Overview
April Fools Day. It's been a week now and still there are stories circulating the internet which are, in actual fact, hoaxes and jokeses. Have the amazing leaps forward in technology of late turned us all into gullible fools? Personally, I think it's nice there are so many people out there who still believe that almost anything is possible. Here's
Concrete Playground's top 3 picks of "technological innovation" suspiciously released on April 1:
Oh, but the author in me wishes this was true! It's a typewriting mechanism that integrates with Apple's iPad and it's ever so trendy. Perfect for those who live for the clacking of keys when composing prose. But it's easy to see through it all when you read the fine print of the press release: "Every generation creates a few items that change the way we live forever and help us reinterpret who we are as a society. We are proud of the new Spinning Hat Typescreen™ and are excited to watch its trajectory towards greatness. You're welcome world!"
Digital Film Cartridge for Analog Cameras
If you're a lover of Leica but craving to go digital, these fake film canisters released by design company Rogge & Pott could be the solution. Purporting to incorporate a pull-out sensor that records images in the cartridge's built-in memory, it connects to your computer via USB to allow for image transfer and charging. The site where you'll find all the details now features an April Fools disclaimer. Turns out heaps of peeps believed the gimmick and are now disappointed that the product doesn't actually exist. The company did discover, however, that with such a widespread interest in the product it might be worth researching the possibility of actually developing it. Henny Rogge says "...there is a gigantic community of photographers with analog equipment out there that is desperately waiting for a product like this to come along."
Try to keep a straight face when watching the model demonstrate gmailing by body movements. In Gmail Motion, the equivalent of pressing "Send" is to make a movement inspired by licking a stamp and whacking it on your knee. It claims easy to learn, simple and intuitive gestures. Plus the opinions of seemingly knowledgeable persons are added into the video for good measure. Amazingly, though, development of technology similar to Gmail Motion is underway at the University of Southern California. Using some of the gestures suggested by Gmail Motion, one of the students demonstrates how it works.
In my mind, April Fools Day isn't just for a bit of a laugh. Like science fiction, it inspires inventors to get cracking on the next big thing, which could very well "reinterpret who we are as a society."