Humor: The best 2008 April Fool Pranks

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Good morning all you fools out there and yes we know it’s April 1st again.

Like always there will be hundreds of pranks pulled on web sites around the planet. We will create our personal selection of the best April Fool jokes from the ones we find browsing around the web or get notified about. Where possible we include screen-shots and additional information.

This post will be updated continuously throughout the day so check by a few times.

(Note: The small image above is from the great “Water on Mars” joke by Nasa a few years ago)

7 update(s) including this final update - 28 new pranks added with last update - 66 pranks in total so far.

Click on the images below for the links

Australia: Google.com.au (technical / general)

An announcement by Google Australia about a new feature soon to be introduced: Search one day into the future. Some screen-shots but no actual functionality only a disclaimer page telling that it is an April 1st prank. Guys next year we want to see more…

”…To rank these future pages in order of relevance, gDay™ uses a statistical extrapolation of a page’s future PageRank, called SageRank…”

UK: uk.YouTube.com (general)

When you open a video on the main page of YouTube UK all links get you to watch Rick Astley’s “Never gonna give you up”.

Nice song anyway – haven’t heard it for a while - thanks guys.

Germany: Heise.de (technical)

Sorry only available in German (so far).

Cooling with heat similar to Active Noise solutions by using heat to cool computer chips. As computer chips are hotter than stove tops, they introduce the method of destructive heat interference.

Nice idea - best comment so far: You can watch the same effect when using a hair blower inside your fridge.

USA: Njection.com (general)

A press release announcing a new agreement of the speed traps web site with the police installing GPS trackers in police vehicles nationwide. Track police officers from your computer and by mobile phone.

”…to install Global Positioning Systems (GPS) devices in the vehicles of patrol officers, undercover cars, and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) vehicles. The information will be available on the Njection.com Website giving its visitors a detailed view of where police officers are in their area and how well they are responding to crime in their neighborhood…”

USA: Nasa.com APOD (technical / general)

New Space Station Robot Asks to be Called “Dextre the Magnificent”

Nasa’s Astronomy Picture of the day on April 1st is already a classic. The best so far “Water on Mars” (see above).

“…In a surprising and potentially troubling request, the new space station robot known as Dextre demanded that astronauts refer to it in the future at “Dextre the Magnificent.” Brandishing power tools that would make any handyperson blush, the mobile servicing system thanked humans for creating it and promised a glorious future…”

continue reading the story after the jump

7 update(s) including this final update - 28 new pranks added with last update - 66 pranks in total so far.

Australia: Trustbanners.com (technical / general)

New banner advertising technology to produce instant carvings for buying the products.

Additionally two videos on YouTube – watch the user trials for 45 sec of flicker-free experience

“…The result is a revolutionary method of gaining consumer trust through high frequency (90fps) banner adverts which stimulate specific regions of the visual cortex (Visual area V5/MT) producing instant effects on consumers …”

US: Google.com - GMail (general)

Backdate your email by setting a custom time – but you’ll only be able to send email back until April 1, 2004.

Again only a description page no actual implementation – where’s your fantasy guys a non functional drop down would have created no issues wouldn’t it?

US: Linuxjournal.com (technical)

Renaming the web site to Be(OS) journal – yes, and purple is not such a bad color after all.

Bonus: Bloggers are Bonkers for BeOS and more posts on the main page

“…With the blogosphere saturated with stories about Vista, Linux, Cell Phones, and Scandalous Actresses — bloggers are thrilled about BeOS. Every blogger writing about BeOS gets TONS of traffic, because the Be resurgence is so new…”

US: ThinkGeek.com (technical / general)

There is a whole series of fictional devices and goods hiding at the online shop ThinkGeek.

Tip: Check for ZapCam - YouTube Tazer , PTeq - USB Pregnancy Test, Defendius Labyrinth Security Lock and Betamax to HD-DVD Converter (our favorite).

Videos available for some of the products.

US: CollegeHumor.com (general)

Shiny, Bling-Bling, Crystal has 4,784,394 friends…

Right on the spot. MySpace at its “best” and a good reminder why only bots still use that Fox Media site …

US: Aviary.com (general / technical)

Dodo, the web-based time machine to age and de-age people, places and things.

Requires Flash 9. Great videos and examples.

“…Dodo is incredibly simple to use: Just upload an input picture, choose between different settings that might affect the aging process (i.e. amounts of alcohol and tobacco consumed), set a year and hit generate…”

US: Virgle (general)

Actually another Google prank – a whole web site on the adventure of many lifetimes colonizing Mars.

We really love the image in the Open Source Planet section. Great work
There is also a video on YouTube (haha – after 30sec - hmmm).

“…Earth has issues, and it’s time humanity got started on a Plan B. So, starting in 2014, Virgin founder Richard Branson and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin will be leading hundreds of users on one of the grandest adventures in human history: Project Virgle, the first permanent human colony on Mars….”

New Zealand: Actrix (general)

A revolutionary new service that cleans your monitor through the Internet - Introducing CyberClean

Check out the trial service here

US: Latte (general / political)

The French hyper-delegate playing a special role in recognition of the part France played in the American Revolution.

“…Hillary has claimed on several occasions that she stayed on in Paris and played an instrumental role in ending the Algerian Civil War. Ennui today confirmed her account, which has been disputed by Nicolas Sarkozy, who insists that he brokered the settlement when he was Interior Minister. …”

Sweden: The Local (general / technical)

World’s fastest Internet connection is used to dry laundry.

40 gigs connection for 75 year old woman in Sweden to download a HD DVD in two seconds.

“…The secret behind the ultra-fast connection is a new modulation technique which allows data to be transferred directly between two routers up to 2,000 kilometres apart, with no intermediary transponders…”

US: How Stuff Works (general / technical)

One pretty neat and elaborate prank so far.

Air Force One Hybrid

“…Air Force One Hybrid uses more than 2,000 lead-acid batteries in a parallel hybrid team with its four regular jet engines. That means that the plane’s engines rely on a combination of fuel and battery power to turn, making them work more efficiently…”

US: ReadWriteWeb (general / technical)

A new stealth Google project discovered by ReadWriteWeb to extend AdSense by monetizing human sleeping periods. They call it DreamAds.

“…thanks to the latest in cheap magnetic resonance scanning and mind-reading techniques developed at Stanford University. Our source also revealed the thinking behind DreamAds: Google is aiming to become the first company to monetize a totally wasted period of time in human life: sleep, which takes up almost 1/3 of our lives…”

UK: BBC (general)

BBC film maker Terry Jones discovers flying penguins.

Video only available in the UK.

Update: The video is now also here on YouTube

UK: NME (general)

Amy Winehouse to star in new Doctor Who series following in Kylie’s extraterrestrial footsteps.

“…The ‘Rehab’ singer is to play returning character The Rani,a rogue Time Lord, in the series finale of the David Tennant-starring BBC1 show …”

US: Orkut (general)

Turned their site name in Yogurt.

We’ve seen better ones – but simply and strait forward.

UK: PizzaHut (general)

PizzaHut announces new service. They will now not only deliver food they will also clean up afterwards.

“…Next time you order your favourite pizza online, why not add some vacuuming on the side?
For just £5, our delivery drivers will deal expertly with all those tedious chores…”

UK: The Sun (general)

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is to have pioneering stretch surgery in a bid to make him taller

“…Doctors reckon they will be able to add an amazing FIVE INCHES to his height in just over a year. When surgery is completed he will be an inch taller than his stunning ex-model wife Carla Bruni…”

US: Wise Bread (general)

Apple introduces most outrageous “rewards” program in history. Get an Apple tattoo for life long rebate.

“…It really hurt, but I’m saving 25% every time I shop at Apple and I don’t exactly have to struggle to find my rewards card!” she joked…”

US: NeoWin.net (technical)

IE 8 to drop the use of Internet standards. Is this a permanent move ?

“…Current beta releases of IE8 sport the new Webslices feature allowing users to subscribe to a portion of a web page in a manner similar to RSS. Senior executives at Microsoft have suggested that focusing on innovation…”

UK: Daily Mail (general)

Chancellor tries his luck with scratch cards. An incredible inside into the UK economy and how to get a grip on it.

“…The stock market is in turmoil. The credit crunch bites harder every day. And the Treasury is still reeling in the wake of the Northern Rock crisis. So who could blame Alistair Darling if he fancied his chances on the lottery…”

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