April Fools’ Day is the perfect excuse for brands to let their hair down, and let the crazy flow. This year was no different with the Internet awash with some of the coolest and wackiest ideas for improving our everyday lives. But some of them were genuinely useful, and here are five that we wished were more than just fantasy.
1. Honda HR-V SLF
Here at Gemalto, we’re really excited about connected cars and were psyched to learn that Honda had tapped into our other true love, selfies. The Honda HR-V SLF has 10 cameras across both the interior and exterior, which means that you are guaranteed to capture your best side. You’ll probably also be very thankful for the many other sensors and SIM connectivity keeping you safe on the road as you strike a pose.
2. Tesla S Ticket-Avoidance Mode
Staying with connected cars, Tesla’s April Fools’ prank is definitely something everyone wished were real. Tesla said they would put out an over-the-air upgrade that would allow their Model S cars to engage Ticket Avoidance Mode. If the car senses you are about to receive a parking ticket, it initially deploys counter measures. Then, if the attempt to ticket you persists, the car simply circles the block until you came back. This genius idea is almost worth starting an online petition to make happen.
3. PlayStation Flow
Ever since Super Mario’s underwater levels made Flappy Bird seem like a walk in the park, game developers have revelled in challenging players to overcome tricky swimming sections. This year, Sony launched PlayStation Flow, calling it a “watershed moment in wearable tech”. Players simply put on sensors that connect to their legs and arms, alongside a set of goggles that display the game. Then, when you reach the underwater section, players simply pause, pop down to the pool, and dive in to continue playing.
We’re big fans of wearable tech here at Gemalto, and are excited about how it opens up new ways to pay, connect and keep up with modern life. We wished this Sony idea were here to stay as it takes wearables to a whole new level of interactivity.
4. London Eye Zero-Gravity Pods
While seeing panoramas of London is pretty cool, floating around in zero-gravity pods would have been amazing. The venue tweeted it was launching the new service on April Fools’ day, leaving many wishing it were true. Until someone cracks the gravity formula (perhaps using Interstellar as jump-off?), we’re going to be left dreaming that we were astronauts, or on a zero g plane ride.
5. CERN confirms the existence of The Force
Lastly, something to make all sci-fi fans smile. What’s been discovered already at the CERN laboratory has been fascinating, but this year, they announced what generations of Star Wars fans knew all along, The Force is real.
“CERN announced today the first unequivocal evidence for The Force. “Very impressive, this result is,” said a diminutive green spokesperson for the laboratory.”
While we thought the news couldn’t get any better, CERN went onto add that dozens of R2 units would be needed to further the research. If only this were true!
So another year, another brilliant set of April Fools’ that brightened up the Internet. If you spotted one you think deserves to be made real, let us know, and perhaps we can build it with the help of one of our Cinterion concept boards! Though sadly, enabling midi-chlorians is currently beyond the specifications of our technology.