Searching for "do a barrel roll" became a viral sensation last week, when users tweeted about the new Easter egg planted in Google Search. Google has a long history of putting surprises and quirks in its services, and we've chosen eight of the best for you to try out.

1. Reader Ninja

In Google Reader type on your keyboard: 'up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A'. Doing so will make a ninja appear on the left side of Reader and 'Ninja!' is written in the search box. Fun, but completely pointless.

Ninja
In your reader. Like a ninja

2. Google Headquarters

Navigate to Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California and in StreetView the workforce can be seen posing with signs for a passing StreetView camera car.

Google HQ

3. Blue Moon

Search for "once in a blue moon" and Google calculator returns an answer of 1.16699016 × 10<sup>-8 hertz. the calculator has quite a few Easter Eggs, including "a baker's dozen", "horns on a unicorn" and "the lonliest number".

Blue Moon

4. Take a Jet Ski

In Google Maps a search for directions from China to Japan (or, indeed, any travelling that involves crossing the Pacific Ocean) states that you must "jet ski across the Pacific Ocean".

Google Jet Ski

5. Play Snake on Youtube

The famous mobile phone came, Snake, can be played over any video on YouTube. Click on a video once it starts to play and quickly press a directional key on the keyboard. Now a game of Snake can be played over the video. This took a couple of attempts to get working, but as Easter eggs go, it's a good one.

Snake

6. The Meaning of Life

Searching for ""the answer to life the universe and everything" returns the answer 42, in reference to The Hitchhickers' Guide to The Galaxy.

42

7. Pirate

Search 'Google Pirate' or go here and the Google homepage is written in pirate-speak. 'Log in' is replaced with 'Sail into port'.

Pirate

8. Google Hacker

Similar to the Pirate page, Google can also be made to look like it has been hacked. Click here and the homepage, 'Normal Search' replaced with 'n0rM4L s34rCH', along with changes to all of the other homepage text.

Hacker
China California Japan