The Tab’s Guide to April Fool’s

I spent my childhood years placidly dressing in my school uniform only to realise it was a Saturday or staring dumbfounded at an empty upturned egg shell in my Forever Friends eggcup, while my mum sniggered in the corner. That is what April Fool’s Day is really about: people in positions of trust gleefully tricking those stupid enough to fall for the joke.

Here’s the best of 2010:

Google

Google, in one of a number of pranks, launched “Google wave”, a new notification service which would send someone to wave at you whenever you received an email. The notifier ranged from the bespectacled Captain Wave, to Ashton Kutcher to a small white puppy. They even produced a launch video for it.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8TkIJmLWFM&feature=player_embedded

For everyone who had ever wondered what their cat was saying while he eyed up his dinner, or anyone who simply wondered what their dog’s opinion on their new slippers was, Google also launched a new translate service for animals.

Walkit

This website announced news that Transport For London was planning to pedestrianise the Waterloo and City tube lines between Waterloo and Bank stations. The tunnel would be “finished in high quality materials with bright high-efficiency LED lighting, and stretches of video walls depicting inspiring scenes of nature from around the world” .

Watch as they speak to bemused passers-by to find out what they think. Particuarly great is the businessman who considers the idea for a while, but concludes “It would be a bit silly”.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dfguPJjqlo&feature=player_embedded

BMW

They went for a politically themed joke, publishing adverts which claimed you could change the colour of your car badge according to your political allegiance. They even catered for the floating voter as “The badges can be changed in seconds” whenever you change your mind.

The Telegraph

The newspaper went for the failsafe idea that ferrets are funny, publishing a report saying ferrets were being enlisted by Virgin Media to help lay cables for broadband. They were chosen for “their strong nesting instinct, their long, lean build and inquisitive nature” and of course “for their ability to get down holes.”

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How to fool your friends this year

The classic prank

Swipe your friend’s laptop and enter in a few pesky autocorrects. Try switching the name of their essay topic for Tame Goldfish/ Bolivian Chairs or anything else for that matter. Laugh as these terms crop up in their dissertation.

One for the family

Carefully extract all the apples from your fruit bowl and carve little screaming apple faces into them all. Replace with care and with the faces hidden, then remind your family of the importance of 5 a day.

Facebook

The holidays make frape difficult, so you have to be one step ahead. Late on the 31st, change your name on to that of one of your friend’s, alter your profile picture to match, school and date of birth. Come 10 a.m start wreaking havoc on “their” profile.

The ambitious

Take one box of Ferrero Rocher and eat them all, very carefully. Dip brussel sprouts in chocolate then wrap and replace. Invite your friends round for some Friday fun.

The confidence trick

Wait for your friend to walk past, then smile smugly and say “Haha, gotcha! April Fool!” Then watch with amusement as they furiously try to work out what the trick was.

The plain weird

Walk around all day smiling brightly at strangers and waving. They will be convinced they know you and smile warily back.