Google has itself a long proud history of offering hidden jokes among its arsenal of services, and has today seemingly unveiled another in the form of a countdown on its homepage.
Users of Google.com or Google.co.uk who hit the "I'm Feeling Lucky" button are now presented with a countdown timer, which in seconds appears to point to the turn of the new year. Though, it isn't quite that simple; both the US and UK countdowns expire at the same, and consequently don't correspond to relative time zones.
The less-optimistic users of the worldwide web have already suggested that Google has determined the point at which the world will come to an end. Others, meanwhile, have become accustomed to Google's software quirks - known as Easter Eggs - and believe it's little more than a countdown to the new year.
We're more likely to believe the latter, but could it be a countdown to an upcoming Google product launch? The company has recently made waves with its Google Phone and upcoming Chrome desktop operating system, and we certainly wouldn't rule out another product unveiling just in time for next month's annual Consumer Electronics Show.
What do you think, readers? Countdown to nothing, or is there something special in store?
