No, they've just aligned the pivots with the chainline in the middle gear, and the "one up, one down' Chainstays aren't new - my 1994 Mantis had that, and so do the latest lightweight Turners, Ellsworths etc. Neither of these things are amazing engineering feats, which are a good thing. Major feats tend to scare customers off unless they're simple for Joe Mountainbiker to understand, or if not, you better have some good marketing in place.
As to the 'plural' thing, Ethos is actually 2 guys, or was last time I spoke to them. I'm a sole trader and use plural, simply because 1) I'm now married, and 2) No man is an island, and without quality sub contractors, you ain't going nowhere, so it's nice to recognise them. It also helps you punch above your weight, which is always good
