Where are people getting that rotating loading image?

Question

I keep running across this loading image

http://georgia.ubuntuforums.com/images/misc/lightbox_progress.gif

which seems to have entered into existence in the last 18 months. All of a sudden it is in every application and is on every web site. Not wanting to be left out is there somewhere I can get this logo, perhaps with a transparent background? Also where did it come from?

Answer 1

You can get many different AJAX loading animations in any colour you want here: ajaxload.info

Answer 2

I believe the animation came from the Mac OS X loading screen. Here's a similar one with a transparent background:

alt text http://homepage.mac.com/xraydoc/.Pictures/spinner.gif

Answer 3

I think it's just a general extension to the normal clock-face style loading icon. The Firefox throbber is the first example of that style that I remember coming across; the only real difference between that and the current trend of straight lines is that the constituent symbols have been stretched to give a crisper look, moving back to more of a many-handed clock emblem.