Today’s Google.com logo has a special feature: It scatters into multicolored dots when you mouse over it, then rebuilds itself when you keep your cursor away. Google hasn’t yet told anyone why the logo is different today, leading to mass media speculation (and tons of PR). From The Christian Science Monitor:
The animated page taps into the latest HTML and Javascript code. Because of this, many speculate that Google chose the bouncing balls as a way for users to tell whether or not they have an up-to-date Web browser. So, if you don’t see the Google balls effect, consider downloading the latest version of Chrome, Internet Explorer, Opera, Safari, or Firefox.
Others say the doodle is to celebrate Google’s 12th birthday, which traditionally is not today. Google’s birthday either falls on September 4th (the day Google was incorporated), 7th (when the company opened its doors in Menlo Park, Calif.), or 27th (the day Google usually celebrates its birthday).
Search Engine Roundtable has a different take:
We know Google is having a big search event tomorrow and we suspect that is why Google is showing the Google Balls logo today. Google told me “today’s doodle is not related to a birthday but is fast, fun and interactive, just the way we think search should be.”
Possible changes, according to Search Engine Roundtable, include AJAX-powered search results, 30 results per page, and streaming results as you type.
The Washington Post has even more theories:
Monday was the birthday of John Dalton and so the logo is a nod to his “Atomic Theory.”
The logo marks the 83rd anniversary of Farnsworth’s image dissector camera tube and the transmission of its first picture.
This is all about flaunting language code. As the Guardian posits: “The aim of the logo seems to be to draw attention to the importance of CSS3, an emerging standard which is being developed as the next version of the web language HTML, called HTML5, is being ratified by the World Wide Web Consortium.”
Everyone should find out during Google’s press event on search, which takes place tomorrow. Once again, the company has done an excellent job building hype about its new offerings.
