Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Say 'Cheese' to Google Satellite at 10AM

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the not-for-the-lactose-intolerant dept.

13.7BillionYears writes "Google's recent purchase of Keyhole and its jaw-dropping 3D earth-browsing software has apparently netted them ownership of an imaging satellite as well, now named 'gSat.' This Friday, April 1st, gSat will be capturing a new dataset (neighborhood of 1meter/pixel), passing over each time zone between 10 and 11AM. If you stand outside and wave you will supposedly show up as a blurry fleck. Even better news is that the dataset will be available within months not only to Keyhole but also to the equally jaw-dropping and open source NASA World Wind. It all seems aimed at answering a question that has plagued mankind for ages: What foolishness can we wreak upon the Earth on the Day of Fools with only 3 days' notice? I'm guessing the obscene stuff will be Photoshopped out. Thanks to the World Wind Forum for the tip and let's hope those April showers come late."

26 of 221 comments (clear)

  1. Gotta love April 1st by Sanity · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ah yes, April 1st on Slashdot. If every single story is an April Fools joke, we will just fool people over and over again because it totally isn't predictable!

    1. Re:Gotta love April 1st by buro9 · · Score: 4, Funny

      I shouldn't worry, the dupes will fool people tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and...

    2. Re:Gotta love April 1st by CausticPuppy · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah but April fool's jokes involving Google have a tendency to become reality.

      I better make my big sign for gSat... just in case.

      --
      -CausticPuppy "Of all the people I know, you're certainly one of them." -Somebody I don't know
  2. Only a blurry fleck? Hubble to the rescue! by tquinlan · · Score: 4, Funny

    I suggest we have Google take over the Hubble project, and have them turn that on us! Then we'll see what's really going on down here... ;)

    --
    DBA? Software Engineer? My company is hiring! Click
  3. Right. by Markus+Persson · · Score: 5, Funny

    If a guy mugged me tonight I'd just look at him with an uncertain smile until he shot me. I hate april fools. :-/

    --
    If the cat can't experience its own death, nothing will ever kill you. (No, really!)
  4. Re:If... by NinjaFarmer · · Score: 4, Funny

    You turn the local observatory into a giant breast.

    And this isn't even the poll.

  5. Hey! by InterruptDescriptorT · · Score: 4, Funny

    I can see my house from here!

    --
    Karma: Excellent Birds (mostly as a result of listening to Laurie Anderson)
  6. YES, STAND OUTSIDE AND WAVE UP INTO THE SKY by Jakhel · · Score: 2, Funny

    because today is April 1 and this lame excuse for an April Fool's Day joke won't work unless you're gullible enough to do it.

    1. Re:YES, STAND OUTSIDE AND WAVE UP INTO THE SKY by Radar|TGS · · Score: 2, Funny

      And again on April 2nd, 3rd, and 6th.

  7. I don't know... by Kittyflipping · · Score: 3, Funny

    I keep going outside and waving but I don't see myself.

  8. Re:If... by rylin · · Score: 2, Funny

    By gathering 50 people, forming the outline of male genitalia when seen from above?

  9. Google Gulp by rchatterjee · · Score: 5, Funny

    Be sure to be drinking or holding a bottle of Google Gulp when they take the picture.

    1. Re:Google Gulp by Anonymous+Custard · · Score: 2, Funny
      My favorite part:

      11. When will you take Google Gulp out of beta?

      Man, if you pressure us, you just drive us away. We'll commit when we're ready, okay? Besides, what's so great about taking things out of beta? It ruins all the romance, the challenge, the possibilities, the right to explore. Carpe diem, ya know? Maybe we're jaded, but we've seen all these other companies leap headlong into 1.0, thinking their product is exactly what they've been dreaming of all their lives, that everything is perfect and hunky-dory - and the next thing you know some vanilla copycat release from Redmond is kicking their butt, the Board is holding emergency meetings and the CEO is on CNBC blathering sweatily about "a new direction" and "getting back to basics." No thanks, man. We like our freedom.
      --
      $8.95/mo web hosting
  10. Google in the news - more on google GULP! by tod_miller · · Score: 2, Funny

    and the next thing you know some vanilla copycat release from Redmond is kicking their butt

    WOAH!!! hello! what a sniping remakr at Microsoft! oooouch!! call in the lawyers! :-)
    Full at : GOogle Gulp Faq

    Maybe we're jaded, but we've seen all these other companies leap headlong into 1.0, thinking their product is exactly what they've been dreaming of all their lives, that everything is perfect and hunky-dory - and the next thing you know some vanilla copycat release from Redmond is kicking their butt, the Board is holding emergency meetings and the CEO is on CNBC blathering sweatily about "a new direction" and "getting back to basics." No thanks, man. We like our freedom.

    --
    #hostfile 0.0.0.0 primidi.com 0.0.0.0 www.primidi.com 0.0.0.0 radio.weblogs.com
  11. Get out the ultra-wide-angle lens by Progman3K · · Score: 2, Funny

    If you want to capture all of me :-)

    --
    I don't know the meaning of the word 'don't' - J
  12. This is nice by oliana · · Score: 2, Funny

    Slashdot is accumulating all the tech related April Fool's jokes onto one page for my easy access.

    --
    In Soviet Russia, asses suck this joke.
  13. This is great! by AtariAmarok · · Score: 4, Funny

    This is great. Now I can go to google and enter "find my lost car keys" and get a nice picture. Thanks again, Big G!

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  14. Fools! All of you! by kpwoodr · · Score: 2, Funny

    Google does not own a satellite. I Do!! Bow to me as I expand my search for Waldo to a Global scale!

    --
    This sig has been removed pending an investigation.
  15. Re:If... by Tibe · · Score: 5, Funny

    how are you supposed to do something obscene?

    500,000 Highly technical, porn addicted minds are now obsessing over this.

    You MUST be new round here.

    Sorry had too.

  16. I'm the one holding a big... by JustOK · · Score: 3, Funny

    mirror. Aimed right back at it.

    --
    rewriting history since 2109
  17. Re:If... by kryptkpr · · Score: 4, Funny

    Not very creative, are you?

    Get a bunch of people together in a circle (1 in the middle) and make a big, blurry fleck of a breast.

    If you can get enough people together, go for two breasts.

    If you still have people left over, form a giant penis below it.

    --
    DJ kRYPT's Free MP3s!
  18. Re:Only a blurry fleck? Hubble to the rescue! by funk_phenomenon · · Score: 5, Funny

    What would they call it? Gooble? Gobble? Hoogle?

    --

    Even the samurai
    have teddy bears,
    and even the teddy bears
    get drunk

  19. Will it make another pass? by 93,000 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I think I had my eyes closed on that last one.

    --
    Sweet informative mod.
  20. Space Resume by TimeTraveler1884 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I am going to mow my resume into my lawn. Maybe then I will be considered for a job at Google. They like the creative thinking types right?

  21. Yo momma's so fat... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    she takes up TWO pixels!

  22. Re:If... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    So, you're saying that with enough people we could make a pre-op transsexual visible from outer space!

    Wheee!