April Fool's Roundup

[Merus]

I love April Fool's. There's an art to a good April Fool's joke; an opportunity to acknowledge your weaknesses and in so doing point out the weaknesses of your target. It's a day tailor-made for making satire reality, which of course means that some people will use it to be dicks, missing the point that a) you're supposed to be fooled and you're supposed to enjoy it afterwards, and others will declare themselves above it all, as if laughing at yourself is something to be endured rather than celebrated.

 

Screw those guys, though. They're jackasses. Let's talk about goofs today.

 

Taking an early lead is, of course, Google. The Maps mobile team announced this:

 

 

It actually extends to the Maps app on mobile devices, as well.

[Codicier]

I love April Fool's. There's an art to a good April Fool's joke; an opportunity to acknowledge your weaknesses and in so doing point out the weaknesses of your target. It's a day tailor-made for making satire reality, which of course means that some people will use it to be dicks, missing the point that a) you're supposed to be fooled and you're supposed to enjoy it afterwards, and others will declare themselves above it all, as if laughing at yourself is something to be endured rather than celebrated.

 

Screw those guys, though. They're jackasses. Let's talk about goofs today.

 

Taking an early lead is, of course, Google. The Maps mobile team announced this:

 

 

It actually extends to the Maps app on mobile devices, as well.

I tend to stay clear of social media on April 1st because things just get to a weird almost fevered intensity at times, as people do their best to channel each & very one of the archetypal responses you just described (often at the same time). I do really enjoy a good newspaper April fools though (& that google one is pretty rad).

[tegan]

I can't wait to see which of Google's ridiculous announcements actually turns out to be a horrifying reality.

[taterdactyl]

Taking an early lead is, of course, Google. The Maps mobile team announced this:

It actually extends to the Maps app on mobile devices, as well.

I'm at 34/150. Tomorrow is going to be a very unproductive workday.

[miffy495]

This is my first April Fool's as a teacher. Let's just leave it at "eight year olds do not appreciate the subtlety that a good joke would entail, and instead are asking about how much dickish behaviour I will tolerate tomorrow." I am bracing myself pretty hard.

[Ucantalas]

Maybe they're just not going to do anything. Just make you sweat the entire day, slowly getting more and more tense at the impending prank, only for none to happen, until you finally snap...

[elmuerte]

Pet Fi - turn your pet into a wifi accesspoint

http://www.iinet.net.au/pet-fi/?cid=social_20140331_20994424

[Justin Leego]

This is my first April Fool's as a teacher. Let's just leave it at "eight year olds do not appreciate the subtlety that a good joke would entail, and instead are asking about how much dickish behaviour I will tolerate tomorrow." I am bracing myself pretty hard.

One of my primary school teachers, a feared disciplinarian, thought it would be a good wheeze to call us up to her desk one by one and make us read to her from an upside down book.

She told us that it was a new mandatory government test (not that most of us even understood the concept of government at that age), that we absolutely had to do it no questions asked, and it was not an April Fools' joke.

The next day she got up in school assembly and as part of a "special announcement" proclaimed her apparent victory to the entire staff and student body.

No hard feelings though, obviously

[Codicier]

This is my first April Fool's as a teacher. Let's just leave it at "eight year olds do not appreciate the subtlety that a good joke would entail, and instead are asking about how much dickish behaviour I will tolerate tomorrow." I am bracing myself pretty hard.

Oh man, I would not like to be in your shoes.

On a brighter note Blizzard seems to be attacking April fools day with its normal polish

http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/games/outcasts/

[N1njaSquirrel]

Reddit has Headdit. I'd be interested to know if this actually works, instead of just accessing your webcam. I doubt it, but I'll enjoy looking like a fool when i get back home. http://www.redditblog.com/2014/03/headdit-revolutionary-new-way-to-browse.html

 

 

The Guardian's stating that If scotland gains independance, it will start driving on the right side of the road: http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/apr/01/scotland-driving-on-right-independence-road-scheme

 

And Sega announces the MEGAne DRIVE (Megane = glasses) http://sega.jp/sns/201404/aprilfool/

[clyde]

 

source

[SecretAsianMan]

I've been meaning to learn Klingon

[Merus]

The Guardian also reported the discovery that lamingtons were originally a New Zealand creation, like the pavlova before it, which is just cruel.

 

 

On a brighter note Blizzard seems to be attacking April fools day with its normal polish

http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/games/outcasts/

 

I think the best gaming one I've seen is ArenaNet's one from last year. The punchline was that they actually built a blocky platformer inside Guild Wars 2 that took about an hour or so to complete.

[Grufff]

The Telegraph is reporting that Alex Salmond will replace the Queen on new pound coins in Scotland.

[tegan]

Homestar Runner really went all out.

[tegan]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=0YUbYohGMOg

[SecretAsianMan]

Phil Fish just tweeted this

 

im back! FEZ II is back on!

 

https://twitter.com/PHIL_FISH/status/450999474731880448

I'm pretty sure it's a joke...

[Bjorn]

Way to take the fun out of April Fools Day Twitter.

 

[Codicier]

For anyone who plays wow this is a impressively detailed April fools patch note.

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/12371977139

[Dewar]

I want that Google/Pokemon T-Shirt. Also, I had no idea that Homestar Runner was still a website.

 

Edit: I appreciate the Calvin and Hobbes joke in the WoW patch notes.

[chummer]

Tumblr Pro:

 

[tegan]

Actually getting tumblr pro does nothing but add a top hat to your avatar. Also:

 

[Spenny]

Starcraft II: Herald of the Stars

 

 

Optimus Prime in Titanfall

 

 

War Thunder adds new thing

[Dewar]

Apparently the Mojang April fools is to re-do all the sounds with a stupid villager voice. You can kind of hear it here (in another April fools video)

[melmer]