Google Plays With Helvetica, Comic Sans For April Fools' 2011 Gag (PICTURES)

Google is getting funny with fonts in honor of April Fools' day.

The search engine has pulled out a slew of pranks, from launching Gmail Motion to posting notice of its need for an "autocompleter".

It's also playing fast and loose with fonts in a gag that's sure to please typography buffs: Google "Helvetica," and you'll see a page of search results that appear entirely in Comic Sans. Search for "Comic Sans," and the results are all in Comic Sans.

Note that Googling "Wingdings" or "Courier" doesn't produce the same results.

Check out screenshots of the prank below, then see more of Google's jokes here, along with the April Fools' gags from Hulu, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

LOOK:

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• The YouTube Collection

  <a href="http://www.youtube.com/theyoutubecollection" target="_hplink">With The YouTube Collection</a>, Google is offering "a whole new way to enjoy the videos you love." And by "whole new way," Google means having YouTube videos delivered on DVDs right to your door. And if that's not enough -- you'll also be able to get trending videos on laser disk as well as royalty-free audio on records. Ready to order hundreds of thousands of DVDs for home delivery? <a href="http://www.youtube.com/theyoutubecollection" target="_hplink">Click here</a>.

• Google Street Roo

  Google announced on April 1 its intention to gather images of 98% of the Australian outback using cameras mounted to the heads of Big Red kangaroos. <a href="http://google-au.blogspot.com.au/2012/04/google-street-roo-exploring-outback-one.html" target="_hplink">From the Google Australia Blog</a>: <blockquote>Over the next four weeks, more than a thousand Big Red kangaroos will be equipped with a 360-degree head camera that will automatically capture images when the marsupial is on the move during daylight hours.</blockquote>

• Google Racing

  Google announced on late on March 31 that <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2012/03/bringing-self-driving-cars-to-nascar.html" target="_hplink">it's formed a partnership with NASCAR</a> and will have self-driving race car "<a href="http://www.nascar.com/video/none/none/120331/cup-mar-google/" target="_hplink">entered in competition</a> by the middle of next season." This one doesn't seem too out-of-this-world, as Google has been working on self-driving vehicles for some time now. For more, <a href="http://www.google.com/racing/" target="_hplink">check out Google Racing</a> and then head over to NASCAR <a href="http://www.nascar.com/video/none/none/120331/cup-mar-google/" target="_hplink">to watch the video of the "announcement."</a>

• Chrome Multitask Mode

  Be twice as productive on the internet with <a href="https://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/multitask.html" target="_hplink">Chrome's new Multitask Mode</a>. "Welcome to the ambinavigation revolution," says Google.

• Gmail Tap

  Google <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/01/gmail-tap-google-april-fools-day_n_1394635.html" target="_hplink">is now offering Gmail Tap, a replacement</a> for those pesky full QWERTY keyboards on mobile devices. "Gmail tap replaces the default keybaord in the gmail app with on that only has two buttons," Reed Morse (<a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/reedmorse" target="_hplink">an actual Google employee?!</a>) who says in the video that Samuel B. Morse, the co-inventor of Morse Code, is his "great grandfather's, grandfather's brother." So instead of an alphabet, Gmail Tap users are given just two keys -- a dot and a dash -- and they can type every word in the alphabet using Morse Code. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/01/gmail-tap-google-april-fools-day_n_1394635.html" target="_hplink">Click here to read more</a> about Gmail Tap.

• Google Maps 8-Bit

  Google channels the 80s with <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/31/google-maps-quest-google-8-bit_n_1393739.html?ref=technology" target="_hplink">Google Maps Quest</a>, an 8-Bit version of Google Maps. Fans of Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest who miss the good 'ol days of NES gameplay will be excited to learn that Google will be offering cartridge versions of Google Maps Quest in the <a href="http://www.googlestore.com/" target="_hplink">Google Store</a>.

• Google Fiber

  Google announced in March 2011 that it had chosen Kansas City, Kansas, as <a href="http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/ultra-high-speed-broadband-is-coming-to.html" target="_hplink">the location of a new, super high-speed Fiber network</a> that will provide "Internet access more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have today." But the <a href="http://www.google.com/fiber/kansascity/index.html" target="_hplink">Google Fiber</a> of April 1, however, is not that kind of fiber. Instead, it's a "Fiberlicious" bar made from "just the right synthesis" of "psyllium and vitamins C and D." Says Google: "This smarter fiber delivers just what the body needs to sustain activity, energy and productivity up to 100 times more than you have experienced before." Ready for some Google Fiber? <a href="http://www.google.com/fiber/kansascity/index.html" target="_hplink">Click here to learn more</a>.

Comments

[Said One]

07:53 PM on 04/03/2011

HP's new fonts really annoy the heck out of me - might be giving up on HP if they continue with these annoying fonts - have to find another blog to explore

[Clay Blasdel]

01:17 PM on 04/03/2011

I wish that the Google mis-direct virus was just for laughs. And I wish that Google would be more helpful in helping people get rid of it. Staying mum will not eliminate thing. None of the anti-malware seems to work. C'mon Google, a little help here. This thing is effecting millions.

[alfresco 80]

03:01 PM on 04/02/2011

It seems like people went all out this year! In addition to Google and Hulu, I really enjoyed this one...

Bronx Zoo officials use tracking site to capture missing cobra. BronxZooCobraTracker.com

[David Sanger]

08:08 PM on 04/01/2011

Hopefully Google still has a sense of humor as they react to yet another copyright violation lawsuit, this time from a photographer whose image they used on their home page.

http://www.davidsanger.com/blog/photographer-sues-google-for-copyright-infringement

[james cambridge]

07:31 PM on 04/01/2011

This April Fools thing gets more and more out of control every year.

[Bob Chapman]

06:17 PM on 04/01/2011

I like that Hulu added the sound of a modem connecting when I opened a Highlander episode from the wayback version of their homepage.

[JustJoy7]

03:52 PM on 04/01/2011

I guess they are not playing with the GOP/Tea. There is a lot of comedy there, but definitely not "without" hate.

[gogogiraffes]

03:08 PM on 04/01/2011

Boyfriends was Times New Roman. Boo. They must know he's a graphic designer and won't mess with him.

[kravanator]

01:32 PM on 04/01/2011

To bad it doesn't work for Wingdings...

[Jonathan D Woodyard]

12:22 PM on 04/01/2011

So nerdy it hurts.