Google offer wireless access via the loo

SAN FRANCISCO: Google announced a novel way to access the Internet -- via the toilet -- in an April Fool's Day gag on its website on Sunday.   

The Mountain View, California-based technology concern introduced its "Dark Porcelain" project, with self-installed Internet access via computer users' household plumbing.   

The "Toilet Internet Service Provider" (TiSP) project highlighted on Google's webpage is "a self-installed, ad-supported online service that will be offered entirely free to any consumer with a WiFi-capable PC and a toilet connected to a local municipal sewage system."   

"We've got that whole organizing-the-world's-information thing more or less under control," the website says, quoting Google co-founder and president Larry Page.   

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

The company hailed the breakthrough technology "that takes advantage of preexisting plumbing and sewage systems and their related hydraulic data-transmission capabilities."   

"There's actually a thriving little underground community that's been studying this exact solution for a long time," said Page.   

"And today our Toilet ISP team is pleased to be leading the way through the sewers, up out of your toilet and -- splat -- right onto your PC."