Google has won praise for its April Fool's joke this year, when it touted Toilet Internet Service Provider (TiSP), a free wireless broadband service that delivers connectivity via plumbing systems.

"We've got that whole organising-the-world's-information thing more or less under control," said Google co-founder and president Larry Page, a long-time supporter of so-called "dark porcelain" research and development.

"What's interesting, though, is how many different modalities there are for actually getting that information to you, not to mention from you."

Users who sign up online for the TiSP system will receive a full home self-installation kit, which includes a spindle of fibre-optic cable, a TiSP wireless router, installation CD and setup guide.

Home installation is a simple matter of GFlushing the fibre-optic cable down to the nearest TiSP Access Node, then plugging the other end into the network port of your Google-provided TiSP wireless router.

Within 60 minutes, the Access Node's crack team of Plumbing Hardware Dispatchers should have your internet connection up and running.

Users can also opt for professional installation performed by "an army of factory-trained, sub-contracted nanobots from the TiSP Access Node" and a choice of three packages dubbed 'Trickle', 'The #2' or the 'Royal Flush'.

Those who experience issues can expect help in the form of 24-hour, on-site technical support in the event of backup problems, brownouts and data wipes.

Other April Fool's articles circulating the net included the BBC's announcement of sniff screen technology, and Nasa's picture from the first Space Quidditch match. 

Popular gadget site iwantoneofthose.com announced the release of the robo-girlfriend and DVD Dossier announced that HD-DVD and Blu-ray were combining forces to create a singe HD format dubbed HD-Blu.