Apple Music hides interactive iPod easter egg for 25th anniversary
Apple has embedded a functional, first-generation iPod simulation into its Apple Music website's 404 error page, marking the device's 25th anniversary. Users can navigate the virtual hardware to play 90-second previews of early-2000s tracks. The hidden feature, discovered by social media users, includes a concealed Breakout game, celebrating the product line that was discontinued in 2022.
Key points
- Apple, the consumer technology company, added a hidden interactive easter egg to its Apple Music web platform to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original iPod's launch on October 23, 2001.
- The feature appears on any non-existent URL within the music.apple.com domain, displaying a functional simulation of the first-generation iPod that users can operate via a web browser.
- The virtual device contains pre-installed 90-second previews of songs from early-2000s artists such as Coldplay, Gorillaz, and Beyoncé, allowing users to listen directly through the interface.
- A secondary hidden layer allows users to access the classic Breakout game by holding the center button on the simulated click wheel, referencing the game's creation by Apple co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak at Atari.
- The easter egg was identified by social media users Kian and Alex Greenland, highlighting the iPod's legacy after the product line was officially discontinued in 2022.
Apple has introduced a hidden interactive feature on its Apple Music website to mark the 25th anniversary of the original iPod. The easter egg appears on the site's 404 error page, which is triggered by visiting any non-existent URL within the music.apple.com domain. Instead of a standard error message, users are presented with a fully functional simulation of the first-generation iPod, released in 2001.
The virtual device allows users to navigate its interface using a simulated click wheel and play 90-second previews of songs from artists popular in the early 2000s, including Coldplay, Gorillaz, and Beyoncé. The feature is accessible only via web browsers, requiring users to prevent automatic redirection to the Apple Music app on mobile devices. A secondary easter egg is embedded within the simulation; by holding the center button on the click wheel in the settings menu, users can eventually access the classic Breakout game, a nod to the title created by Apple co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak during their time at Atari.
The discovery was made by social media users Kian and Alex Greenland, who noted the timing coincides with the 25th anniversary of the iPod's announcement. The original device was launched for $399 and remained a core product for Apple for two decades before being discontinued in 2022. This digital recreation serves as a nostalgic tribute to the hardware that defined the early era of portable digital music.
Sources
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