Google has teamed up with Lucasfilm and Disney to develop a new tool that lets a user change the theme for its suite of apps -- including Gmail, Chrome, Google Maps, YouTube and more -- with either the "Light Side" or "Dark Side" based on the user's preference. This serves as a sort of promotion for the upcoming release of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" in December.
Google's collaboration with the film studios will cover various devices like Apple's Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Also included are Windows, Android, and Chromebook. For Gmail, YouTube and Chrome, the changes will only work on the desktop, the company said. The concept came from a group of "Star Wars" fans at Google who wanted to offer a tribute to "Episode VII" after they heard about the movie.
According to Techcrunch, it will be the first time that users will be able to theme all of Google's apps with just one click, using the new tool. Even users who are not "Star Wars" fans may still find this feature fun. After users choose a side, they will soon see the changes taking effect for a variety of Google products like the Android Wear, which gets a new watch face.
Movie scenes will appear when users open new tabs in Google Chrome; a new background will be in Chromecast. Gmail and Inbox's email apps will have themed versions and more.
"Star Wars" related events will show up on Google Calendar, while the "pegman" in Google Maps becomes a First Order Stormtrooper or Resistance Pilot. The pegman flies to a user's destination in a Tie fighter or X-wing.
R2-D2 and BB-8 will be featured in the mapping app Waze; C-3PO can offer the user a voice guidance. Lightsabers will be shown instead of a standard loading or seeking bars like those in YouTube and Gmail.
"Google Now," a virtual assistant of Google, will have "this day in Star Wars history" trivia. A virtual reality experience will be possible with Google Cardboard and a Star Wars Chrome experiment and many other things are coming up leading to the movie's premiere.
Recently, the search giant created a "Star Trek" communicator.
The developers are encouraging fans to post their choice of "Light Side" or "Dark Side" to social networks using the hashtag #ChooseYourSide, which helps to show the balance of the forces on the homepage.
The "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" premieres Dec. 18.
