrace our responsibility to advance social justice and equality,” a statement from the MLB team said on Twitter at the time. “Our organization fully recognizes our team name is among the most visible ways in which we connect with the community.”
Elbee’s unveiling comes after Prospector Pete, the university’s former mascot, was retired in 2018 after years of controversy. According to the student-run campus publication, The Daily 49er, a resolution passed by Associated Students Inc. kickstarted the retirement process by pointing out prospectors’ ties to the colonization of Indigenous communities. The university sits on top of Puvungna, a sacred site for the Tongva people, native of the land.
The Prospector Pete statue was erected in 1967 in the Liberal Arts 5 Plaza and was removed in late June 2020 and there are plans to relocate it to a courtyard in the new alumni center as reported by the Daily 49er.
The university’s team names will not be affected by the change in mascot and intercollegiate athletics program will continue as “Beach Athletics.”
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