doodles

Leap years only come along every four years, so they're worth celebrating.

Google made that much clear today with a special doodle honoring the oh-so-rare 29th of February. But lest you think that such an event isn't by itself worthy of one of the search giant's whimsical home page graphics, their work today does double duty: It also observes the 220th birthday of famed Italian composer Gioachino Rossini.

Though most of Google's doodles (see video above) are single purpose, the company once in a while decides to kill two birds with one stone. For example, in … Read more

Fancy a bit of fun? Then hit play on our video to see the Google home page come alive in colorful fashion as we count down our five favorite Google doodles.

The Google doodle is a playful remix of the Google logo found on the search giant's otherwise crisp white home page. Doodles pop up to mark an event and can be a splash of cheery art, an animated video, or a fun little game--but with one thing in common. They're a welcome burst of sunshine from the big G.

Read more of "Google doodles top 5 in video" at Crave UK. … Read more

There are several reasons why Google can affect one emotionally. It's true these emotions aren't always positive. Sometimes, even, they verge on exasperation at Google's trickeration.

Happily, though, Google's small, but powerful Dept. of Human Beings--aka the Doodlers--is always trying to create an urge to cuddle, rather than cudgel.

Google's doodle for Valentine's Day offers a girl who is jump roping--or skipping, as they call it overseas. A boy offers her a flower. Oddly, the girl is not impressed.

The boy slinks away and googles some more ideas. He comes back with chocolates. She … Read more

There's a smell of brand-new commercialism over at Google. No more Mr. So Nice It Almost Seems Unreal Guy. Google's here to make money and to win. Your Google search results are now your Google+ search results.

But who would have thought--other than the most venal--that the company might even use its lovely doodles to, ultimately, make lovely oodles of cash?

Well, I am grateful to the bookish data-divers at Search Engine Watch for delving deeply into today's doodle, which celebrates the great poverty-sympathizing author, Charles Dickens.

It seems, you see, that Google has chosen today's … Read more

The role of Google's doodles is very simple. It's to make you think that Google is not a monstrous gargantuan entity keen on owning you, but a cute, cuddly company just trying the help you through the chilly winters of life.

Talking of gargantuan entities and chilly winters, Google has today released a cute, cuddly doodle that celebrates the world's most gargantuan snowflake.

There was, apparently, such a thing.

Guinness' book of world records--although why you're supposed to believe world records brought to you by a beer, I'm not sure--say that this 15-inch diameter snowflake … Read more

Organizing a meeting time with friends or colleagues can be tedious.

With so many schedules to accommodate and little insight into when, exactly, the participants are available, finding the golden time slot often involves a long, seemingly endless e-mail thread.

That's where Doodle comes in. The free service eases your scheduling stress by allowing you to create a poll of several proposed dates and times. Then, each participant indicates availability and a mutual time is found. Simple, right?

Although the service isn't new, I continue to introduce it to colleagues and marvel at the way their attitude changes … Read more

As it's done in years past, Google's put a bit of holiday cheer on its usually stark white search page.

The new design went live today ahead of Christmas. The doodle changes colors and plays "Jingle Bells" after users light up each note with their mouse. Clicking on the page itself does a search for "happy holidays."

The design itself is strongly reminiscent of the glowing Lite-Brite toys, which light up in various colors after being poked through thick, black construction paper. Once animated it looks like plain old holiday lights.

Last year's doodle … Read more

Thanksgiving is all about sharing and being grateful.

So might I share Google's Thanksgiving doodle, for whose sheer exuberance I am very grateful.

It seems like just another colorful turkey. And then one notices that it enjoys rather nicely coiffed long hair, from a Twiggy-sponsored salon in the 1960s.

Because one assumes it is necessary to do these things, one clicks on the logo to discover that the turkey's feathers rapidly change color.

With more clicks, the hairdo changes, too--at one point, it even goes bald with an eye-patch.

However, what is most moving for those who enjoy … Read more

Halloween is supposed to be a time of foreboding.

Monsters will creep up behind you and frighten you. Zombies from a Michael Jackson music video will haunt you, just as you sip your margarita.

But Google is too nice to do that. Googlies are lovely people who just want the world to be a more beautiful and scientific place.

So the Halloween Google doodle is a sweet, innocent affair.

On the Google blog, doodler Sophia Foster-Dimino explains that she and her fellow scribblers got a hold of half a dozen pumpkins from Half Moon Bay, Calif., and spent 8 hours … Read more