Google joined in on the April Fools' Day fun a day early with their latest feature: Treasure Maps. Following last year's prank, 8-bit Google Maps, the company debuted a pirate-style design on Sunday, complete with 2D hand-drawn landmarks and hidden treasure chests.
The map uses a spyglass to zoom in for Street View, with a rounded telescopic frame and old-school filter. To access, visit Google Maps and click on the "Treasure" picture icon in the right-hand corner. Instructions for the "beta technology" warn, "Your system may not be able to display at higher resolutions than paper print."
In a video, Google explains the map belonged to infamous pirate William "Captain" Kidd, and was found on a recent expedition in the Indian Ocean while the team was expanding their underwater Street View collection. Users are invited to help crack the code and find the treasure with hidden clues.
Some locations, like Treasure Island in the San Francisco Bay and San Jose State University, have mini maps and a letter X marking the spot. There are other icons scattered around with map coordinates, including Bermuda, New York, and Boston. Happy hunting! What do you think of Google's April Fools' Day prank? Did you find any hidden treasure? Let us know in the comments. Image courtesy of Google, video courtesy of YouTube, Google Maps
