Google 'giant panda' on your phone - and a really cool thing happens
After a Google algorithm update, some search results are becoming animated and interactive, Pokémon Go-style
Google is in the midst of changing some of its algorithms. There are no doubt myriad mysterious reasons for that but one of them seems to be to help make education more fun.
Here's an example: try Googling 'giant panda' on your phone.
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Just below the first image results and initial description of a giant panda, you'll see an animated panda, sitting down and happily chewing on a stalk of bamboo.
Click on the "View in 3D' button and he or she will appear full-sized on your screen, complete with cute crunching noises.
Now click 'View in your space' and you can place him/her – Pokémon Go-style – into your environment.
Here (s)he is sitting on my laptop.
Cute, right? And even better when you see (and hear) the animated version.
Another one we're aware of is 'sharks' (it only works with the plural), which produces (just one) swimming shark. It's particularly cool if you place it above the top of your phone because then you just see the sinister shadow it casts below.
The feature only works on mobile devices, not desktop computers, presumably because it's aimed primarily at children and younger people who do most of their Googling on their phones (and don't we all these days, anyway).
It's just as much fun for adults, though. And there are likely numerous other animated animals, and more, waiting to be found.
Gotta catch 'em all!
