In the latest round of April fools, a number of high-profile companies have worked hard to make us smile at the office. We’ve selected our favorite gags of the day (with a tech twist obviously!) and while Google gets a commendation for being very prolific, others have done great April Fools gags too, here are our favorites, in no particular order:
Virgin Glass-Bottom Plane
The title says it all, really, but Virgin has come up with an interesting (or terrifying) concept with this glass-bottom plane. Can you imagine what it would be see through that bottom while you are at 10,000ft in the air? Actually, the landing would probably be the most interesting part of the trip — let us know which one you prefer in the comments. Can read the fake announcement from Richard Brandson.
Google Map Treasure Hunt
With so many products, Google is always in “blitz mode” when April 1 comes around. The Google Maps team has cooked a treasure map from “Captain Kid” and calls on its users worldwide to participate in a virtual treasure hunt. Clues hidden in the map will only reveal themselves under certain conditions, and it’s best to watch the movie below to appreciate this one in its full glory.
Smell-able Results with Google Nose Beta: “smelling is believing”
As we said, Google has been quite prolific… this one is straightforward: what if “scent” could be used as a search input, or a search result, thanks to Google Nose? “in our fast paced world, we don’t always have the time to stop to smell the roses, says a product manager”. “Now, the smell of roses is just one click away” he adds. Ironically, smell-based technologies have been worked on for decades, and were supposed to hit video-games years ago (hum… do we want that in this new Zombie game? …).
Sony Animalia CE Products for Pets
What if pets could enjoy the comfort of consumer electronics like their human masters? Well, Sony has “launched” a line of products for pets called “Animalia”. Our furry friends can now enjoy music, with devices like the “Hamster Workout” music system that changes the beat depending on how fast the Hamster runs. The M3-OW KittyCans headphones let you cat pretend like its listening to music so that it doesn’t have to pay attention it its master (and you won’t feel bad because the cat didn’t “hear you”). The AV sound system for dogs is pretty awesome too: check the video below to see it.
The Toshibasphere
Last but not least, Toshiba virtually launches an imaginary game console with impressive specs, the ShibaSphere. We actually really like the design of the fake console, but lover (and haters) of the Microsoft Xbox 360 will particularely appreciate the spoof since it is a bit directed towards Kinect. Let us know what you think! video below
Filed in . Read more about April Fools, Google, Humor, Sony, Toshiba and Virgin.