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Smart mailbox, selfie car among April Fools' Day pranks from companies

Companies including Google, Samsung, Honda, Uber, BMW, Tesco and WestJet marked April Fools' Day with prank videos and hoax press releases.

By Ben Hooper
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WASHINGTON, April 1 (UPI) -- "Smart" was the keyword for companies celebrating April Fools' Day with hoax videos and tweets including a smart mailbox, kitchen knife and airline seats.

Google got into the prankster spirit Wednesday with a YouTube video announcing a smart mailbox, the "Smartbox by Inbox by Gmail by Google."

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Samsung announced the fictional Galaxy BLADE edge, a version of its Galaxy smartphones with an edge "so sharp and strong that the device can also serve as a chef's knife."

Airline WestJet released a video showing how its idea for "SmartSeats" could go horribly wrong.

Speaking of things that could go horribly wrong, British supermarket chain Tesco got into the April Fools' fun with a tweet announcing "bouncy aisles" were coming to stores.

Honda may not have billed its HR-V "selfie edition" as "smart," but the video pokes fun at smartphone-obsessed millennials with a vehicle featuring 10 different selfie cameras.

Fellow automaker BMW also got in on the action with a hoax press release promoting a line of auto-inspired mouth guards for athletes.

Insurance company Esurance's hoax video announced Presurance, a service offering to inform people of their next fender bender up to seven days in advance.

Google Japan's April Fools' prank was the "Google Panda," a cuddly stuffed panda that conducts Google searches verbally.

Uber riffed on the defunct Skymall magazine with a video promoting Uber Car Shop magazine.

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