Buttons have long been a hot-button issue for Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Bruce Tognazzini, a former user-interface expert at Apple, says Jobs was adamant that the keyboard for the original Macintosh not include "up," "down," "right" and "left" keys, giving it a sleeker appearance than other personal computers have. When it comes to product design, Jobs functions like an exacting editor, challenging hardware engineers and industrial designers to trim unnecessary features that don't add value to a product, says one former Apple executive. Colleagues who share his sense of aesthetics tend to have the most successful careers at the company, …

Detroit area Chevrolet dealers have disbanded a local marketing group in a dispute with General Motors Corp. over a fee they paid on every vehicle they sold to help fund the enterprise. The fee amounted to 1% of sticker price, excluding shipping. Dealers were refunded the fee if a vehicle sold with a GM employee discount. In the Detroit market, sales to GM employees and family members account for 65% to 85% of unit sales. Three Detroit Chevrolet dealers say GM sought to retain the charge on employee sales if the money was needed to cover a shortfall …

In an effort to tighten its positioning, Saucony is unveiling a new logo, print campaign and manifesto that will be emblazoned on shoe boxes and hang tags: "A good day is when we get to run. A great day is when we inspire someone else to run." It will, however, keep its "Loyal to the Sport" slogan. Company president Richie Woodworth admits that the company has been "inconsistent in its story," which confuses consumers. It has created a new logo that fuses its classic graphic with a lowercased brand name that Woodworth says is geared at looking "more inviting …

Pepsi will introduce a lower-calorie version of Gatorade later in the year that will be marketed to athletes when they are less active. A recent survey of 2,500 adults by Goldman Sachs suggests that there is a market: 43% of those who reduced their consumption of Gatorade said they were concerned with calorie content. While Gatorade remains a huge seller, it is competing with an ever-growing list of competitors, from new sports drinks to bottled water and "enhanced" water with added ingredients to increase its nutritional value. The Gatorade announcement was made as PepsiCo announced a …

Four start-up airlines-Eos, MAXjet, Silverjet and l'Avion--that offer cheaper trans-Atlantic flights for business travelers are catching the attention of Virgin Atlantic Airways and British Airways. The established carriers say they may compete with the new carriers, which offer fares far below those for regular business and first-class seats, along with private departure and arrival lounges. Virgin announced last month that, within 18 months, it planned to start flying some international routes using planes configured with all-business-class seating. Willie Walsh, CEO of British Airways, says his airline is also studying routes and fare structures for all-business-class flights. An …

A new study links consumption of soft drinks--both the sugared and diet variety--with a higher risk for a range of obesity-related health problems. The finding that diet-soda drinkers face health risks is unexpected because the zero-calorie drinks are often touted as a way to help people prevent weight gain and related health problems. The results may simply signal that the diet-soda drinkers in the study were less healthy to start with and had turned to sugar-free beverages. But the study investigators, who oversee the respected Framingham Heart Study in Massachusetts, also cite research suggesting that artificially sweetened beverages …

Disney Consumer Products is rolling out two branded colognes--Pirates of the Caribbean and Buzz Lightyear--that will be targeted to boys 4-11 in Latin communities. While Disney--through its partnership with licensee Air Vale International, Barcelona, Spain--has had juvenile fragrances in Europe, South America and Latin America for the last 15 years, the concept is new to the U.S. The products, which will retail between $9.95 and $19.95, will reach retail shelves by September in time for the holiday season. They will be available in Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target, and chain drug stores in areas with large Hispanic populations. Sales of …

Pfizer is launching a massive ad campaign that some observers call a Hail Mary pass to jump-start sales of Exubera, the first inhalable insulin product for people with diabetes. Pfizer thought the product would be a $2 billion-a-year blockbuster, but quarterly sales announced last week were an anemic $4 million. Pfizer has not disclosed how much it's spending on the Exubera campaign, but it's likely in the tens of millions of dollars. The ads are already ubiquitous on TV, in magazines, and on Web sites, such as dLife.com. Early buzz is less than glowing. One online blogger …

A new, by-invitation-only $399 phone that provides free, unlimited domestic phone calls for customers with broadband Internet service hopes to crack the home-based and small-business niches. Engineers are working on a system that forwards calls to cellular phones. Users plug in the so-called ooma [sic] Hub--a white machine smaller than a macaroni-and-cheese box--to a broadband connection and primary phone. Ooma Scouts, which cost an additional $39 each, connect to every active phone extension--in the office, kitchen or kids' rooms. Unlike Skype and other Voice over Internet Protocol services, which work best when the caller and recipient talk …

Departing Nestlé CEO Peter Brabeck is pushing to make the giant food company more efficient by cutting weak brands and speeding production. A leaner Nestlé would help facilitate future acquisitions of health and wellness brands. After 10 years running the world's largest food company, Brabeck has eliminated thousands of items and has plans to cut hundreds more by the end of the year. He is demanding that managers fix factories that cost too much. He has appointed a new head of innovation and told him to be pickier about which new ideas Nestlé pursues. Nestlé faces a predicament …