Google Gives Icon a New Look

In the past few days, you may have noticed a change in the Google icon on your computer screen.

And if you didn’t notice it, a lot of people certainly have.

The Google "favicon," that little upper-case G in a box with red, green and blue sides that appears in your Web browser beside the Web address when you’re on a Google site, has been replaced with a lower-case purple "g."

"Not cool, why would Google mess with its favicon?" one user posted on Googlesystem.blogspot.com, a blog that specializes in "unofficial news and tips about Google."

But the new look has its proponents.

One wrote: "Personally, I thought the old G one looked pretty boring. I for one welcome our new g favicon overlords!"

Over at Blogoscoped.com, another blog devoted largely to Google, fans examined the new logo and pondered if this meant Google was "undergoing a rebranding exercise."

The truth, according to a spokesperson at Google: "We recognized there was a need for a Google icon that would better work across multiple applications, including Web, mobile and client applications. We felt the small ‘g’ had many of the characteristics that best represent our brand: It’s simple, playful and unique. We will be looking to improve and enhance this icon as we move forward."

So there you have it. And now, if nothing else, you know what a "favicon" is.