Google April Fools Day Pranks 2010

Google Topeka Homepage

Google pranks or also known as Google hoaxes have been an annual tradition for the Internet giant since 2000. Every year, on April Fool’s Day, Google comes up with a “new”, “unique” or “revolutionary” product or service. Some of these hoaxes are silly and some of them are really clever that many users get fooled by it and think that the certain product or service was for real like the Gmail Paper hoax of 2007.

Here are some of the April Fool’s Day pranks created by Google for 2010.

1. Google Wave wave notifications

Google Wave wave notifications – With wave notifications for Google Wave, you’ll never miss another update in your inbox. Watch our demo video below, and help us test this new feature!

2. Google Translation for Animals

Translation for Animals – a new application that can help you communicate with your pet.

by Google UK

3. Google Voice Search for Animals

by Google Japan

4. Google changes name to Topeka

Google Topeka

Google name change – Early last month the mayor of Topeka, Kansas stunned the world by announcing that his city was changing its name to Google. We’ve been wondering ever since how best to honor that moving gesture. Today we are pleased to announce that as of 1AM (Central Daylight Time) April 1st, Google has officially changed our name to Topeka.

5. Google Voice Standard Voicemail Mode

Standard Voicemail Mode – Do you ever grow nostalgic for your old voicemail system and its long list of idiosyncracies? That’s where Standard Voicemail Mode comes in.

6. YouTube TEXTp Text Mode Video

TEXTp is the result of months of intense transcoding efforts by our engineers, who toiled for weeks to ensure that a large chunk of videos on the platform could be reduced to their most basic elements. By replacing the images in the video with a series of letters and numbers, the videos are far less taxing on our system — and have the added benefit of promoting literacy!

View a YouTube video on text mode

7. Google Docs Storage

Google Docs Storage

Store anything on Google Docs – The first 1000 people who qualify will get a metric ton of storage for free!

Other Google hoaxes for 2010 include:

  • Google Books available in Anachrome 3D
  • Google Street View available in Anachrome 3D
  • Google Maps OCCA
  • Search results generated in different units
  • Evil Bit
  • Google Annotations Gallery
  • Japanese Input System
  • Gmail vowels
  • Chrome Sounds (Google Chrome Extension)
  • Google Analytics Goes Back to Hits
  • Life size Picasa
  • Gibberish Chrome Extension IDs

The most popular prank would be the name change to Topeka simply because its on the Google homepage and millions of users have access to it. For me, the best pranks this year are the Google Wave wave notifications and the Google Translation for Animals app.

Anybody here fall for one of these Google hoaxes? Among these April Fool’s Day pranks, which one is your favorite?

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24 Comments

  1. @Tom – Yeah, I guess they did considering they had so many pranks/hoaxes this year. Hehe..that’s true, many people aren’t aware or forgot about that fact. Thanks for reminding us! :)

  2. They went all out this year! Don’t forget though, taht Gmail was launched on 1st April and everyone thought the 1GB storage was a joke…

  3. You forgot to include the prank they played on Google Reader, the “Google Reader Rewards system” or something to that tone, wherein they’d reward readers who would read a certain number of items via Google Reader with awesome prices.

  4. @American – It has its advantages and disadvantages but IMO, these pranks doesn’t harm Google in any way. Other users who don’t have a clue on what “Topeka” is or other previous pranks would just forget about it once they see the old Google logo back the next day.

    My friends from different countries have seen the Topeka logo on the homepage. Maybe your friend’s browser cache was not cleared that’s why he didn’t see the Topeka logo.

  5. I am not really a huge fan of April Fool’s, my mom asked me on April 1st, why it says “topeka” when she landed on Google see not everyone will “get it” which makes it kind of bad idea from a business perspective. Does more harm than good if you ask me. Also its interesting to note, that I asked a friend of mine who lives outside of the USA, if he saw “topeka” on the Google home page, and he did not. i guess Google Geo-Targets this.

  6. @ZXT – They got it from a town in Kansas called Topeka who for the month of March, changed the town’s name to Google in an effort to bring Google’s fiber experiment to their town. :)

  7. @Archon Digital – I also liked the Animal Translation prank. The storage prank was just so-so for me probably because it doesn’t have a video or maybe because I didn’t experience it first hand. :D

  8. @Aldon – That’s true. Most computer-savvy users weren’t tricked by it, but then there are more users who aren’t that savvy so I’m pretty sure there were more users got fooled than not. Thanks for the visit and for the comment. :)

  9. ALDON SAMAHAsays:

    I knew your Topeka name change was an April Fool’s prank right away. It just took me a minute to find proof by following your links.

    Of course, if one does’t click on the Topeka at the search screen, one might never find out.

    Good one!

  10. @Juicy – Really? Hehe..you got to give it to Toshiba because they went out of their way to create that cool April Fool’s prank. It was “kinda” convincing but you always have to be aware of these things especially during April 1st. :D

  11. JORGE CENTENOsays:

    HAHA! NICE PRANK,DUDES! FOR A MOMENT YOU GOT ME WITH THE TOPEKA THING! I FORGOT ABOUT APRIL FOOL’S…
    YOU OWE ME ONE! AND THANKS FOR THE LAUGHS…THESE DAYS WE NEED MILLIONS OF THEM!
    GREETINGS FROM EL SALVADOR,CENTRAL AMERICA.
    JORGE

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