As a kid we all loved fooling others on April 1st. Now that I have grown up, there aren't many reason to wait for this day. But I still wait for April 1st. The sole reason is Google. Each year on April 1st, the incredibly creative team of google comes out with a spoof , that otherwise would be very difficult to detect, had there not been internet. This year they have come up with not one but 3 spoofs.
Google Nose
The first and the most hilarious is the launch of Google Nose. With the tagline – Smelling is Believing, Google brings the sense of smell to a search engine. According to the product description, Google Nose is still in Beta stage and has compiled the smells from all across using Google Maps. According to Google: Google NoseBETA leverages new and existing technologies to offer the sharpest olfactory experience available. The Google Nose experience imbibes Street Sense as vehicles have inhaled and indexed millions of atmospheric miles. But how will Google present this olfactory experience to you? Simple, using Android Ambient Odour Detection which will let Google collect smells from all over the world. Google has also taken the opportunity to call their Android operating system ‘The most sensible in the world’ via the April 1 jest.
The New Scent-Sation 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 wiff: The Google Aromabase - 15 M+ scentibytes.
- Don't ask, don't smell: For when you're wary of your query - SafeSearch included.
What's that smell ?
- Google NoseBETA leverages new and existing technologies to offer the sharpest olfactory experience available:
- Street Sense vehicles have inhaled and indexed millions of atmospheric miles.
- Android Ambient Odour Detection collects smells via the world's most sensible mobile operating system.
- SMELLCD™ 1.8+ high-resolution compatible for precise and controlled odours.
YouTube Shuts
The second prank is played by YouTube where the staff announces that YouTube was nothing but a secret competition to find the best video in the world! According to the prank, YouTube videos will all be de-activated tonight (April 1st 2013) and the deadline for uploading the last video is midnight. Post the deactivation, YouTube select employees and panel judges will go through each of these videos and choose the best from them. The winner will be declared in just a decade. And once the winner is declared in 2023, YouTube will begin all over again! Well this was lame.
Google Maps - Treasure Mode
The third and the simplest prank is a treasure hunt by Google on Google Maps. The new Maps has a special pirate-style mode using which you can hunt for the treasure chest. Google also uploaded a video on YouTube explaining how Street View's "underwater team" discovered a chest containing lost maps belonging to pirate William "Captain" Kidd during an expedition to the Indian Ocean. Hidden treasure symbols can be unearthed on Google Maps. According to reports, the treasure includes a telescope-style Street View function, with sepia-tinged images versions of streets across the globe.
In the funniest twist. Google asks users to shine sunlight on their computers, join their PC and tablet maps or heat the computer over a hob to reveal the treasure.
