Google's April Fools Treat For Chromebook Owners Is An App That Browses The Web For You
Is it really an April Fools "prank" if what you put together actually performs its stated function? Either way, you probably won't want to keep the "Self-Browsing Chromebook" app on your machine for more than a day or so. According to Google's straight-faced Chrome Blog entry, the app is intended to automate your entire computer experience. What it actually does is take over your laptop with a full-screen interface that navigates around the web by itself.
And it's not just a random selection of websites loaded one after another. No, the slightly sci-fi app (which, yes, can really be installed on Chrome OS devices) uses its own cursor to select new links and scroll through pages, about one every three seconds. It's kind of fascinating to watch, if only to see the lengths that Google went to for a "fake" app. Self-Browsing Chromebook isn't exactly random - it seems to really like going down the Wikipedia rabbit hole, then hitting one of several dozen Google properties - but it is fun to observe in a zen sort of way. The user has absolutely no control: the only way to get back to Chrome's standard interface is to press the Escape button.
Unfortunately Self-Browsing Chromebook doesn't work on Windows or OS X versions of Chrome, so you'll need a Chromebook (or other Chrome-powered device) to see it in action. Google might keep the extension around past today, but I doubt it.
- Source
- Chrome Blog
-
- 1,126,024
- 325,415
- 102,463
- 21,474
-
-
Motorola Announces A Handcrafted Selfie Stick For April Fools, Makes Up For It With $140 Off An Unlocked Moto X
2015/04/01 8:10am PDT10 hours ago -
[Deal Alert] Get Up To 80% Off Various Cambridge SoundWorks OontZ Angle Bluetooth Speakers On Amazon
2015/03/31 8:42am PDTMar 31, 2015 -
[Deal Alert] This EasyAcc 5-Port USB Charger (40W, 5V) Is $12.99 After Coupon On Amazon
2015/03/30 6:40pm PDTMar 30, 2015 -
[Deal Alert] Sony MDR1RNC And MDR10RNC Noise Cancelling Headphones On Sale At Amazon For 50% Off, But Not For Long
2015/03/30 6:18pm PDTMar 30, 2015 -
[Deal Alert] Seek Thermal Camera On Sale For $189.54, Down From $249
2015/03/30 8:13am PDTMar 30, 2015
-
-
-
-
[App Roundup] Our Top Seven Picks For The Best New Apps Of March 2015
2015/04/01 3:00pm PDT3 hours ago -
[Game Roundup] Our Top Seven Picks For The Best New Games Of March 2015
2015/04/01 1:41pm PDT4 hours ago -
32 New And Notable Android Games From The Last 2 Weeks (3/17/15 - 3/30/15)
2015/03/30 12:00pm PDTMar 30, 2015 -
[Bonus Round] Project Parkour, Slayin, Overpaint, And Stickman Rush
2015/03/28 3:00pm PDTMar 28, 2015 -
[Bonus Round] Alien Star Menace, Syberia 2, Silly Sausage in Meat Land, And Do Not Believe His Lies
2015/03/25 5:01pm PDTMar 25, 2015
-
-
-
[App Roundup] Our Top Seven Picks For The Best New Apps Of March 2015
2015/04/01 3:00pm PDT3 hours ago -
Facebook Launches Riff, A Collaborative Video-Making App That Isn't An April Fools Joke
2015/04/01 1:41pm PDT4 hours ago -
[Game Roundup] Our Top Seven Picks For The Best New Games Of March 2015
2015/04/01 1:41pm PDT4 hours ago -
Google Reader Rises From The Grave With New (Material) Update v2.0 [APK Download]
2015/04/01 11:17am PDT7 hours ago -
Google Quietly Removes Its Finance App From The Play Store
2015/04/01 9:49am PDT8 hours ago
-
-
-
[New App] Microsoft Releases A Separate Beta Version Of The Xbox One SmartGlass App
2014/04/01 5:36pm PDTApr 1, 2014 -
[New Game] Rockpocalypse Comes To Android In A Sure Sign The Real Apocalypse Is Upon Us
2013/04/01 7:15pm PDTApr 1, 2013 -
[Weekend Poll] How Do You Follow Android Police?
2012/04/01 12:23pm PDTApr 1, 2012
-
-
-
[Update: LMY47I for Nexus 5] [Flash All The Things] Android 5.1 OTA Roundup For Nexus Devices
2015/04/01 7:47am PDT10 hours ago -
Google Reader Rises From The Grave With New (Material) Update v2.0 [APK Download]
2015/04/01 11:17am PDT7 hours ago -
Hangouts' Easter Eggs Help You End Your April Fools Pranks On A Funny Note
2015/04/01 5:30am PDT12 hours ago -
elgooG's New Search Engine Mirrors The World As You Know It, Confuses And Delights You
2015/04/01 6:00am PDT12 hours ago -
News & Weather v2.3 Brings Important News Notifications, Personalized Suggested Reading, And A Settings Screen [APK Download]
2015/04/01 7:50am PDT10 hours ago
-
-
-
[Update: LMY47I for Nexus 5] [Flash All The Things] Android 5.1 OTA Roundup For Nexus Devices
2015/04/01 7:47am PDT10 hours ago - 2015/03/31 12:45am PDTMar 31, 2015
-
[Shocker] Even After Launching The Nexus 6, Verizon Still Won't Officially Activate One That Wasn't Purchased From The Carrier
2015/03/28 4:55pm PDTMar 28, 2015 -
[Update: Indiegogo Campaign Is Bogus] Remix' Big 11.6" Android Tablet With A Full Keyboard And Multi-Window Enabled OS Reaches Its $100K Kickstarter Goal In A Day
2015/03/27 1:00am PDTMar 27, 2015 -
Verizon Galaxy S5 Lollipop Update Is Rolling Out (For Real This Time)
2015/03/28 10:07am PDTMar 28, 2015
-
-
-
[Update: LMY47I for Nexus 5] [Flash All The Things] Android 5.1 OTA Roundup For Nexus Devices
2015/04/01 7:47am PDT10 hours ago -
[Update: Invites Open Again] WhatsApp Calling Goes Live For Everyone, Provided You Have A Recent App Version And Get "Invited" By Receiving A Call
2015/03/25 1:00am PDTMar 25, 2015 - 2015/03/31 12:45am PDTMar 31, 2015
-
Google Search v4.3 Update Is Rolling Out [APK Download]
2015/03/16 5:25pm PDTMar 16, 2015
-
source: androidpolice
0 comments :