As the tech industry continues to evolve, companies are finding more and more creative ways to engage with their users. One popular way is through Easter eggs, hidden features or messages that are left by developers for users to discover.
Here are the 10 best Easter eggs in tech, but don’t get us wrong, there’s so many more…
1. Google Gravity
In 2009, Google released a Chrome experiment called “Google Gravity” that turned the entire Google homepage into a physics simulation. Users could click and drag elements around the page, watch them fall to the bottom of the screen, and even bounce around.
2. Konami Code
The Konami Code is a series of button presses that was first used in Konami video games in the 1980s. It has since been adopted by many other companies, including Google and Facebook, as a way to unlock Easter eggs. Try entering up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A on some websites and see what happens.
3. Hidden Flappy Bird game in Android
In 2014, Google added a hidden Flappy Bird game to Android devices. To access it, go to Settings > About phone > Android version and tap repeatedly on the version number until a lollipop appears. Then tap and hold the lollipop until the Flappy Bird game appears.
4. Hidden Terminal in Mac OS X
Mac users can access a hidden terminal by opening Spotlight and typing “terminal” followed by the return key. This opens up a command line interface that can be used for a variety of tasks.
5. “Do a barrel roll” in Google Search
In 2011, Google added a fun Easter egg to its search engine. If you search for “do a barrel roll,” the entire page will rotate 360 degrees.
6. Hidden Siri Responses
Apple’s Siri virtual assistant has a number of hidden responses to certain questions. For example, if you ask Siri “What is zero divided by zero?” she will respond with a humorous answer.
7. The Blue Screen of Death Screensaver
The Blue Screen of Death (BSOD) is a well-known error message that appears on Windows computers when they crash. However, a screensaver version of the BSOD exists that can be downloaded and used on any Windows machine.
8. The Facebook Pirate Language
Facebook has a hidden setting that changes the language of the site to Pirate English. To access it, go to Settings > Language > English (Pirate).
9. The Firefox Dinosaur Game
If you’re using Firefox and your internet connection goes down, you can access a fun dinosaur game by pressing the space bar. The game is similar to the popular Chrome dinosaur game.
10. The Google Maps Tardis
In 2013, Google added a Tardis from the popular TV show Doctor Who to Google Maps. If you go to Earl’s Court Road in London and switch to street view, you can enter the Tardis and explore the interior.
What do you think? Are these the 10 best Easter eggs in tech? Admittedly these are just a few examples of the many Easter eggs hidden in the tech industry. Companies use them to add a bit of fun and personality to their products, and users love discovering them.
Who knows what other hidden gems are waiting to be uncovered?
