Awesome Pranks From Google, Virgin, Samsung, and Other April Fools
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, heck, it must be April Fools’ Day –– the most dangerous day of the year to believe something you read on the Internet.
Read: 10 Greatest Internet April Fools’ Day Jokes of All Time
So far, the Internet’s biggest unofficial holiday has been dominated by the usual passel of fools — notably Google, Virgin, and ThinkGeek — along with a handful of unknowns and some surprising newcomers, like Samsung. They promise to make this year’s holiday one of the most foolish ever.
Here’s an early look at some of the best pranks so far today.
Google’s Pac Maps
(Google Maps)
Google turned Maps into Pac-Man for a day. Load Google Maps on any device and click the Pac-Man button in the lower left corner. If you can’t see it, you’ll have to parse Google’s clues to figure out which major world cities’ streets Blinky, Pinky, Inky, and Clyde are roaming, looking to eat you. Then try to explain to your boss why you got absolutely no work done today.
The Galaxy BLADE S6
(Samsung)
Talk about your cutting-edge technology. This state-of-the-art Galaxy BLADE S6 phone doubles as a meat cleaver, with a retractable razor-sharp edge able to slice heirloom tomatoes as easily as it cuts through workday clutter. The BLADE’s stylus can be used to jot quick notes or as a wireless meat thermometer. Internal sensors automatically adjust to your grip strength, while built-in antivirus keeps both you and the phone from catching something nasty from a piece of bad meat and/or malware. Turns out Samsung has a sense of humor. Who knew?
ThinkGeek’s Ring of Selfies
It would not be April Fools’ Day without a selection of silly mock toys from nerdy online retailer ThinkGeek. Like the steam-punk steam-powered gaming console (coal sold separately) and the Game of Thrones-themed version of Clue. But our favorite is the Do It YourSelfie 360 Degree Selfie Rig, which allows you to take a panoramic self-portrait of your entire head using a dozen GoPro cameras. Or, as they put it, “Narcissism comes full circle.” The best part: If enough people actually want these things, ThinkGeek will probably end up making them.
A truly buggy smartwatch
(Analog Watch Co.)
Looking for a piece of wrist apparel that sets you apart from the crowd? Wear an ant farm on your arm. The Analog Watch Company’s Ant Watch looks like a smartwatch, only instead of electronics and clockwork it’s filled with sand and ants “to remind you of the elegance and complexity of the natural world.” The pitch is so convincing the company has already had to turn away disappointed customers. The best part? They hired Apple’s Sir Jon Ive to do the voice-over. No, really.
Virgin America is moving to Branson, Missouri
Virgin CEO Richard Branson is apparently so enamored of the town that bears his name that he decided to move the U.S. arm of his company – lock, stock, and closetful of practical jokes – to the Midwest entertainment mecca, where he will also open a luxury resort. Branson (the man) also announced plans to name Virgin Airlines’ newest plane “Jolene” after the 1973 country classic penned by Dolly Parton, the biggest celebrity in Branson (the city).
Just say Domi-No
(Dezeen.com)
Dying for a pie? With Domi-No-Drivers, there’s no need to wait for some lazy delivery dude to make it to your door. These driverless two-wheeled vehicles are set to deliver Domino’s pizzas across the U.K. — according to a company press release reprinted as fact by dozens of guileless Web sites. An onboard Pizza Interface (PI) calculates the shortest route to its destination, while the proprietary Hunger Detection and Ranging (HUNGAR) technology identifies potential road obstacles. And if the pie is not there in 30 minutes or less, the total enslavement of the human race is free.
Smartmail by Inbox by Gmail by Google
Google reinvents the lowly and forgotten mailbox with a digital upgrade that alerts you when you receive a new letter, automatically sorts mail by category, and delivers an electric shock to anyone trying to deposit junk mail. The portable, temperature-controlled mailbox comes with a touchscreen and apps that do … something, we’re not sure what. See if you can guess who’s doing the voice-over narration in the video.
If the shoe fits, shoot it
Left your selfie stick at home? Use your leg instead. New York City-based designer Miz Mooz urges you to slip on some selfie shoes — a pair of pumps with a slot in the front where you can stick your phone, then snap “shoefies” with your toes. Only for the highly flexible and/or gullible.
Google Panda
Google Japan takes a few subtle swipes at Apple with this adorable search companion, “a product so brilliant you can ask it anything but so cute you’re gonna wanna hug it,” says Google VP of engineering Chris Yerga. Ask Panda any question and it responds in .3 seconds in up to 50 languages “with state-of-the-art emotional and conversational intelligence.” You can even track your workouts by strapping it on your upper arm before you go for a run. How does Google do it? Fuzzy logic, of course.
Roku is for lovers
(Roku.com)
Looking for love on all the wrong stations? Tune in to Roku Rendezvous and let nature take its course. By matching you with your “stream mate,” someone who likes the same programs you do, Roku guarantees a perfect match at least 99.99 percent of the time. Could this one day be a real channel and not a fictional one? Stay tuned.
Like Pete Townshend says, Won’t get fooled again. At least, until next year.
You can fool Dan Tynan at ModFamly1@yahoo.com.
