April Fool's jokes round-up

April 1, that's a date I tend to dread. All the not funny jokes and pranks coming my way, and pressure of having to come up with something myself? Grumpy old man, you may say (and okay, you might be right). But a few of this year's efforts did put a smile on my face.

Google leads the way with different divisions from various countries coming up with some crazy ideas. PacMan mode in Google Maps has been around for a few years now on April Fool's and in 2017 we have Google Assistant telling dad jokes upon your request.

Haptic Helpers are here to here to bring you to your senses. Or, rather, to complete the VR/AR experience that's all about sight and sound, but is severely lacking in taste, touch, and smell immersion (could it be for the better?).

Google Japan has been inventing half-serious (or a quarter, maybe?) input methods for this day for a few years now and the latest one involves bubble wrap, taking the punched tape of old to the next level.

Make sure you watch the old ones too: the party blower from 2015, and the Flick keyboard from 2016.

Meanwhile, Google Netherlands has found a way to bring sun to the country that otherwise gets 145 days of rain in a year.

And then, there's Google Gnome, Google Home's sidekick for the back yard. Do bear in mind that the dog might render the Gnome inoperable.

Pets and smart home assistants - Amazon's got another take. Meet Petlexa.

I also cracked a smile at T-Mobile's OneSie, and after a long work week, I could use a can of OnePlus' Dash. Of course, shared with a BFF, the Honor BFF.

Happy April Fool's Day, everyone!