Just kidding, April 1 is pretty much tech companies’ favorite holiday of the year. The web giants didn’t disappoint this time around: Google introduced a new product called Google Nose, YouTube announced it was shutting down, Twitter says it’s eliminating vowels and Netflix suggested some rather unusual genres. (If you can’t get enough of this stuff, TechCrunch keeps a pretty comprehensive list, as does Lifehacker, and HuffPo has a whole section on it.)
Our favorite Easter Egg/April Fools’ mashup is over at WNYC, where you can type "peeps" in the search bar to see the images replaced by something more... festive.
Non-tech companies also got in on the fun with some of the internet’s favorite things — at least we hope bacon condoms and bacon mouthwash are just jokes. And, sadly, Vimeow, cat headphones and kitten hiking boots are probably not real. (Catsparella’s got you covered if you don't want to miss a kitten joke.)
Closer to home, an Oregon museum is not actually offering a kids’ class called “The Science of Portlandia – Tips for the Kindergarten Hipster.” Contrary to a big Coeur d’Alene Press story, the city is not actually planning to dangle a portrait of the lake from a helicopter to settle complaints about the view-blocking new high rise plans.
And, probably preaching to the choir here, but The Inlander was not actually acquired by The Spokesman-Review, as the 1998 April Fools’ issue suggested. Yes, that was like 15 years ago — our interns were probably in diapers — but apparently that still comes up with some folks who think it’s true. Take heed, pranksters — you may be laughing today, but in the end the joke’s on us all.
