Did you know that with a few carefully chosen words you can make the world's most popular search engine do a barrel roll, get the meaning of life from a computational tool, even make a search portal yodel? You can do all this and more with the following website "easter eggs", hidden surprises, inside jokes, and invisible features that can be activated using specific commands.
Type "do a barrel roll" into Google's search field and you'll see your screen tip over into a full 180 degree flip. This hidden feature is rumored to be an homage to a classic video game that encouraged players to "do a barrel roll" as part of the play.
If you go to Yahoo's home page and click on the exclamation mark, you'll get to hear the classic Yahoo Yodel, made hugely popular by a series of commercials in the 90's. Make sure your speakers are on!
Go to the very bottom of the Amazon home page, underneath the line that says "Conditions of Use Privacy Notice © 1996-2011, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates". Use your mouse to highlight the area directly underneath the copyright dates to see a heartwarming tribute to an Amazon employee.
Everyone's favorite "Star Trek" villains even get their own search engine courtesy of a few Google employee fans: check out Google In Klingon and pay close attention to what language your search filters are written in.
If Klingon is just not your thing, try the Swedish Chef Google, Elmer Fudd Google, or Pig Latin Google.
The next time your kids ask you those certain questions that make your blood pressure rise a little bit, just send them over at Wolfram Alpha. Questions answered include:
Every year, the good people at Google have a lot of fun with what's become an annual April Fool's joke tradition. The MentalPlex was one of these jokes. Simply stare at the spinning orb, project a mental image of what you want to find, and who knows what will happen!
Originally placed within a classic video game, the Konami Code activates hidden surprises and features within many websites. The code is as follows (use the arrow keys on your keyboard):
UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN, LEFT RIGHT,LEFT, RIGHT, B,A
Try it at Google Reader and see what happens (must be logged in in order to see it!).
If you go to Facebook's language settings, usually found at the very bottom of your Facebook wall, you'll see a link to what language you're currently viewing your news feed in. Click on that link to change the language, and you'll get the option to turn your text upside down or turn everything you say into Pirate-speak. Arr, matey!
Type in any set of directions into Google Maps that has a very large body of water between the two destinations, and Google will tell you that you'll need to invest in a kayak in order to get from point A to point B. For example, try asking for directions from San Francisco, California, to Tokyo, Japan (you'll need to read about halfway down your list of directions to find what you're looking for).
1. Make Google Do A Barrel Roll
Type "do a barrel roll" into Google's search field and you'll see your screen tip over into a full 180 degree flip. This hidden feature is rumored to be an homage to a classic video game that encouraged players to "do a barrel roll" as part of the play.
2. Find Out The Meaning Of Life From Wolfram Alpha
Wolfram Alpha, a computational engine that finds factual answers, can tell you what the meaning of life is if you only ask. For the record, the answer is based on Douglas Adams novel "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy".3. Listen To The Yahoo! Yodel
If you go to Yahoo's home page and click on the exclamation mark, you'll get to hear the classic Yahoo Yodel, made hugely popular by a series of commercials in the 90's. Make sure your speakers are on!
4. Find A Hidden Amazon Employee Tribute
Go to the very bottom of the Amazon home page, underneath the line that says "Conditions of Use Privacy Notice © 1996-2011, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates". Use your mouse to highlight the area directly underneath the copyright dates to see a heartwarming tribute to an Amazon employee.
5. Search In Klingon
Everyone's favorite "Star Trek" villains even get their own search engine courtesy of a few Google employee fans: check out Google In Klingon and pay close attention to what language your search filters are written in.
If Klingon is just not your thing, try the Swedish Chef Google, Elmer Fudd Google, or Pig Latin Google.
6. Get All Those Annoying Questions Answered
The next time your kids ask you those certain questions that make your blood pressure rise a little bit, just send them over at Wolfram Alpha. Questions answered include:
- Are we there yet?
- Why?
- What time is it?
- Where do babies come from?
- Why did the chicken cross the road?
7. Search More Effectively With The MentalPlex
Every year, the good people at Google have a lot of fun with what's become an annual April Fool's joke tradition. The MentalPlex was one of these jokes. Simply stare at the spinning orb, project a mental image of what you want to find, and who knows what will happen!
8. Find A Ninja Using Konami's Code
Originally placed within a classic video game, the Konami Code activates hidden surprises and features within many websites. The code is as follows (use the arrow keys on your keyboard):
UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN, LEFT RIGHT,LEFT, RIGHT, B,A
Try it at Google Reader and see what happens (must be logged in in order to see it!).
9. Use Facebook As A Pirate
If you go to Facebook's language settings, usually found at the very bottom of your Facebook wall, you'll see a link to what language you're currently viewing your news feed in. Click on that link to change the language, and you'll get the option to turn your text upside down or turn everything you say into Pirate-speak. Arr, matey!
10. Get Some Very Interesting Directions
Type in any set of directions into Google Maps that has a very large body of water between the two destinations, and Google will tell you that you'll need to invest in a kayak in order to get from point A to point B. For example, try asking for directions from San Francisco, California, to Tokyo, Japan (you'll need to read about halfway down your list of directions to find what you're looking for).
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