A T-Rex In Your Easter Basket
April 12, 2019
We love PR, but we also love a good game or puzzle just as much. The Easter holiday is right around the corner, so what better time to take a look at some of the top ‘tech Easter eggs’? We’re not talking about chocolate eggs or colorful, plastic eggs filled with candy – the eggs we fancy are hidden gems found in the apps and platforms you use every day. Although they don’t necessarily serve a practical purpose, they certainly make the every-day mundane a little more playful.
Unlike traditional Easter celebrations, modern ‘tech Easter eggs’ were actually born from strong anti-authoritarian roots. In the early days of video games, companies didn’t give credit to individual game designers for their work, so developers took to hiding their names in hard-to-reach corners of their code. Tech Easter eggs are scattered across all kinds of technology from software to hardware.
Ahead of your upcoming jellybean, chocolate-bunny and marshmallow-peep induced coma, here are five of our favorite tech Easter eggs:
1. I’m a T-Rex! Have you ever opened up a Google browser page only to find your computer is offline and you have been greeted by a pixelated T-Rex? Most of us have, but many don’t realize that the T-Rex does more than let users know their software is offline, it’s also a hidden game. Press the spacebar or tap the screen to expose the easter egg and start the game. You’ve never had so much fun being disconnected from the internet.
2. Google Flips Out. Try searching the phrase “do a barrel roll” to see your search results do just that, and watch your Google results flip out. While you’re at it, try searching “Zerg Rush” to turn your search results into a game of falling red and yellow circles, which will eliminate each search result one-by-one.
3. Android’s Oreo Easter Egg. This particular easter egg from Android definitely stretches the definition of a game, but it’s still worth mentioning, as it’s particularly well-hidden. Go to the settings menu and select ‘About Phone’ then ‘Software Information.’ Press ‘Android Version’ quickly, multiple times and the Android O logo should appear. Tap the O several times back-to-back, then press and hold on the O to reveal an unexpected sea creature. He doesn’t do much, but you can drag him around the screen.
4. Facebook Messenger Shoots and Scores. To unlock this easter egg in Facebook Messenger, simply send the basketball emoji in a chat, then tap on the icon to start the game. Once you finish the first round, the other person in the chat will see your high score and begin their round. Just like that, turn your chat window into an interactive, competitive game.
5. Timeless Games. This easter egg is truly well-hidden in your MacOS, as it’s tucked away in an application with a rather uninviting name, Terminal. Upon opening the application, type ‘emacs’ and then press Return. Press Escape, followed by ‘x.’ From there, you can type ‘tetris,’ ‘snake’ or ‘pong’ to dive into these timeless games.
It’s amazing what developers have hidden away in their software and games – reminding us that everyone is human and it’s important to retain a sense of humor. While we love public relations, we love learning about new tech easter eggs and hope they put an ‘egg-stra’ big smile on your face this springtime…they certainly ‘crack’ us up!
Tara Hill
Account Executive
A T-Rex In Your Easter Basket
April 12, 2019
We love PR, but we also love a good game or puzzle just as much. The Easter holiday is right around the corner, so what better time to take a look at some of the top ‘tech Easter eggs’? We’re not talking about chocolate eggs or colorful, plastic eggs filled with candy – the eggs we fancy are hidden gems found in the apps and platforms you use every day. Although they don’t necessarily serve a practical purpose, they certainly make the every-day mundane a little more playful.
Unlike traditional Easter celebrations, modern ‘tech Easter eggs’ were actually born from strong anti-authoritarian roots. In the early days of video games, companies didn’t give credit to individual game designers for their work, so developers took to hiding their names in hard-to-reach corners of their code. Tech Easter eggs are scattered across all kinds of technology from software to hardware.
Ahead of your upcoming jellybean, chocolate-bunny and marshmallow-peep induced coma, here are five of our favorite tech Easter eggs:
1. I’m a T-Rex! Have you ever opened up a Google browser page only to find your computer is offline and you have been greeted by a pixelated T-Rex? Most of us have, but many don’t realize that the T-Rex does more than let users know their software is offline, it’s also a hidden game. Press the spacebar or tap the screen to expose the easter egg and start the game. You’ve never had so much fun being disconnected from the internet.
2. Google Flips Out. Try searching the phrase “do a barrel roll” to see your search results do just that, and watch your Google results flip out. While you’re at it, try searching “Zerg Rush” to turn your search results into a game of falling red and yellow circles, which will eliminate each search result one-by-one.
3. Android’s Oreo Easter Egg. This particular easter egg from Android definitely stretches the definition of a game, but it’s still worth mentioning, as it’s particularly well-hidden. Go to the settings menu and select ‘About Phone’ then ‘Software Information.’ Press ‘Android Version’ quickly, multiple times and the Android O logo should appear. Tap the O several times back-to-back, then press and hold on the O to reveal an unexpected sea creature. He doesn’t do much, but you can drag him around the screen.
4. Facebook Messenger Shoots and Scores. To unlock this easter egg in Facebook Messenger, simply send the basketball emoji in a chat, then tap on the icon to start the game. Once you finish the first round, the other person in the chat will see your high score and begin their round. Just like that, turn your chat window into an interactive, competitive game.
5. Timeless Games. This easter egg is truly well-hidden in your MacOS, as it’s tucked away in an application with a rather uninviting name, Terminal. Upon opening the application, type ‘emacs’ and then press Return. Press Escape, followed by ‘x.’ From there, you can type ‘tetris,’ ‘snake’ or ‘pong’ to dive into these timeless games.
It’s amazing what developers have hidden away in their software and games – reminding us that everyone is human and it’s important to retain a sense of humor. While we love public relations, we love learning about new tech easter eggs and hope they put an ‘egg-stra’ big smile on your face this springtime…they certainly ‘crack’ us up!
