I love spring; it is by far my favorite season. This makes me eagerly await April, as April 1st brings a plethora of jokes and funny moments—though it depends on whether they come at your expense or not 😊 With my interests and hobbies, I naturally focus on the tech announcements that coincide with April 1st, although they don’t always align perfectly.

What prompted this post is the launch of the Lumon Terminal Pro by Apple. Yes, you guessed it—it’s a playful reference to the excellent TV show Severance, available on Apple TV (created by Dan Erickson, featuring Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Patricia Arquette, and Zach Cherry). I won’t spoil the show for you; I just highly recommend watching it. That said, if you can’t purchase the terminal from Apple, you can at least buy keycap sets for your keyboard!

As a refresher, here are a few notable pieces of Jokeware from the past. First, consider the exceptionally luxurious HP 67C/CX pocket calculator by Hewlett-Packard. The HP 67C/CX is a powerhouse of innovation and nostalgia, merging legendary HP calculator heritage with cutting-edge features! Boasting up to 1,000 memory registers, 9,999 program steps, and compatibility with classic HP-65 and HP-67 software, it’s a dream machine for programmers, engineers, and enthusiasts alike. Whether you’re a fan of RPN, algebraic, or 10-key input, the calculator adapts to your style—with dynamic problem-solving modes, symbolic manipulation, and spreadsheet-like data handling. The sleek, durable design, bright 3-line LED display, blazing-fast smart card reader, and optional ROM expansions make it the ultimate portable computing tool—ready for anything from complex math to games and statistical analysis!

Google has also historically been playful, announcing disruptive technologies and services. For example, they introduced the Gmail Tap feature, which purportedly replaced the traditional QWERTY keyboard with a Morse code-based typing system using just two keys: dot and dash. In a video, David Brook, VP of Communication Services, summarized it all: “Gmail Tap multitasking is an improvement over speech. You can say two things with your fingers that your mouth can only say one of.” Brilliant!

But wait, there’s more. Google also launched Google TiSP, a fully functional end-to-end system that provides in-home wireless access by connecting your commode-based TiSP wireless router to one of thousands of TiSP Access Nodes via fiber-optic cable strung through your local municipal sewage lines. The key step in the installation process is: “Attach the sinker to the loose end of the cable, take one safe step backward, and drop this weighted end into your toilet.”

However, Google isn’t the only company that’s obsessed with loo technologies. Almost 20 years ago, Microsoft introduced the iLoo, the world’s first Internet-enabled portable toilet, designed to bring broadband connectivity to the most unexpected places. This pioneering concept combines essential comfort with cutting-edge technology, featuring a fold-down waterproof plasma screen positioned at eye level, a wireless keyboard on a retractable panel, and a high-speed Wi-Fi connection for seamless browsing. Ideal for festivals, outdoor events, and high-tech construction sites, the iLoo ensures users remain productive—or entertained—even during nature’s calls. Complete with a toilet paper dispenser that prints useful web links, the Microsoft iLoo merges convenience, connectivity, and a dash of whimsy into a bold new vision of mobile computing.

Happy Spring!

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