Google is well-known for its April Fool’s Day jokes, and as the number of Google products has expanded so has the number of hoaxes and the complexity of each one. Google Chrome saw two hoaxes, each riffing on the idea of making Chrome faster. The first, the Chrome Lite extension, introduced an even faster version of the Chrome browser – stripping away such unnecessary extras as color, images, videos, and fonts. The second, Chromercise, helps users enhance their ability to search.
Chomercise is a form of aerobics for your fingers that allows you to type more quickly (Google reminds us that the average type speed of 33 words per minute is just 15% of the current world record), thus keeping up with Chrome’s immense agility. Google did more than create a blog entry and an exercise video, however. They also created a full product page that included official reviews, social sharing features, physical products (yes, users could actually purchase finger sweatbands), and other promotional materials.
The exercise video itself is highly reminiscent of a Richard Simmons tape, with screaming emotional support and 80s colors and music. Apparently the video is effective, though, because they were recognized – we’re told on the Chromercisesite – by DIGITS magazine, who said that the program was “more than a daily workout – it’s a wrist-to-tip lifestyle transformation.
While many of the other Google spoofs did little but joke around with Google’s reputation, the Chrome “enhancements” emphasize a key marketing point: As the fastest browser on the web, with a recent speed boost of 66% for Javascript actions, there’s little that can be done to make Chrome faster. Not only is the browser about as minimalist as it can be, but users can no longer keep up with the immense speed of the technology itself. The full Chromercise site has been left on the web at Chromercise.com. Unfortunately, users can no longer order the “Chomercise finger sweatbands.”
[via the Chrome Blog]
