By Alan Henry, Lifehacker – April 01, 2013 at 07:00AM
You know what today is. Today’s the day when Google “launches” new products, ThinkGeek unveils new “products,” and every tech blog has something new and astounding to “report.” Everyone gets to have a little fun, and every site gets to go a little crazy. It’s April Fool’s Day, and here are the pranks around the web worth checking out.
In the Google-verse
Go Treasure Hunting with Google Maps: Explore 2D hand drawn landmarks! Find hidden treasure chests! Beaware of pirates! Treasure Maps is our Beta Maps technology and has certain system requirements. Your system may not be able to display at higher resolutions than paper print. Take care when unfolding the map to avoid ripping it. (Go to Google Maps, then click “Start Treasure Hunting” in the lower-left corner, or “Treasure” in the upper-right. Some locations have mini maps with treasure marked with an X, and make sure to try Street View!)
Google Nose BETA: The new scentsation in search! Coming to your senses: go beyond type, talk, and touch for a new notation of sensation. Your internet sommelier: expertly curated Knowledge Panels pair images, descriptions, and aromas. Take a whiff: the Google Aromabase – 15M+ scentibytes. Don’t ask, don’t smell: For when you’re wary of your query – SafeSearch included.
YouTube’s Ready to Select a Winner: Thanks for all your great entries. YouTube finally has enough videos to begin selecting a winner. What do you think is the #bestvideo on YouTube? We’ve been thrilled with all of the diverse, creative entries we’ve seen so far, and we can’t wait to begin the process of selecting the best video. We’ll be announcing the winner in 10 years. (update: They’re reading the nominees live here!)
Gmail Blue: Gmail launched nine years ago on April 1st, 2004. Since then you’ve been able to use hundreds of new features that push the boundaries of what email can do and make it easier to get things done. Starting today, you’ll get to experience the next big step for Gmail, Gmail Blue. (Introducing Gmail Blue.)
Your Photos +Emotion: Google+ Photos is all about sharing your experiences and emotions with the people you care about. We’re constantly looking for ways to help you create richer, more expressive photographs. Many months of research on how people communicate on the Internet have convinced us that when it comes to expressing yourself, nothing beats the richness and elegance of a few properly placed colons, parentheses, letters and hyphens.
Renovate your house on Street View with Google SCHMICK: Is your house looking a bit tired and shabby? Want to make your narky step-aunt jealous? Trying to keep up with the Joneses but don’t have the money to complete an expensive reno? Now you can give your house a lick of fresh paint for free on Street View with Google SCHMICK (Simple Complete House Makeover Internet Conversion Kit).
Google Fiber to the Pole: Google Fiber to the Pole provides ubiquitous gigabit connectivity to fiberhoods across Kansas City. This latest innovation in Google Fiber technology enables users to access Google Fiber’s ultra fast gigabit speeds even when they are out and about.
Levity Algorithm: You know the drill. Dreary two hour meetings you can’t wait to escape. Emails that go on forever without getting to the point. Another invite to a meeting with no clear purpose. Today we’re introducing the Levity Algorithm in Google Apps to help you spice up even the most boring of work days.
Google Trends: Cold Trends: See the least popular searches on the web, including things like Y2K, Pogs Hologram Slammer (TM), and more.
Everywhere Else
Annncng: Twttr: Starting today, we are shifting to a two-tiered service: Everyone can use our basic service, Twttr, but you only get consonants. For five dollars a month, you can use our premium “Twitter” service which also includes vowels. We’re doing this because we believe that by eliminating vowels, we’ll encourage a more efficient and “dense” form of communication.
Hulu: Hulu has a huge update today, including a celebration of the 85th anniversary of the hit children’s show “Itchy and Scratchy,” new episodes of “The Rural Juror,” “Inspector Spacetime” and “Space Teens with Robin Sparkles,” and two exclusive serieses to Hulu, “Ya Herd with Perd” from the Pawnee Parks and Recreation Department and the UK’s craziest game show, “Numberwang.”
Scope Bacon: “For breath that sizzles.” Scope Bacon is the newest addition to our line of products. It tastes like bacon, while still killing 99.9% of bad breath germs. And, it keeps your breath minty fresh 5 times longer than brushing alone.
Play-Doh 3D Printer: Why buy things from stores when you can print them yourself? The DIY 3D printer revolution is here, friends, and have we got the entry-level 3D printer for you. It’s the Play-Doh 3D Printer, and it’s loaded with features without a price tag that will set your wallet on fire.
Adventure Time BMO Interactive Buddy: We want to play video games, especially if they are Adventure Time video games. And there’s only one person(?) we want to play Adventure Time video games with – that that’s BMO! BMO is everyone’s favorite gaming system, whether they know it or not, and now we have to joy to present to you the Adventure Time BMO Interactive Buddy.
Aliens Chestburster-in-a-Can: Just picture it: you’ve been circling a boring sector of space for months on a “routine” USCM patrol mission. The call comes down that in a few days, you’ll be escorting a civilian from some space freighter to planet Acheron. The rest of the crew gets excited, and you know it’s the perfect time to strike. You replace one of the standard USCM Ration Cans with a Aliens Chestburster-in-a-Can.
Death Star Trench Toss: Everything that has transpired has done so according to our design. We wanted the perfect outdoor game for our BBQ parties this summer, something that would be enjoyable for our non-geek relations while offering the opportunity for cosplay and Jedi jokes. Fortuitously, at a very un-fun family reunion, one of our monkeys stumbled on the perfect idea—and Death Star Trench Toss was born.
Sony Introduces Animalia Line of Tech Products for Pets: Today, we are stoked to announce the Animalia line of technology products specially designed and created for pets. The introductory line-up includes Sony-branded products targeted at owners with dogs, cats and hamsters, with additional devices and networked services slated for release later this year. Check out this video to learn all about our new K9 4K TV, M3-OW KittyCans, and In-Cage Speakers.
Naga Phone Update: When your mouse is your phone, your phone is your PWN. Through a simple firmware update, you can now unlock the ability to transform your Naga into a communications device. Utilize VOIP functionality and even tie into your existing phone # to keep your friends and family as close as your enemies. With the Naga Phone, communication is always in the palm of your hand. You won’t have to dig through your pocket mid-game to answer that important call. And after taking out a couple of n00bs, you can even order take-out.
The Freedom Bay: You probably heard about our recent move to North Korea. Many of you rightfully bashed us for siding with a dictatorship. We want you to know that we have listened to your critique. So without further due, we hereby announce that we have moved our servers from the evil North Korea to the greatest fuckin nation in the entire world. The United States of America, f**k yeah!
Your Favorites
Get Glossy With The NEW Revision3!: In the wake of G4’s recent rebranding as Esquire, Revision3 was faced with a difficult question: What is the future of media today? We’re happy to announce that the future of media today is here NOW! And it’s magazines! That’s right! Rev3 is rebranding itself as magazines. And not just any magazines… ALL MAGAZINES! Say goodbye to tech reviews, video game analysis and science news. And say hello to the paper cut free online magazine experience!
Lift: v0.1 Goal Tracking by Mail: For the first time ever, we’re offering Goal Tracking by Mail. You can capture your progress toward Lift goals by filling out a simple paper star chart and sending it in to Lift HQ.
Metafilterest: Metafilter, inspired by Pinterest, has changed its homepage so all articles are headlined by images of adorable kittens. Or Vermont. Or ponies, whatever you choose from the drop-down menu on the upper left of the screen. The articles are real, the kittens are just a bonus.
Coursera: Underwater Basketweaving: In this course, you will learn to weave beautiful, structurally superior wet-weave baskets in the ancient Aquacamamata style. Underwater basket weaving is a craft that seamlessly merges scientific intellectualism, manual dexterity, and deep spiritual engagement. We look forward to having you with us on this exciting journey into art and anthropology!
The Amazing Nose Light!: The future, is NOW! Hackaday is pushing the boundaries of modern technology and good taste with our latest invention, the Nose light. Never fumble with a flashlight again! Simply engage your nostril lamp and see the world under a new light! Comfy design makes this implant a pleasure to install, and as you can see, removal is super fun!
Did Da Vinci Invent Google Glass?: Leonard Da Vinci, the 15th-century Renaissance man, is credited with envisioning or outright inventing hundreds of modern-day devices; facsimiles of everything from a machine gun to parachutes and even today’s helicopter can be found in his detailed drawings. The schematics and notes he left behind are a treasure trove for researchers, including Dr. Burt Wilde. The University of Illinois researcher says he’s discovered evidence that the first design for something very much like Google Glass was created by the master himself. “The drawing is rudimentary, but the text and notation are unmistakable,” said Wilde in a phone interview.
We’ll update throughout the day with additional pranks as we find them. Let us know which ones are your favorites in the discussions below!
Want to see what was popular in years gone past? Here are some of the best April Fool’s pranks from 2012, 2011, and 2010.
OS X: Jettison is a handy Mac utility that runs in the background and automatically unmounts external drives when you put your computer to sleep.
We’re all bummed that Google Reader is going away, and while we’ve 