Best 2013 April Fools articles

Send in the best ones you're seeing! Here are a few I've run into (and
Google always does a great job):

ThinkGeek: http://www.thinkgeek.com/ (I especially like the Play-Doh 3D
Printer).

Google Nose: http://www.google.com/intl/en/landing/nose/

Gmail Blue: https://mail.google.com/mail/help/intl/en/promos/blue/index.html

YouTube Contest Submissions Closing:
http://youtube-global.blogspot.com/2013/03/youtube-contest-submissions-closing_31.html

Premium Twttr service includes vowels:
http://blog.twitter.com/2013/03/annncng-twttr.html

Ah, looks like TechCrunch has already done a roundup...

http://techcrunch.com/2013/04/01/april-fools-2013/

cheers... -Adam


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The Orange Teardown by iFixit

http://createsend.ifixit.com/t/ViewEmail/r/9E80C387D2B2D4B42540EF23F30FEDED/925520B16CB2808EBA4AF9908B8D85ED


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Treetopia (not that I've ever heard of them before, but I like the
Stealth Christmas Tree):
http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/304890/ca442e9be1/1404052911/85ca3ec222/

Mobile Usability for Cats:
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/mobile-usability-cats/

cheers... -Adam


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On 4/1/13 11:07 AM, "Adam Engst" <[hidden email]> wrote:

>ThinkGeek: http://www.thinkgeek.com/ (I especially like the Play-Doh 3D
>Printer).

Several of those are SO going to make the transition to real products.

--
Bruce Carter, Center for Creative Computing,
University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN  46556




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On Apr 1, 2013, at 8:07 AM, Adam Engst <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Send in the best ones you're seeing!

How about the April Fool's Joke that wasn't?

Macworld/iWorld 2014 rescheduled for March 27 through March 29
http://www.macworld.com/article/2032765/macworld-iworld-2014-rescheduled-for-march-27-through-march-29.html

It looks like one but apparently it's true. Which means that the people who run IDG are shooting themselves in their collective feet once again - no joke.
--
Shawn King
Host/Executive Producer
Your Mac Life
http://www.yourmaclifeshow.com






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On Apr 1, 2013, at 10:38 AM, Shawn King <[hidden email]> wrote:

>
>
>
> Macworld/iWorld 2014 rescheduled for March 27 through March 29
> http://www.macworld.com/article/2032765/macworld-iworld-2014-rescheduled-for-march-27-through-march-29.html
>
> It looks like one but apparently it's true. Which means that the people who run IDG are shooting themselves in their collective feet once again - no joke.

And why is the change a bad idea?

As far as I can see, moving the show to the beginning of spring from the middle of winter is a plus. The major problem I can see is that the announcement should have happened during the 2013 show rather than being a date change. Long-term planners will need to change things, but otherwise I don't see a minus.


Alan Forkosh                    Oakland, CA
[hidden email]
http://al4kosh.com




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On Apr 1, 2013, at 10:55 AM, Alan Forkosh <[hidden email]> wrote:

> On Apr 1, 2013, at 10:38 AM, Shawn King <[hidden email]> wrote:
>
>> Macworld/iWorld 2014 rescheduled for March 27 through March 29
>> http://www.macworld.com/article/2032765/macworld-iworld-2014-rescheduled-for-march-27-through-march-29.html
>>
>> It looks like one but apparently it's true. Which means that the people who run IDG are shooting themselves in their collective feet once again - no joke.
>
> And why is the change a bad idea?

The change per se isn't a bad idea. Many people, myself included, have lobbied for the date change for years. The fact that it "leaked" on one of IDG's own sites on April Fool's Day is embarrassing and confusing. There's no info about this on IDG's own web site but the Manager of the Expo, Paul Kent, is giving quotes to The Mac Observer but apparently not to Macworld.com - a site owed by his employer...

And they've already announced dates previously. Those dates were *ridiculous* - not only the odd Saturday to Monday days but they conflicted with THE SUPER BOWL. So - why the date change now? Why did they pick those idiotic dates to begin with?

(those of us "inside baseball" know the answer but the Tech Media likely won't ask the question or get an answer from IDG)

They are also moving from the lovely Moscone West to the underground Moscone North. Another bad move, IMO.

> As far as I can see, moving the show to the beginning of spring from the middle of winter is a plus.

Maybe. But, that being the case, why now? They've had many years and many opportunities to make the change.

And why THOSE dates? If you're going to move it, why not to summer time?

> The major problem I can see is that the announcement should have happened during the 2013 show rather than being a date change.

Exactly. Certainly a (minor) embarrassment to IDG.

> Long-term planners will need to change things, but otherwise I don't see a minus.

Again - not in and of itself.
--
Shawn King
Host/Executive Producer
Your Mac Life
http://www.yourmaclifeshow.com






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On Mon, Apr 1, 2013 at 2:17 PM, Shawn King <[hidden email]>wrote:

>
> (those of us "inside baseball" know the answer but the Tech Media likely
> won't ask the question or get an answer from IDG)
>

Intrigue! Drama!

Okay then, what's the real question and the real answer that the “Tech
Media” isn't asking or getting an answer to ?


--
Chris Devers


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Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF):

https://supporters.eff.org/civicrm/mailing/view?&id=384


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I hate to be a downer, but shouldn't there be one? There is no such thing as good April Fool's pranks anymore. The last good one was George Plimpton's Sidd Finch article. And that was thirty years ago.

When something like gmail cannot be introduced on April 1 without being thought a prank, then we know that things have gone way too far. That was nine years ago. Every so-called prank I have read about today was sophomoric at best.

Maybe some year soon there will be only a couple of these dumb stories. One can only hope.

--
Doug





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On Mon, Apr 1, 2013 at 3:37 PM, Doug Miller <[hidden email]> wrote:

> There is no such thing as good April Fool's pranks anymore.


YES.

I've come to think of April Fools day as “Annual
Turn-Off-The-Internet-And-Get-Actual-Work-Done” day.

An un-holiday, if you will.

--
Chris Devers


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On Apr 1, 2013, at 8:07 AM, Adam Engst <[hidden email]> wrote:

> Send in the best ones you're seeing!

http://www.atlassian.com/jirajr

Larry Rosenstein
[hidden email]




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On Apr 1, 2013, at 12:37 PM, Doug Miller <[hidden email]> wrote:

> I hate to be a downer, but shouldn't there be one? There is no such thing as good April Fool's pranks anymore. The last good one was George Plimpton's Sidd Finch article. And that was thirty years ago.

The space shuttle landing at Montgomery Field in San Diego was a classic as well (1993).
        http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/af_database/permalink/space_shuttle_lands_in_san_diego/

-- Marshall

Marshall Clow     Idio Software   <mailto:[hidden email]>

A.D. 1517: Martin Luther nails his 95 Theses to the church door and is promptly moderated down to (-1, Flamebait).
        -- Yu Suzuki




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On 04/01/2013 12:46 PM, Chris Devers wrote:
> On Mon, Apr 1, 2013 at 3:37 PM, Doug Miller<[hidden email]>  wrote:
>
>> >There is no such thing as good April Fool's pranks anymore.
> YES.
>
> I've come to think of April Fools day as “Annual
> Turn-Off-The-Internet-And-Get-Actual-Work-Done” day.

+1

-Dave

--
For the moment, however, I am most interested in those creatures who have taken things as they found them and then found out how to find them good.
    - Joseph Wood Krutch




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I'm curious, do the people who dislike April Fools Day also avoid fake
news shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, or fake news
sites like the Onion?

What I enjoy about April Fools is that it's a chance to say and do
things that are patently untrue, but that can be based on an entirely
valid point of view or desirable outcome. It's just a different method
of conveying the same information. For instance, I've been planning to
write a lengthy dissection of all that's wrong with the Apple's App
Store policies, but I just couldn't bring myself to the necessary
pitch of negativity. It was far more fun to write the "App Store 2.0
Policies Address Developer Complaints" article, and I was able to make
exactly the same points. And I really would like to see Apple do a lot
of what Rich outlined in "iCloud for Families Debuts."

cheers... -Adam


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Ah, the Sidd Finch article...

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1119283/

Also just found Buzzfeed's collection for this year:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/your-guide-to-every-april-fools-day-prank-on-the-internet

(I particularly like Netflix's new category "TV Shows Where Defiantly
Crossed Arms Mean Business!")

and Mental Floss's 14 Greatest Hoaxes of All Time

http://www.mentalfloss.com/article/49674/14-greatest-hoaxes-all-time


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On Apr 1, 2013, at 1:11 PM, Adam Engst <[hidden email]> wrote:

> I'm curious, do the people who dislike April Fools Day also avoid fake
> news shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, or fake news
> sites like the Onion?

No - because those sites are professionally funny. :)

--
Shawn King
Host/Executive Producer
Your Mac Life
http://www.yourmaclifeshow.com





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April Fools Day has been upstaged this year by North Korea...

Alex

On Apr 1, 2013, at 1:11 PM, Adam Engst <[hidden email]> wrote:

I'm curious, do the people who dislike April Fools Day also avoid fake
news shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, or fake news
sites like the Onion?

Alexander Forbes
Summitlake.com
[hidden email]






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On Mon, Apr 1, 2013 at 4:11 PM, Adam Engst <[hidden email]> wrote:

> I'm curious, do the people who dislike April Fools Day also avoid fake
> news shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report


Not at all!

But then, they’re, you know, actually funny.

So there’s that.

It's not funny to just say up is down and black is white — and it's
especially unfunny if EVERYBODY is falling over themselves to do the same
thing that day.

The merciful thing this year is that I'm not seeing as much of it, for
once. But maybe that’s because I've learned not to follow any links from
Google, ThinkGeek, or David Pogue on April first, and I don't read Slashdot
anymore. But part of me hopes that people are getting sick of this kind of
“fun”.

Personally, I'd much rather read publications that are comfortable cracking
a good joke the other 364 days of the year, and leave today to the
amateurs.


--
Chris Devers


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On Mon, Apr 1, 2013 at 4:41 PM, Chris Devers <[hidden email]> wrote:
>> I'm curious, do the people who dislike April Fools Day also avoid fake
>> news shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report
>
>
> Not at all!
>
> But then, they’re, you know, actually funny.

Absolutely true, but the reason they've become so popular is that
they're making incisive points about society using humor rather than
straight argument.

> It's not funny to just say up is down and black is white — and it's
> especially unfunny if EVERYBODY is falling over themselves to do the same
> thing that day.

Well, luckily, April 1st is easily identified on the calendar, and no
one was ever damaged by not wasting the day reading news on the
Internet. :-) But funny isn't always the point - the point is to get
people to think, using a different approach and different perspective.

Frankly, I love it. I get so sick of all the fake controversy and
overt tribalism and snide negativity that underlies so much of what's
considered "real" news that I heartily applaud anyone who has the guts
to try something a little different one day of the year. I even find
it refreshing to contemplate the world from an "opposite day"
perspective, especially since the vast majority of April Fools
articles are positive.

And I'll note that quite a number of our April Fools articles have
come true over the years. So remember, you might have read it here
first.

cheers... -Adam



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