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Say 'Cheese' to Google Satellite at 10AM

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."

141 of 221 comments (clear)

  1. If... by BlueCodeWarrior · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...you only show up as a 'blurry fleck,' how are you supposed to do something obscene?

    1. Re:If... by NinjaFarmer · · Score: 4, Funny

      You turn the local observatory into a giant breast.

      And this isn't even the poll.

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

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

    3. Re:If... by mattmentecky · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You are being blurred out because you are DOING something obscene....duh.

    4. Re:If... by ChairmanMeow · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Mars supposedly has a face on it (which turned out to be a pile of rocks)... so Earth needs a giant breast.

      --
    5. 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.

    6. 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!
    7. Re:If... by conteXXt · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Remember ascii art?

      Use what's available to you.

      Snow, sand, dirt

      Draw it large baby.

      (and send us the coords please?)

      --
      The truth about Led Zep should never be told on /. (Karma suicide ensues)
    8. Re:If... by pomakis · · Score: 3, Interesting
      If you only show up as a 'blurry fleck,' how are you supposed to do something obscene?

      Well, I was part of this arial photo, in which the stick figure near the centre of the photo was composed of several thousand people. This particular image isn't obscene in any way, but it very well could have been!

      (Bonus points for those who can name the event that this was part of!)

    9. 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!

    10. Re:If... by XPisthenewNT · · Score: 1

      Burning Man? Never been, but it sure looks like an interesting 'experiment'.

    11. Re:If... by bwintx · · Score: 1

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

      No need to gather people. Just take a satellite's-eye view of the freeways around Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. (See on a map if you don't know what I mean.)

      --
      Discussion System prefs link: http://slashdot.org/users.pl?op=editcomm
    12. Re:If... by yulek · · Score: 1

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

      500,000 pixels, you mean...

      --
      in this age of communication i'm just not getting through
    13. Re:If... by 4of12 · · Score: 1

      500,000 pixels, you mean...

      Sure.

      But wouldn't all the /. readers pointing green laser pointers at the satellite be arrested by the authorities as bad pixels?

      --
      "Provided by the management for your protection."
    14. Re:If... by jericho4.0 · · Score: 1
      For the uninitiated, "Grand Teton" translates as "Big Tits". God bless the French, for calling it as they see it.

      I remember a class I took once; We were studying early societies, and we watched a film on Silbury Hill, an artificial bronze age pile of dirt in Britain. The film, and the teacher, insisted that the hill was a breast, and that it was an expression of a matriarchal culture.

      The counter argument, of course, is; How the hell do you build a hill that does not look like a breast?

      --
      "A language that doesn't affect the way you think about programming, is not worth knowing" - Alan Perlis
    15. Re:If... by kiddailey · · Score: 1


      Is there a higher-res version of that image? It would make a great desktop background :)

    16. Re:If... by pomakis · · Score: 1

      Sure, here it is.

    17. Re:If... by kiddailey · · Score: 1

      Awesome! Thank you.

    18. Re:If... by kwoff · · Score: 1

      Since when are breasts obscene?

  2. 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
    3. Re:Gotta love April 1st by m50d · · Score: 1

      No, it's working, everyone thinks the story about Tiger going gold is true.

      --
      I am trolling
    4. Re:Gotta love April 1st by derphilipp · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Ubuntu has a nice april fool on their distribution. Instead of the normal login screen http://www.ubuntulinux.org/login.jpeg they set up a picture with 3 guys (plus one shoe of a guy taking the photo) thats like the loginscreen but with 3 geeks having a party (snacks in the background))

      So if you run Ubuntu update today!

      --
      Spelling mistakes: My is english spoken not tongue of mother.
    5. Re:Gotta love April 1st by jvj24601 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      For the past three years, I've sent suggestions to The Onion that on April 1st, they should report real news (Reuters and AP stories, etc). I think it'd be great to see their take on what constitutes absurd in the real press. And it'd be damn funny if they could locate real stories that were goofy enough for people to think they were true Onion parodies.

      But does anyone ever listen to me? Oh well. Another year, another wasted opportunity...

  3. 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
  4. 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!)
    1. Re:Right. by stephenbooth · · Score: 1

      April Fool pranks, by tradition, can only be played up until midday. After that it's bad luck to play pranks.

      Stephen

      --
      "Don't write down to your readers, the only people less intelligent than you can't read" - Sign on Newspaper Office Wall
    2. Re:Right. by AndroidCat · · Score: 1
      "It happened that a fire broke out backstage in a theater. The clown
      came out to inform the public. They thought it was just a jest and
      applauded. He repeated his warning, they shouted even louder. So I
      think the world will come to an end amid general applause from all the
      wits, who believe that it is a joke.
      If aliens ever invade on April 1st, we are so doomed! (As opposed to serious days like Halloween.)
      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  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)
    1. Re:Hey! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      I wish I had a weapon

    2. Re:Hey! by digitac · · Score: 1

      Hey! I can see my basement from here!

  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 AsnFkr · · Score: 1

      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.

      Did you know gullible isn't in the dictionary? It's true. I saw it on /. last April.

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

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

    3. Re:YES, STAND OUTSIDE AND WAVE UP INTO THE SKY by JaredOfEuropa · · Score: 1
      ...joke won't work unless you're gullible enough to do it.
      It certainly won't work if the gullible read your post, you spoilsport!

      A similar joke in NL apparently did work... there was a news item that researchers had received weak signals from the Huygens probe. They asked everyone to stand outside today at 12:30pm, turn on their cellphones, and point the antenna east. The cellphones would act like a giant electromagnetic mirror, amplifying the weak signals from Huygens so that they could be received and interpreted.
      --
      If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
    4. Re:YES, STAND OUTSIDE AND WAVE UP INTO THE SKY by alc6379 · · Score: 1

      It's raining where I'm at. Will Google still love me if I do it tomorrow?

      --
      I don't moderate anymore. Karma penalty for 90% fair mods? Can I mod that unfair?
  7. I don't know... by Kittyflipping · · Score: 3, Funny

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

    1. Re:I don't know... by smoothwallsamuel · · Score: 1

      I see you...the fluro yellow t-shirt gives you away...see, you're that dot riiiiiiight there.....just under the blob and the speckle ;-)

      Samuel

    2. Re:I don't know... by AndroidCat · · Score: 1

      Wait 24 hours then call the FBI with a missing persons report.

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  8. gSat by acb · · Score: 4, Insightful

    If they're capturing all of each timezone at 10-11AM of each day, gSat must either be shaped like a curved tube stretching from pole to pole, or orbiting the earth from pole to pole once every hour.

    1. Re:gSat by parkrrrr · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Also, Google must have arranged for clear skies over the entire globe.

    2. Re:gSat by Jerf · · Score: 1

      orbiting the earth from pole to pole once every hour.

      And that's impossible because...?

      Creating an orbit that does what Google claims their satellite will be doing is a freshman physics problem, except that the window for North America wouldn't be 10am-11am for every time zone, it'd be like 10:20-10:23, maybe more, maybe less (not whipping out the math for this, but such a bird would be low enough that approximating the percentage of the US, North to South, is of the equatorial distance would be pretty good; this thing won't have a huge horizon).

      The biggest reason that claimed performance isn't possible is I doubt they could process or transmit that much data that quickly. Other than that, somebody could, in theory, do something like that.

  9. Real news by RaguMS · · Score: 2, Insightful

    What happens if some real news happens today? Nobody will believe it.

    1. Re:Real news by maxwell+demon · · Score: 1

      I don't believe you. :-)

      --
      The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
    2. Re:Real news by enosys · · Score: 2, Informative

      Gmail was announced on April 1st 2004. A lot of people wondered if that was a joke. 1 gig seemed like such a huge amount for a free e-mail service and the press release used some language one might find in a joke. I think it just gave Google extra free publicity as people wondered if it is a joke before Google clarified it. Search for "gmail april.fools" on Google for more info.

    3. Re:Real news by Poeir · · Score: 1

      So was StarCraft, I think, or really near it; something like it was to go gold on April 1. This was years ago, and after years of delays, so people thought it was an April Fool's joke.

      --
      Sigs are like bumper stickers.
  10. You get a couple of partners by Alien54 · · Score: 1

    and make an elongated smear

    --
    "It is a greater offense to steal men's labor, than their clothes"
  11. 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 delymyth · · Score: 1
      Be sure to be drinking or holding a bottle of Google Gulp when they take the picture.
      It's already afternoon here, and I'm not in the US, but I'll enjoy the drink with you, I just have to ask my Jeeves9000 if he can find me one :)
      --
      -- Personal Blog: http://www.delymyth.net/ (italian)
    2. Re:Google Gulp by Nuffsaid · · Score: 1
      Be sure to be drinking or holding a bottle of Google Gulp when they take the picture.

      I'm not going to drink or eat anything that's still in beta!

      --
      Nuffsaid
      ________

      Don't know about his cat, but Schroedinger is definitely dead.
    3. 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.
    4. Re:Google Gulp by l0b0 · · Score: 1

      I heard those were really hard to get hold of... ;-)

    5. Re:Google Gulp by Kraemahz · · Score: 1

      That's just because you're not cool. :P

      How to get Gulped?
      You can pick up your own supply of this "limited release" product simply by turning in a used Gulp Cap at your local grocery store. How to get a Gulp Cap? Well, if you know someone who's already been "gulped," they can give you one. And if you don't know anyone who can give you one, don't worry - that just means you aren't cool. But very, very (very!) soon, you will be.

  12. 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
    1. Re:Google in the news - more on google GULP! by Majix · · Score: 1

      It's great to see that even after becoming a publicly traded company, Google hasn't lost their sense of humor. The Google Gulp is a far more elaborate joke than last years Google Moonbase page. Even the GMail front page has some funny stuff on it today (love the coffee stain on the drawing ;)

      What would be really funny is if some idiot analyst would pick up the story as a fact. Google even likes to unveil legitimate new features on April 1st adding to the humor. Last year it was GMail which fooled many, this year they're doubling the GMail capacity and starting a yearly storage upgrade plan, one-upping the competition once again.

    2. Re:Google in the news - more on google GULP! by bostonsoxfan · · Score: 1
      Personally I liked the line:

      "Think a DNA scanner embedded in the lip of your bottle reading all 3 gigabytes of your base pair genetic data in a fraction of a second, fine-tuning your individual hormonal cocktail in real time using our patented Auto-Drink(TM) technology, and slamming a truckload of electrolytic neurotransmitter smart-drug stimulants past the blood-brain barrier to achieve maximum optimization of your soon-to-be-grateful cerebral cortex"

      "irrevocable acceptance of the Google Gulp Terms and Conditions, which do include the possibility, however remote, of hideous genetic mutation resulting from your consumption of this product. We're pretty sure you won't die, though. "

      And this is a better prank that google has done in the past.

      Google Gulp FAQ

  13. Oh dear by FidelCatsro · · Score: 1

    Do you know , im running out of things to say i will eat

    --
    The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
  14. What? by Luscious868 · · Score: 1

    So what are you supposed to do, wave for the entire hour? I can see it now, hundreds of geeks running outside and waiving up in the air everyday between 10 and 11. That's a scary thought ....

  15. April Fools Day Sites by Urgo · · Score: 4, Informative

    Isn't April Fools Day just the best? =] For a 'full' list of sites pulling pranks today check out this list here

    Here is a sample:

    kellyosbourne.org - Sanctuary records group shut us down
    nukefreezone.net - Making fun of atrios.blogspot.com
    weebl.jolt.co.uk - Replaced with Cats-By-Mail
    telecom.co.nz - Click 2 Brick
    ytmnd.com - (NSFW) hacked by teens for christ
    wingus.ampedhost.com - Site converted into Mingus' Gently-Used Furniture store. Oh dear. Why won't he be kind?
    homestarrunner.com - Now a pay service.
    whirlpool.net.au - Australia's biggest Luddite to head Australia's largest telco
    thinkgeek.com - Fake product listings.
    theregister.co.uk - Bush twins to join Air Force tech unit in Iraq
    creativebits.org - Site purchased by Microsoft
    ocremix.org - Now partnered with EA (or something like that). Called EA ReMix.
    spacedaily.com - Bush Cancels Space Shuttle Program
    planet.gnome.org - Switched sites with planet.kde.org
    planet.kde.org - Switched sites with planet.gnome.org
    ietf.org - RFC: Efficient Transformation Formats of Unicode
    beejaysworld.de - Gentoo dropping livecds for x86
    nature.com - Apollo bacteria spur lunar erosion
    antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov - Water On Mars
    smh.com.au - (Free Reg Req) SMEGmail offers 1 terabyte storage
    smh.com.au - (Free Reg Req) Linux looks to Hilton for exposure
    thetoque.com - Canada Builds Own Missile Defense Shield
    onion.com - U.S. Dog Owners Fear Arrival of Africanized Fleas
    chron.com - Bush Twins in Maxim
    ask.com - Jeeves has been replaced by a robot
    animenewsnetwork.com - Viz Unlicenses Naruto
    uninventthewheel.co.uk - New BMW technology to get around the EU ban on right hand drive cars in Europe.
    newgrounds.com - changing to numagrounds.com
    neopets.com - neopets adds 50 new pets
    www.firstloox.org - The Loox is being recalled
    packages.gentoo.org - Adobe doesn't sell products for Linux
    pc.ign.com - Microsoft World of Wordcraft (Extremely Obvious)
    spamusement.com - Page full of spoof banner ads
    gentooexperimental.org - Gentoo using the NT kernel
    moddb.com

    --
    Belive in Technology and AMAZE yourself. -- RIP ZDTV/TechTV
    1. Re:April Fools Day Sites by AndroidCat · · Score: 1
      neopets.com - neopets adds 50 new pets

      Strange, so did these people.

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
    2. Re:April Fools Day Sites by AndroidCat · · Score: 1

      Whoops, no, these people

      --
      One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
    3. Re:April Fools Day Sites by caluml · · Score: 1

      The Gnome/KDE swap is (almost) funny. Anyone else strangely aroused by this dog?

    4. Re:April Fools Day Sites by peter_gzowski · · Score: 1

      planet.gnome.org - Switched site with planet.kde.org
      planet.kde.org - Switched site with "could not be found"

      Looks like the KDE people pulled a fool of their own...

      --
      "Now gluttony and exploitation serves eight!" - TV's Frank
    5. Re:April Fools Day Sites by jeffreymsmith · · Score: 1

      Planet KDE's site (usually) is http://planetkde.org/

      Still, thanks to the KDE & Gnome folks for setting up this humorous surprise.

      --
      Insert 120 characters of wittiness here.
    6. Re:April Fools Day Sites by bobaferret · · Score: 1

      I bet, for the Onion, the put a REAL news story out

    7. Re:April Fools Day Sites by 2old2rockNroll · · Score: 1

      Anyone else strangely aroused by this dog?

      Um, no. It's male.

  16. And since we are talking WW... by AnswerIs42 · · Score: 1

    1) 1.3 has been released in early march
    2) An update 1.3.1 is in the testing phases but can be downloaded so you can get some big improvements from the 1.3 release.
    3) Servers should be able to withstand the /. this time... You brought JPL to it's knees last time.
    4) High-rez, close up images are of US locations only (we get asked that 30 times a day..)
    5) New NLT images of LandSat are color improved and cover the entire globe down to 10,000 meters.

    1. Re:And since we are talking WW... by osu-neko · · Score: 1
      3) Servers should be able to withstand the /. this time... You brought JPL to it's knees last time.

      Cool. Just to be nice, though, I'd encourage all /. users to do what I'm doing -- leaving my BitTorrent client running all day (even though I should be done downloading in 43 minutes according to the estimate).

      --
      "Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies."
  17. 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
  18. sounds like crap by bird603568 · · Score: 1

    If you stand outside and wave you will supposedly show up as a blurry fleck.
    This ahs to be a april fools joke i seriously doubt that it has that high res.

    1. Re:sounds like crap by BenjyD · · Score: 1

      What, the picture of a cat with a crosshair pointing at it didn't give it away?

    2. Re:sounds like crap by Punboy · · Score: 1

      Well, if you're lying on the ground, you'll show up as 1-2 pixels long... 1px/meter, 1.5-2 meters tall, laying down... ya. Problem is whether or not you would actually show up since MOST people are a meter across. Oh well

      --
      If you like what I've said here, and want to read more, go to http://www.krillrblog.com
  19. 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.
  20. 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.
    1. Re:This is great! by drunken+dash · · Score: 1

      Actually, you'll need to use the find: operator, so your query would be "find:car keys".

      --
      Enjoy an e-piphany
    2. Re:This is great! by Majix · · Score: 1
  21. A drunks best friend by holy_calamity · · Score: 1, Funny

    Great! Now after a night on the tiles google will not only find you a cab but also remind you where your house is.

  22. 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.
  23. OMFG!!! - Must Read by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Now this is a funny joke. The only thing is that it isn't a joke. This is a new low for dorkdom.

  24. Google new beta! by ThaReetLad · · Score: 1

    Google gulp soft drinks beta programme!

    --
    You can't win Darth. If you mod me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine
  25. How to search my face? I have trouble describe it! by kentsin · · Score: 1, Funny

    I have just done that, I really want to see what it looks like.

    Can any body help me finding it with Google? Are there any language I can describe my face in the search box? Any standard? Don't RT?M, because I have just google but found none that satisfy.

    Thanks in advance.

    Hope you all get a good time. Until next.

  26. Better yet... by O-SUSHi · · Score: 1

    if this picture is done successfully, it should be run again during World Jump Day >.>

    --
    Remember children, all generalizations are wrong.
  27. I'm the one holding a big... by JustOK · · Score: 3, Funny

    mirror. Aimed right back at it.

    --
    rewriting history since 2109
  28. Note to April Foolers... by digitalamish · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Your 'pranks' would be much more effective if there was an actual article to link to.
    --
    "Stop reading slashdot, and get back to work!" - my boss

  29. But what if duped? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    But what if this story gets duped tomorrow and/or the day after tomorrow? Would you believe it then?

  30. 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

  31. Re:3 Days Notice? by Dilbert_ · · Score: 1

    Maybe if we all stand in giant fish-shaped groups, would that show up on the picture?

    --
    superblog.org: all your favourite blogs on o
  32. Ask Jeeves by AtariAmarok · · Score: 1

    Hopefully, Google will buy and greatly enhance the Ask Jeeves technology soon. It would make it most useful if you could enter "find car keys" into Google, and minutes later a butler taps you on the shoulder and hands them to you.

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  33. To be seen by happyEverGeek · · Score: 1

    It should only take two for F150 trucks and a VW bug to show a " /. " Everyone who does this should post the coordinates.

    --
    To a politician, one email equals one voter.
  34. Will it make another pass? by 93,000 · · Score: 2, Funny

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

  35. White and pretending to be white? by AtariAmarok · · Score: 1
    "She's white and pretending to be Asian - worst of both worlds"

    Depending on where you are in Asia, that is white and pretending to be white. Ever hear of the Caucasian race? The Caucasus region is located at the Euro/Asian border, actually. A huge number of Asians are white: much of the north and west of the continent. Asia is not just China. Check a continent map.

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  36. phuck by hottoh · · Score: 1

    april fools stories

    goddamn it

  37. Oops! by happyEverGeek · · Score: 1

    Not "two for F150"! I meant "two Ford F150".

    --
    To a politician, one email equals one voter.
  38. Now the Pope can't finish "Dark Tower" by AtariAmarok · · Score: 1
    ""In other news: The pope is dead! Netcraft Confirms it ... The pope, dead at 84 "

    I hope they fry that bastard who creamed him with a minivan. Now we'll never see the last Dark Tower books!!!!!

    --
    Don't blame Durga. I voted for Centauri.
  39. Area 51 by alexjohns · · Score: 1
    Will we be able to zoom into area 51? Or will that be conveniently edited out? With photoshopping becoming the artform that it is, I don't know that I'd believe anything any big corporation had its hand in. They're all in on it. Hell, they're still wanting us to believe that men landed on the moon. What kind of fools do they take us for. I know that one of these days, one of the guys in on it will have a death-bed wish to bare his soul, and then the whole house of cards will come crashing down! Who'll be laughing then, huh?

    And you kids! Get off my damn lawn! Dang hoodlums... mumble, mumble...

    1. Re:Area 51 by SmokeHalo · · Score: 1

      The maintenance crew at Area 51 painted the roofs with invisible paint, so you won't see anything.

      --
      I'm not good in groups. It's difficult to work in a group when you're omnipotent. - Q
    2. Re:Area 51 by Kehvarl · · Score: 1

      The maintenance crew at Area 51 painted the roofs with invisible paint, so you won't see anything.

      Hah! The fools fell for it! That special formulation of invisible paint will make the roofs invisible, thus allowing us to see inside easily!

      This once my plot has been succesful!

  40. Uptight nerds hate 4/1 on Slashdot by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny


    They spend all day rolling their eyes and posting complete snark just to show the whole world they weren't fooled. "I WASN'T FOLLED YOU KNOW --- THIS SI APRIL FOOLS DAY AND SLASHDOTT IS TEH SUCK .. WHERE ARE MY SERIOUS ARTICELS "

    Idiots.

  41. spell Google by Coram · · Score: 1

    Get 30 of your closest friends and stand in formation spelling "Google". Next, drop your pants, moon the sky, and hold it for an hour.

    --
    I say I ain't giving you no tree fiddy you goddamned Loch Ness monster, get yo own goddamned money!
    1. Re:spell Google by BigBlackDog · · Score: 2

      Get 30 of your closest friends

      Not enough coffee - I read that as '30 of your closet friends'.

      Well, this is /.

      --BBD
      --
      /* This comment may not be thread-safe */
  42. Just lame...Instead why don't we... by atlacatl · · Score: 1

    Why don't we get a random generator to give us random April's fools day.

    I.e. Every April 1st, will be different every year.

    Now, that would a good April's fools joke: no predictability and we'll get 1/365 or 1/366 (leap year) probability of actually being on an April fools prank...

    --
    Esta es una firma en Espanol.
  43. Open source? by constantnormal · · Score: 2, Informative

    I guess so, but an open source project that uses a proprietary framework (.NET) that targets a single platform via a closed video driver spec (DirectX) strikes me as missing the point somewhat. It's a bit like an open source project coded in PPC assembler.

    Yes, it is true that there is the possibility that non-Windozers could port the source to Mono, and perhaps there exists a DirectX-to-OpenGL converter such that a sufficiently talented and determined band of coders could, in theory, create working versions of this impressive project that would run somewhere other than the indicated system requirements, but it seems like a long shot to me.

    ---

    System Requirements

    * Windows 2000, XP Home, or XP Professional
    * Intel Pentium 3, 1 GHz, or AMD Athlon or higher
    * 256 MB of RAM
    * 3D Graphics Card
    o nVidia GeForce 2 Ultra
    o ATI Radeon 7500
    o Intel Extreme Graphics 2
    * DSL / Cable connection or faster
    * 2 GB of disk space

    ---

    And yes, I am an envious OS X user -- pretty much a first for me, being envious of a Windows software project.

    1. Re:Open source? by latroM · · Score: 1

      I guess so, but an open source project that uses a proprietary framework (.NET) that targets a single platform via a closed video driver spec (DirectX) strikes me as missing the point somewhat. It's a bit like an open source project coded in PPC assembler.

      It's open source, they don't care of the users' freedom.

  44. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  45. Re:Only a blurry fleck? Hubble to the rescue! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Windows? no way, Sun runs Java, only something with a lot of bloat can cause fusion via it's own mass.
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .
    .

    oh man, this is going to be modded troll faster than you can say "frist piss", but in my defence I know all the arguements about java and its speed. It's a joke, laugh.

  46. April 1st Now "Geeks Christmas"? by smug_lisp_weenie · · Score: 1

    Is it just me, or is April 1st slowly evolving away from a "joke news" day and turning into a kind of "Christmas" for Adults/Geeks?

  47. 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?

  48. A lotta data by geordieboy · · Score: 1

    Wow, this software is great. I figure at 1 pixel per meter, assuming say 1 byte per pixel, that's about 100 Tb worth of data. So no real time viewing at full resolution I guess, unless you have a NASA supercomputer handy. In a few decades though, we'll all have that much HD on our laptops and the processor to crunch it.

    Pity there's no Mac verson. I've written a little OS X app to view astronomical images on a globe interactively with OpenGL (only about 10^7 pixels at most...). I wonder if I can grab a low resolution version of the satellite data somewhere to paint on the sphere,,

    --
    The world is everything that is the case
  49. Keyhole is ok... but even better is... by Teja · · Score: 1

    TopoFusion: It is much more powerful than Keyhole and here is a good writeup talking about both of them.

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

    she takes up TWO pixels!

  51. Lay Down! by CrazyWingman · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Dude - lay down and wave! Then you'll end up as ~2 blurry flecks, not just one! ;)

  52. Re:Only a blurry fleck? Hubble to the rescue! by Mister+Transistor · · Score: 1

    The latest series of the real Keyholes are basically Hubbles pointed earthward, minus some cosmic instruments, plus some close-up optics. If you ever get a look at a picture of one they are strikingly similar looking.

    But then they'll have to kill you...

    --
    -- You are in a maze of little, twisty passages, all different... --
  53. Ok, people, here's the plan... by atomm1024 · · Score: 1

    All over the world, we Rasterbate obscene images.

    Need I say more?

    --
    Signature.
  54. The Onion? by lbmouse · · Score: 1

    How did The Onion make the list? This is just another day for them.

    1. Re:The Onion? by Mister+Transistor · · Score: 1

      Plus, I saw the Africanized Bees story 2 days ago.

      A good Apr. 1 hoax for them would be to print all true stories for a day ;)

      --
      -- You are in a maze of little, twisty passages, all different... --
    2. Re:The Onion? by DustMagnet · · Score: 1
      How did The Onion make the list? This is just another day for them.

      No kidding. If I was at The Onion they'd only do serious news on April 1st.

      --
      'SBEMAIL!' is better than a goat!!
  55. *sigh* I wish this was true... by Jugalator · · Score: 1

    What both World Wind and Keyhole lack is exactly global high resolution data. :-/

    It's the main weakness in both softwares.

    --
    Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
  56. lol by alex4u2nv · · Score: 1

    hahahha at all the geeks rumping and waving outside... heheh
    phew btw. jumpign and waving takes a lot of work -- not that I would know ...

  57. I live in the northwest by TyrelHaveman · · Score: 1

    It's cloudy.

  58. Sourceforge link for Word Wind download by tonyvance · · Score: 1

    The worldwind.arc.nasa.gov link for the World Wind 1.3 download appears to be slashdoted. Here's a list of mirrors on SourceForge:

    http://prdownloads.sourceforge.net/nasa-exp/World_ Wind_1.3_Full.exe?use_mirror=cogent

  59. write them a message! by sagekoala06 · · Score: 1

    if you ask me something sounds fish about this all ... but wouldn't it be neat to use a bunch of black stuff to write a message in your driveway. even a simple "Hi" would be awesome.

  60. Ill write on the root with very big letters: by dark-br · · Score: 1

    ALL YOUR SEARCH ENGINES BELONG TO US!!! ;)

    p.s.: And yes dumb lameness filter, it was yelling!

  61. *roof* not root :/ by dark-br · · Score: 1


    my mistake...

  62. Stand outside? by Ministry+of+Cube · · Score: 1

    I live underground you insensitive clod!

  63. Re:You get top marks by Schaffner · · Score: 1

    Actually, a polar orbit would be much better. You'd be at a much lower altitude, so you'd get better detail. It's called a "sun synchronus" orbit. (I've probably misspelled that.) It's used quite often by spy satellites.

  64. Re:Only a blurry fleck? Hubble to the rescue! by Buran · · Score: 1
  65. Sweet by WiFireWire · · Score: 1

    Dosen't this seem a little farfetched? I have a feeling this is an gFool joke. But just in case, I'm painting 'WTF?' on the roof of my house....

  66. Re:Only a blurry fleck? Hubble to the rescue! by FoogyFoo · · Score: 1

    It's Hoggle!

  67. Karma Whore by DJStealth · · Score: 1

    Before modding, see:

    This and this and Finally, This

  68. This Reminds me... by Striikerr · · Score: 1

    This reminds me of a gag pulled by some radio station in the 80's. Cabbage Patch Kids dolls were in huge demand and low supply. People were fighting over these things in stores. Some radio station announced that people wanting a Cabbage Patch Kid doll should go to a stadium and hold their credit card up to the sky. Staff flying overhead would record the credit card number and drop down a doll to the person. People actually showed up apparently!

  69. In other Google April Fools News... by sepluv · · Score: 1

    Check out the new capacity of GMail and Google's new soft drink.

    --
    Joe Llywelyn Griffith Blakesley
    [This post is in the public domain (copyright-free) unless otherwise stated]
  70. April Fooled. by catdevnull · · Score: 1

    Awe, Man! This is a joke? I spent the last 45 minutes outside waving my arms like a chicken in a blender.

    I'm glad Paris Hilton is going to be the new Linux chick, though. Maybe she'll hook up with Sidd Finch?

    --

    I might know what I'm talkin' about, but then again, this is Slashdot...
  71. ytmnd.com warning by phorm · · Score: 1

    This one is *NOT* work-friendly...

  72. Lactose by Darthmalt · · Score: 1

    But I am lactose intolerant you insensitive clod

    (funny thing is I really am)

  73. Gsat to find... by jh6cd6d3cktp7w9h7vxw · · Score: 1

    The real reason they obtained the Gsat was to find the Gspot.

  74. The Empire will never stand for this. by FrankieBoy · · Score: 1

    Watch for the announcement of the new rebranded MSNASA coming to you via MSNBC. They need some time to paint the "Designed for Windows" logo on the tail of the Space Shuttle.

  75. April Fools by happyam · · Score: 1

    I do heard Google talking about the Keyhole, so it is real, but about the gSat .... I wonder how much does it cost to own a satellie ... Cause I want one too.

    Btw, for you country folks, sorry. You guys seems out of luck to be "seen" by keyhole, becasue


    Will I be able to see my house?

    That depends. While Keyhole does cover the entire globe with satellite imagery, we do not have high resolution imagery for the entire globe. We have focused on larger, US metropolitan areas initially, and will be adding much broader coverage in high-resolution detail over the coming months. See the following charts for a comprehensive list of available high-resolution cities.

    http://www.keyhole.com/

    --
    I am Who I am. http://www.happyam.com
  76. Re:Annual useless day for Slashdot by 2old2rockNroll · · Score: 1

    The question is, since Slashdot has decided to punish users who post "Funny" comments, why do they continue to put up "funny" articles on April 1st? My keen insight tells me there's a double standard here.

  77. I forgot to wave ... by xmas2003 · · Score: 1

    Here are some satellite pictures of my house - my guess is that Google has even better image quality ... ;-)

    --
    Hulk SMASH Celiac Disease
  78. U.S. Capital Building censored by zympht · · Score: 1

    Must be something obscene going on there...

    take a look