February 22, 2008
Redstone Arsenal Rocket Goes Bada Boom, Scares 5 Counties
Something blew the fuck up late last night. I mistook it for thunder or my lead-footed upstairs neighbor. It seems, I was wrong on both counts.
Around 11 p.m. a loud boom was reported in southeast Huntsville, east Limestone, Morgan and Marshall counties.
Across 5 counties this was heard. I heard and *felt* it. Rattled the building, it did. If you follow the link you see that the typical Huntsville geek, named Opticron, has taken it upon himself to be Super Geektastic (not in a good way) and track the latitude and longitude of the origin.
Who is the bigger geek, him for tracking or me for bothering to Google Map it, I'll let you decide. I just want to know what blew the hell up. (Looking at you, Redstone Arsenal.)
(via me)
EDIT: The reigning theory is a sonic boom from an aircraft. I'm cool with that, although I've no idea why you would test aircraft here. I wasn't even sure military jets bothered to land here. It's mostly helicopters and rockets round these parts.
UPDATE: And so the Arsenal admits to blowing up half a million dollar rocket late into the night.
Around 11 p.m. a loud boom was reported in southeast Huntsville, Limestone, Morgan, Marshall, Lawrence and DeKalb counties.The slow cook-off test involves placing a rocket engine in a stove-like piece of equipment and heating it until the engine blows. Normally the tests are scheduled to explode in the afternoons, but this one ran later - much later.
The low clouds helped carry the sound to at least five surrounding counties.
Before the Arsenal released a statement, The Andalusia Star News had speculations.
Posted by Groonk at 08:38 AM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Alabama, Google-fied, Weird
February 04, 2008
Horizon went In Search of Gravity
Particle physicist/keyboardist for some band I've never heard of, Dr Brain Cox stalked the USA last week. He attacked then moon with his laser, encounters bending space-time at a military base, and tries to detect reality ripples in Louisiana.
(via doc video google)
Posted by Groonk at 02:47 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Documentary, Google-fied, Science, Video
January 17, 2008
Sockpuppetry Run Amok: 4 Hours of Sifl and Olly!
I loved that show.
(via hand stuck up there google video)
Posted by Groonk at 08:37 AM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Funny, Google-fied, Video
November 09, 2007
COMICS: Learn from the Best Why Don't You?
There are days that I love the internet more than peanut butter cookies and coffee.
The Comic Book Script Archive
An online resource for comic books scripts
(via comicbookscripts)
Posted by Groonk at 02:34 AM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Comics, Google-fied, Research, Tutorials
October 24, 2007
LA Times Charts Fire Destruction through Google Maps
Looks like they're keeping up with everthing here.
UPDATE: switched to new embeddable map offered by google.
Posted by Groonk at 06:04 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Google-fied
May 24, 2007
Google's Gone a Bit Goofy
Goofy in a good way.
So far.
(via gmail about page, googled youtube)
Posted by Groonk at 10:07 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Google-fied
April 06, 2007
HOWTO: Create Your Own Google Map
You may now "Create personalized, annotated, customized maps using Google Maps."
Creating a map is easy. Here are the basic steps:1. Go to Google Maps.
2. Click My Maps > Create new map.
3. Add a title and description for your map. You can make your map public or unlisted. Learn more.
4. Use the icons in the the top right corner of the map.
(via the engine)
Posted by Groonk at 01:23 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Google-fied, Tutorials
January 05, 2007
Celebrities Like to Make Shit Up
The only thing weirder than realizing the famous fancy themselves master inventors is trying to figure out how to categorize that weirdness. Then it gets even stranger. A click to the source of these curiosities reveals it's the result of Google's new Patent Search feature.
- Eddie Van Halen, Musician. Patent #4,656,917 — Musical instrument support
- Zeppo Marx, Actor/Comedian. Patent #3,473,526 — Cardiac pulse rate monitor
- Harry Connick, Jr., Musician/Actor. Patent #6,348,648 — System and method for coordinating music display among players in an orchestra
- Penn Jillette, Magician. Patent #5,920,923 — Hydro-therapeutic stimulator (for, um, sexual stimulation)
- Michael Jackson, Singer. Patent #5,255,452 — Method and means for creating anti-gravity illusion
- Julie Newmar, Actress (“Batman” TV Show). Patent #3,914,799 — Pantyhose with shaping band for cheeky derriere relief
- Jamie Lee Curtis, Actress. Patent #4,753,647 — Infant garment
The above image is from the Penn Jillette idea. Heh, a bathtub vibrator. I thought they already invented that one and called it a jacuzzi.
(via ontd and ironicsans)
Posted by Groonk at 10:52 AM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Google-fied, Technology
November 16, 2006
Canada Knows All of Tesla's Secrets
Catching up on my Diggnation podcasts I learned of this documentary "The Missing Secrets of Nikola Tesla" on Google Video.
I've learned a a few things about Tesla recently. The man was a freaking insane genius. I think he is the epitome of both words in one freakishly tall man.
That's the full documentary above. A full 46 minutes of the odds and ends of Tesla. I wonder if it mentions the Five Fists of Science.
(via diggnation)
Posted by Groonk at 03:11 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Google-fied, Just Freaking Neat, Research, Science, Tesla, Video
November 04, 2006
Is Google Really The Man(tm)?
Former CIA clandestine case officer Robert David Steele made some very hot comments on his appearance on the Alex Jones radio show. Steele cites his contacts within the agency with the information that Google and the CIA are involved with one another.Steele said, "I think that Google has made a very important strategic mistake in dealing with the secret elements of the U.S. government - that is a huge mistake and I’m hoping they’ll work their way out of it and basically cut that relationship off."
The article goes on to point out that Steele did not bring any evidence to back up his claims. So it's all conspiracy fodder for now.
(via the files of warren ellis)
Posted by Groonk at 02:54 AM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Google-fied
September 08, 2006
Google To Try and Steal Project Gutenberg's Thunder, Free Domain Mega Search Begins
Project Gutenberg has been doing this for years. That's all I'm saying.
And, honestly, Project Gutenberg is my first choice for finding free domain books. Google will be a distant second.
Using Google's Book Search service, Web surfers hunting titles like Dante's "Inferno" and Aesop's "Fables" will be able to download PDF files of the books for later reading, to run keyword searches or to print them on paper. Up to now, the service only allowed people to read the out-of-copyright books online.
(via diggnation and business week online)
Posted by Groonk at 07:41 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Books, Google-fied
September 07, 2006
Google to Search 2 Whole Centuries of News
People using the search are shown results from both free and subscription-based news outlets.
Partners in the project include the websites of US newspaper the New York Times and the Guardian from the UK.
Other sources include news aggregators, websites which collect and display news stories from multiple sources.
"The goal here is to be able to explore history as it unfolded," said Anurag Acharya, an engineer at Google and one of the team behind the project.
(via bbc news)
Posted by Groonk at 12:42 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Google-fied
August 23, 2006
Gawker Likes to Stalk Celebrities
And they hacked Google maps to do it.
What do Keith David, Seth Meyers and Jake Gyllenhaal have in common? They're all tagged on Gawker's list.
Honestly, this is sorta creepy. Stalkers give me a wiggins.
(via gawker)
Posted by Groonk at 09:17 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Google-fied
July 07, 2006
Google Wants You To Draw
Google SketchUp (free) is an easy-to-learn 3D modeling program that enables you to explore the world in 3D. With just a few simple tools, you can create 3D models of houses, sheds, decks, home additions, woodworking projects - even space ships. And once you've built your models, you can place them in Google Earth, post them to the 3D Warehouse, or print hard copies.
Google SketchUp is free for personal use. No registration is required.
(via Make Podcast: how to make a workbench)
Posted by Groonk at 06:30 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Google-fied, Just Freaking Neat, Tutorials
May 18, 2006
MASHUP: Weathermole tells you about the rain
Julien Chastang mashed up Google and your local weather. If your local weather is in the continental US.
Sorry, Rest of the World. Your ass has to look out a window.
some cows may experience dew
(via rocketboom)
Posted by Groonk at 03:56 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Google-fied
April 13, 2006
Google calendar is a go
Google Calendar = http://www.google.com/calendar
It is tied in to Google's e-mail service, Gmail, automatically offering to add the date information in a message to the calendar.
The calendar is Google's latest effort to offer all-purpose web services.
(via bbc news)
Posted by Groonk at 08:15 AM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Google-fied
March 13, 2006
M-A-R-S, Google Mars, Bitches!
Posted by Groonk at 04:29 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Google-fied, Mars
January 13, 2006
NPR Stations Google Mapped
Find any NPR broadcast in your current area by plugging in a zip code or city and state.
Posted by Groonk at 05:26 AM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Google-fied
December 15, 2005
Google Music
Clicking on the link will take you to a Google Music page with links to artist information, album information, artist websites, photos, along with online discussions. There are also the inevitable "buy this album" links to places like the iTunes Music Store, Amazon, Wal-Mart, and other online merchants.
(via ars technica)
Posted by Groonk at 03:15 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Google-fied
December 12, 2005
Cool Google Maps
Cool Google Maps catalogs all the google maps mashups that are created day to day.
My favorites include:
Japanese Castle Maps
Concert Maps
X-Map(in which you can search for any randomness found in your state)
Brewpub Brewery Map( a gift from all the good gods)
What time is it? (find out the local time anywhere)
The Housing Rental Map(posted on groonk.net back in April 05)
Maps of interest:
track George W Bush map
Gym Map(no excuse to skip working out now)
Hotel Finder
Fast Food locator(use technology to get fat)
Map gas prices
And one they don't have yet:
The Ontario Beer Hunter(find out where to get a drink any where in Ontario, Canada)
Posted by Groonk at 06:59 AM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Blogged, Google-fied, Research
November 06, 2005
Groonk Nation is Frappr'd
If you're out there and visit this noise...make yourself known.
Posted by Groonk at 03:16 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Google-fied
October 08, 2005
Panoramio
Google maps + your photos = Panoramio
View photos that have been uploaded from specific locations around the world or upload the photos yourself!
I wanted to see the world today. Panoramio let me do just that.
Posted by Groonk at 12:16 PM | Comments (1) | Ministry of Google-fied
September 23, 2005
Newspapers, Blogging, Podcasting, Web Only Rita
The Huston metblog is doing frequent first-person updates.
This site includes a Google hack that combines Google Maps with hurricane tracking data, for a comprehensive view of Rita's activities: Link
Houston TV Station KHOU is reporting Rita updates on a blog which may become their primary distribution means if things get rough. Includes MP3 audio and text story summaries. Link
A newspaper in Lake Charles, LA is using blogspt to report on Rita.
(all via boingboing)
Posted by Groonk at 01:57 AM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Blogged, Google-fied, Research, USA
August 26, 2005
Google: Unifying Instant Messaging
Quick follow up.
The new messaging and internet phone service, called Google Talk, is designed to break down the walls between different instant messaging systems. Normally, these services these only let users chat with others on the same network.
According to Harik, Google Talk will connect users of different instant messaging services using software packages – called Jabber and Trillion – which are designed to act as a cyber switchboard.
This capability has the potential to make instant messaging as interoperable as email or regular telephone services, allowing anyone to contact anyone else with an account or a phone, says Harik.
So Google, what are we going to do tonight?
Narf.
(via newscientists)
Posted by Groonk at 01:52 AM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Google-fied, Technology
August 24, 2005
Google Talk
It's about fucking time!
The new program, Google Talk, will compete against similar free services offered for several years by America Online Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Yahoo Inc. All are vying to increase their presence on PCs to boost online ad revenue and name recognition. (MSNBC is a Microsoft - NBC joint venture.)
7d sent me an invite this afternoon and b55seddel reminded me that I was keeping up with all things google and sent me this link.
Posted by Groonk at 10:05 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Google-fied, Technology
July 30, 2005
More Flickr Apps
On the one hand I'm obssessed with Flickr.
On the other hand I'm obssessed with Google Earth.
Let's put those hands together.
There's a dyanmic layer that links from Google Earth to geotagged Flickr images.
You can now reverse it and "link to Google Earth dynamically from within the Flickr website, letting Google Earth fly you to the spot where your geotagged photo was taken"
(via ogleearth)
You can also automate geotagging with Firefox extension Grease Monkey.
(via ogleearth)
Then there's Geobloggers:
Now all I need is a GPS.
Posted by Groonk at 06:38 PM | Comments (2) | Ministry of Apps, Flickrlicious, Google-fied
July 28, 2005
Shuttle/ISS rendezvous Revisited
I would have had pictures the first time but Groonk Command and Control isn't fully functional yet.
But now I have half my image resizing capabilities and Google Earth on my side:
just north of Australia
full globe view
off the coast of japan
they passed me by again...the bastards
Many,many thanks go to ogle earth for the live Gearth/Shuttle tracking application.
Posted by Groonk at 05:21 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Apps, Blogged, Google-fied, Science, USA, World
July 27, 2005
Track the Space Shuttle and ISS with Google Maps
Run your own mission control from home and track the shuttle and the space station using google maps.
Course without any kind of communication with said places, you're pretty much commanding naval lint.
But you can watch the rendezvous at 6:18 CDT Thursday July 28 2005.
(via digg)
Posted by Groonk at 07:36 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Apps, Google-fied, Science
June 29, 2005
Google Earth
As luck would have it, the sucker isn't working right now.
Google appreciates my patience though.
They don't know a damn thing about me, do they?
update 7/2/05: Ponzu sends a Major Geeks link that's still Google Earth active.
(via undrew)
Posted by Groonk at 05:47 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Apps, Google-fied
June 21, 2005
Census Hack of Google Maps
I'm unofficially keeping up with all things google.
This time a fellow combined 2000 census data with google maps.
(via boingboing)
Posted by Groonk at 11:43 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Apps, Google-fied
April 25, 2005
Google, History of
Here's a collection of cached pages of Google's home page throughout the years, courtesy of the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
(via digg)
Posted by Groonk at 11:26 AM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Google-fied, History
April 23, 2005
Googlmancy
I'm still researching the ideas behind magic and anything related to it.
Googlemancy is a term which is catching on in occult circles as quickly as its secular counterpart ?googling? is in the mainstream. Search engines offer us the ability to train our magickal consciousness using Spare?s framework. Though googlemancy is primarily seen as a divinatory process, it also has applications in enchantment and illumination. Using it to develop adept consciousness is a fairly simple process and starts off by mirroring the letter scramble approach to sigilization.
Go figure there's a livejournal community commited to Googlmancy.
(via warrenellis)
Posted by Groonk at 02:08 AM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Culture, Google-fied, Grammar, Research
April 14, 2005
Google Video Search: Beta
Google's next bid on world domination involves video searches:
At present, Google Video allows you to search within an expanding archive of TV content -- sports, docs, and news, mostly. But today, with the launch of the company's Video Upload Program, Google has begun accepting video content from anyone who cares to upload it. Submitted content won't be available for viewing right away, the Google faq says -- they're just now starting the gathering phase. And yes, would-be sharers must consider certain legal and technical details.
In review, I have tracked several Google innovations:
1) Gmail
2) Google Moz browser
3) Google SMS
4) The Google-Famous Libraries Project
5) Google Maps
6) Google Maps via Satellite
And that's not counting pre-existing features like Froogle, Google Image search, Google News, Google Local, and etc and etc.
You can't tell me they're not aiming for world domination
(via boingboing)
Posted by Groonk at 11:52 AM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Apps, Google-fied
April 13, 2005
Google's Satellite Maps bring Surprises
...it is possible to see in the satellite image the complete layout of the streets and infrastructure of Black Rock City, the makeshift town around which Burning Man, a countercultural festival held late each summer, is built.
burning man
icebreaker
bombs
But the unexpected appearance of the pre-event Burning Man construction is hardly the only surprise in Google's database of satellite images. And other satellite imagery companies say that they, too, are often startled by what they find when they analyze the hundreds of shots they take daily.Notable surprises include a just-erupted volcano, violent scenes from Iraq (a bomb going off in Baghdad and a firefight in Najaf) and even a 747 landing in Tokyo, something difficult to capture given that the satellite is moving at 17,000 mph.
Much larger photos are on the Wired site.
I just tracked my apartment and my route to school. It's neat and disconcerting at the same time.
Space Imaging allows you to search the entire globe using satellite views.
(via wirednews)
Posted by Groonk at 12:38 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Apps, Culture, Google-fied, Technology
April 09, 2005
Craigs list for rent ads merged with Google Maps
An insanely wonderful hack of Google Maps and Craigs List:
the service places all the houses/apartments for rent/sale on Craigslist as waypoints on a Google Map, color-coded by price, with links to the Craigslist ads.
I hope that noise is still running when I graduate and am ready to leave this joint.
(via boingboing)
Posted by Groonk at 02:18 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Apps, Google-fied
April 06, 2005
Google Finds Your Ass via Satellite
Google needs to work on making their mapping software a bit more accurate before they start adding shit to it.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Online search engine leader Google has unveiled a new feature that will enable its users to zoom in on homes and businesses using satellite images, an advance that may raise privacy concerns as well as intensify the competitive pressures on its rivals.The satellite technology, which Google began offering late Monday at , is part of the package that the Mountain View-based company acquired when it bought digital map maker Keyhole Corp. for an undisclosed amount nearly six months ago.http://maps.google.com
This marks the first time since the deal closed that Google has offered free access to Keyhole's high-tech maps through its search engine. Users previously had to pay $29.95 to download a version of Keyhole's basic software package.
A more traditional map will continue to be the first choice served up by Google's search engine. Users will have the option of retrieving a satellite picture by clicking on a button.
(via mywaynews)
Posted by Groonk at 02:33 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Apps, Google-fied
February 16, 2005
Google Map review
Some prink reviewed Google Maps and found aspects of it wanting. Well that's why it's still in beta, prink.
But as a product still in "beta," or test phase, Google Maps clearly needs fine-tuning. I wouldn't abandon Yahoo, Mapquest or MSN quite yet.
Yahoo maps never helped me find anything.
(via 7d)
Posted by Groonk at 10:52 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Apps, Google-fied
February 08, 2005
Google Map: Beta
Sweet Zeus!
Google's highly detailed city mapping system is too awesome for words.
(via goto+play)
Posted by Groonk at 05:47 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Apps, Google-fied
December 01, 2004
Google SMS
Google now has an SMS service that's most intriguing:
Google SMS (Short Message Service) enables you to easily get precise answers to specialized queries from your mobile phone or device. Send your query as a text message and get phone book listings, dictionary definitions, product prices and more. Just text. No links. No web pages. Simply the answers you're looking to find.
For example, you can find out where a pizza is, where your friend (or enemy) lives, and more importantly, you can find out word definitions.
Google is becoming handy as fuck, lately.
link via teknesia
Posted by Groonk at 03:55 PM | Comments (0) | Ministry of Apps, Google-fied
