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Dr. Who fans will undoubtedly appreciate this Easter Egg that can be found by popping open Google Now and searching for “When am I?” on your Android phone.
Do it. Seriously. Right now, do it… I’ll wait right here in this smartphone booth.
See? Told you it was worth the effort and I’m still right here waiting for you. For those not following along at home, here is what we’re audibly told (SPOILER):
“The present, of course. TARDIS functionality is still undergoing development. Sorry.”
I won’t pretend to be a Dr. Who expert and after getting schooled by Wallie Hawkins in the comments, am passing along his far superior explanation of the TARDIS (you can read more here):
he didn’t create it, he stole it. It’s a space filled with different dimensions, each room being a different one and the doorway is simply that. a doorway to another dimension. and then the whole thing travels through space and time. and it’s not made out of a phone booth. It has a cloaking device to blend in with it’s environment. He ended up in London and it broke and is stuck as a police box. He could fix it but he likes it…
Clearly there is at least one, and probably many, Dr. Who fans at Google.
I’m a bit obsessed with time travel movies myself, but never got entrenched in Dr. Who. Perhaps this will kick off my next unhealthy Netflix binge.
[Via Thomas Maiocco]
I don’t want to be the geek to correct you….I really don’t. But he didn’t create it, he stole it. It’s a space filled with different dimensions, each room being a different one and the doorway is simply that. a doorway to another dimension. and then the whole thing travels through space and time. and it’s not made out of a phone booth. It has a cloaking device to blend in with it’s environment. He ended up in London and it broke and is stuck as a police box. He could fix it but he likes it…anyway….. it’s an awesome easter egg that made me smile
Allow me to downgrade my “not an expert” to “disgraced newb”… I stand corrected and appreciate the clarification! Updated the article to reflect your superior geekery. Appreciate your comment, thanks for schoolin’ me!
Also, if you start watching, don’t judge it by the first season. :)
Still watch the first season, but give it a chance. Season 2+ is amazing!
I’m surprised nobody mentioned this but it’s “Doctor Who” never “Dr. Who”.
Or simply “the Doctor” which is what he calls himself. “Doctor Who” is what other people ask.
He was the first person to say “Doctor Who?”
According to the storyline, the TARDIS herself claimed that she “stole” him. Then again, even later in the storyline Clara directed him to that particular TARDIS from a line of available ones.
I’m not getting the Easter Egg in UK.
So was Wallie re-outgeeked? I’m staying out of this from here on out… I’ll let the experts in the comments hash it out!
It’s not a cloaking device, it’s a chameleon circuit.
Not to be confused with an SEP (somebody else’s problem) field from H2G2.
TARDIS – time and relative dimensions in space.
Ah! But there’s the rub… There are two TARDISes, and two Doctors.
One is the one we all know and love, celebrating the 50th anniversary in 2 weeks.
The other is the original US remake staring Peter Cushing. In that version, Doctor Who created the TARDIS himself. But he’s also human, and actually has the surname of “Who”.
Cushing’s Doctor while having a TARDIS and fighting Daleks doesn’t fit into the cannon of the TV show though. Just to save confusing things :)
I think you’re off on a few things Wallie. No offense. I think there might be more down votes on your post if people didn’t have to login to down vote. But thanks for playing. :)
He tried to fix it once, turned it into a piano I think.
Geek mode activated:
Do it. Get hooked. The new revision (called Doctor Who 2005 in many places) is a good place to start…
Haha, just tried it. Awesome.
Actually, the thumbnail for the Google calendar widget also has a Doctor Who joke ever since Android 4.0…
THIS is amasing!
WHAT!? *goes check*
I just get a map.
Google’s Sydney office even has a room named after the TARDIS. I think it’s safe to say they have a few fans.
My Gnex just tells me the time and my location :(
Is it the GNex from Verizon? Maybe they blocked this to prevent a “system error”.
works fine on my gnex on verizon, also works on an iPad…definitely not device/network dependent… turn your volume up?
Speak it. I typed it and it just showed the time.
I hope TARDIS functionality be coming in Android 5!
:( Didn’t work for me.
Doesn’t work for me
Works with the Google app in iOS too. Tried it on my wife’s phone. Works on my HTC One.
What are you waiting for Rob? The 50th Anniversary special is only 2 weeks away (as of tomorrow) if you forgo sleep and food and the bathroom you can at least catch up with the episodes that aired since it’s return in 2005 ;)
I’m going to see it with a couple friends in the movie theater I can’t wait.
Lucky, it’s not in a theatre close enough to me, I will have to content myself with watching it on tv…..several times…..that day :p
Doctor Who rocks…Start watching it… T.A.R.D.I.S. was not stolen she picked him.
well, stolen in the same sense of the word as you steal a girlfriend then. ;-)
“I’m a bit obsessed with time travel movies myself, but never got entrenched in Dr. Who.”
Good lord, what’s wrong with you?
This was obvious, since he spelled the name of the show wrong. It’s Doctor Who. :)
Unless you are referring to the movies staring Peter Cushing. Then it is Dr. Who and it’s not “the TARDIS” just “TARDIS”
watch The Doctor and his companions, you will fall in love.
False, does not work. I’m on a Note 3, stock.
I second this one. Tried with Caps, no caps, and the “. I have the official time in AZ
Wait you typed it in ? If in not mistaken you are supposed to pose the question using the voice search
How do you speak in caps? Did you yell?
You do know voice search means you have to talk right?
Don’t be shy little fellow! Speak out like ya got a pair!
Stock Note 3 here also and it does indeed work. Make sure you’re using Google Now and not S-Voice.
it works fine.
It works on the Chrome Browser in Windows too. Just click on the microphone and pose the same question. You must be on http://www.google.com and not within a search when you initiate the voice search.
Bwa ha ha ha! If you do start binge watching Dr Who on Netflix, you also need to binge watch Portlandia. They have an episode in each of the first two seasons about binge watching Battlestar Galactica. The second episode about binge watching has a very fun twist to it.
You must be running Google search v.2.8.8.849 is the newest update.
Try asking Who are you? ….I didn’t know Google Now has started being clever.
Oh, and it gave the correct answer..
It just gives me a map of my location.
Would be neat but nope… no go.
You have to say it.
I did, and it still just brings up a map of my location.
Another cool Easter egg is instead of say “Ok Google” try saying “Ok Jarvis” and watch everything work just the same. Jarvis, if you remember, is Tony Stark’s much abused computerized assistant in the Ironman movies.
Ok Jarvis worked 1 out of 10 tries for me. Ok Google has worked every time.
Weird. Both work every time for me.
It only works if I’m already in the actual google now app, not from the homescreen on my nexus 5
same here, worked the first time…then didn’t work…it’s as if google was like “okay, you have had your fun w/ that easter egg..now knock it off!” lol
Another small easter egg, try saying “Who’s on first?”
I don’t even know what Google Now is.
Then no TARDIS functionality for you! When the Daleks come, you’re mincemeat.
Exterminate.
It didn’t work when I typed those words in. You have to speak it.
LoL!! It showed the time. I was like “all it showed was the time”. =.S
I spoke it, didn’t work…:-(
it didn’t work for me at first..i had my phone on vibrate…took it off vibrate..it worked
Start watching at the beginning, ep 1 “An Unearthly Child”
It sounds more authentic with English UK set in voice settings.
tinyurl.com/l3cselt
v
ask it “Who’s on first?” and then “who’s on second”