Google mapping SF (and other major cities) in 3D 6/09/2005 08:34:00 PM (See what I'm talking about)
OK, so apparently Google is on a mission to map and serve up the world (according, at least, to the Silicon Valley Watcher).

I am all for this.

Disclaimer: I should REALLY be working on the wedding website right now, but I honestly just don't feel like it. Sorry, Dana. Geek attack.

Anyway, I had this idea (I'm not going to bother looking for the blog post about it from ages ago) about hooking up an optical sensor to my bike trainer (all the parts are still right here!) so I can determine speed during winter training sessions. This all became much less of a priority when the weather in Chicago got better and I realized I was moving to Houston, where there is no winter.

BUT, one of the things I thought about doing with my little toy was somehow hooking it in to a 3-D environment so that instead of staring at the wall, or music videos or boring sitcoms or what-have-you while on the trainer, one could look at, say, actual routes based on the distance they were travelling. If Google is indeed 3-D-ifying the whole world, this task would become much more simple (assuming, of course, they're as lenient with the applications produced to utilize it as they have been with the google maps hacks floating around. My favorite is the craigslist apartmentfinder hack).

I also posted about wanting that neato "extreme" flash-based videocamera for the same kind of thing.
In the Slashdot parlance:
1. Record video,
2. digitize,
3. play back at variable speed depending on speed of trainer,
4. Profit!!!

Another thing I want to do with this mystically-cool cycling vaporware: play back music with certain BPMs based on pedaling cadence (would need, of course, a cadence sensor as well for this bit of magic). That way, you've always got the perfect sountrack!

Ah, well. It's nice to dream, no? Perhaps I can do this in the time I save by not commuting to work this coming year?

That is, unless we're outsourced. Then it makes little difference. (BECAUSE I'LL HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD!)

And, as always in the words of Matt Fasana: "PATENT PENDING!"
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