It's 3:30AM

Well, this confirms it, the habits are pretty set in my mindset. But there's so much cool stuff on the internet, I just don't want to sleep. And I love this new Alkaline Trio album. Anyway, the real reason I'm awake at this ungodly hour is:

Google Earth

This is possibly one of the most innovative ideas that the online world has nurtured since peer to peer networking. Allow me to outline: basically, it's Google Maps, but surfaced over a 3D virtual earth. It's a program, but it's only a 10MB download, and all the details of the earth are streamed as you view them, which admittedly, takes time, even over a 2Mbit connection. But once you're viewing it from above, it gives you the incredible option to tilt from 90° to something like 5° or maybe 1°, I don't know, but it pretty much simulates flying at low angles. I zoomed into my house, and then into space in something like 5 seconds. It's breathtakingly beautiful. What's more is that they've mapped out the surface altitudes, so the mountains and hills actually take physical form when you view them from the sides. They are also in the process of mapping out cityscapes, allowing you to view cities realistically as a plane flying through.

Now, I'm not trying to sell it to you. It's free anyway, but I was genuinely amazed by this. It's stunning, and as they improve the satellite photo quality, it can only get better. If you have a computer good enough to handle the modeling and stuff, go for it immediately. It'll hit you with a big swap file though, so have some drive space. Google are selling Google Earth Servers with the terrabytes of satellite photos already there to allow standalone networks access to it.

Anyway, other than telling you about products...

I saw Jenny and Yukina again last night. It had been a while, and it was good to see them once more. Jenny has decided she will be going away next year, so I won't be seeing her as much, and Yukina's returning home in a couple of months, so I won't be seeing them much after my trip, so I'll see them while I can. Jenny got some photos of me in "girly poses", which she insists she will be posting. I might have to run approval first. I think I scared them with my outlandishly clashing colour choice, courtesy of my new wardrobe.

Anyway, before the sun rises, I'll leave you with that Google plug, and that update. Apart from a dentist appointment, and seven episodes of 24, nothing much happened today. So I'll say something important tomorrow. I'll probably see a film.