Google marks 150th anniversary of Pony Express

Google on Tuesday paid tribute to the Pony Express on the service's 155th anniversary with a doodle even children can relate to.

Visitors to Google's home page were greeted with a doodle that let them use the keyboard to navigate a Pony Express rider through a series of obstacles.

Completing the course, including getting mail pouches while avoiding obstacles and robbers, would earn a round of applause from, of course, the pony.

As with past doodles, clicking on the search icon will lead to a Google Search results page for the Pony Express.

Google said the doodle stemmed from "the notion of triumph through adversity" that it said "is so inspirational."

While it noted the Pony Express was founded on April 3, 1860, the first mail arrived on April 14.

"The Pony Express felt like a great game concept to us at Google. We've made time-based games in the past so our new idea was simple. Collect letters, avoid obstacles and aim for the ultimate 100 letter delivery! We know everyone is busy these days but the Pony Express needs YOU. And ultimately, whatever happens in life, what's more important than earning trust and respect from a horse?" it said. -- Joel Locsin/JST, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Google pays tribute to women through doodle

Google on Sunday paid tribute to women around the world in a doodle depicting them in various occupations.

Visitors to Google's homepage were greeted with a doodle featuring women in various roles, including scientists, teachers and athletes.

As always, clicking on the doodle will bring the visitor to a Google Search Results page for "International Women's Day."



Google indicated the doodle's reach is worldwide.

For 2015, the United Nations set this year's theme as "Empowering Women - Empowering Humanity:
Picture It!"




It said the theme "envisions a world where each woman and girl can exercise her choices, such as participating in politics, getting an education, having an income, and living in societies free from violence and discrimination."  — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

It said the theme "

More from: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/448669/scitech/technology/google-pays-tribute-to-women-through-doodle 

It said the theme "envisions a world where each woman and girl can exercise her choices, such as participating in politics, getting an education, having an income, and living in societies free from violence and discrimination."  — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News

It said the theme "envisions a world where each woman and girl can exercise her choices, such as participating in politics, getting an education, having an income, and living in societies free from violence and discrimination."  — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News

More from: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/448669/scitech/technology/google-pays-tribute-to-women-through-doodle

Google welcomes lunar new year with animated doodle

Google on Thursday welcomed the Lunar New Year with an animated doodle of a sheep/ram triggering fireworks after hitting a tree.

The animation on Google's homepage (www.google.com) showed the animal being startled after the fireworks explode and eventually form the word "GOOGLE."

Clicking on the doodle will take the visitor to a Google Search Results page for "Lunar New Year."

Filipinos on Wednesday night and Thursday morning joined the Chinese community in welcoming the New Year with fireworks and programs.



On Thursday, parades are expected in parts of the country, particularly in Manila's Chinatown, to celebrate the Chinese New Year. — Joel Locsin/ELR, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Google goes #Steampunk for Alessandro Volta's birthday

 

Google on Wednesday, February 18 (PHL time), feted physicist Alessandro Volta with an awesome steampunk-ish animated doodle depicting his electrifying invention.

 

Visitors to Google's homepage will see an animation of Volta's "electric column"—the forerunner of today's batteries—to light up the "Google" logo. 

 

As with past doodles, clicking on it will send the visitor to a Google Search Results page for Alessandro Volta.

Here's a whimsical overview of Volta's discovery:

 

 

FamousScientists.org said Volta, who was born 270 years ago, was credited for inventing the first electrical battery in 1800.

 

The battery or “voltaic pile” produced steady flows of electric current, "unleashing a wave of new discoveries and technologies."

 

Volta was also the first person to isolate methane, and discovered methane mixed with air could be exploded using an electric spark.

 

He also discovered “contact electricity” from contact between different metals.

 

 The site also pointed out the unit of electric potential called - you guessed it - the volt is in recognition of Volta’s contributions to electrical science. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News

 

source: gmanetwork.com

Google pays tribute to travelers in Christmas Day doodle

 

Google on Thursday paid tribute to those traveling home for Christmas with an animated doodle for Christmas Day 2014.

 

Visitors to Google’s homepage (www.google.com) were greeted with a doodle depicting various means of transportation people take to get home.

 

 

“Holidays almost always involve travel and transport, and I wanted to celebrate the variety of ways we do this. Choosing a suitcase/backpack motif, I set about creating multiple people that transform and adapt to their surroundings,” doodler Matt Cruickshank said.

He said the background music “Seabird” by Matt Saxton plays along to the doodle.

Cruickshank described the doodle as a “door to door journey” seen through many eyes.

“Whatever our destination this holiday- a snowy mountain, a perfect wave or a crackling fire, we hope you enjoy the ride!” he said. — Joel Locsin/RSJ, GMA News

 

source: gmanetwork.com

Google prepares to celebrate Christmas with doodle

It's still two days before Christmas, but Google on Tuesday started celebrating the Christmas season with a colorful doodle.

 

Visitors to Google's home page were greeted with a doodle of children aboard a sleigh pulled by a reindeer. 

 

Clicking on the doodle takes the visitor to a Google Search Results page for "Tis the Season."

 

However, the first result - a Wikipedia entry - is a disambiguation page that offers several results for "'Tis the Season."

 

Still, a separate report on UK's The Independent said Google has dedicated its festive doodle starting Dec. 21 to 23. —Joel Locsin/VC, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Google fetes Russian painter Kandinsky in latest Doodle

 

Google on Tuesday paid tribute to Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky on his 148th birth anniversary with a doodle inspired by his works.

 

Visitors to Google's homepage, including that in the Philippines, were greeted with an abstract-looking doodle that reflected Kandinsky's style.

 

But as in the past, clicking on the doodle will take visitors to a Google Search Results page for "Wassily Kandinsky."

 

 

 

Kandinsky is credited as the first painter to make purely abstract works and used color to express emotion, UK's The Independent reported.

 

The Independent said Kandinsky's work can attract bids of "tens of millions of pounds" on today’s art market.

 

 It said his 1909 painting "Study for Improvisation 8" sold for $23 million at Christie’s in 2012. In 1990, Sotheby’s sold his 1914 work "Fugue" for $20.9 million. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News

 

source: gmanetwork.com

Google celebrates Philae probe's comet landing with doodle

Google on Thursday (PHL time) celebrated the historic soft landing of the Philae robotic lander on a comet with one of its patented doodles.

Visitors to Google's home page (www.google.com) were greeted with an animated doodle highlighting the feat.

As in past doodles, clicking on the image will take the visitor to a Google Search Results page for the historic soft-landing.

The doodle, which marked the "Philae robotic lander land(ing) on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko," can be viewed worldwide.

An article on WebProNews.com said it did not take long for Google to "whip up a Doodle" to celebrate Philae's historic feat.

“After more than 10 years travelling through space, we’re now making the best ever scientific analysis of one of the oldest remnants of our Solar System,” it quoted Alvaro Giménez, ESA’s Director of Science and Robotic Exploration, as saying.

Rosetta, launched on March 2, 2014, traveled 6.4 billion kilometers through the Solar System before arriving at the comet last August. — Joel Locsin/ELR, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Google fetes Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy on his birthday

 

"Everything I know, I know because of Google." 

 

Or so the great Russian novelist might have said had he been born today. So it's perhaps a good thing he was born almost two centuries ahead of us.

 

Google on Tuesday paid tribute to Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy with an interactive Doodle marking his 186th birth anniversary.

 

Visitors to Google's homepage were greeted with a doodle of Tolstoy, along with a Play button inviting them to click.

 

Clicking on the button would take visitors on a brief tour of some of Tolstoy's novels, including "War and Peace," "Anna Karenina" and "The Death of Ivan Ilyich."

 

As in the past, clicking on the spyglass at the end of the interactive doodle will take the visitor to a Search Results page for Leo Tolstoy.

 

A report on UK's The Independent said Tolstoy was born on September 9, 1828 and died of pneumonia in 1910.

 

It pointed out that "War and Peace" is considered one of the world's most important works of literature. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News

 

source: gmanetwork.com

Interactive Google doodle marks Mandela’s 96th birth anniversary

An interactive doodle celebrating the life of former South African President Nelson Mandela served as Google's tribute to the anti-apartheid symbol on Friday.

Visitors to Google's homepage were greeted with an image of Mandela, with a button that features quotes from Mandela when clicked.



The quotes included:

"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion."

"People must learn to hate and if they can learn to hate they can be taught to love for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite."

"What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead."

"Education is the most powerful weapon which we can use to change the world."

"For to be free is not merely to cast of one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time you fall."

Clicking on the spyglass beside the doodle takes the visitor to a Google Search Results page for Nelson Mandela.

Mandela was born in 1918 in the eastern Cape of South Africa. He was jailed for fighting apartheid and eventually freed. He served as South African president from 1994 to 1999.

He died last Dec. 5. — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Google welcomes start of World Cup festivities with doodle

Google is taking part in the festivities marking the start of the 2014 FIFA World Cup as it posted an animated doodle on its home page.

Visitors to Google.com were greeted with an animated doodle with a dancing "l" and the "e" playing the drums.


"Yes, we’ll take a little samba with our #WorldCup opening ceremony," Google said in a tweet.

As in the past, clicking on the doodle will take the visitor to a Search Results page for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

The FIFA World Cup is an international men's football tournament that started early Friday (PHL time) and will end on July 13.

Spain is the defending champion. — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Google salutes PHL on its Independence Day with bayanihan-themed doodle

Google on Thursday saluted the Philippines on Independence Day with a bayanihan-themed doodle, celebrating the Filipino tradition of helping each other in times of need.

Visitors to Google's Philippine homepage (www.google.com.ph) were greeted with a festive image of Filipinos helping each other carry houses and the Philippine flag.

 

"This year’s Independence Day doodle captures the bayanihan — or communal — spirit that Filipinos are known for.  A favorite subject of many Filipino artists, bayanihan is often depicted through the tradition of members of the barrio (or town) helping a neighbor move house by hoisting and carrying it on a bamboo frame," Google said.

 

It added Thursday's doodle "captures the energy and spirit that is associated with this way of life."



As in the past, clicking on the doodle will lead to a Google Search Results page for Philippine Independence Day.

The bayanihan spirit was hailed in the wake of super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), when Filipinos helped each other recover from the devastation.

Google said this was the fifth Independence Day doodle to be featured on the Google.com.ph homepage.

It added that the doodle was "created with the help of Googlers from the Philippines and around the world."  — Joel Locsin/ELR, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Google celebrates 40 years of Rubik's 'impossible object' with interactive cube

 

Google on Monday threatened to bring down productivity anew as it marked the 40th "birthday" of the iconic Rubik's Cube - regarded as one of the world's most popular toys - with a playable online version.

 

Visitors to Google's homepage on Monday were greeted with an animated Rubik's Cube inviting them to click on it.

 

Those who did will be treated to a playable version of the toy where they can use their mouse to rotate the cube.

 

Clicking on the spyglass will take the user to a Google Search Results page for Rubik's Cube.

 

Rubik's Cube, initially available as the "Hungarian Magic Cube" as early as 1977, was created on May 19, 1974. People around the world have spent countless hours solving the 3D puzzle.

An impossible object

 

According to the official Rubik's Cube page, the famous toy was conceived by Hungarian professor of architecture Erno Rubik as an "impossible object".

 

"His solid cube twisted and turned - and still it did not break or fall apart. With colourful stickers on its sides, the Cube got scrambled and thus emerged the first 'Rubik’s Cube.' It took well over a month for Erno to work out the solution to his puzzle," the page noted. 

 

 Here are some more interesting facts about the timeless puzzle:

 

 

 

 This was not the first time Google made virtual versions of popular toys and games.

It made a playable version of Pac-Man game in 2010, it noted. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Chemist Dorothy Hodgkin feted with 'crystal' Google Doodle

Google on Monday honored the memory of British chemist Dorothy Hodgkin with a "crystal" doodle on what would have been her 104th birthday.

 

On its homepage on May 12, the Internet giant marked Hodgkin's birth anniversary with a doodle depicting Hodgkins' work on X-ray crystallography.

 

Clicking on the doodle will take the visitor to a Google Search Results page for Dorothy Hodgkin.

An article on 3DCarShows.com noted that the doodle is live on Google's homepages in Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia, India, Saudi Arabia,  Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, United Kingdom, Canada and the United States.

 

Hodgkin was born on May 12, 1910 in Cairo, Egypt, and was credited with the development of protein crystallography, and received a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1964 for it.

 

She was the second woman to receive the “Order of Merit” in 1965 after Florence Nightingale.

 

She was awarded an Honorary Degree (Doctor of Science) from the University of Bath in 1978.

 

By using X-ray crystallography, Hodgkin determined the structures of cholesterol (1937), penicillin (1946) and vitamin B12 (1956), which earned her the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1964. — Joel Locsin/TJD, GMA News

 

source: gmanetwork.com

 

Google pays tribute to moms with Mother's Day doodle

Google on Sunday joined the world in paying tribute to mothers with a doodle celebrating Mother's Day.

The relatively simple and non-interactive doodle, which greeted visitors on Google's homepage, showed a mother biking with her children.

 As with Google's past doodles, this one will take the visitor to a Google Search Results page for Mother's Day when clicked on.

Meanwhile, a report by dzBB's Rodil Vega said many mothers spent the eve of Mother's Day with their children strolling at the Luneta Park in Manila.

An article on 3-D Car Shows noted Mother’s Day is celebrated in many countries on the second Sunday in May.— Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Google pays tribute to Audrey Hepburn with doodle

Google on Sunday paid tribute to British actress and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn, who would have marked her 85th birthday.

Visitors to Google's homepage (www.google.com) were greeted with a doodle of the legend, who died of a rare type of cancer on Jan. 20, 1993 at age 63.



"Soon after losing her we felt that, would she have had more time on this earth, she would have spent it continuing to speak on the behalf of the millions of children who don’t have a ‘fair start’ in life. This was the generation she worked for tirelessly for the last five years of her life as an ambassador for UNICEF," <a data-cke-saved-href=">Hepburn-Ferrer said in a blog post.

He said Hepburn "believed in education as way to change the course of history of those countries that are still developing."

Because of this, the Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund and the Audrey Hepburn Society at the US Fund for UNICEF had been created to help the survival and development of children in need all over the world, he said.

Also he said Hepburn remains "a symbol of both inner and outer elegance for many, her last chapter as a humanitarian forever intertwined with her Hollywood and style legacies."

Meanwhile, Google doodler Jennifer Horn said it was a tricky task for her to produce the doodle of a "classically beautiful actress (who) dedicated her life to philanthropy."

"I wanted to show both sides of her life's work," she said.

She said she drew inspiration from Hepburn's her portrait in Yousuf Karsh's photograph from 1956, used with permission from the estate of Yousuf Karsh.


"The black and white image is graceful and understated yet immediately recognizable.  Taking cues from Audrey's movie posters and work with charities, I added a graphic splash of pink and figures of her dancing with and embracing children," she said. — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Google features inspirational women in doodle video for Int'l Women's Day

Google passed on interactive games for its doodle this time.

Instead, Google is celebrating International Women's Day through an interactive homepage doodle that plays a video of women from all over the world greeting a Happy International Women's Day.


The women include 16-year-old Pakistani education and women's rights activiest Malala Yousafzai, Australian photographer and women's advocate Anne Geddes, and Indian five-time World Boxing champion Mary Kom.

Also featured are the first Filipinas to climb Mount Everest Noelle Wenceslao, Janet Belarmino and Carina Dayodon, and social advocate and lead mobilizer of #rescuePH Rosario San Juan.

The doodle will run from March 7 to 9 at the Google homepage.

International Women's Day is celebrated yearly every 8th of March. — Kim Luces/VC, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Google marks Valentine's Day with interactive doodle

As it has done in past years, Google joined the world in celebrating Valentine's Day with an interactive doodle for the occasion.

Visitors to Google's homepage (www.google.com) on Friday were greeted with a doodle inviting them to click on the Play button.

Clicking on it allows them to prepare a gift box of chocolate treats for their special someone, at least virtually.

"From the combination chocolate creating ingredients, select you(r) choice by clicking on the arrow on top and bottom and fill chocolate box, tie with ribbon and share to you valentine," said Specblo.com.

Last year, Specblo.com noted Google's Valentine doodle was a celebration at an amusement park.

Clicking on the magnifying glass at the side takes the visitor to a Google Search Results page for Valentine's Day.  — ELR, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Google welcomes Year of the Horse with animated doodle

Google joined the world in welcoming the Year of the Wooden Horse with an animated doodle on the eve of the Lunar New Year.

Visitors to Google's homepage (www.google.com) were greeted with a doodle of a young girl riding a – you guessed it – a wooden horse, and a boy with a lantern and firecrackers.



Clicking on the doodle will take the visitor to a Google Search Results page for "Chinese New Year 2014."

In the Philippines, preparations by Filipinos and Chinese alike for the Lunar New Year peaked this week.

Manila's Chinatown district had been busy in past days with shoppers looking for lucky food and charms.

On Thursday, groups started performing the traditional dragon dance to welcome the New Year, even as several stores opened early in anticipation of a last-minute customer rush.

Several people bought round fruits, sticky tikoy and even small plants believed to bring good luck and wealth, radio dzBB's Carlo Mateo reported.

A report on UK's The Independent said the celebration usually begins on Chinese New Year's Eve, which marks the end of the Year of the Snake.

"At Chinese New Year people traditionally wear red clothes and give children 'lucky money' contained in red envelopes. The color red symbolises fire to drive away bad luck," it added.

Families also reunite and gather at each other's homes to celebrate and eat together.

Households thoroughly clean the house to sweep away ill fortune and make way for good luck.

"Those born in the Year of the Horse are believed to be cheerful, skillful with money, perceptive and witty. Famous people born in this year include actress Halle Berry, Rembrandt and singer Aretha Franklin," the report added. — LBG, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Google goes non-denomational in its Christmas Eve Doodle

Google on Tuesday marked Christmas Eve with one of its patented doodles, but made its greeting a non-denominational one.

Visitors to Google's home page (www.google.com) were greeted with the doodle of a horse pulling a sleigh in winter, along with the word "GOOGLE."

Hovering the pointer over the doodle will reveal the greeting, "Happy Holidays from Google," and clicking on it will take the visitor to a search results page for "Happy Holidays."

A separate article on The Independent said the doodle marks a "non-religious" Dec. 24 and avoids any mention of the word Christmas.

Rare Global Doodle

The Independent added the doodle is a "relatively rare" global doodle, which will be seen worldwide on Dec. 24.

"By linking the day to the phrase 'Happy holidays,' Google gives a nod to a worldwide debate – how important a part of Christmas is Christianity?" it added.

But it added that while the world settles down to enjoy the holidays, Google hopes everyone "can take comfort in its all-encompassing, nondenominational greeting." — TJD, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com