Google Really Takes April 1 Seriously

by Michael Arrington on April 1, 2007

Google takes a lot of time with its April Fools jokes, and they generally center around new products. Last year we saw the launch of Google Romance. This year, they have two solid fake product launches: Google TiSP (free broadband service) and Google Paper (Prints out Gmail on paper and sends it to you).

In addition to TiSP and Paper, see Google Writer, a product invented by the Google Operating System blog that will handle most of the creative parts of writing for users.

Google TiSP

Google TiSP is a free, self installed free home wireless broadband service. This goes without saying, of course, but it operates via via fiber-optic cable strung through local municipal sewage lines.

Among the requirements are a “round-front or elongated toilet providing at least 1.0 gallons per flush,” although luckily “the fiber optic cable that enables TiSP will not interfere with your toilet’s regular operations.” The service is free and ad supported:

We use information gathered by discreet DNA sequencing of your personal bodily output to display online ads that are contextually relevant to your culinary preferences, current health status and likelihood of developing particular medical conditions going forward.

Scatological references are always good for an easy laugh, at least in the U.S.

Google Paper

Google Paper is a new feature being promoted on the Gmail home page. You can request a physical copy of any email with the click of a button, and Google will deliver paper printouts to you in 2-4 days via the mail.

Like TiSP, Google Paper is also free and advertising supported. In this case, the “relevant, targeted, unobtrusive advertisements” will appear on the back of printed emails “in red, bold, 36 pt Helvetica.” Nice.

Google also promised that Google Paper is good for the environment. “Gmail Paper is made out of 96% post-consumer organic soybean sputum, and thus, actually helps the environment. For every Gmail Paper we produce, the environment gets incrementally healthier.”

This is an excellent addition to Gmail in their race with Yahoo for the best webmail product. Gmail itself was actually launched on April 1, by the way.

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Comments

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brettbum - April 1st, 2007 at 9:16 pm PDT

So TechCrunch was purchased by PayPerPost ???

http://blog.payperpost.com/200.....runch.html

NITHYA - April 1st, 2007 at 9:51 pm PDT

erg

Vipin - April 2nd, 2007 at 12:36 am PDT

Another one from Google, http://www.google.com/googlegulp/

kaushik - April 2nd, 2007 at 2:50 am PDT

google’s prank is just amazing.. i was taken for a ride.. haha. but wat ever, enjoyed it.. way to go google… hats off to you!!
keep going..
thank you for your splendid service!!

Runa - April 2nd, 2007 at 7:03 am PDT

Google TisP is my favourite one! It was great!

Rodney Rumford - April 2nd, 2007 at 8:13 am PDT

I actually thought the google paper was an interesting concept as a way for google to get even more data from/to me. They would then have my physical mail location and could target junk mail that was relevant to me.

If they can target adwords based upon my email content, they could easily send me relevant “junk mail” that is better than my current junk mail. I would not laugh at this one too much as this is something that we might very well see in the next 2-3 years. I could see direct marketers salivating.

With google’s push into traditional print advertising buys, this makes total sense…

This part also makes some sense “Photo attachments are printed on high-quality, glossy photo paper”. Hey, why wouldn’t an advertiser have their logo printed on the photo: This picture print courtesy of Product X”? Not too terribly far fetched…

When I saw this on sunday, i knew it was a joke when i saw this “For every Gmail Paper we produce, the environment gets incrementally healthier.”… I was cracking up and could just see the tree huggers flipping out.

Any way you look at it; it was great for a laugh.

Armando Alves - April 2nd, 2007 at 5:38 pm PDT

Am i the only one to have noticed this April fool’s joke on the secrets of page rank?

I find it hilarious that they’re trying to explain a complex algorithm with pigeons.

angrys0ul - April 2nd, 2007 at 10:10 pm PDT

the Google piegeon rank is too old to be mentioned now
Google TiSP and GMail Paper are the latest and list of old Google pranks is also a good laugh

JayJay - April 3rd, 2007 at 4:18 am PDT

I much prefer SKY++ (SKY DoublePlus). Whereas Sky+ for an extra £10pm allows you to pause and rewind real-time video, Sky ++ (for an additional £10 pm again) allows you to pause, rewind and fast-forward real-time video. I’ve signed up…