From 8-bit Google maps to Apple patenting the rectangle April fools is a great time for major companies, bloggers and journalists to let their hair down and have a bit of fun. Here's a round-up of the best of the web.
Google launches Google Maps for Nintendo NES
Google clearly have a sense of humour as they unleashed a raft of April fools across their network of sites. The best had to be their 8-bit version of Google Maps specifically designed for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES).
The 8-bit version adopts a fantasy theme a la Zelda – you can still view it by going to this link here and selecting the quest button on the left side of the site.
There's also an announcement video, which outlines why the search giant has been ignoring one of the world's most popular devices.
Toshiba’s oblong, rhombus and heart-shaped tablets
Toshiba announced three new tablets for a people who want to be a bit different. The tablets come in three different shapes: Oblong, Rhombus, and heart-shaped.
The sad thing about Toshiba's April fool is the fictious tablets are far more exciting than anything they've ever come up with in the real world.
Check out the promo video below.
Beats by Boyle headphones
Beat By Dre are the coolest headphones money can buy. But what about if you're a house-wife or Banker. What headphones are suitable for you? Well Beats By Boyle, of course.
This one caught out more than a few technology sites who reported the story straight (shame on you).
Diablo III coming to Nintendo Wii
Wii owners are always getting a raw deal when it come to getting triple-A titles on their console. Well, fear not, Diablo is coming to the Wii - don't believe us then check the announcement below.
Blizzard said: "I am proud to announce that we will be bringing Diablo III to the Nintendo Wii system. We have partnered with Satoru Iwata and Nintendo to bring you a fun and innovative way to play our newest game. We hope to bring the genre to a new peak unlike anyone has seen before. Being at the forefront of a gameplay experience that is sure to bring you endless amounts of fun.
Read the full story here.
42in Apple iPad
Stuff magazine knocked up a rather amusing iPad announcement as it saw them touting the existence of a massive 42-inch iPad.
Check out the video above, where were sure you won't be convinced.
Click-to-Teleport (Beta) shopping app
Another one of Google's April fools came in the form of a new Chrome Extension, which takes the uncertainty out of online shopping. Instead trying to decide on a pair of jeans from a blurry jpeg - you can now teleport to the shop in question by selecting click-to-teleport.
“Please note that while in beta, there is no "teleport back home" option for users,” explains Google. In other words, it’s probably best to avoid overseas imports for the time being – that plane ticket is sure to wipe out any savings you make.
KUBE X-15 mini nuke
TigerDirect shopping have started taking orders for the world's smallest ultra-portable nuclear reactor. The 15-inch cube can generate 1000KHGz of power; enough were reliably informed to power a city for 50 year.
“Based on technology originally developed for the exploration of Mars, the KUBE X-15 uses newer clean nuclear energy,” explains the Nuclear Regulation Comission about its latest tech innovation. “In the event of catastrophic failure of the device, you're only exposed to about as much radiation as you'd get sitting on the beach for 4 hours.”
Additional plutonium sold seperately, damn. Read the full story here.
Kodak ‘Print Your Own Live Kittens’
They may have gone into receivership, but photography pioneers Kodak are planning a comeback with a new photobooth aimed specifically at cat lovers.
The "print your own live kitten" does exactly what says on the tin: Select a breed from the choices provided and within 90 seconds your cat will be ready to take home. If only they had come up with this a couple of year's ago they might have saved the company.
Apple/BlackBerry Crumble Phone
Stuff TV clearly felt they were on a roll with their 42-inch iPad and decided to go one step further with a Apple/Blackberry Crumble phone. Evidently when inspiration fails on April 1st, you can just cram two existing products together, and create a April fool.
Enter the Crumble - a new smartphone hybrid from Apple and Blackberry. The Crumble phone bludgeons BlackBerry's tactile keyboard into Apple's signature iPhone 4S touchscreen device and is expected to launch within days, or so the hoax claims. also part of this joke is the prospect of a range of new devices ranging from the budget Pie to the high-class Tart. Read the original story here.
YouTube DVD collection
Have you ever wanted to own every video uploaded to Youtube on DVD? Well, now you can. Youtube will burn every video to DVD and deliver the whole lot to your door for a small nominal fee. Be warned by our calculation it will require 175 delivery trucks.
“When my Internet went out, I used to have to wait until it came back on to watch my favorite videos. NO MORE,” explained one satisified customer.
Watch the video below.
Virgin Volcanic
Virgin is already planning to take paying passengers to space, and they’re also going to explore the depths of the ocean – so what’s next.
Well, Virgin Volcanic, of course. Officially announced on Richard Branson’s Twitter account, Virgin Volcanic will suppposedly send wealthy celebrities to the centre of the Earth.
“Using patented carbon-carbon materials pioneered for deep space exploration, Virgin is proud to announce a revolutionary new vehicle, VVS1, which will be capable of plunging three people into the molten lava core of an active volcano,” explains the Virgin website.The blog post goes on to explain the alleged science behind the device.
World’s smallest Ultrabook
Sony has a knack for making products smaller than the competition – but this 0.75in Vaio Ultrabook takes the biscuit. The Q Series Ultrabook comes with 8GB of RAM, full HD 1080p resolution, AMD Radeon HD 6650M (1GB) graphics and “the sharpest screen on the market today”. It would also fit inside your pocket, if it were real.
Apple patents the rectangle
Apple’s latest patent dispute concerns “a quadrilateral having all four interior angles of 90°, opposite sides that are parallel, and congruent diagonals that bisect each other.” Or to put it another way, anything shaped like a rectangle. Read the full story here.
