It’s that time of the year, when tech firms and news websites decide to leap on the April Fool’s bandwagon.
As usual, Google decided to go all-out, delivering some hits and a rather unfortunate miss.
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Gmail offers a “mic drop” option
The mega-popular email service introduced a rather odd mic drop function button as an alternative to the “send” button. This allowed users to add a GIF of a Minion dropping a microphone into messages.
The function also allows you to “have the last word” in email threads, banishing the thread to your archives.
The prank proved to be short-lived however, as the Gmail team disabled the feature after it caused more “headaches than laughs”.
According to the support forum, one user claimed that they lost their job after accidentally hitting the button.
Watch 360 videos with Snoop Dogg
Gmail wasn’t the only Google-owned company to get in on the 1 April action, as YouTube rolled out a new feature called SnoopaVision.
The feature sees users being able to watch 360 degree videos in a virtual theatre, with Snoop Dogg having a seat in the theatre too.
“Activating” SnoopaVision is a simple case of clicking the Snoop Dogg silhouette in the lower-right hand side of the window. Unfortunately, clicking the function merely takes you to the above video.
Virtual reality? More like actual reality
Yes, Google delivered yet another prank in the form of Google Cardboard Plastic (wait, wuh?).
Inspired by the Google Cardboard VR headset, Google Cardboard Plastic is branded as the world’s first “actual reality” headset.
Touted features include “4D integrated perspective, 360 degree spatially accurate sound, 20/20 resolution, and advanced haptics for realistic touch sensations”.
Google also claims that the headset, which looks like a pair of scuba goggles, is waterproof, requires no batteries and features no wires.
