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First, the snowflakes are subtle...
Longing for some snow (but not Snowmaggedon)? Google can give you some with a new Easter egg (Or should we say "Christmas egg"? (Hmm: Doesn't sound quite right.)
Just type in "Let it snow" in Google's search box and hit "return," and you'll see snowflakes falling. Within seconds, the computer screen changes to a winter whiteout, with search results mostly obscured. Starting to feel chilly? All you have to do is hit the blue "defrost" button to return to the normal world of Google.
(You'll need to use Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari to see this in action; it doesn't work using Internet Explorer).
... then your screen goes to near-whiteout condition.
This is the second recent Easter egg from Google: Last month's "Do a barrel roll" — still in effect — can make you lose your lunch and dinner. And there have been others from the search giant.
This one can entertain you for a few minutes — and the kids for, oh, 15 seconds. But a fun 15 seconds it is.
Related stories:
- Chrome 15 overtakes IE 8 for top browser spot
- Google fixes Chrome flaws
- Do it! Make Google 'do a barrel roll'
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Leave a Comment:
Click and drag the mouse over it and it's like drawing on a fogged window!
And on a touchscreen you can write in the frost with your fingertip (Safari on iOS).
Correction needed: (You'll need to use Google Chrome, Firefox or Safari to see this in action; it doesn't work using Internet Explorer).
I'm running IE9 and the snow flakes and fogged window effects work fine.
More correction in addition to LordPyrinc's comment, IE9 renders the frost as well, the problem is the coding on Google's end forces IE9 into IE8 mode, which you can confirm if you hit the F12 button on your keyboard, bringing up the developer's tools. You can then manually set it to IE9 for that session and try it out.
There are a lot more tricks where this came. Google has several other ester eggs or practical jokes that they played on their more gullible users: Google Easter Eggs and Practical Jokes
For those with a Mac, there's a Let It Snow app on the Mac App store that is amazing.
I just tried it-my keyboard is ice cold and i think my fingers are becoming frostbitten.
What is a "return"? At least for those millions that don't own a MAC.
Actually my question is I don't get flakes, I get little boxes with numbers in them.
FF 8.0.1, Win XP, with all updates. I recently brought this old computer back to life (new HDD, PSU, fans, reinstall XP). I intend on giving it, for Christmas, to my daughter who is now without.
On my regular computer I get the flakes. Any suggestions as to what I am missing?
You're missing a new computer.
Really? Think about that.
My computer runs it fine. It is OLDER, and has an inferior GPU, than the one I am giving my daughter.
My computer does have more RAM.
These freakin' little snowflakes shouldn't require an i7-3960X with a GTX 590 GPU and 16 Gigs of Ram.
We aren't talking about a gaming rig.