Roku releases the perfect remote for your pets; Microsoft bans April Fools Day pranks; and we take a look back at some of Google’s best April Fool’s jokes.
 |
 |
 |
It’s all the tech news that’s popular right now. Welcome to Hashtag Trending. It’s Monday, April 1st, and I’m your host, Buckley Smith.
Have you ever wondered how hard it must be for your pet to binge watch Paw Patrol while you are gone for the day? Wonder no more! Streaming device manufacturer, Roku, has released the brand new Press Paws Remote. And that is spelled P-A-W-S. This innovative device features controls designed specifically for your furry friend’s hands, bark assisted controls, and a built-in subwoofer. Get it? SubWOOFer!
Just kidding! Of course it is April Fools Day and you should be ready to see plenty of pranks like this coming from tech companies across the world today.
But one company you will not see any April Fools jokes from is Microsoft. In an internal memo, Microsoft has instructed its employees to not participate in any public pranks. Microsoft’s chief marketing officer Chris Capossela, said that “data tells us these stunts have limited positive impact and can actually result in unwanted news cycles.” What a party pooper.
So while Microsoft may be bowing out of the show, Google has long been notorious for its clever and hilarious April Fools jokes. Some of the highlights in the past include such knee-slappers as turning Google Maps into a big game of Where’s Waldo, announcing the release of a Google Cloud API for hummus, and the fake release of a bad joke detector add on to their Files Go app.
And there are sure to be many more hijinx like that this year. So keep your eyes open and your funny bone intact, it is sure to be a fun day!
That’s all the tech news that’s trending right now. Hashtag Trending is a part of the ITWC Podcast network. Add us to your Alexa Flash Briefing or your Google Home daily briefing. I’m Buckley Smith, thanks for listening.