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Google’s Pokemon Challenge would have been awesome on Google Glass

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April Fools is often a very difficult day to spend on the internet. But I usually don’t mind Google’s tricks and web treats, and this year is no exception. Check out their Pokemon Challenge, an update to Google Maps that dares you to catch all 150 Pokemon that have been scattered throughout the world map. I’ve tried playing it for a while, and so far I have caught 22 of the 150 Pokemon, all in the Tokyo area. If you’d like to check it out, make sure you have the newest version of Google Maps on your mobile, hit the search bar, and press start. As I mentioned before in my hypothetical Nintendo product post, something like this would be way better if it were on Google Glass!

pokemon-challenge

April Fools is often a very difficult day to spend on the internet. But I usually don’t mind Google’s tricks and web treats, and this year is no exception. Check out their Pokemon Challenge, an update to Google Maps that dares you to catch all 150 Pokemon that have been scattered throughout the world map.

I’ve tried playing it for a while, and so far I have caught 22 of the 150 Pokemon, all in the Tokyo area. If you’d like to check it out, make sure you have the newest version of Google Maps on your mobile, hit the search bar, and press start.

As I mentioned before in my hypothetical Nintendo product post, something like this would be way better if it were on Google Glass!

7 crazy apps from Japan that should be April Fools’ jokes, but aren’t

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Earlier we told you about seven April Fools pranks from around the Japanese web today. And in keeping with the theme of this very tedious day, here are seven made-in-Japan mobile applications that we sort of wish were April Fools’ Day jokes. But incredibly, these are all real. 1. Face Pants Camera There something of a running joke in some circles in Japan called ‘kaopan,’ where folks sport ladies panties over their faces. One software developer has recently taken things a step further by creating an Android app called Kao Pants Camera, an AR application that superimposes a pair of panties over your head, just in case you don’t have any handy. (ht VS Media) 2. Kenstagram: Photobombing centaur Another bizarre photo application is the ever-so-strange Kenstagram, which has a variety of filters like many photo apps. But when you take your picture, a pesky centaur pops into the frame, photobombing your pic. It’s truly one of the weirder apps I’ve come across, but is strangely fun at the same time. Check it out over on iTunes. 3. Battle Cats, and its odd sense of humor This very weird (but awesome) game has a strange sense of humor when describing…

Earlier we told you about seven April Fools pranks from around the Japanese web today. And in keeping with the theme of this very tedious day, here are seven made-in-Japan mobile applications that we sort of wish were April Fools’ Day jokes. But incredibly, these are all real.

1. Face Pants Camera

There something of a running joke in some circles in Japan called ‘kaopan,’ where folks sport ladies panties over their faces. One software developer has recently taken things a step further by creating an Android app called Kao Pants Camera, an AR application that superimposes a pair of panties over your head, just in case you don’t have any handy. (ht VS Media)

kaopan

2. Kenstagram: Photobombing centaur

Another bizarre photo application is the ever-so-strange Kenstagram, which has a variety of filters like many photo apps. But when you take your picture, a pesky centaur pops into the frame, photobombing your pic. It’s truly one of the weirder apps I’ve come across, but is strangely fun at the same time. Check it out over on iTunes.

kenstagram

3. Battle Cats, and its odd sense of humor

This very weird (but awesome) game has a strange sense of humor when describing the characters in the game. Among the more notable foe descriptions (and I’m quoting directly here):

  • “Hippo: This dangerous Bi-sexual hippo has confidence in stamina and power. She has multi-attack skill.”
  • “Croco: He was saved by Dundee. Took many licenses by correspondence education.”
  • “Elephant: His idol girl is chubby with big tits. Loves collecting porn magazines”

The game’s odd approach appears to have won it quite a few fans too. More than 4 million, in fact.

battle-cats-4-million

4. Alpaca-bashing game ‘Alpaca nii-san’

Much like the afore-mentioned Battle Cats, this game has its cute moments until the ridiculousness overwhelms you. It starts out as a peaceful field full of alpacas, until one goes rogue and starts bashing his brothers in the hopes of absorbing them and evolving into, well, something more. We’re just not sure what that ‘something’ is. Check it out for yourself over on iTunes or on Google Play.

brother-alpaca

5. ‘Everyday ear-picking’ mobile game

Yes, its a game based on cleaning your ears. Or rather, based on cleaning someone else’s ears. These kinds of ear picks are often used here in Asia, and the service is often offered in some spas. But to base a mobile game around ear picking? We wish it was a joke, but sadly its not! Get it for iOS or Android if you dare.

ear-picking-game

6. Porn star calculator

I don’t use calculator apps very often, but this is one that I had to test out. For science, as they say. Mihiro Calculator works just like any other calculator app, except that when you press the buttons, Mihiro (who is a porn acrtess, by the way — did I not mention that?) speaks each button press in a variety of voices. Some of them sexier are than others, so proceed with care if you try it out yourself. Get it on iTunes here.

mihiro-calculator

7. And a bouncing prime minister

This is a weird app from the folks over at Riko Design, starring the current Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe jumping on a trampoline in front of the National Diet Building. Your challenge is to time the jumps just right to propel him higher into the stratosphere. Like many of the games above, it doesn’t really make sense, but it’s sort of fun anyway! Get it on the App Store if you’d like to try it for yourself.

abe-jump

7 April Fools’ Day internet pranks from Japan

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April Fools’ Day traditionally doesn’t mean much in Japan. But it seems as though a number of companies have jumped on the bandwagon this year, publishing some interesting online pranks. We’re not fans of screwing with our readers, so you won’t get any fake articles from us. But we do still have a sense of humor, so here’s a quick summary of some of the more notable ones from around the Japanese interwebs today. But be warned, some of them are better than others! 1. Au’s zzzPhoneBed ¶ Au’s April Fools effort is simultaneously the best and the worst joke of the day in Japan. The premise is that since we use our mobile phones in bed so much, that the company just decided to produce a bed-sized smartphone. It lets you exercise by running on top of it like a treadmill as it scrolls, and you can even buy sheet covers for it if you like. It’s called the zzzPhoneBed, and no, it doesn’t actually exist. Regrettably, the promo video for the zzzPhoneBed does exist. Remember that awful Domino’s x Hatsune Miku promo video? Yeah, well this is worse. I realize it’s for a Japanese audience, but man, it’s…

April Fools’ Day traditionally doesn’t mean much in Japan. But it seems as though a number of companies have jumped on the bandwagon this year, publishing some interesting online pranks. We’re not fans of screwing with our readers, so you won’t get any fake articles from us. But we do still have a sense of humor, so here’s a quick summary of some of the more notable ones from around the Japanese interwebs today. But be warned, some of them are better than others!

1. Au’s zzzPhoneBed

Au’s April Fools effort is simultaneously the best and the worst joke of the day in Japan. The premise is that since we use our mobile phones in bed so much, that the company just decided to produce a bed-sized smartphone. It lets you exercise by running on top of it like a treadmill as it scrolls, and you can even buy sheet covers for it if you like. It’s called the zzzPhoneBed, and no, it doesn’t actually exist.

Regrettably, the promo video for the zzzPhoneBed does exist. Remember that awful Domino’s x Hatsune Miku promo video? Yeah, well this is worse. I realize it’s for a Japanese audience, but man, it’s painful to watch. Truly cringe-worthy.

2. Domino’s Pizza in a can

Speaking of Domino’s Japan, the company has a new April Fools page set up today to promote its special ‘Pizza in a can’. Priced at just 401 yen (i.e. 04/01). This is actually a smartly executed April Fools joke, because when you try to buy it, Domino’s apologizes and gives you a 20% off coupon! (h/t ascii.jp)

pizza

3. Google ‘Patapata’ text input system

It’s becoming something of an April Fools tradition for Google Japan to roll out a new text input method. this year is no exception, with its ‘Patapata’ version of its Japanese input editor. Essentially, it’s scrolls characters rapidly in front of you, and you’re to push a button when you see the one you wish to type. Fun, hey? You can see Google’s official explanation in the promo video below. And for anyone who wants to try it out, there is a functioning web version online that you can try!

4. Japanese movie site transforms into ‘Forcebook’

Here’s a fun page from Japan’s movie-focused website eiga.com. Today it has a fun landing page presenting users with a Star Wars style scrolling text intro, explaining how the internet has affected even Jedi Knights:

Not so long ago, in a galaxy far away.

Episode X. Forcebook.

As information technology swept across the galaxy, even Jedi Knights began to familiarize themselves with the internet. But it has caused social isolation and depression among the Jedi Knights, sending them one after another to the dark side of the internet.

Master Yoda takes the matter seriously when Luke Skywalker is forced to shut down his blog after a nasty smear campaign. To improve the Jedi Knights’ communication skills Master Yoda hires IT consultants from Coruscant and sets up a new social networking service called Forcebook.

Clicking anywhere on the page, however, presents you with an apologetic message saying: ‘Sorry, today is April Fools. May the force be with you!”.

eiga_com

5. Dwango’s i to Tunes

Japanese internet company Dwango has a fun April Fools product called ‘i to Tunes’, which claims to be a music streaming service that involves the use of tin cans and yarn (I’m pretty familiar with this technology from back in kindergarden, actually). Signing up for the supposed application brings you to a page that says i to Tunes is undergoing maintenance, with a footnote explaining that today is also April Fools.

dwango

6. Ameba Pigg overrun with pigs

If you’re a member of the Amebe Pigg virtual world, you’ll notice when you sign in today that avatars have been changed into actual pig faces. Chiho Komoriya has some fun screenshots over on VS Media, if you’d like to learn more about this April Fools overhaul.

ameba

7. Cross-dressing clock

Readers might be familiar with a fun web service called ‘Bijin Tokei’ or ‘beautiful girl clock’, which uses pretty models holding up signs showing you what time it is. Today there’s a weird parody of Bijin Tokei from the folks over at web production company core-tech.jp. It’s called Cross-dressing clock, and similarly, it features women holding up signs to show the time. The only thing is, these women are not actually women at all.

clock

If you’d like to browse even more fun April Fools jokes from Japan, check out CNet Japan’s extensive round-up, or search for #4fooljp on Twitter.