If you’ve seen links to a site called Google Xistence, don’t be afraid to check it out. Who could resist this tagline? “Life is hard. Let Google live it for you.” But you should probably be forewarned—it’s intriguing, but it’s not real.
The site resembles a Google product page, complete with logos, log-in box and a YouTube instructional video. The service supposedly lets Google live your social life for you on Facebook, Twitter, Orkut and the like – “because life is too short for social interaction.” But isn’t that precisely why we love to socialize with internet speed?
The L.A.Times Technology blog tells us that Google isn’t really affiliated with this site, and even the clever prankster behind Xistence, Philipp Drössler, didn’t keep up the ruse for very long. He immediately tweeted a link pointing to a blog post titled “Google Xistence: We wish it was real.”
But using a big-name company as part of even an innocent joke has its consequences. Especially when you use their logo. The site is now listed on Google’s phishing list, which is also used by the second- and third-most-popular browsers, Firefox and Chrome.
But Drössler assures us all he’s not after our info. “Xistence is not a real product, and not related in any way to Google. Neither am I. Also, this was neither a scam nor a phishing attempt.”
The site contains what looks like a box for a Google user name and password, but it’s merely an illusion. Try it, you can’t input anything if you wanted to. Even if you try really hard.
L.A. Times Tech blogger Mark Milian says, “Google should hire this guy for its next April Fool’s gag.”
Tags: Internet Speed, Social Networking