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April Fool's Day Roundup

Posted by msmash on from the here-we-go-again dept.

It might be a holiday for most of us today, but for tech companies, April Fool's is the day when they work overtime to send weird press releases. So far we have seen Google Maps help users find Waldo, and Google Australia rethink its brand name (to Googz). T-Mobile has revivedthe Sidekick as the world's first smart shoe phone. Google has also added a feature to its file manager app Files Go that detects bad jokes from your phone. Snapchat has finally found a way to make fun of Facebook. Languages learning app Duolingo has launched a range of craft beers. Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus has launched a cryptocurrency. Some more here. What's your favorite prank so far today?

52 of 95 comments (clear)

  1. Internet Stupid Day by ElectraFlarefire · · Score: 1

    I keep forgetting this day exists.. The day that you can't trust anything you read(well, less so than normal) and a lot of good stuff is lost in the wave of crap.
    Still, at least it starts and is over quickly enough.

    1. Re:Internet Stupid Day by arth1 · · Score: 1

      Still, at least it starts and is over quickly enough.

      Some places, it's customary to prank on both the first and last of April. It's not too common these days, but you may still see odd prank news on April 30th, propagated by news aggregators where the editors aren't culturally aware enough to know this.

    2. Re:Internet Stupid Day by OneAhead · · Score: 1

      Shouldn't you be working instead of frivolously wasting your time posting on slashdot?

  2. Thank You by DatbeDank · · Score: 5, Insightful

    For not wasting my time posting otherwise bad joke summaries of fake stories on the front page today.

    1. Re:Thank You by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      You're welcome, fun police. Now go outside and yell at some clouds.

    2. Re:Thank You by quantaman · · Score: 4

      I dunno, I miss when April Fools Day was Slashdot Shitpost Day. Yes, it meant Slashdot was entirely useless for a day, but it helped build a sense of community. There's a lot of dumb things about Slashdot that I end up missing, like coverage of anime or video games that no one cares about. Things that made it seem more like a site for nerds and not this weird corporate pseudo-open source thing it's become. The loss of incredibly stupid April Fools pranks doesn't help.

      I agree, Slashdot is usually my first site of the day and as such were the one site who had a chance of actually getting me with a story before I clued into the calendar.

      But the greatest Slashdot April Fools was the OMG Ponies theme from.... holy crap 12 years ago!

      --
      I stole this Sig
    3. Re:Thank You by apoc.famine · · Score: 4, Insightful

      OMG Ponies!

      That's still my first reaction to April fool's day on the internet every year.

      While many other sites have tried shitposting like that over the years, I've found few anywhere near as successful as that one was. It was so fucking annoying and traumatizing. Unbelievable we remember one day from 12 years ago that wasn't some monumental event in our lives.

      Or, maybe it was.....says a lot about our history with this site, eh?

      --
      Velociraptor = Distiraptor / Timeraptor
    4. Re:Thank You by magarity · · Score: 2

      OMG Ponies!

      It was so fucking annoying and traumatizing.

      What are you babbling about? It was so awesome I used a plugin to view this site like that for years until the compatibility problems became too much to keep up.

    5. Re:Thank You by antdude · · Score: 1

      Maybe that is the trick. Readers are expecting fake stories and stuff on /.. :P

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    6. Re:Thank You by AmiMoJo · · Score: 3

      April 1st is the one day when people pause to consider if things they read on the internet are true. If only they would do that for the other 364...

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    7. Re:Thank You by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 2

      I almost got fired from a project because of that RFC. Or, rather, my reference of that RFC with my official uploads for one day's work. It also involved photos of a squirrel, which I viewed as a network disrupter.

      --
      If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
    8. Re:Thank You by tlhIngan · · Score: 2

      It's Easter. It's the clash of the religious versus the pranksters. After all, Easter is one of those holy days in Christianity.

      Easter hasn't fallen on April 1 since 1956, and it will again in 2029 and 2040, after which it won't until 2108.

    9. Re:Thank You by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Those days are long gone. Now every day is Slashdot Shitpost Day.

    10. Re:Thank You by jeffrlamb · · Score: 1

      I miss Slashdot's April Fools summary. The OP that said, "thank you" can just ignore the summary one day. It isn't wasting his time unless he keeps spending time reading it. It snuck up on me about 1 year in 3, which made it even better as they "got me" for a bit.
      We miss you CommanderTaco!
      OMG Ponies was the best! If you really used a plugin to keep it alive, you are my hero
      (my id# misrepresents how long I've been reading slashdot)

  3. You sure that was a joke? by drew_kime · · Score: 2

    Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus has launched a cryptocurrency.

    DogeCoin was started a joke, but has a current market cap of $340 Million.

    --
    Nope, no sig
  4. Kodi Rebrands Itself by Macgruder · · Score: 3

    https://kodi.tv/article/kodi-n...

    "As such, starting today, we are officially changing our name back to XBMC.

    But we're not stopping there. We've had a good long run being a multi-platform system, but at the end of the day covering six or more platforms has become far too much of a stress. Android support alone taxes our resources in a way no volunteer development team can ever reasonably be expected to handle. And all the other platforms just makes this worse. So, in an executive decision that we believe the entire community will support, we at Team XBMC have decided to fully embrace our roots.

    Starting today, we would like to announce that we are exclusively supporting only the Xbox One"

    --
    I'm not crazy,I'm actively irresponsible.
  5. Pokemon go by Tyrannosaur · · Score: 1

    Pokemon go got a graphical upgrade to 8-bit graphics https://www.pokemon.com/us/pok...

  6. It's april 2 this year by goombah99 · · Score: 1

    When april fools is on a sunday it moves to the nearest monday. Post this tommorrow.

    --
    Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
    1. Re:It's april 2 this year by JustOK · · Score: 1

      But because of Easter, Monday is a holiday for some, so it's moved to Tuesday

      --
      rewriting history since 2109
  7. Did you hear? Creimer lost his virginity! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Nah, sorry, that's too ridiculous even for April 1st.

  8. The best are those you think might be real by gbjbaanb · · Score: 1

    Like the Guido Faukes Fool posting today, where he takes a load of recent political issues and dresses them up as yet another exposé.

    https://order-order.com/2018/0...

    If you've been following the UK media (no, not the mainstream one, who tries to hide all this) then you'll start by thinking its true. By the middle you think "surely not", and by the end "it must be a fool".

    Trouble is, you could take any of the recent revelations as fool jokes if they'd been announced today.

    1. Re:The best are those you think might be real by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Fair enough. Alan Dershowitz suggests to give Mueller 90 days to wrap it up and present the evidence: put up, or shut up.

      Then appoint an independent commission to look into everything, including IRS Luis Lerner, Fast and Furious, and the rest of the Obama crimes (and Trump crimes, if any).

      Question for you: why did Obama's Attorney General take the Fifth? The top justice officer took the Fifth!!
      Was the asshole covering up his own crimes, or Obama's? Shouldn't that be looked into?

  9. Those Bastids at Fark Rick-Rolled me! by Travco · · Score: 1

    First time evar

    1. Re:Those Bastids at Fark Rick-Rolled me! by fragMasterFlash · · Score: 1

      You'll get over it.

  10. WaPo's entire front page... by jddj · · Score: 1

    ...rife with claims that Donald Trump got elected president.

    God, I'm tired...

  11. Re: Easter by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I was waiting for a numbskull like you to say something about the resurrection. Obvious target. But before you get on your high horse too much about the misdeeds of Christians, perhaps you should brush up on your history as to the actions of atheists. Stalin, Pol Pot, Mao, all weren't just atheists but enforced atheism on their populations and murdered hundreds of millions in the process. Given that, whatever Christians may have done to you is a minor inconvenience.

  12. DC Universe Online Loot Box by magusxxx · · Score: 1

    They're called Time Capsules. And they gave us one free today.

    Open it up and you get a different colored one. Open that up and you get a different colored one. Etc., etc.,.....*sigh*.....etc., etc.....

    Because everyone loves loot boxes, right?

    --
    Care killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.
    1. Re: DC Universe Online Loot Box by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Yo dog, we heard you like loot boxes. So we took loot boxes and put them inside loot boxes...inside YOUR car. Thanks to west coast customs.

      Thank you xzhibit.

  13. The Register ... by Checkered+Daemon · · Score: 1

    Has a job advertisement for AI programmers to teach their computers to write their headlines.

  14. Australian English. by thegarbz · · Score: 1

    For the American and British out there yes the 3:10 mark of the Googz video is actually how we speak. And if you don't know what a Maccas is http://logos.wikia.com/wiki/Fi...

    1. Re: Australian English. by Type44Q · · Score: 1

      And you casually call each other "cunt" aa a term of endearment.

    2. Re: Australian English. by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      And you casually call each other "cunt" aa a term of endearment.

      Yes, you have to really start to worry when someone calls you mate. Depending on the tone of voice he's either your BFF or about to end you via a good ol' fashioned glassing.

  15. The Chocolate Whopper is not a joke by slickwillie · · Score: 1

    is it?

  16. Corsair's take on cryptocurrency is better! by Misagon · · Score: 2

    Corsair on Youtube: Stop GPU abuse. #GPURESCUE

    --
    "We mustn't be caught by surprise by our own advancing technology" -- Aldous Huxley
    1. Re:Corsair's take on cryptocurrency is better! by OneAhead · · Score: 1

      I LOLed at this one. Good idea (pun potential etc...), great execution. Extra credit for the deadpan delivery.

  17. Don't forget Trump by quantaman · · Score: 1

    After months of wanting a DACA bill he's now on Twitter pretending he doesn't want DACA.

    What a kidder! Like we'd really believe he'd just switch positions like that!!

    --
    I stole this Sig
  18. So fake news site publish more fake news by Martin+S. · · Score: 1

    Yes very funny.

    1. Re:So fake news site publish more fake news by gbjbaanb · · Score: 1

      oh, good attempt there mate. Fake news site - the one with links and quotes and references to all the people in Westminster, you claim is fake news. Trouble is you have to do an April Fools joke before midday or it doesn't count, sorry.

  19. what happened at thinkgeek? by cellocgw · · Score: 1

    I dropped in there and didn't see any front page or "new" items of absurdity.

    Bummed. may not get out of bed until next April 1.

    --
    https://app.box.com/WitthoftResume Code: https://github.com/cellocgw
  20. My favorite by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

    My favorite is Slashdot, for not doing one.

    Reddit is quite amusing... all-caps.

    My anti-favorite is Minecraft, which is painful to look upon today. Guess I'll have to get some work done.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  21. That's why by war4peace · · Score: 1

    I am avoiding most news sites today. They're all full of shit, more than the usual.

    --
    ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
  22. The Chinese have the best one by edxwelch · · Score: 2

    The Chinese "Heavenly Palace" space station due to smash into the Earth within the next few hours. The ultimate April fools prank!

  23. Re: Easter by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 2

    Ah, but before you use a few examples to decry atheists, bear in mind that as a group we have no shared philosophy. I have nothing in common with Pol Pot despite agreeing that there is no god.

    Christian philosophy is that there is a God, that everyone should worship it and non-believers should be converted or punished either in life of an eternal hell.

    You should take your own advice. There are Christian groups that only agree on Jesus being the son of God. Nearly all other aspects of their systems are at odds with each other. I know Christians who do not believe in Hell, which actually the Pope apparently just said as well, according to Yahoo News.

    --
    If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
  24. Re:Trump kind of killed April Fools... by I'm+New+Around+Here · · Score: 2

    It's funny how your butt still hurts 18 months after Hillary was defeated by the most hated man in America.

    --
    If you think I voted for Trump because of this post, you're wrong. I voted for Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party. Again.
  25. Re:Easter by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 2

    It's fitting that April Fool's and Easter are on the same day. The resurrection has got to be the greatest April Fool's joke ever.

    Christianity being an anti-sex death cult is one big joke. And considering the harm that Christians have caused this country - especially the Evangelical kooks - it's a very cruel joke. All based upon a fairy tale.

    A lot of America's earliest settlers came from the British isles- Scandinavia and Europe. If Christianity hadn't existed and those people still believed in the Norse Gods and/or old Celtic Gods Americans might be having human sacrifices made even today- or at least throughout a lot of her history she would have. With that in mind, Christianity can't be too bad by comparison.

    / Agnostic... no horse in the race.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  26. Re: Easter by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

    Athiest have the high moral ground. You are absurd. Pol Pol and Stalin and Hitler breathed oxygen. Do you? Fuck you

    Hitler was a Christian not an Atheist. Stalin WAS atheist though.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  27. Re: Easter by will_die · · Score: 1

    While Hitler grew up in the catholic church from his own words we know he was against it and all Christian groups because it was not the right religion for the third reich.
    he did stay a member because he said it would allow him to control it being a member. You can see all of this in the Kirchenkampf.
    He rejected Christianity and God but did seem to believe in a supreme being so most historians consider him a deist with a non-Christian god.

  28. Best Easter April Fools Joke by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    a friend stocked her child's easter basket with an assortment of oddities, Jiff Muffin Mix, box of Carolina Instant Rice, box of Kleenex, can of hairspray, etc.

  29. april fools 1&2 by tina+juarez · · Score: 1

    OH. So we don't believe yesterday OR today's Slashdot and /or news? It almost has ceased to work as a prank since all "news" seems to be bogus these days.

  30. onmilwaukee -Good Stuff on Instagram by acw528 · · Score: 1

    Not sure if these are funny everywhere or just in Milwaukee? https://www.instagram.com/onmi...

  31. It's Easter! April Fool ! by iq145 · · Score: 1

    i have a flawless record thus far... i've never failed to trick at least one person :-)

  32. Re: Easter by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

    While Hitler grew up in the catholic church from his own words we know he was against it and all Christian groups because it was not the right religion for the third reich.

    he did stay a member because he said it would allow him to control it being a member. You can see all of this in the Kirchenkampf.

    He rejected Christianity and God but did seem to believe in a supreme being so most historians consider him a deist with a non-Christian god.

    Hitler's objection to the church was not religious, it was about power. He wanted the church to be subservient to the state. He wasn't a religious man in his later years, but his own writings show he was certainly very religious in his early years. He certainly didn't "reject God", he would credit God when he won certain victories, or when he survived assassination. He was no priest, but he certainly wasn't an atheist.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch