LyteByte

Google has the habit of playing pranks on April 1st of every year. Here is the complete collection of all pranks Google has come up with till now.

In 2000, Google MentalPlex.
In 2001, Google didn’t think that they would keep playing prank as their tradition.
In 2002, Google PigeonRank.
In 2003, Google was occupied with other works and they didn’t get any time to play pranks.
In 2004, Google lunar Jobs.
In 2005, Google Gulp.
In 2006, Google Romance.
In 2007, Google TiSP and Gmail Paper.

Here is the detailed explanation on each of these pranks:

Google MentalPlex

This is one of the oldest Google’s prank and it’s from the year 2000. Google claimed that by looking and visually clicking at the MentalPlex circle while you having a mental image of what you want, it will give the search results of what you have thought. This page was even supported by a ridiculously funny FAQ and Illustration Page.

MentalPlex returned these error messages then after sometime of staring into the MentalPlex and now the search box links to the normal search.
* Error 01: Brainwaves received in analog. Please re-think in digital.
* Error 005: Searching on this topic is prohibited under international law.
* Error 008: Interference detected. Remove aluminum foil and remote control devices.
* Error 8P: Unclear on whether your search is about money or monkeys. Please try again.
* Error 666: Multiple transmitters detected. Silence voices in your head and try again.
* Error: MentalPlex(tm) has determined that this is not your final answer. Please try again.

Google PigeonRank

In 2002, Google revealed their secrets to the speed and accuracy of their search model. It’s with the help of pigeons and it’s patented in the name of PigeonRank. The search results are based on the PigeonRank and not PageRank.

This is the Google’s explanation to how PigeonRank is assigned.

PigeonRank’s success relies primarily on the superior trainability of the domestic pigeon (Columba livia) and its unique capacity to recognize objects regardless of spatial orientation. The common gray pigeon can easily distinguish among items displaying only the minutest differences, an ability that enables it to select relevant web sites from among thousands of similar pages.
By collecting flocks of pigeons in dense clusters, Google is able to process search queries at speeds superior to traditional search engines, which typically rely on birds of prey, brooding hens or slow-moving waterfowl to do their relevance rankings.
When a search query is submitted to Google, it is routed to a data coop where monitors flash result pages at blazing speeds. When a relevant result is observed by one of the pigeons in the cluster, it strikes a rubber-coated steel bar with its beak, which assigns the page a PigeonRank value of one. For each peck, the PigeonRank increases. Those pages receiving the most pecks, are returned at the top of the user’s results page with the other results displayed in pecking order.

Google lunar Jobs

Google in 2004, started interviewing candidates for engineering posts at lunar hosting and research center. The operation was called as Google Copernicus Hosting Environment and Experiment in Search Engineering (G.C.H.E.E.S.E.). It is a fully integrated research, development and technology facility at which Google will be conducting experiments in entropized information filtering, high-density high-delivery hosting (HiDeHiDeHo) and de-oxygenated cubicle dwelling. This center will provide a unique platform from which Google will leapfrog current terrestrial-based technologies and bring information access to new heights of utility.

The Googlunaplex will house 35 engineers, 27,000 low cost web servers, 2 massage therapists and a sushi chef formerly employed by the pop group Hanson.

The email address to apply for the post was lunarjobs@google.com and whoever has sent an application form received an auto reply with the following details

“Thank you for contacting Google about our Copernicus Research Center.

We’ve received an overwhelming response to this opportunity and are not currently accepting additional resumes. We will, however, keep your information on file should we have an opening in the future. At the current staffing levels, we anticipate that we may need additional applicants on or around April Fool’s Day in 2104. Until then, we appreciate your interest in Google and your taking the time to write us.

Sincerely,

The Googlunar Recruiting Team”

Google Gulp

Google Gulp was released in 2005, which was designed to maximize ones surfing efficiency by making them more intelligent and less thirsty by their collection of smart drinks.
This drink comes in four flavours Glutamate Grape, Sugar-Free Radical, Beta Carroty and Sero-Tonic Water

This is how it works,

Think a DNA scanner embedded in the lip of your bottle reading all 3 gigabytes of your base pair genetic data in a fraction of a second, fine-tuning your individual hormonal cocktail in real time using our patented Auto-Drinkâ„¢ technology, and slamming a truckload of electrolytic neurotransmitter smart-drug stimulants past the blood-brain barrier to achieve maximum optimization of your soon-to-be-grateful cerebral cortex. Plus, it’s low in carbs! And with flavors ranging from Beta Carroty to Glutamate Grape, you’ll never run out of ways to quench your thirst for knowledge.

Google Romance

In 2006, Google came with another prank called Google Romance. It said that love is just another search problem and gave Google Romance as the solution.

Google Romance is a place where you can post all types of romantic information and, using our Soulmate Searchâ„¢, get back search results that could, in theory, include the love of your life. Then we’ll send you both on a Contextual DateTM, which we’ll pay for while delivering to you relevant ads that we and our advertising partners think will help produce the dating results you’re looking for.

Google TiSP and Gmail Paper in 2007

This year in 2007, Google came up with two pranks, Google TiSP and Gmail paper.

Google TiSP (BETA) is a fully functional, end-to-end system that provides in-home wireless access by connecting your commode-based TiSP wireless router to one of thousands of TiSP Access Nodes via fiber-optic cable strung through your local municipal sewage lines.

Gmail Paper is that every email you get is printed and delivered to you by the ordinary mail. The facility is free and the cost of postage is offset with the help of relevant, targeted, unobtrusive advertisements, which will appear on the back of your Gmail Paper prints.

Google’s prank that was actually true:

Google apart from playing prank on April 1st, they also release their products. One of their biggest products, Gmail went live on April 1st, 2005. This has actually made Google Romance as one of their biggest prank as many fell for the game.

You might also like to check out this Google Home Page paradox in the form of April Fool!