April Fools’ Day 2018: Google, Amazon & more have fun over the weekend

Yesterday was April 1, also known as April Fools’ Day, and although it was a Sunday and most folks were not working at Google, Amazon and other companies, there were still April Fools’ Day pranks to be had.

Google Maps ‘Where’s Waldo?’

Google Maps posted a “Where’s Waldo?” game within Google Maps on Android, iOS and desktop.

Google Search Console Recrawl Now button

Google Search Console, the beta version, added a “recrawl now” button that led to a Rick-Roll: Rick Astley — Never Gonna Give You Up (Video). This plays on the new limitations with the fetch as Google and submit to index feature.

Google bad joke detector

Google also launched a Bad Joke Detector that they called no laughing matter. Google said, “Using a custom-built deep neural network, Files Go can scan your smartphone for jokes with your permission, identify the bad ones and delete all of them with a single tap, freeing up space for more important things — like better jokes!”

Power sources for Chromebooks

Chromebooks now support alternative power methods such as wind power, solar power and compost power. “Chrome OS team had a few sparks of creativity to generate renewable ways to keep your Chromebook running anywhere,” Google wrote:

Google Cloud Hummus API

Google Israel launched the Google Cloud Hummus API. Google is enabling their customers to address senses through Speech & Vision API, they are now releasing a subset of Taste APIs started with a dish we all love:  hummus. Here is a video of how that works:

Google Gboard Physical Handwriting

Google Japan introduced Gboard Physical Handwriting version. Gboard physically handwritten version extracts the feature quantity in the image generated from the sequence input by the built-in processor equipped with the character discriminator by the separation type convolution neural network by the USB keyboard and outputs the inference result to an arbitrary device by bluetooth. Here is a video showing it off:

Google rebranded to Googz

Google wrote, “Starting today on April 1, you’ll see this new brand identity out in the wild — in Pyrmont and in our products. Just ask your Google Assistant ‘Ok Google, What’s your name?’ on your Google Home device or Assistant enabled iOS and Android phone.”

Amazon author delivery service

Amazon wrote, “Launching April 1st, Amazon Publishing will deliver your favorite authors to your front door. Watch as bestselling author Patricia Cornwell does whatever it takes to arrive on time. Who will you request?” Here is a video of it:

Netflix acquires Seth Rogen

Netflix announced they had acquired the actor Seth Rogen. “World-renowned Canadian person, prolific marijuana-doer and winner of the 2015 MTV Movie Award for ‘Best Kiss,’ Seth Q. Rogen has entered into a lifetime deal to transfer full ownership of his personal autonomy to Netflix, Inc.”

Snapchat Russian filter

Snapchat unveiled a photo filter that pokes fun at Facebook around Russian bots liking your posts. The Verge explained the filter places a Facebook UI around your photo with Cyrillic script-like text and even includes likes from “your mum” and “a bot.”