How you know smart home technology has hit the mainstream: it was spoofed extensively on April Fool’s Day. Here are some of the best jokes that were centered around home automation, smart homes, and how we use technology.
Google, used a clever play on their Internet browser name, Chrome, to spoof their own smart home assistant, Google Home. The topic of the punny joke was Google Gnome, a sassy outdoor home assistant, aimed at filling the void of the “smart yard,” that won’t take “indoor requests” like adding items to your shopping list.
Petco
No poop bag? No problem, according to Petco’s April Fool’s Day joke. This joke tackles the important issue of how to avoid being judged by your neighbors when you run out of bags to clean up after your dog. For added effect, Petco even used the poop emoticon. Clean up is a breeze – just use the app to order a pooper scooper drone. Don’t worry, there is even a powerhouse version for big dogs.
Amazon Echo
Amazon spoofed itself better than anyone else could have, by introducing the Amazon Echo with “Petlexa.” Built to answer the needs of hamsters, cats, and dogs, Petlexa speaks many languages and can report on things like number of steps taken in the hamster wheel, order things like sushi platters from Amazon Restaurants for your cat, and launch an automatic ball thrower for your dog.
Google Play
Sticking with the pets theme, Google Play announced a line of pet apps, designed to keep your pets stimulated. Mostly, this joke played on the guilt that people feel when they leave their pets for work or for vacation, this new line offers games and training tools so that your precious pet doesn’t have to watch animal planet all day.
Google VR
Google VR ONLY offers visual and audio right now, and this just isn’t good enough. There are THREE other senses, you guys. Don’t worry, Google has a solution. Their “well-trained humans” can act as haptic helpers so that you can be fully immersed in your VR. Good news: early user testing feedback has been incredible!
HallMark-E
Hallmark’s hilarious take on smart home assistants is one of my favorites this year. The company spoofs the smart home assistant with an “emotional assistant” that is there for you when you don’t know what to say…or for when you need to be stopped from saying what you want. Forgot a birthday? Don’t worry, your HallMark-E already sent a card.
KFC
With one sleek, futurist video, KFC (Canada) took chicken to a whole new level. The April Fool’s joke teased a brand new ordering experience: a smart bucket. Voice-activated delivery and dining assistant in one.
Quilted Northern
Poop was a popular topic for the April Fool’s holiday. Quilted Northern got in on the action, releasing a smart device called uSit that helps you log your logs. As if poop wasn’t fun enough, this device is of course built with a gaming option that allows you to defend your throne. Battle excepted.
