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Raw Bytes Computer News KPBX FM 91.1 Radio National Public Radio Network Frank Delaney Producer Broadcast on Wednesday Morning 7:35 AM During Morning Edition Support Public Radio ! The Theater Of the Mind |
In computer news this week 9/12/2007 Searching for Steve Fossett – now YOU can assist in an internet search for
the missing pilot using Google Earth. I’ve
been on vacation for
3 weeks, avoiding email and all computers, but I was interested
in the search for Steve Fossett – the adventurer
who holds 115 world aviation records, including recently the First Solo
non-stop Round the World airplane flight and the solo, non-stop Round the
World balloon flight. As I depend
on most of my news from the internet, I found a disappointing few references
to this story in the newspapers I read. Returning
to work this Monday, I immediately noticed a Google news story about how the
public can actually help in the search for his missing plane. Clicking this
link brought me to an Amazon website
- with detailed instructions on
how YOU can actually search for his plane
using google earth, the incredible program which has the entire world
digitized and online. The
concept is to use Google earth’s satellite imagery to search for Mr. Fossett’s missing plane. There’s
instructions on how to download a Google Earth file which contains the actual
search area for the missing plane, and how to then paste that file into
Google Earth – so that you will then view just that area, and then they give you
the geographical co-ordinates to paste into Google Earths Fly To box. They
also suggest turning off the Terrain layer box for better viewing. Google
Earth will now zoom into the area of the Nevada wilderness, and now you
– in the privacy of your home or office – can actually search
through these images for something that looks like a plane – report it
to the authorities for verification and further research – and possibly
actually be the person who finds Mr. Fossett and
his plane – hopefully intact and still alive. Actual Search Instructions
You will be shown a
single satellite image. The task is to flag any satellite images which contain
foreign objects that may resemble Steve's airplane or parts of a plane.
Steve's plane will show up as a regular object with sharp edges, white or
nearly white, about 21 pixels long and 30 pixels in wingspan. If in doubt, be conservative and mark
the image. For complete coverage, we've set up this HIT such that multiple
people will cover the same area several times over. Please do your best, but
do not worry that missing one little detail will be tragic. It will get
caught. Marked images will be
sent to a team of specialists who will determine if they contain information
on the whereabouts of Steve Fossett. Friends and family of
Steve Fossett would like to thank you for helping
them with this cause. This concept – average people searching Google
Earth satellite imagery for lost objects – is truly mind boggling. Just last
night I saw a documentary on the search for Noah’s ark, and now
I’m sure people will be googling Mount Ararat
for the ark. Can you imagine finding the Lost Dutchman gold mine, or Atlantis ? What an
incredible world we live in now, due to the invention of the personal
computer, and the world wide web.
I’m very greatful. |
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For Raw Bytes This is Frank Delaney (C) 2007 MTA Micro
Technology Associates http://www.mtamicro.com/kpbx.html PO Box 31522 Spokane, Wa 99223-1522 (509)624-7230 |
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