Technology Easter eggs are included in computer programs, websites, CDs, etc and are basically hidden messages or jokes. Let us look at some of these created by Google and Apple.
1. Recursion
Everybody is aware of the fact that if you type in a wrong spelling in the Google search engine, it will give you the right one with the help of the “did you mean” feature. However, if you type in this particular word with the correct spelling, Google will continuously suggest the exact same spelling again and again till you realize that the joke is on you!
2. Talk to a Martian
With the help of a certain application created by Google Earth 5, users were told that they could speak to Martians on Mars by entering “Meliza” in the search engine. While you will chat with something, it will not be a Martian but Eliza- an application with artificial intelligence. Eliza is not very interesting to speak to.
3. The Meaning of Life
If you are to enter the following phrase- “answer to life, the universe and everything” in the search engine, the first result you will see is “42” and a small calculator will be made next to it. There are other phrases that will confuse you just the same and probably make the engineers laugh. These include “once in a blue moon” which will give “1.16699016 × 10-8 hertz” as the answer and “number of horns on a unicorn” will give “1” as the answer.
4. Ascii Art
ASCII Art is a term used to describe any image that is created with the help of keyboard characters. Even though this style is quite obsolete, it is still as popular. Google engineers are quite fond of this art as the doodle alters when the phrase is searched for.
5. Swim the Atlantic
When Google Maps were new and somebody was to ask for directions between locations and areas that had water bodies in between them, the user would be asked to travel a bit and then ‘start swimming for 3,500 miles’. This Easter egg has been removed.
6. Google Gulp
This fictitious drink was created by Google 5 years back and it was said that it had the power to enhance the user’s intelligence and allow him to use the search engine more effectively. The user’s DNA would be analyzed and certain adjustments would then be carried out in the brain. It came in flavors like Sugar-Free Radical and Glutamate Grape.
7. Scratch and Sniff
On April Fools Day in 2009, Google told its users that they would be able to scratch and sniff the e-books. They were asked to press their noses up against their monitors and press enter.
8. Weather for Nowhere
This Easter Egg is found in Mac OS X Tiger. After opening the dashboard, clicking on the Weather Widget and pressing the Alt and command key together, if the user was to ask for the current weather, he would find that his location has been changed to “Nowhere”.
9. Text Game
If a Mac user is to click on Terminal and press enter after typing in the following phrase- emacs-batch-1 dunnet, a text game will start loading which is extremely addictive and will be the sole reason for your unproductively.
10. Knock Knock
If you own a Mac OS X and you wish to laugh, go to the Speech Recognition option and click on “Apple Speakable Items”. Hysterically enough, if you ask your computer to tell you a joke, it will do just that. Usually it comes up with not-so-funny knock knock jokes.
Cui is a search engine developed by a team of ex-Googlers and other top notch people from institutions such as IBM and Altavista. Cuil which is said to be a Google killer was launched on 28th July, 2008 and is said to be the world’s largest search engine, indexing ten times as many pages as Microsoft and three times as many pages as Google.
2. Twitter
Twitter is also considered to be a Google killer, but there are just too many “bugs” to get worked out for this to be a Google killer, at least in the short term. However it is a great tool for seo but is not worth anything witout google.
3. Yahoo
Yahoo is seen rolling out a series of changes to their search technology. On the usability side, this search engine helps users to perform the search query while educating them for getting relevant results. As far as the findability side is concerned, Yahoo is now offering Flickr integration, embedded video and other universal search result features which according to Yahoo’s Tim Mayer is the most significant change Yahoo has made to their search business.
4. Wolfram Alpha
It is in everyone’s minds whether Wolfram Alpha will supplant Google? Not in the short term. Google is synonymous to search, as Xerox is for copying. Wolfram appears to be a largely scientific endeavor, but with the right kind of innovation, promotion and funding, it could find an audience in the near future.
5. Facebook
Facebook and Google are two of the fastest growing and largest companies on the internet, and so far Facebook’s popularity has really helped Google to see an increased earnings share. Facebook is complementary and positive for Google so far, but that could change if /when social media such as FaceBook finds a business model and attract ad dollars from other online media.
6. Microsoft’s Bing
Bing is likely to provide direct answers to questions as it makes use of a system similar to the new Wolfram Alpha. They will also concentrate on factors such as local interests, weather and health.
7. Mahalo
This is a web directory launched in May 2007 by Jason Calacanis. This search engine differentiates from the others such as Google and Ask.com by tracking and building hand crafted result sets for many of the presently popular search terms.
8. Quintura
This is a specialized search engine which provides a visual semantic map and is much ahead the other search engines in terms of offering higher quantum of search results in one go. By extracting keywords from the search results it builds a word cloud. Users can refine their entry by clicking words in the cloud and in this way users can narrow the search and find the relevant information faster. “Quintura for kids” is an interesting section available for kids.
9. Powerset
This is a company based in San Francisco, California that is developing a natural language search engine for the internet. This unique search engine can help users find targeted answers to user questions.
10. Clusty
This is a metasearch engine developed by Vivismo that can offer groups of results. Vivísimo is a company built on Web search technology developed by Carnegie Mellon University researchers. Clusty adds new interface and features to the previous Vivisimo clustering web metasearch. There are also several tabs that offer metasearches for jobs, news, blogs and U.S. government info.
Automobiles have been in existence for about 100 years which would make one feel that the manufacturers would have been able to get rid of the kinks by now. However, this is not the case always and it is quite difficult to iron out the wrinkles sometimes. The following are the 10 largest automobile recalls in recent times.
1. Toyota/Unintended Accelaration
The first recall, on November 2, 2009, was to correct a possible incursion of an incorrect or out-of-place front driver’s side floor mat into the foot pedal well. The second recall, on January 21, 2010, was because of a possible mechanical sticking of the accelerator pedal causing unintended acceleration. As of January 28, 2010, Toyota had announced recalls of approximately 5.2 million vehicles for the pedal entrapment/floor mat problem, and an additional 2.3 million vehicles for the accelerator pedal problem. Approximately 1.7 million vehicles are subject to both.
2. General Motors/Broken Motor Mount
In 1971, General Motors recalled 15 models that were built during the 1960s and continued production till 1970. They also recalled a few Chevrolet Bel Airs. These models were problematic because the motor mount had separated which could make the engine move upwards. This would have a negative impact on the throttle linkage which could case the vehicle to accelerate suddenly. About 6.7 million vehicles were recalled.
3. General Motors/Rear Control Arm
During the first half 1981, General Motors recalled a few sedans and a number of other models that were launched in 70s till the better half of the 80s. The problem was that the control arm and rear axle could lose control causing the vehicle swerve out of control. 5.8 million vehicles were singled out.
4. Ford Motors
In 2005, Ford recalled those Ford Expeditions that were released from 1997 till 2002. In addition to that, they also felt the need to recall certain models of pickup trucks. They did so because the cruise control overheated and had to be deactivated immediately. This was the largest recall made by Ford and a similar one was made in 2009. About 4.5 million vehicles were affected.
5. Ford Motor/Cruise Control Switch
As has already been mentioned, Ford had to recall more vehicles in 2009. This included Explorers that were first launched in 1995 and were popular till 2002. They also recalled 14 trucks- pickups and otherwise. The problem was the same as mentioned above and minivans and SUVs were affected as well. Ford had to recall about 4.5 million vehicles this time too because the switch could burst into flames even when the car was not being used.
6. Toyota/Unintended Acceleration
In 2009, Toyota recalled its Camry as well as six other models that were manufactured in 2004 till date. This was because experts realized that the floor mat was not secured in place and could therefore play havoc with the gas pedal. About 4.3 million vehicles were zeroed in on.
7. Ford Motor/Shoulder Belts
This time 4 million vehicles were affected as Ford had to recall models like Mercury, Ford and Lincoln from 1970 to 1971. They did so because the seat-belt buckles were faulty and needed to be replaced.
8. General Motors/Body Structure
General Motors recalled 17 models along with the Buick LeSabres in 1973. This is because the underbody shields had to be re-installed as it was discovered that the driver could lose control of the steering wheel on a bumpy road.
9. Volkswagen/Windshield Wiper Arm
3.7 million vehicles were affected because in 1972, Volkswagen recalled their models that were built during 1949 till 1969. This included the widely popular Beetle as the windshield wiper arms were not too secure.
10. Honda/Seat Belts
In 1995, Honda recalled a few Accords and other models including the Acura which was launched during the 80s. This was done to repair those seat belt buckles that had come loose.
Automobiles have been in existence for about 100 years which would make one feel that the manufacturers would have been able to get rid of the kinks by now. However, this is not the case always and it is quite difficult to iron out the wrinkles sometimes. The following are the 10 largest automobile recalls in recent times.
1-Ford Motor/Ignition Switch
During the first half of 2006, Ford recalled a particular category of pickup and other models which had been built in 1993. This is because the ignition had a short circuit which could cause a series fire if left unchecked. The steering column would burst into flames pretty quick. About 7.9 million vehicles were recalled.
2-General Motors/Broken Motor Mount
In 1971, General Motors recalled 15 models that were built during the 1960s and continued production till 1970. They also recalled a few Chevrolet Bel Airs. These models were problematic because the motor mount had separated which could make the engine move upwards. This would have a negative impact on the throttle linkage which could case the vehicle to accelerate suddenly. About 6.7 million vehicles were recalled.
3-General Motors/Rear Control Arm
During the first half 1981, General Motors recalled a few sedans and a number of other models that were launched in 70s till the better half of the 80s. The problem was that the control arm and rear axle could lose control causing the vehicle swerve out of control. 5.8 million vehicles were singled out.
4-Ford Motors
In 2005, Ford recalled those Ford Expeditions that were released from 1997 till 2002. In addition to that, they also felt the need to recall certain models of pickup trucks. They did so because the cruise control overheated and had to be deactivated immediately. This was the largest recall made by Ford and a similar one was made in 2009. About 4.5 million vehicles were affected.
5-Ford Motor/Cruise Control Switch
As has already been mentioned, Ford had to recall more vehicles in 2009. This included Explorers that were first launched in 1995 and were popular till 2002. They also recalled 14 trucks- pickups and otherwise. The problem was the same as mentioned above and minivans and SUVs were affected as well. Ford had to recall about 4.5 million vehicles this time too because the switch could burst into flames even when the car was not being used.
6-Toyota/Unintended Acceleration
In 2009, Toyota recalled its Camry as well as six other models that were manufactured in 2004 till date. This was because experts realized that the floor mat was not secured in place and could therefore play havoc with the gas pedal. About 4.3 million vehicles were zeroed in on.
7-Ford Motor/Shoulder Belts
This time 4 million vehicles were affected as Ford had to recall models like Mercury, Ford and Lincoln from 1970 to 1971. They did so because the seat-belt buckles were faulty and needed to be replaced.
8-General Motors/Body Structure
General Motors recalled 17 models along with the Buick LeSabres in 1973. This is because the underbody shields had to be re-installed as it was discovered that the driver could lose control of the steering wheel on a bumpy road.
9-Volkswagen/Windshield Wiper Arm
3.7 million vehicles were affected because in 1972, Volkswagen recalled their models that were built during 1949 till 1969. This included the widely popular Beetle as the windshield wiper arms were not too secure.
10-Honda/Seat Belts
In 1995, Honda recalled a few Accords and other models including the Acura which was launched during the 80s. This was done to repair those seat belt buckles that had come loose.
These software bugs drained billions in less than 60 seconds because one person made a mistake when writing the superscripts.
1. Mars Climate Orbiter Crashes
The contractor who was given the responsibility of planning the navigation system got the specifications from NASA but instead of using the metric system, he carried out measurements using imperial units. What happened was that the space craft crashed into Mars and over 125 million dollars were lost.
2. Ariane 5 Flight 501
The engine of this satellite was much faster than that of the previous models but it had a software bug that went unnoticed. The satellite was launched and after 36.7 seconds, it self destructed and turned into a magnificent ball of fire. While the satellite’s cost was estimated at 8 billion dollars, it was also carrying payload worth 500 million dollars when it disintegrated.
3. EDS Fails Child Support
About 6 years back, EDS created an IT system that was quite complex and presented it to the CSA or the Child Support Agency in U.K. The software was not compatible with the restructure initiated by the DWP which caused many errors. The cost has been estimated at 1 billion dollars till date.
4. Soviet Gas Pipeline Explosion
In 1982, the CIA claimed that the Soviet Union was in the process of stealing important U.S. technology. The CIA then introduced a software bug into the system which would work in such a way that while it would not allow operation to be carried out, it would go through inspection without any problems. The explosion that followed will never be forgotten.
5. Black Monday
In 1987, certain investigation caused the bull market to come to screeching halt. The investigation affected certain stocks whose investors decided to dump them. The computer triggers were kicked into motion which destroyed certain systems. The market value fell rapidly and there was no choice but to liquidate the stocks.
6. Therac-25 Medical Accelerator
This device was built for radiation therapy by the AECL and CGR in France. Unfortunately, the Operation System was designed and planned by an under-experienced programmer. The power of the electron beam reached such a high power that it lead to the death of 5 patients and injured the rest for the rest of their lives.
7. Multidata Systems
Multidata System International designed a software which would help them calculate the radiation dosage for each patient. Such softwares have certain limitations which the doctors tried to remove by ‘tricking’ the system. The software then started recommending double the dosage needed by the patient. Fixing the software and compensating the injured patients was expensive- to say the least.
8. Patriot Missile Bug
A Missile System was installed in 1991 during the Gulf War for the purpose of protecting certain groups from missile attacks fired by the Iraqi troops. However, a software bug did not calculate the time correctly because of which some targets were ignored. Needless to say, the money which was invested in the system was lost and about 100 people died.
9. An Almost World War III
A Soviet Union satellite created panic by interpreting some reflections as missiles launched by the United States. Protocol required the Soviet Union to launch nuclear arsenal towards the US. Thankfully, Lt. Col. Stanislav Petrov realized that there was some mistake and prevented the initiation of another world war.
10. Mariner I Space Probe
When a programmer was entering a navigation computer code, he made the mistake of omitting one superscript bar. The computer lost control while trying to fix the ‘errors’ during the launching period. After 237 seconds, Mission Control realized the mistake and destroyed it. Over 18.2 million dollars were lost.
Our world now is heavily depended on these machines even for the basic functions of our daily life. They have become a necessity from the luxuries in history. Here are some which changed our lives and made it easier.
1. Telephone
Who can live without a telephone? Mr. Bell’s invention can be held responsible for making the world a smaller place. Since its introduction in the late 19th century, it has brought our loved ones closer and now help is just a call away.
2. Television
This wooden box proved everyone wrong. By 1930’s it had the America glued to its screen. It is now sitting in nearly every household around the world. The best friend of a child and the medium of the any government to reach to its people. It is also the easiest medium of transfer of information after the internet.
3. Refrigerator
The ‘Fridge’ is the compilation of many inventors. For millennia’s we have tried to preserve our food just to survive. Now we can do it easily in our kitchen. With increasingly new cheaper and efficient models, we now see this appliance in every corner of the world.
4. Solar Power
Tapping the most abundant energy, this technology can provide energy in form of heat or electricity to the most rural regions in the world. It also helps to cut back the harmful emissions in these critical times of environment degradation.
5. Barbeque grill
Not a western product as people think but a tradition in every society from ancient times. These grills can come in different sizes and designs around the world. Barbeques in this hectic world are the perfect outdoor get together for families and friends to celebrate any occasion.
6. Vacuum cleaner
Dusting a home was a difficult task. With the modern vacuum cleaners one can simply suck the dust and even liquids off the carpet. Till 1940’s, vacuum cleaners were considered a luxury, now it is one of the most necessary domestic item. A clean home is everyone’s dream and this appliance makes it come true.
7. Electric Iron
To look good in social gatherings is always in the back of our heads. We cannot go to the office or for a date in a crumpled shirt now can we? From the days of heavy fuel based irons to modern electric irons, it has only gotten better.
8. Washing machine
This appliance has made scrubbing in the sun or in the numbing cold a thing of the past. Earlier models had to wash, rinse and dry the clothes separately. Also the problem of some types of cloth materials which could not be trusted to these rough machines. Increasingly automated nowadays all we do is put in the dirty laundry, programme it according to the requirement and take it out dry and fresh.
9. Microwave oven
Percy Spencer, an engineer, discovered the concept of the microwave by accident in 1945. Earliest models were energy consuming and large in size. Since then, ovens have gotten smaller, lighter and more efficient. For many of those who do not how to cook, it is a lifesaver.
10. Dish washer
William H. Livens in 1924 gave the modern design of the dishwasher. This helpful appliance was at first hand-powered. Since then the problems of corrosion, sanitation and efficiency were solved one by one. By 1970’s it was common sight in the American households and restaurants.
