Other companies join in on fun
April Fool’s Day 2013 has come and gone, and with it went the many pranks played by various companies on their user bases.
Unlike many other pranks, which can range from unfunny to distasteful, Google always nails the right combination of ridiculousness and believability. This year was no different.
The biggest of the pranks was the product launch of Google Nose, a product similar to Google Glass but that could replicate smells such as used napkin, airport terminal and garlic breath.
The product was also reported to work with scratch and sniff books and “leverages new and existing technologies to offer the sharpest olfactory experience available,” according to the company.
The Nose, of course, is fake. But it wasn’t the only trick Google played that day. They also launched a new version of Google maps, called Treasure Mode, which changed the realistic satellite view on Google Maps to a treasure map-style graphic. It also added a telescope-like graphic to the Street View, and let the public search for Scottish sailor William Kidd’s mysterious treasure.
Other companies joined in on the fun with much success. Twitter announced that it was offering a paid-premium service, and only premium members could use vowels in their tweets. This, according to the company, would encourage free users to use a more “efficient and dense form of communication.”
Proctor and Gamble, a company that owns the Scope brand, announced a bacon-flavored mouthwash. The even took out a half-page ad in Monday’s edition of USA Today.
Richard Branson, the billionaire who owns Virgin, announced plans for a plane with a glass bottom so you can see through the floor.
“I can’t wait to experience the first flight for myself with my family and other natural born explorers,” Branson said.
Sony announced a line of animal-friendly electronics, called “Animalia”. The line included a remote control fitted for a dog’s paw and a set of headphones designed for cats.
