5. The FX Mature (The Aurors) Harry Potter TV Show

Site: IGN.com

Why it’s on the list: While the video is obviously fake, IGN should be commended for really going the extra yard to provide some April Fools shenanigans. For the past couple of years, IGN has released video based pranks and “The Aurors” ranks as one of their best. If you’re a Harry Potter fan, you’ll especially appreciate it.

4. SlashTweaks is the Mad Libs of the Internet

Site: Slashdot

Why it’s on the list: The most obvious online April Fools prank is to simply make up a story and publish it for people to either be fooled by or call out. Slashdot deserves a nod for letting the April 1st proceedings be interactive. Most of the stories presented on Slashdot today have a few keywords which allow users to change them to their liking. Although this will only be available today, it certainly provides an interesting idea which might work in some capacity.

3. Toshiba’s 3D Monocle

Site: Toshiba.com

Why it’s on the list: Like IGN’s prank, Toshiba really stepped up and put some dedication into their idea by creating a video. Unlike IGN, this isn’t a content provider but an electronics company who relies on innovation to sell products. Which is what makes their idea so great; they integrated the fake tech directly into their site.

They created a legitimate looking landing page which has this “Important Consumer Notice” – Refrain from using two Toshiba Spectacle 3D devices simultaneously in each eye. Doing so may cause each device to render the corresponding 3D image in 3D yet again, resulting in an uncomfortable and infinite loop.

2. The Gmail Motion Beta

Why it’s on the list: Google took all the ideas used in the three listed, besides SlashTweaks, and forged them into a super prank. They didn’t just create a video, they made three videos for Google Motion. Like Toshiba, Google integrated the prank link directly into one of their most used platforms, Gmail.

They didn’t stop there, Google utilized fake science to explain the reasoning behind Google Motion. I also have to give the idea its due because it’s the only prank to fake me out. In my defense, I didn’t read anything on the page, and went straight to the download link. Stupid call to action buttons.

1. Facebook Partners With Zynga to Launch ‘Relationships’

Site: Techcrunch

Why it’s on the list: This might be a controversial pick, because I imagine many people would select Google Motion over this TechCrunch story. Hear me out. One of the key ingredients to pulling off a successful April Fools prank is plausibility. Of all the pranks I’ve seen on the internet today, this is one which could potentially happen on some level in the future.

Although it has shades of being possible, TechCrunch went a bit too far which was probably on purpose so people really didn’t get in a stir over the fake news. They announced that Facebook and Zynga would be partnering up for a ‘Relationships’ product. The idea is pretty interesting. Users would be able to track people they are potentially interested in dating, and could engage in social games to help break the ice and get to know one another.

The first couple of paragraphs in the story really draw readers into something which might be believable. However, the deeper you read, the more ridiculous the features sound. For instance, the picture I posted above would allow users to post what base they got to with a date. I won’t spoil some of the other jokes, but needless to say it becomes even more extreme the further you read on.

Due to the drawing in of readers, and providing an article title which sounds believable, TechCrunch gets the award for best April Fools joke in 2011.

Honorable Mention: GoDaddy.com CEO defends his elephant killing shenani…oh wait, that really happened.

What April Fools jokes have you seen that deserve recognition for their dedication, plausibility, and final punch line?

It ain’t easy getting around Liberty City. Plenty of people want to see Niko Bellic, GTA IV’s protagonist, eat more lead than a pencil factory.

Niko’s tough enough to handle the likes of Dimitri Rascalov, but getting around the streets and missions might be a challenge for newcomers and the impatient. As Search Engine Watch noted, a key aid for these players provides help.

The Liberty City Map at IGN uses Google Maps and its features to provide a huge overview of the sprawling game city. Gamers submit content to IGN, who reviews it and places it on the big map.

So many submissions rolled in, IGN begged gamers to ease up a bit. “Due to the sheer amount of submissions from all you pimps, the review process is taking longer than expected. Please do not submit the same marker twice out of fear your submission didn’t go through.”

The map is the ultimate game guide. Thanks to the enthusiastic gamers submitting content and edits, players may find missions, vehicles, and even a few Easter eggs there (look in the square in front of the museum for one.)

Gotta roll. Niko’s got a date with Kate; I wonder how things will work out with her….

The move could lead to a more equitable than the excessive new rate structure which would put many internet broadcasters out of business. A variety of organizations are encouraging listener to sign petitions and contact the Congressman to help save internet radio.

Comments

V Cast subscribers will be able to access IGN video segments running from two to eight minutes in length. IGN produces about 50 of these segments weekly, covering video game news, game and movie trailers, celebrity interviews, and gaming accessories.

“This agreement with Verizon Wireless is another great step in extending the reach of FIM’s leading Web content to users on every possible platform,” said John Smelzer, senior vice president and general manager of mobile for Fox Interactive Media.

“We are proud to work with Verizon Wireless to make IGN’s leading gaming and entertainment content available to all Verizon Wireless V CAST subscribers.”

A recent study from the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) shows that, as expected, the mobile market is on the rise, especially among the younger demographics. Nearly half of all the survey respondents said their wireless phone usage has increased significantly over the last year.

"First, it demonstrates that consumers are becoming increasingly dependant on their mobile phones and that they recognize these devices as being able to provide additional value — over just voice," said Wayne Irwin, President, LogicaCMG Telecoms, North America.

"Second, consumers are not only increasing their acceptance of mobile marketing, but are showing this acceptance through increased participation in marketing programs."

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Wazap Coming To America?

Wazap is scheduled to launch in the United States in February.

Partech International heads up the second round of funding, with additional support from Wellington Partners. Wellington contributed $4 million in capital to Wazap in the company’s initial monetary campaign.

Vertical and niche searches are becoming all the rage, and with the video game industry ripe for takeoff in 2007, the timing for a U.S. launch of the gaming search engine couldn’t be better.

An ECP article comments on the conceptual approach that Wazap has taken:

Wazap’s success in the U.S. will probably come as more of a challenge, given the established presence of widely popular online gaming portals such as IGN, as well as others.

Of course, Wazap’s strategy may not be that of direct competition with IGN. In fact, searching for game titles within the engine may lead directly to articles hosted by the IGN portal. The nuance here is that Wazap is an aggregation resource, not a content provider in and of itself.

So instead of going to IGN to get a review of a game, then navigating over to GameFAQs to get a look at the walkthrough and cheats, users will instead be able to search for a particular game and get the entire lowdown within a SERP page, cutting down the research time.

Well, this is the concept that Wazap is banking on, anyway. It’ll be interested to see what kind of success and/or fanfare the U.S. launch is met with next month.

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Joe is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest ebusiness news.

MySpace Introduces Movie Features

Only a week after Fox and Google signed their deal to have Google provide search and advertising services, Fox revealed another broad deal. This time, some of its movies and TV programs will be available for download across a selection of its online properties, like the gaming-focused IGN Entertainment and much-discussed networking site MySpace.

At first, the movies will be available on the Direct2Drive website, a part of IGN where games like World of Warcraft can be purchased for download. Fox Interactive Media president Ross Levinsohn said in a Reuters report that online sales of films and TV shows on Direct2Drive would begin by October of this year.

Fox will capitalize on the popularity of properties like “X-Men” and “24″ to entice downloaders to purchase content directly. Although the move effectively cuts out the middleman and all of the profits stay in-house with Fox, Levinsohn has to take care not to anger the particularly muscular middleman called Wal-Mart. The massive retailer sells plenty of DVDs and won’t like seeing a swath of its business cut out with online sales.

Content sold through Direct2Drive, and then on MySpace, would become available the same day as the retail DVD release. They plan to price movies at $20, a little over the typical in-store price Wal-Mart charges for typical new releases.

News Corp has moved from standing still to running hard at all of the entrenched online players to make its mark on the Internet. Fox Interactive Media has only taken form in the past year, but plenty of Rupert Murdoch’s money has served to bulk up the number of properties Levinsohn has at his disposal.

Yahoo CEO Terry Semel paid Murdoch respect in a CNNMoney.com interview, where he said of News Corp’s patriarch, “There’s nothing he can’t do. He’s a visionary and a guy who takes risks.”

There even exists the possibility that Fox and Direct2Drive could serve as the platform of choice for other Hollywood moguls. That would certainly fall in line with the highly-competitive News Corp mindset.

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David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.

Rupert Murdoch just pumped 2.6 billion quarters into broadening News Corp’s reach on the Internet. The powerful media patriarch has had his empire on a big buying spree, as it now adds IGN Entertainment to the fold, as the Wall Street Journal reported.

“(T)here is no greater priority for the company today than to meaningfully and profitably expand its Internet presence,” Mr. Murdoch told stock analysts during an August conference call. To that end, News Corp has had its checkbook out and made a string of purchases.

The company picked up IGN’s network, which includes game review site GameSpy, Xbox enthusiast destination Team Xbox, and game tips site IGN.com. News Corp also gets RottenTomatoes.com, an IGN property that focuses on movie reviews. Mr. Murdoch apparently beat Sumner Redstone and his Viacom Inc. to acquire IGN.

News Corp also purchased Intermix, owner of social networking site MySpace.com, for $580 million, and sports magazine and web site publisher Scout Media, recently. It was rumored that News Corp bid $3 billion for VoIP provider Skype, which rebuffed that offer and is now in talks with eBay on a possible sale for a similar amount.

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. Email him here.

The deal, worth about $650 million in cash and include a lot of websites including IGN.com, Gamespy, Gamespy Arena, FilePlanet, TeamXbox, 3D Gamers, Direct2Drive and GameStats. All these are dedicated to gaming. IGN also owns IGN FilmForce and Rotten Tomatoes for movies and the male lifestyle site, AskMen.com. Yep, old Rupert is definitely going for the audience, one that is build on disposable income.

News Corp has been quite busy snatching up a lot of Internet front property on the web having already picked up Intermix and its site, MySpace and online sports company Scout Media. There was also talk of purchasing Blinkx and Skype and rest assured more are on the way. The high powered demographic is incredibly desirable and News Corp is going after both men and women.

Where this goes from here is anybodies bet, but one can only assume his meeting this weekend in California with his posse will be a brass tacks meeting on what to do next in this juggernaut’s Internet shopping spree.

John Stith is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.