Google, as usual, has plenty of April Fools’ pranks today. One that Google revealed on the Google Australia blog promises to let you renovate your house on Street View with “Google SCHMICK” .
“Now you can give your house a lick of fresh paint for free on Street View with Google SCHMICK (Simple Complete House Makeover Internet Conversion Kit),” writes Google Apps manager Andrew Mitchell. “Forgot to mow the nature strip? Deck it out with some fresh buffalo grass. Front steps falling down? Swap them out for doric columns and a pergola. Graffiti on the front fence? Cover it with so many palm trees people will think they’re on the Vegas strip.”
“Feeling patriotic? Why not fly the Australian flag, leave some lamingtons out for Skippy or permanently switch on ‘Night View’ to place the Southern Cross directly above your inner city terrace. Perhaps, you’ll choose to add in a sheep or two and a kangaroo like Uncle Burke, throw in a miniature replica of Coffs Harbour’s Big Banana, or ‘go international’ and throw the Big Ben on top of that new second story you’ve just added to your house,” writes Mitchell.
This one actually is an April Fools’ prank. Google has gone to greater lengths with some of its April Fools’ offerings. You can actually use Google Nose (to some extent), for example. They made a game out of Google Maps Treasure Mode. The SCHMICK landing page, however, is just a message letting you know what day it is.