📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

See The Hidden Meanings Inside 17 Tech Company Logos These highly recognizable logos have hidden, subtle, or otherwise clever messages that you probably never realized.

By Jim Edwards

entrepreneur daily

This story originally appeared on Business Insider

Everyone recognizes Amazon's famous logo. But did you know there are three different symbolic messages tucked within it?

We picked 17 tech company logos that have hidden, subtle, or otherwise clever messages inside their famous brand marques. They include a Facebook logo that secretly indicates another company it hoped to kill, a message you won't get unless you understand Morse, and an actual cryptogram.

In Sony's Vaio logo, the letters V and A represent an analog waveform and the I and O represent a binary code.

See The Hidden Meanings Inside 17 Tech Company Logos
Image credit: Sony

Facebook Places was Facebook's now defunct response to the check-in app Foursquare. Note that the red arrow is pointing at a number four ... an indicator of its intended target.

See The Hidden Meanings Inside 17 Tech Company Logos
Image credit: Facebook

We love the Skitch logo because it looks like the feathers on an arrow, but those fletchings double as an S and its reflection.

See The Hidden Meanings Inside 17 Tech Company Logos
Image credit: Skitch

Cisco's logo represents a digital signal that happens to take the form of the Golden Gate bridge, which is in San Francisco, the city after which the company is named.

See The Hidden Meanings Inside 17 Tech Company Logos
Image credit: Cisco

You've probably noticed that Amazon's logo contains a yellow arrow that doubles as a smile, but did you also notice that it points from A to Z?

See The Hidden Meanings Inside 17 Tech Company Logos
Image credit: Amazon

The squares in data analytics company Eighty20's logo represent binary code: The top line, 1010000, represents 80 and 0010100 represents 20.

See The Hidden Meanings Inside 17 Tech Company Logos
Image credit: Eighty20

Sure, the logo for Twitter cofounder Biz Stone's Q&A app Jelly looks like a jellyfish. But it's also a brain.

See The Hidden Meanings Inside 17 Tech Company Logos
Image credit: Jelly

Nintendo's Gamecube logo is famously clever: It's not just a cube within a cube, it also shows the letter G enclosing a C in negative space.

See The Hidden Meanings Inside 17 Tech Company Logos
Image credit: Nintendo

The U.S. Cyber Command incorporated a 32-character code inside the gold inner rim of its seal. The link at the bottom of this image reveals its meaning.

See The Hidden Meanings Inside 17 Tech Company Logos
Image credit: U.S. Cyber Command

See what the U.S. Cyber Command's code means

Document maker Quip's logo is obviously a Q, but it's also a pen poised to write on a piece of paper.

See The Hidden Meanings Inside 17 Tech Company Logos
Image credit: Quip

Microsoft XNA is a developer tool for games. The logo contains a mashup of the Morse code for XNA."— · · —" means X, "— ·" means N, and "· —" means A.

See The Hidden Meanings Inside 17 Tech Company Logos
Image credit: Microsoft XNA

The Ubuntu operating system logo actually represents three people holding hands and looking upward.

See The Hidden Meanings Inside 17 Tech Company Logos
Image credit: Ubuntu

Google's "Picasa" name is a play on the concept of a home for your pictures. Casa is Spanish for house, and there is a house inside the colored camera shutter leaves in the logo.

See The Hidden Meanings Inside 17 Tech Company Logos
Image credit: Google

OK, so Claimair's logo is obviously a paper airplane. But it's a brilliant visual pun: This company helps you with the paperwork when you have to bring a complaint against an airline.

See The Hidden Meanings Inside 17 Tech Company Logos
Image credit: Claimair

Rdio's logo uses the negative space inside the "d" and the "o" to show a semibreve and a crotchet, two common musical note symbols.

See The Hidden Meanings Inside 17 Tech Company Logos
Image credit: Rdio

Hotel Tonight's logo is either a bed or a lower-case "h," depending on how you look at it.

See The Hidden Meanings Inside 17 Tech Company Logos
Image credit: Hotel Tonight

Just In Case's clever logo consists entirely of negative space representing a bundle of documents tied up in legal ribbon.

See The Hidden Meanings Inside 17 Tech Company Logos
Image credit: Just In Case

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Starting a Business

Most People Have No Business Starting a Business. Here's What to Consider Before You Become an Entrepreneur

You need to find the right business opportunity at the right time and take the right steps to beat the odds.

Leadership

AI vs. Humanity — Why Humans Will Always Win in Content Creation

With the proliferation and integration of AI across organizations and business units, PR and marketing professionals may be tempted to lean into this new technology more than recommended.

Business News

Passengers Are Now Entitled to a Full Cash Refund for Canceled Flights, 'Significant' Delays

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced new rules for commercial passengers on Wednesday.

Growing a Business

Who You Hire Matters — Here's How to Form a Team That's Built to Last

Among the many challenges related to managing a small business, hiring a quality team of employees is one of the most important. Check out this list of tips and best practices to find the best people for your business.

Franchise

Franchising Is Not For Everyone. Explore These Lucrative Alternatives to Expand Your Business.

Not every business can be franchised, nor should it. While franchising can be the right growth vehicle for someone with an established brand and proven concept that's ripe for growth, there are other options available for business owners.

Management

7 Ways You Can Use AI to 10x Your Leadership Skills

While technology can boost individual efficiency and effectiveness, it's essential to balance their use with human intuition and creativity to avoid losing personal connection and to optimize workplace satisfaction.