April Fools’ Day 2016: Google gets the ball rolling with Flick keyboard, Gmail mic drop & more
Google wasted no time entering the April Fools’ Day spirit, making quite a lot of pretend bulletins earlier than the day even started.
It wasn’t even April 1, however being the overachievers they are, Google had already began releasing its April Fools’ Day bulletins.
starting (April 01, 2016), we noticed a disco-clad pegman on Google Maps, a Google sock-finding app on Google’s Australia weblog, and a new “Flick” keyboard from Google Japan. there have been also two Gmail hacks that rolled out: an emoji-powered good reply function and a “send + Mic Drop” choice.
The Gmail mic drop feature had quite a few customers up in palms after they unwittingly inserted a mic-losing Minion gif into emails. through this morning, Google had disabled the prank and apologized for inflicting extra headaches than laughs.
Bing has opted to stay away from controversy-causing pranks thus far, taking a lovely technique to April Fools’ Day with dancing puffins featured on its homepage.
you can find a rundown of April Fools’ announcements from Google, Bing and different April Fools’ perpetrators beneath. As extra shenanigans happen, we’ll replace this story to incorporate no matter we discover.
Google’s disco pegman
whereas the Google Maps pegman may or might not be dressed to disco, he for sure is wearing a beard and red swimsuit with retro butterfly-collars — a so much cooler pegman for April Fools’ Day, versus the sq. that frequently shows up for street View images.
Google Japan Flick Keyboard
Google Japan went all out to enhance the Flick bluetooth keyboard — a device that mimics the remedy of placing the keys on a laptop keyboard that can be used on any floor.
“We concept once more about the ‘Flick’ keyboard and realized it can be really helpful. There’s simply something missing when you’re swiping throughout a smooth flat display,” says the narrator within the Google Flick YouTube video.
The Q&A component of the announcement didn’t specify a free up date however did confirm it would be to be had in blue, red, black, white, and in the end, “tea” coloured.
right here’s the YouTube video exhibiting how it works:
Google Australia Searchable Socks & App
Google Australia engineers were moderately much less formidable, creating an app that will help you in finding lacking socks. consistent with the Google Australia weblog, the Bluetooth-enabled Searchable Socks are lined with skinny LTE beacon straps.
“If that you could’t to find one sock, that you can press the beacon on its pair and let the Google Search app in your cellphone pinpoint its whereabouts,” says the announcement on the Google Australia blog.
Gmail Mic Drop
replace: according to TechCruch, Gmail’s April Fools’ Mic Drop prank needed to be disabled after quite a lot of Gmail users inadvertently inserted the mic-dropping Minion gif into emails and muted electronic mail threads.
The Gmail blog announcement for the Mic Drop function has been up to date due to the fact (April 01, 2016), confirming Google has terminated the prank:
smartly, it looks like we pranked ourselves this yr.
due to a malicious program, the Mic Drop function inadvertently led to extra complications than laughs. We’re actually sorry. The function has been turned off. in case you are still seeing it, please reload your Gmail web page.
When it used to be working, Gmail’s Mic Drop function mean you can have the last word in any email thread with just a click of the “ship + Mic Drop” button.
according to the Gmail weblog, the brand new function would include a mic-dropping Minion GIF to close down the conversation, and then mute any longer emails within the thread.
“everyone will get your message, however that’s the ultimate you’ll ever hear about it. yes, even if folks attempt to respond you received’t see it,” says Gmail — which in point of fact could be a dream come actual for someone who has suffered thru a never-ending electronic mail thread.
Gmail Emoji smart Reply
Gmail also launched an Emoji smart Reply feature for April Fools’ sport-day — taking the “deep neural community” powering Gmail’s good Reply and making it more sassy by means of emoji.
instead of sending an automatic textual content response to an email, the Emoji sensible Reply will suggest the most effective tiny icon to translate whatever it’s you need to claim.
“In our checking out, we’ve additionally found that emoji do a better job of plumbing the emotional depths of one’s soul, so we’re positive that nowadays’s update will encourage extra open and honest e mail conversations,” reads the announcement on the Gmail blog.
Google established that the extra you utilize your emoji smart reply, the better it will get at choosing simply the fitting emoji for you.
Bing’s Dancing Puffins
protecting in line with its cute-theme from final year, Bing is that includes two dancing puffins on its homepage as of late.
users can make a choice four different musical selections for the puffins, starting with Bee Gee’s “Staying Alive.” There’s a country/bluegrass theme composition, electro-music and a Mariachi tune. The homepage features a control to pause what’s taking part in, and sharing icons to submit the homepage picture on Twitter or facebook.
Bing also permits you to download the image if you want it in your wallpaper.
here’s a video our information editor Barry Schwartz created, showing Bing’s puffins in action:
Google Tag supervisor for actual World Tags
What web optimization doesn’t love a good April Fools’ gag? Google’s tag manager for “real world” tags is designed that will help you organize and take care of everything, from your vinyl albums to marine lifestyles and more.
“Google Tag supervisor for real world tags seeks to automagically stock, categorize and lend a hand handle your real world tags no matter what variety they are,” says Google in its announcement on the Google Analytics blog.
as soon as an merchandise has been “tagged” with Google’s actual world tags, it can be monitored by means of the actual World Tag Dashboard both on a mobile tool or from your laptop.
Google mentioned its actual World Tags can be released within the coming weeks, with 10,000 bodily tags despatched to everyone who registers.
YouTube “SnoopaVision” Mode
YouTube’s April Fools’ prank makes it that you can think of to look at any video in 360…with Snoop dog.
This one is lovely nice – from the video featuring Snoop dog explaining how concerned he was on the undertaking (“I coded the hell out of this tool to get me up in there”), to the Snoop canine-inspired icon that launches movies in “SnoopaVision” mode.
right here’s the video with Snoop and the YouTube workforce explaining the brand new function:
Google #SearchWithEmojis photo Search
Between the Gmail Emoji good Reply and now the Google pictures #SearchWithEmojis, it seems Google has gone emoji-mad for April Fools’ Day.
A submit on the Google photographs Google+ page – written principally in emoji – claims that you could now do a photograph search just by inputting an emoji within the search container.
“finding your percent is a 
️ of 
.”
right here’s a video to show how it works (for real):
The Very huge cellular web page Accelerator
not to be ignored of the fun, Google’s Accelerated cell Pages project team posted their own April Fools’ announcement, giving a behind the scenes appear its VLMPA – the very large mobile page accelerator.
in step with the announcement, the VLMPA seems to be the internet’s version of the Hadron Collider.
defined as, “…a major and specialised machine for exploring the mysterious article physics of the cellular information space,” the team claims VLMPA brings them nearer to answering one of the most burning questions about internet technology, “…together with insights into the lo-on, a hypothetical particle believed to have existed only briefly within the moments after the web itself used to be born.”
here’s a photo taken from the within of the VLMPA:
past the Haldron Collider play, and obvious irony of constructing one thing mainly huge to manage what Google is attempting to optimize for small gadgets, the shaggy dog story was largely misplaced on me, but I’m sure Sheldon Cooper would adore it.
Google Cardboard Plastic
What April Fools’ Day would be full without a virtual reality gag? Google’s Cardboard Plastic takes its Cardboard VR device and makes it plastic to create a “real-world immersion” experience.
This one would probably be more funny to me if it weren’t for the existential disappointment it elicits – mocking the fact that we should be taking on the earth with out cellphones and our Cardboard – or another VR – gadgets.
“What’s realer than real?” asks the Google Cardboard Plastic video narrator, answering his own question, “most probably nothing.”
Google Play Goes to house
The Android Developer blog took its April Fools’ shaggy dog story to an Interstellar-degree with the announcement that new options had been delivered to the Google Play Developer Console, “…that will help you design, test, and distribute your apps and video games in area.”
The group brought “The Guardian” in on the shaggy dog story, putting collectively a video of how the united kingdom’s news app helps space-travelers keep up with the newest happenings again on the earth.
now not most effective did it create a video, but the Android Developer staff also delivered the next “Interplanetary Distribution” method to the Google Play Developer Console – be aware Pluto has been removed.
Moz Introduces UpDog
whereas cats have all the time been the darlings of internet, Moz is growing a space for man’s absolute best pal. The Moz UpDog initiative is an organization-vast effort, “…to bring the benefits of human social media marketing to the canines world.”
The UpDog initiative features a WiFi related “Bark-Activated InstaShot professional” camera that lets your dog take selfies that can then be shared on social networks.
along with the digicam designed for dog-selfies, Moz also announced a Followerwonk dashboard to trace engagement on your canine’s social media posts, a Moz native function to look what’s riding visitors to “favorite park benches, fire hydrants, and light poles,” and a Moz content software designed by using Moz’s Bark Translation team.
Google express supply by way of Parachute
For April Fools’ Day, Google categorical introduced it might be the usage of parachutes now to ship orders.
“Drone know-how is exciting, but it surely’s no longer prepared,” says the (alleged) Aerodynamics consultant from as of late’s Google specific April Fools’ video.
but how do they get the parachutes in the air? Drones, in fact:
Google Cloud imaginative and prescient API’s style Detection function
Google’s Cloud imaginative and prescient API – which is a real factor that uses machine learning to determine content material in an image – has a brand new fashion Detection characteristic, which is an April Fools’ Day thing that Google says can help beef up a user’s non-public model selections.
“throughout our training corpus, we had been ready to observe the vast majority of private fashion choices and glean with fifty two-ninety seven% accuracy no longer simply what people had been carrying, however what those clothes might say about them.”
here’s a video explaining how the style Detection feature imagines type in accordance with knowledge, not emotions (narrated by means of a Googler wearing a “Larry & Sergey & Eric & Sundar” t-shirt…which now, I do roughly want).
McDonald’s, T-cell & Southwest airways sign up for the April Fools’ Day Fray
while Google could have cornered the April Fools’ Day market, brands are additionally having fun.
T-mobile rolled out a “Binge On Up” arms-free instrument that lets customers proceed to observe videos on their cell gadgets no matter where they are or what they’re doing.
“Binge on Up is but some other disruptive Un-service move to free buyers from the old ideas of a damaged, boastful wi-fi industry…you don’t have to choose, and may revel in non-stop streaming each waking second,” reads T-mobile’s April Fools’ Day information unencumber which integrated the next image:
McDonald’s introduced it was launching a line of month-to-month subscription field products and services, including The Artisan, The Ribster, and The Minimalist box.
enjoying off of the discovery Channel’s “money Cab” game show, Southwest airlines claims it has launched the inflight game express “cash Lav” that surprises vacationers the usage of the in-flight loo.
(Some photography used below license from Shutterstock.com.)
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