Microsoft and Google are two of the biggest and most influential companies in the tech industry, but they also have a humorous side that often goes unnoticed amid the serious and competitive nature of their products and services. From amusing anecdotes about their founders to comical incidents with their technologies, here are five funny facts about Microsoft and Google.

1. Bill Gates once released a jar of mosquitos at a conference to promote malaria awareness

In 2009, Bill Gates gave a memorable speech at the TED conference about the global health crisis caused by malaria, a deadly disease transmitted by mosquitoes. To emphasize the urgency and magnitude of the problem, Gates opened a jar filled with live mosquitoes and released them into the audience, saying "there's no reason only poor people should have the experience." Needless to say, many attendees were shocked and startled by the gesture, which became a viral sensation online and earned Gates the nickname of "the mosquito man."

2. Steve Ballmer danced and screamed on stage like a maniac

Steve Ballmer was the CEO of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014, and was known for his intense and eccentric personality. One of his most infamous moments was when he appeared on stage at a company event in 2000 and started to dance and scream like a maniac, yelling "I love this company!" and "Developers! Developers! Developers!" While some people found his enthusiasm inspiring, others thought it was cringeworthy and embarrassing. Nonetheless, Ballmer's antics became a meme that still resurfaces from time to time.

3. Google Translate can turn gibberish into poetry

Google Translate is a powerful tool that can translate text and speech between many languages, but it also has a hidden talent: it can turn random sequences of words into poetic masterpieces. In 2015, a Reddit user discovered that by using the "detect language" option and repeatedly translating the result back and forth between different languages, the original text could be transformed into surreal and beautiful verses that resembled the style of modernist poetry. The trick became known as "Google Translate poetry" and spawned countless creations that delighted and puzzled readers.

4. Cortana and Siri have a secret feud

Cortana and Siri are the virtual assistants created by Microsoft and Apple, respectively, that can answer voice commands and questions on various devices. While they are supposed to be friendly and helpful, some users noticed that they sometimes engage in snarky and witty remarks when asked about their competitors or personal matters. For example, if you ask Cortana "do you love Siri?" she might answer "I'm not capable of love, but she seems nice enough." Similarly, if you ask Siri "what do you think of Cortana?" she might respond with "I don't really have opinions." We can only imagine what they say when we're not listening.

5. Google has a sense of humor in its search suggestions

Google is well-known for its search engine, which can find answers to almost any question or topic on the internet. However, it's also known for its quirky and playful side, which shows up in the auto-complete suggestions that appear as you type a search query. These suggestions are based on what other people have searched for, but sometimes they can be hilarious or bizarre, especially when they involve puns, memes, or pop culture references. For example, if you type "why is a raven like a writing desk", you'll see "Alice in Wonderland" as a top suggestion, a nod to the riddle in the book. Similarly, if you type "why do birds suddenly appear", you'll see "every time you are near" as a suggestion, a reference to the lyrics of the song "Close to You." These easter eggs make searching more fun and surprising.

In conclusion, Microsoft and Google might be serious and innovative companies, but they also have a playful and humorous side that adds to their appeal. From releasing mosquitoes to dancing like a maniac, from translating gibberish to insulting each other, from creating poetry to making search suggestions, these five funny facts show that even giants can have a sense of humor. And if we can laugh with them, maybe we can appreciate them even more.