When I opened Google this morning there was a link to G-mail Motion, a new offering Google. There are lots of funny send-ups of new App-technology, but this surely-they’re-kidding announcement reduces the distance from press release to parody. I don’t think they’re kidding. However, the only clue that this is serious is that they chose a Steve Buscemi look-alike and not Steve himself to demonstrate the body language required to send your e-mail . . . . . Wait a second! What day is it again? I have to admit that this is pretty good. Better than the three-dollar coin the CBC came up with last year. They had me going for a second. Both of the expert videos (here and here) are pretty good too. Good for Google.
Update (2 April 2011): The Times has a few other April 1 self-parody offerings. The Whole Foods (the only chain you’ll find in Portlandia) effort is pretty good. Interestingly, after I posted this item of Gmail Motion, I checked out what my Facebunk friends had on offer, thinking that there would be something good. I quickly discovered a link to an absurdly and improbably beautiful monastery off the coast of Ireland, Skellig Michael, which the Facebook friends of my friend were cooing over. I reminded the cooers of the date. I had to apologize later, after I learned that the place actually exists. However, it would appear that my global Facebook status has been reduced to below zero by Facebook Central. So sad.
Further Update 4 April 2011: Apparently a computer lab at USC already has already created a sensor-based software system that makes implementing Gmail Motion almost a snap.
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