google

Pokémon GO's taken the planet by storm. Lives have been made, ruined, and everything in between by this kickass augmented reality game. We're talking staged robberies like this:



And relationship-ruining NSFW-ish 'gotta catch 'em all' moments like this:



Looks like Google could've predicted much of the madness that's ensued thus far...

Google has cancelled their April Fools day prank after it backfired. It turns out that if you install a "mic drop" button which mutes the email conversation and sends a GIF on an email platform that 900 million people use for personal AND PROFESSIONAL reasons, not all of them will like it.


via Gmail

First of all, they automatically sent a 'Minions' GIF, and some people said it sent the GIF even when they pressed the normal send button.  To make matters worse, a number of people who accidentally pressed the "mic drop" button were angry and some even said they lost their job or a job opportunity.  

Google updated the prank announcement with this statement:

UPDATE: Well, it looks like we pranked ourselves this year. 😟 Due to a bug, the Mic Drop feature inadvertently caused more headaches than laughs. We’re truly sorry. The feature has been turned off. If you are still seeing it, please reload your Gmail page.

I hope you didn't need to get anything done for the rest of the day, because you're about to be too busy fighting Stormtroopers.

Lightsaber Escape is a new game/experience built by Google that turns your smartphone, in combination with Chrome on your computer, into a lightsaber. Once you pair and calibrate your device, you're off on a quest to escape a Star Destroyer filled with Stormtroopers. They're surprisingly good shots.




Can you make it out in one piece?

Google wants to know—Light Side or Dark Side?

The company announced a new Star Wars-themed site today that will change your Google experience across platforms depending on if you choose light or dark side.

Your choice will change the look of everything from YouTube to Gmail and Google Maps.

Clay Bavor, VP of Product Management at Google explains the activation on the Google Official Blog:

It's a place for fans, by fans, and starting today you can choose the light or the dark side, and then watch your favorite Google apps like Gmail, Google Maps, YouTube, Chrome and many more transform to reflect your path. And that's just the beginning. We've got more coming between now and opening night—the Millennium Falcon in all its (virtual reality) glory included, so stay tuned. And we've hidden a few easter eggs, too. So awaken the Force within, and be on the lookout for things from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…

So, what will it be?

The Dark Side or the Light?

(In case you missed the original)