Did I miss something about Google Maps/Earth?

[ProdigalJunkMail]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/11/fossett.search.ap/index.html

It would appear that people are trying to use GoogleMaps/Earth to find Fossett...I was unaware that there was any access to real-time imagery...

sP

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. LOL

I suppose that Google Earth might be useful to actual search and rescue people who want to scout out terrain for places where Fossett might have tried to set down, and so on.

Actual couch potatoes looking for wreckage? Not so much.

[DS1]

2. My question is where's the patented GD outrage ala James Kim?

This Fossett guy was going to end up dead/missing one way or another, fuck him.

James Kim on the other hand made a wrong turn because a gate was left open, yet GD dragged that poor bastard through the snow and ice.

[Mabus]

3. I've wondered that myself

And don't forget those mountain climbers in the Pacific northwest last year got dragged through it.

[yardwork]

4. Yes, that was one of GD's real low points.

[northzax]

7. well, Kim had his family

on a road no one should be on (seriously, a map would have told him that, I know the area well) that's the only difference I can find.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

8. Fossett was an expert pilot.

Presumably, it was some sort of mechanical failure that brought his plane down.

Kim, on the other hand, made not one, but a colossal series of fuck ups. Stuff that nobody in their right mind should have done.

That said, I'd hardly call that "outrage."

[northzax]

5. actually, yes you did

the searchers are using mturk, an Amazon project that uploads recent (within a day or so) satellite imagery to aid in the search. go here:http://www.mturk.com/mturk/preview?groupId=9TSZK4G35XEZJZG21T60&kw=Flash you can download the images into GoogleEarth to use their functionality to help navigate the pictures. kind of cool, actually.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

10. COOOL...i did not know you could do that

the article didn't seem to mention that (granted I read through it quickly so it may have!)

sP

[northzax]

11. It didn't mention it...

You have to know about it. The software was written in a hurry last year when some tech guy went missing on his sailboat off catalina, if i remember right. It's not realtime exactly, and someone has to pay for the images, tasking satellites ain't exactly cheap, but it is a tool with incredible potential...

[IDemo]

6. Here you go

http://www.mturk.com/mturk/preview?groupId=9TSZK4G35XEZJZG21T60

You need to load a 'KML' file into Google Earth, which gives you the updated imagery.

[Omphaloskepsis]

9. I believe they are using Amazon's Mechanical Turk...

I'm not sure how Google is involved. This is a e-mail I got a few days ago from Amazon..



Greetings from Amazon Mechanical Turk
On Monday, September 3, 2007, Steve Fossett, the first person to fly a plane around the world without refueling and the first person to fly around the world in a balloon went missing in Nevada. An airplane he was flying failed to return. No one has any idea where he is.

Through the generous efforts of individuals at several organizations, detailed satellite imagery has been made available for his last known whereabouts.

HITs have been created to ask volunteers to help review these images and flag potential areas of interest which will be instrumental in the search and rescue efforts.

If you are interested in helping, please click here to participate in the search effort.

This is a race against time and any help you can provide will make a huge difference.

Friends and family of Steve Fossett would like to thank you for helping them with this cause.
Amazon Mechanical Turk Team
http://www.mturk.com/
If you do not wish to receive further email like this from us, you may opt out here.

Amazon Web Services LLC is a subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc. Amazon.com is a registered trademark of Amazon.com , Inc. This message produced and distributed by Amazon Web Services, LLC, 1200 12th Ave South, Seattle, WA, 98144.