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.
The paper campaign was very well worded, right upto justification of being environment friendly!
April Fools
I can remember about ten years ago - when a Sun (I think it was Sun) employee did an April Fools joke on their homepage - and was fired over the incident - and now companies seem to be spending a lot of time and effort on these jokes - how times have changed
LOL! actually I was fooled! when I checked my mail this morning I actually believed it… heheheheh, evil Google!
I think that the big news today is that Vonage has bought iotum
http://flatplanetphone.com/wordpress/?p=111
April Foogle !!
Google always comes out with quality April Fools jokes. Am sure the 20% of time that Google employees get to think creatively is spent mostly on April 1.
There is even a longer list of Google’s April Fools jokes on the Google Cheat Sheet under “fun with google’
Link: http://www.adelaider.com/google/
Hehe,
I saw the TiSP thing, was completely confused and was about to post here asking if google had been hacked!
Completely neglected the April 1 link!
The TiSP stuff was very very funny - “Professional Installer Service”… hehe
Mike
Correction - sorry it is Google that bought iotum http://flatplanetphone.com/wordpress/?p=111
ok, now they are getting predictable…
I am hearing a major problem with TiSP is that you lose internet connectivity every time your neighbors flush their toilets.
But I am sure there is a work around for that by having your neighbors build an “outhouse”or “Porta Poddy”. No problem.
http://www.freezepage.com/1175400618AABFTMMGRB
DON’T FORGET ABOUT THEIR SPAM ENGINEER’S APRIL FOOLS PRANK
. :-p
hope this does not screw up his Blog rankings by confusing the Google’s spam sniffing algos (wouldn’t that be ironic)
I’m going to sue Google
Yes but on the contextually relevant ads for the Google TISP, will Google finally disclose the revenue share amount to its publishers….
Maybe you saw today’s bulletin from the Sloof Lirpa Center regarding code vulnerability in Google Adsense: http://www.slooflirpacenter.com
http://www.pandia.com/sew/406-googgles.html
Ran across this today: Google to launch 3D interactive Internet visor (even the links have imitation flash presentations). Be sure to read the last paragraph in the article.
Please stop spoiling April Fool’s gags. Write about them tomorrow.
longer rant
Google Paper actually sounds pretty cool. I’d consider using it for certain emails
Whomever thought of the TiSP idea must have really been to the tubgirl page far too many times, as well as read one too many scat articles.
TiSP will be remembered as Google’s “Jumping The Shark” moment.
Kind of funny to wake up to on a Sunday morning. I made sure to call my Mom right away and tell her she can’t have it. She can’t wait to find an alternative to her existing broadband provider.
HPK said: google paper huh..it may look interesting !!!
i can’t believe i fell for the google paper idea … i was just on the verge of calling a mate up to discuss this latest “cool” thing from google… the ’saving the enviroment’ bit would have been cool. one other thing to thank TechCrunch for i guess
c’mon, let the them belive till tomorrow
Our local newspaper in Flagstaff, AZ always runs a front page story that is far from true on April Fool’s Day…. this year’s was particularly bizarre, and almost believable until you get to the part about turning the downtown streets into canals. http://www.azdailysun.com/arti.....age_18.txt
I would have continued to beleive it if it weren’t for this blog posting…
Look’s like Apple’s getting into the April Fool’s spirit as well. Bye bye Safari (yeah, right):
Webkit shutting down:
http://webkit.org/blog/100/webkit-shutting-down/
Yo Mike - you seemed to have sparked quite a debate over at the ‘wag. Scoble and Winer are in a frenzy on Twitter and the whole blogosphere and Interweb is being gamed by aprilFools2.0. Holy crap. I wonder how much $$ it took google to whip up their 3 april fools gags. It’s amazing to see the power of the interweb and techniques for spreading news the web2.0 way - when sites like TC can serve up a couple softballs in a blogpost, then watch the fanboys hit it out of the park over at digg, reddit, del.icio.us, technorati, techmeme, and the other 2.0 buzz sites. Funny how in the end it actually helps drive traffic back to your site. Genius. And in the meantime, you’ve got Nick in a frenzy over at the ‘wag. I tend to agree with him though. aprilFools2.0 is played out and should go into the deadpool - TC / FC whateva. Have a great day Mike.
In other news..
TechCrunch takes April 1 even more seriously: http://www.techcrunch.com/2007.....ompanycom/
Great April Fools, great to see that big companies have so much fun instead of been boring and normal. Blogged (click my name to see my post).
Google coulnt of come up with something better then this? Something that is more believable?
I’ve pulled a prank on my gf’s best friends and they freaked out LMAO
facebook’s added some april fools humor by adding subtle “news” events into your news feed, such as “Bracket Buster: Ohio State and Florida have mutually agreed on a tie and will not play the championship game.” and “Harry and Voldemort have set their relationship status to ‘Mortal Enemies.’”, to name a few
Whoa!
I certainly did not expect this one from Google! But now everyone’s using the April 1 to market themselves in a different way.
Sounds like a great strategy to me.
Cheers!
It’s Gmail Paper, not Google Paper.
And one must read the ‘press release’ announcing ‘TISP’.
Old media conglomerate, Via(gra)com, has just announced that it will withdraw its $1 billion lawsuit against Google and become the first content provider of Google TiSP — the free, self-installed, wireless broadband service.
From Via(gra)com’s press release:
“We are very excited about this partnership with Google. The innovative content delivery method allows us to pipe our programming, such as MTV shows, directly from where they are produced, namely, the very underground, and very free-flowing, sewage system…”
If anyone here has seen the Blue Man Group act in Vegas - the whole Google TiSP thing was lifted from there - applause on the implentation/artwork though!
The irony of the Tisp deal is that it most likely will come true for Google in the near future. However, I doubt there will be any toilet bowl winners here. Anyone that knows the proxy statements as well as I do, and the unparalleled dreams of Eric Schmidt (and his team of over 2000 engineers), Google will create the most scalable platform of the internet we have ever known. With all the dark fiber and wireless transmitters Google owns, what else could it be? Will Google ever become the most powerful company in the world?
haha! Nice one Goooooogle!
Anyboy seen (or care) what’s goin’ on with the SimpleBits rip-off as documented here
Oh well, what the “Sh*t” will they think of next! -
Now with one extra day
Also on the Google calendar website - screenshot:
http://people.csail.mit.edu/vi.....GooDay.png
I am also thinking of building a custom PC stand - designed to fit around the shape of a toilet - to empower me with extreme mobile commuting.
Forget the reading room or den; I personally do some of my best reading while taking a dump so this just might be perfect for me. TiSP, TiSP.
I call it the Google Ka-Stool-ble.
i love that they have such good humor!
Man, those are really funny. It has the perfect blend of seriousness to fool enough people to make this everything even funnier. Think what percentage of people would believe this if it was not on a April Fool’s day, no matter how foolish it sounds.
Business Tips
I actually fell for the GMail paper thing when I logged in to Gmail this morning, I still did….until I just read this article this evening. Now that I look back, I realise one of the news in the Facebook new feeds was an April Fools joke as well. I read “Send a live poke now: Have a real person poke your friend” (something like that….). Totally forgot today was April 1.
Google Always step a head in web technology….
I’m actually a little tired of Google’s april fools things, mainly because it is not unexpected. Like clockwork, they have some elaborate wacky april fools thing. The 1st time was really neat, it was not expected.
They should sit next year out. Then everyone can talk about that, and speculate why, etc…then come out the following year with something again.
Google really always make suprise…