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Best April Fools' Day 2017 Pranks in the Tech World

Best April Fools' Day 2017 Pranks in the Tech World

By Shubham Verma | Updated: 1 April 2017 17:29 IST

Highlights

On April Fools' Day, tech companies are having fun with users
Google, Netflix, Ola are amongst the 'pranking' companies
A few of them even looked much realistic

It's April 1, and everyone knows it's April Fools' Day when no one's going to believe in whatsoever you may scream. But when it comes to some reputed and trusted tech companies, they easily get into people's minds with their 'new and latest offerings'. These, in most cases, would be hoax or joke offerings - those that will never exist, or those that will be available for a very short time just for laughs.

Even before April 1, these companies start pushing their stories to goof around with you - with little teasers, such as the Dash Charge announcement that OnePlus had teased, before making briefly available the Dash Energy drink in select outlets

Here are 2017's April Fools' tech pranks - the gimmicks, goofs, and pranks that companies decided to plan on us. Some are funny, some inane, and some lame.

1. Google
Google has always been on the frontier of people, with quirky innovations that usually get people believe it. It has some bizarre-yet-believable innovations up its sleeve that come out to be some of the best April Fools' jokes, and some disasters.

This time around, Google has unveiled a product that is not meant for you but your pets. That's right, your dogs and cats are the target users for Google's new product called 'Google Gnome' - the ultimate backyard ornament. The 'voice-activated, hands-free tool' is more than a speaker that can answer your queries like Google Home, but also a laser-equipped hedge trimmer.

Separately, the company also released a new feature for pets on the Google app for iOS - users can use 3D Touch on the app icon or head to settings and select I'm Feeling Woof or I'm Feeling Meow to let your dogs and cats get info on topics they care about-whether that means squeaky toys or a bowl of milk. With I'm Feeling Woof and I'm Feeling Meow on the Google app, canines and felines alike can surf pet-friendly info with just a press of their paw."

Your pup or cat needs to tap on 'I'm Feeling Woof' or 'I'm Feeling Meow' to get themselves topics and things that can cheer them up. Google has also introduced 'Google Play for Pets' to let your pets surf apps and games that can stimulate them. If it feels unreal to you, then you're right. It's another April Fools' joke from Google.

Another April Fools' Day joke is inside Google Maps where users can play Ms. Pac-Man in any area that has enough roads along with multiple characters to navigate. Some users report the iOS version lets users pick the map, while Android takes you to randomized spots, notes The Verge. We'd seen Pac-Man on our Google Maps streets back in 2015.

2. Amazon
We all know what Amazon's voice assistant Alexa is capable of doing, but this time the online retail giant has opened a new way of interaction between a digital assistant and your pets. Yes, that's right, pets again. Amazon Echo now comes with 'Petlexa' that understands animal language and does exactly what would seem fit for them.

A dog can order milk from Amazon, a cat can order sushi from one of the 'Amazon restaurants'. "Petlexa gives pets the freedom to ask for food, place orders from Amazon, and activate smart home enabled toys," explains Amazon. "If your pets are shy to warm up to their new AI friend, try suggesting music by The Animals or an audiobook like Marley and Me on Audible."

You can watch Amazon Echo with Petlexa right here.

3. Ola
Indian companies are not far behind in playing pranks with their Indian customers on the April Fools' Day. Ola Cabs has launched a new service called 'Ola Wheels' that seeks to redefine commuting inside buildings. Ola Wheels are the electric scooters that can take you from one place to another if you are unable to move even a little bit, inside the premises.

Ultra-short commute & voice based AI, the next level of mobility is here! Join us in welcoming #OlaWheels. https://t.co/pO6Eh7cbZT pic.twitter.com/HkMCpo6A4P
— Ola (@Olacabs) April 1, 2017

"Wheels is integrated into the Ola App. Just open the 'Wheels' icon on the Ola app which will appear if you open the app. Even though he is still in Beta, we have covered a large number of corporate business zones for now and are looking to expand this very soon," explains Ola.

There are also three tier plans for Ola Wheels - Wheels Reach, Wheels Rental, and Wheel Play. You can check out how Ola Wheels works and can take you from your bedroom to your kitchen right here.

4. Xiaomi
Xiaomi India on April 1 shared a video on its Twitter channel, with CEO Lei Jun teasing a Mi Smart Motorcycle as due to launch soon in India.

5. Lyft
The ride-hailing app company, Lyft has introduced a glove that is so powerful that it can summon Lyft cars and taxis right in front of you. You just have to wave your hand in the air. Called Lyft Mono, this smart glove makes you look like a superhero who had telekinesis capabilities - but also rather stupid at the same time.

6. Petco
Petco is a pet supplies and accessories company - so it normally wouldn't be in our list. But it's come up with a tech accessory for pet owners - a drone. Petco has revealed a DooDoo Drone 3000 that can collect your dog's poop and dump it at the supposed place. It's available at a price of $19.99 starting April 1, 2017. Yes, it's the April Fools' Day and we know it's too good to be actually true. There's also an upcoming Petco Kitty Litter Flying Saucer. Those who are interested can check them out here.

7. Netflix, Hulu, and Roku
We have had some exemplary shows to keep us hooked on Netflix. Then Netflix introduced its offline saving feature that enabled watching Netflix shows on-the-go. Now, Netflix seems to be introducing Netflix Live - a livestream of 'life's biggest thrills' featuring Will Arnett. It's a non-stop discussion on some of the ignored things in life like parallel parking, copy machines to keep you entertained on the April Fools' Day - if that's what your April 1 plan includes.

Similarly, Roku and Hulu have their own versions of April Fools' Day prank right in front of us. Roku has introduced 'SnackSuggest' that is a new feature inside Roku devices and apps that will suggest snack pairing to any TV or movie you're watching. "Like a fine wine and cheese pairing, the goal of Roku SnackSuggest is to bring together your favorite entertainment with complementary snack suggestions that enhance and elevate your streaming appetite. You can even use Roku SnackSuggest with features such as private listening and night mode so your streaming spree can continue while everyone else goes to bed!" You can check Roku's snack-craving feature when you're binge-watching right here.

Hulu, on the other hand, has introduced 'Hu: TV Abbreviated' that cuts an entire series like The Mindy Project to just eight second recaps. This looks impressive considering the time you would waste during an hour-long show. It also created some 11 videos to feature its 'Hulu Datr' service, which it called "the revolutionary free new app that will transform the way soul mates find one another. Press play on your love life." You can check them here.

8. Reddit
Reddit's April Fools' Day joke hardly looks like a joke. It appears to be a social experiment named 'Reddit Place' which is a large white pixel canvas where a user can place coloured pixel every five minutes to create some entity or design of their choice. The canvas is already littered with creation attempts, a smorgasbord of slogans, epithets, inappropriate images, and more. You can check it out here at your own risk.

9. 'Sofia' Smart Sofa
In today's world, when everything is becoming smart - why leave a sofa behind? Wayfair answered this question with a voice-driven smart sofa that can read out your calendar events to you, has built-in parental controls to daunt kids if they are recklessly jumping on it, can track your fitness data (basically much of the time you spend lying over it), and can even clean itself automatically.

We know there are a lot more April Fools' Day prank being played, so if you came across any of them that hasn't been listed above, tell us in the comments below.

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