In keeping with their new direction, last week Google unveiled an updated logo, a much more simplified and modern-looking incarnation than its predecessors. After hearing what graphic designers had to say about it, we asked our CEO, Marc Sampogna, about his thoughts on the redesign.

By no means am I a graphic designer, but one thing I do know is branding. The latest redesign of Google’s brand identity seems to be a small step for a company that’s introduced innovation after innovation to the world. Its simplicity and approachability elicits memories of how Pepsi transitioned from their bold, bubble lettered logo into their current, more contemporary “brand stamp”. I also think this falls coincidentally on the heels of Apples recent software update — OS X Yosemite, where they moved from a beveled, dimensional treatment to flat. If anything, this new logo actually feels more playful and childlike, but no matter what they’ve done, it surely won’t impact how people interact or use the search engine powerhouse. It’s Google, for s*#ts sake. They change their logo daily to reflect a relevant theme that’s taking place in our culture. So…I have one word to say about the new logo, and that is “whatever”.

Google+ has been suffering from what many tech blogs and business publications are calling a “slow death”—its initial launch established the site as an attempt to be a fully-integrated social platform, with its multifaceted approach rivaling companies like Facebook, Dropbox, WordPress, and Skype.

However, after failing to gain both traction and users in the social media community, it recently announced that it will be splitting the platform into three different components: Hangouts, Photos, and Streams. Hangouts is a video chatting service that will remain independent of Google+, photos is a storage space for images that will be added to Google Drive, and streams covers the rest of the Google+ experience along with News and Blogger.

While the idea of a streamlined, all-in-one social media platform sounded like a good idea, perhaps it was the ambition of the venture that led to its demise; users considered the Google+ login to YouTube a nuisance, found the interface unaesthetic, and the whole system a cheap Facebook facsimile.

Google has finally compromised, maintaining the best aspects of Google+ like Hangouts and Photos, and has removed the Google+ sign-in on YouTube, much to users’ delight.

The moral of the story: Don’t put all of your digital marketing eggs in one basket, especially if your product is at risk of being disruptive—and not in the good way.

What Sparks Our Fire: Google+ taking the next step forward and making smart decisions in the face of a highly-publicized technological failure.

It’s no secret that Google has a broad spectrum of interests, and they’ve even got a new parent company to prove it. Recently, the Google Impact Challenge: Disabilities, which strives to spur innovation that helps “create more access and opportunity for the one billion people living with disabilities,” granted $600,000 to e-NABLE, a nonprofit organization that uses tools like 3D printing and bionics to create solutions for the disabled.

Examples are the hot pink bionic hand that e-NABLE created for a little girl, Ari Solorio, who was born without a hand. e-NABLE, the Google-funded nonprofit organization of volunteers in charge of creating Ari’s bionic hand, takes advantage of the growing 3D printing trend and the do-it-yourself movement. AIO Robotics supplied all the 3D software responsible for creating the device, and so far about 40 have been made.

These prosthetics, rather than awkwardly attempting to imitate human flesh, are brightly colored and look like something out of an Iron Man comic, some with claws and flashing lights. They are designed with the intention of helping kids take pride in their artificial limbs, rather than be embarrassed by them.

e-NABLE has made it clear that subtle is not their style–and kids are loving it.

What Sparks Our Fire: Technology designs that are not only functional, but fun for kids and help

There are countless apps out there that offer great location-based services. Yelp and the recently redesigned Foursquare are two of the best out there when you are looking for something to do nearby. But one of the giants has entered the market and is poised to take them down.

Google announced a new feature for its Google Maps app for iOS and Android that allows you to explore your area. The feature offers you suggestions on what to do based on your location, the weather, and time of day. For example, by just tapping the explore button while at my desk in the morning, it suggests the best nearby coffee shops, but when I check it before I leave work it recommends restaurants, bars, and movie theaters instead. When it’s raining out, you can be sure it won’t recommend that you go to the nearest outdoor swimming pool. If you aren’t looking for something right now, you can easily just enter the time of day that you are looking to go and explore.

What Sparks our Fire: An easy way to explore your city.

What do you think of Google tackling the nearby recommendation category with this update?

This week Google hosted their developers conference, Google I/O where the tech giant announced a variety of updates to their Android operating system. But, seemingly the coolest thing that Google did announce came as a gift to all attendees at the end of the conference – cardboard.

Being that this is Google we are talking about, the Cardboard device is much more than what you would image from a piece a cardboard. Instead it is a full on virtual reality headset, similar to the Oculus Rift, except made of cardboard.

All users need to do is assemble one of these devices, which is not that difficult, place their phone into it and then they can enter an entirely virtual world. Currently there are only a few apps available in cardboard since it was just launched this week. But, we can only image where this will go as a very simple and easy entry into the world of virtual reality.

This is clearly a sign of things to come though in technology. It is time for us as advertisers to start imaging how we can get our foot in the door of virtual reality and really ride the wave of this new technology.

What Sparks our Fire: How Google is able to take the simplest of materials, and make it an amazing piece of technology.

What uses can you imagine for Google Cardboard?

Can you imagine a cab without a driver? Like it or not, driverless cars are going to be hitting the streets over the next few years. Yesterday, Google unveiled their first prototype of a completely driverless cars, which are missing features such as steering wheels and gas pedals. Google believes driverless cars are the safer future of commuting.

The takeover of the cab industry has already started with mobile apps like Uber on the rise. These apps allow users to request service easily on their smart phone and use a seamless payment process, which simplifies the typical way we interact with cabs today. Collaboration between Google and Uber leaves us with a cab service without cab drivers.

This seems wild at first, but after some thought it makes a lot of sense. Cabs will be cheaper without the need to pay a driver. More green, because they will no longer need to drive around in search of their next patron. More accessible in places where they may not be constantly passing by. It may be a few years away, but I see this as being one of the most significant improvements that can come from driverless cars.

What Sparks Our Fire: The future is fast approaching and the fear/excitement associated with having an empty cab picking us up to take us where we need to go is not far off.

What other implications can you see coming from the wide spread use of driverless cars?

One of my favorite topics is the possibility of a modular cellphone. The idea that you don’t have to change out your entire device when a part malfunctions or needs to be upgraded appeals to anyone whose phone is increasingly outdated by rapidly advancing technology. The standout favorite in this new genre of devices is Google’s Project Ara, about which the company revealed new details this week.

At a conference for prospective developers, project head Paul Eremenko stated the smartphones should be set to ship in the first weeks of 2015. The Android OS will be updated to support the modular components. The first phone released will be a generic gray, to encourage the user to personalize and get creative with their devices. They will be able to create a custom look with the Ara Configurator, which allows customization of individual modules. This means users can import photos, which the Configurator will use to create a color palate for the blocks, or they can create customized 3D-printed textures. All of these are designed to be easily removed to allow for re-customization.

What Sparks Our Fire: The next generation of smartphones means a little less money spent on the next best thing.

Would you upgrade to an Ara?

Google Chrome is, at least in our opinion, the best web browser available. The insanely quick operating speed, the minimalist design, and the intuitive inner workings all suit a multi-tasking digital occupation. Above all, it just looks better and works better than anything else we have used on both a Mac and a PC.

As well, Google has spent their time solving problems we didn’t know we had, but now realize were bugging the heck out of us. For instance, if we accidentally close a tab – as we all often do – we can simply go into the menu and click recent tabs and open the same page up again. I’m sure Mozilla Firefox and Safari have similar options, but they simply aren’t as intuitive. Recently, a beta version of Chrome which was slowly rolled out in November has gone live. Now,  the sliders are all minimalist and sleek. Please try to keep from swooning.

Actually, the best part of the update is now you can see where that irritating autoplay commercial is coming from. Thanks to a little icon in the folder bar, you can tell which page among your myriad of open ones is playing a swiffer ad full blast. Beats searching for it or having to mute your entire computer. It can also tell you if a window is using your webcam or if a certain webpage is being broadcast to your TV, which we feel like is something you’d want to know.

What Sparks Our Fire: Solving problems we didn’t know we had…digital edition.

What other improvements would you like to see on Chrome?

With the help of paper-thin electronics, about a quarter of the readers of Wired in the San Francisco and New York City areas will be able to see the Moto X change colors within their magazine. This video announcement comes on the heels of the sale of 500,000 Moto X smartphones in the third quarter, which is about 5% of the sales that Samsung reported for their S4 handset in the first month after its’ release. Google clearly hopes this ad will drum up interest and support for their competing phone and increase sales for the coming quarter.

In any case, it’s an interesting ad with an interactive aspect and an creative innovation in a medium that hasn’t lately seen much.

What Sparks Our Fire: Innovation in what many see as a “dead” medium.

Would you buy this magazine for the purpose of experiencing this ad?

For the most part, the consensus on the new Google Glass technology is a, “cool concept, looks funny”. For those who don’t know, Google Glass is a new breed of  technology that allows the user, through voice and button commands, to control a heads-up display, or HUD. The idea is the user has the ability to access and interface with the internet at any time, in any place, without the added necessity of picking up a phone or a laptop. While interesting, the practical applications of this technology have not been fully explored.

However, Philips Healthcare has put together a proof of concept video, which demonstrates the medical possibilities for this new technology. Before and during surgery, the medical professional checks the patients’ vital signs and and pertinent information, all hands-free. This product is not yet available, rather an informational video meant to “explore the potential of connecting Philips IntelliVue patient monitoring solutions with Google Glass technology.” This concept could possibly lead to integration of Google Glass into everyday life.

What Sparks Our Fire: The future of integrating cutting edge technology into important professional fields such as medicine.

Would you trust a doctor using Google Glass to monitor your vital signs?