Skip to main content

Google promises Force Awakens goodies if you decide between the Light or the Dark Side

Awaken the Force Within
Google is excited about Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and has launched a special promotional campaign to make sure we’re all aware the new movie is now less than a month away from release. By choosing to support either the Light Side or the Dark Side of the Force, all your Google apps and sites will get a special Star Wars makeover.

Getting involved is easy. Padawans need to visit google.com/StarWars, where you’re told to pledge allegiance to the Force, but with the option of going down the light or dark path. When you join, Google puts a filter over your profile image and adds the relevant insignia, which can also be downloaded for posterity. If you suddenly have a change of heart, and would like to follow a different way, then just hop back to the main page.

Related: Watch the first TV spot for Star Wars: The Force Awakens

From here, Google will customize different sites and apps. For example, Google Maps will show iconic Star Wars vehicles marking your location, Gmail gets a Star Wars theme and wallpaper, and if you visit Google Play, you’ll find an updated version of Disney’s Star Wars app. The new version includes a Star Wars watch face for Android Wear.

Additionally, Google will add little Star Wars touches to YouTube, Calendar, Translate, Search, and Waze. The more you explore, the more you’ll discover. The changes are often very subtle. Check out Google Maps on the desktop, where if you’ve followed the Dark Side, the Street View stick man changes to become a little Stormtrooper. Have patience if you don’t see anything that different straight away, Google warns there could be a short wait before changes go live.

There’s more cool stuff to come, says Google, highlighting that it’ll add a virtual reality tour of the Millennium Falcon and other surprises between now and The Force Awakens release. That’s taking place on December 18, and we can’t wait.

Editors' Recommendations

Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
Visible just made its unlimited 5G plan better than ever
Visible wireless phones and plans featured

Digital wireless service provider Visible has announced upgrades to its premium Visible+ phone plan. The highlight is a new Global Pass feature that allows Visible customers to use their phones in 140 countries worldwide.

The Visible Global Pass offers unlimited talk and text services, along with 2GB of high-speed data, for a flat rate of $10 per day. Visible+ members can also enjoy a free Global Pass usage day every month. The activation process can be done through the Visible app.

Read more
The OnePlus Watch 2 is the Wear OS smartwatch I’ve been waiting for
Person wearing OnePlus Watch 2 with a green strap on their left wrist.

The OnePlus Watch 2 -- the company's first Wear OS watch -- has entered a market that Samsung dominates. However, OnePlus' popularity as a smartphone brand can be expected to bring small, yet meaningful changes that benefit not only OnePlus users, but all of the Wear OS segment in general.

For almost a decade, Samsung and Apple have predominantly been the default options if you want a smartwatch that is actually useful and goes beyond flashy features. With Samsung shifting gears and migrating from its own Tizen OS to the (relatively) more universal Wear OS platform and Google releasing its own Pixel Watch after struggling with an identity crisis in the smartwatch world, the platform has much more traction than it did a few years ago. As OnePlus carves its way into the segment, it has the opportunity to entice people who don't wish to live within Samsung's limitations when using a Galaxy Watch with another brand's phone.

Read more
Buying an iPad Mini today? You need to know about this deal
The Apple Pencil attaches to the iPad mini magnetically.

If you've had an eye on iPad deals for the latest model of the Apple iPad Mini for a while now, this may be the offer that you've been waiting for -- a $100 discount from Best Buy on the tablet's Wi-Fi, 64GB model, slashing its price to $400 from $500. It's still pretty popular years after its release, so we don't expect stocks of the device for this sale to last long. If you're thinking about taking advantage of this bargain, you better push through with your purchase as soon as possible to make sure that you don't miss out on the savings.

Why you should buy the Apple iPad Mini 2021
The latest generation of the Apple iPad Mini was released in 2021, but it's still featured in our roundup of the best iPads because it's the model that you should buy if you want a smaller and more compact version of Apple's tablets. Its 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display is smaller than the screens of its peers, but it's still big enough to enjoy watching streaming shows and browsing websites, while allowing you to use the device with one hand. Unlike its predecessor, there's no Home button, so the Touch ID sensor is instead built into the power button at the side of the Apple iPad Mini 2021.

Read more