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Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP, and Lenovo all got plenty of freedom to make their Googlebooks look different, so Google needed something that would instantly tie the whole family together. Its answer was the Glowbar, a strip of light on the lid that can show battery status, signal Gemini activity, and generally make a Googlebook recognizable from across the room. Apparently, Google also decided that all that glowing hardware deserved a little fun, because every Googlebook apparently hides an app called Glowbar Disco.
Alexander Kuscher, Google’s Senior Director of Product for Laptops and Tablets, revealed the Easter egg during an interview on Android Faithful after being asked about his favorite Glowbar feature.
His answer, which came at the 1:15:25 mark, wasn’t charging status or one of the Gemini animations. It was Glowbar Disco, which Kuscher described as an app “hiding somewhere” on the device. He didn’t reveal where Google buried it, though, so owners will have to do some digging once Googlebooks start reaching buyers in the US.
The lighting effect itself isn’t entirely new. During our hands-on time with Googlebooks, we saw a disco mode that syncs the Glowbar’s lights with audio, but Google wouldn’t tell us how to access it. Kuscher has now filled in the missing piece: there’s an actual hidden app behind the trick.
The Easter egg also fits the Glowbar’s story. Kuscher explained that Google wanted every model to share one recognizable design element rather than simply stamping another logo onto the lid. The company pitched the Glowbar idea to its hardware partners, who built the hardware, while Google handled the software.
The light strip isn’t only decorative, either. It can display battery information and respond to Gemini activity, and Google says it eventually wants to give developers access so apps can create their own useful — or presumably ridiculous — Glowbar interactions.
That could make the Glowbar much more interesting over time. Until developers get their hands on it, though, the Glowbar Disco app gives early Googlebook adopters at least one extra trick to hunt down — assuming they can figure out where Google hid it.
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