Mapping the Blind Spots: Developer Unearths Secret U.S. Military Bases

If you look closely enough on Google or Bing Maps, some places are blanked out, hidden from public view. Many of those places disguise secret or sensitive American military facilities.
The United States military has a foothold in every corner of the world, with military bases on every continent. It's not even clear how many there are out there. The Pentagon says there are around 5,000 in total, and 598 in foreign countries, but those numbers are disputed by the media.

But how do these facilities look from above? To answer that question, you first need to locate the bases. Which, as it turns out, is relatively easy.
That's what Josh Begley, a data artist, found out when he embarked on a project to map all known U.S. military bases around the world, collect satellite pictures of them using Google Maps and Bing Maps, and display them all online.
The project, which he warns is ongoing, was inspired by Trevor Paglen's book "Blank Spots on the Map" which goes inside the world of secret military bases that are sometimes censored on maps.
"I wanted to apply this to a digital landscape," Begley told Mashable. "What are the actual blind spots of Google Maps or Bing Maps? Which installations are secret and which can be viewed on the open Internet?"
Begley has found the coordinates for 650 bases, and published pictures for 644 of them — although a few are blacked out, not displayed, or blurred.
He started working on the project at the beginning of November, simply armed with the Department of Defense 2013 Base Structure Report, an inventory of all the real estate owned by the Pentagon around the world, a few media reports that uncovered secret bases, and a computer script he had used last year to make another mapping project that displayed aerial pictures of U.S. prisons.
He modified that script, which he made along with his friend and fellow digital artist Jer Thorp, to grab a series of coordinates from a database file, query the Google and Bing maps' APIs, and automatically capture a satellite picture of that spot. Sounds easy enough, but some publicly available coordinates aren't particularly precise, so Begley had to manually take screenshots for those (and he still has to finish correcting some mistakes).
This manual work was also necessary in cases where the bases are secret, or at least not officially acknowledged by the U.S. government. The CIA site that independent journalist Jeremy Scahill uncovered in Mogadishu, Kenya, or the secret drone base unearthed by Wired's Noah Shachtman earlier this year are examples.
Begley had already included a picture of a highly classified facility in Qatar before U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel officially revealed its location on Tuesday — even though it had been something of an open secret.
Which leads us to the question:

Is any of this actually a good idea?

Is any of this actually a good idea? Google Earth satellite pictures were reportedly used to pinpoint a target by terrorists who killed 164 people in a tragic attack in Mumbai, India, which prompted some to call for a ban on publishing these types of pictures.
"Google and Microsoft and every other commercial provider should be barred from photographing and displaying military bases," Computerworld's Patrick Thibodeau wrote at the time. "We are building intelligence capability for our enemies."
But experts disagree, and don't see Begley's site as something to worry about.
"

The capability to acquire and publish such imagery is simply a fact of life that military forces and others have to adapt to

The capability to acquire and publish such imagery is simply a fact of life that military forces and others have to adapt to," said Steven Aftergood, an expert in secrecy and researcher for the Federation of American Scientists. This capability can theoretically be used to plot terror attacks, he explained, but it can also provide great geographical insight.
"In an open society, we take the good with the bad," he told Mashable.
"I’m sure it’s not welcomed by the DoD," said Joe Francica, the editor in chief and vice publisher of Directions Media, a publication that covers geospatial technology. "But if you are in intelligence at Al-Qaeda, somebody probably has done this already."
A Department of Defense spokesperson didn't respond to Mashable's requests for comment.
Begley, on his part, said he would understand if someone criticized the project, but he doesn't see anything wrong with it.
"I'm mostly just posing the question," he said. "[The website] really is just a highlight of things that are already available on the Internet."
Moreover, it's not unprecedented. In 2000, pictures of the once secret Area 51, taken by a Russian satellite, were leaked on the Internet.
Nobody owns the skies above secret bases, so there's no law that prevents privately-owned or public satellites from snapping pictures from space. But when it comes to publishing them, secrecy can still prevail.
Google Maps, for example, doesn't show an image for the secret drone base exposed by Wired. But Bing does.
And in other cases the censorship — for lack of a better word — can be even more imaginative, as it is with images of the Volkel Air Base, a military base in the Netherlands.
These are cases in which Google and Microsoft were asked not to publish a clear image of the sites. The two companies declined to answer specific questions about the sites, and about Begley's project. But they explained that sometimes, it's not up to them to make these kind of calls.
"Google Earth is built from a broad range of imagery providers, including public, government, commercial and private sector sources — some of which may blur images before they supply it to us," said a Google spokesperson.
Microsoft, on its part, explained that sometimes it is required to delete or blur images. "We work with our imagery collection vendors to ensure that they comply with applicable laws," a company spokesperson said.
Take a look at the most interesting aerial views, as chosen by Begley himself, in the gallery below.
 

Harvey Point

Best Meteor Shower of the Year Peaks Tonight: How to Watch

One of the best meteor showers of the year is set to put on a performance Friday night, but if you can't catch the cosmic display in person, you can watch it live online.
The Geminid meteor shower — named for the constellation Gemini — is peaking late tonight into Saturday morning, potentially treating stargazers in light-free areas to about 90 to 120 meteors per hour. Observers can expect to get the best views of the shower, weather permitting, at around 4 a.m. local time in the wee hours of Saturday morning after the waxing moon sets, according to Bill Cooke, head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office.
"This year, there will be a magic hour starting at about 4 a.m. up until dawn that there will be no moon and you'll be able to see the Geminids in their full glory," Cooke told reporters on Dec. 11. Space fans everywhere can catch the meteor show live online through two webcasts from the online Slooh Space Camera and NASA. You can watch both NASA and Slooh's live webcasts on SPACE.com.
NASA is hosting a Web chat about the meteor shower beginning at 11 p.m. EST. Cooke and two of his team members — Danielle Moser and Rhiannon Blaauw — will answer questions from the public about the Geminids during the "up all night" webcast. The chat is expected to run until 3 a.m. EST and can be seen here: http://www.nasa.gov/connect/chat/geminids_2013a.html#.Uqr4FIZQGSo

Slooh will provide a free live feed of the Geminids from an observatory on the Canary Islands starting at 5:30 p.m. EST and running into the night, ending at 1 a.m. EST. You can watch the webcast directly at www.slooh.com or by using the space camera's iPad app.

Geminid meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Gemini and have a reputation for being bright and slow. The shower can also produce brilliant fireballs that streak through the sky.

"The best thing to do to observe meteors is to lie flat on your back and look straight up," Cooke said. "You don't want to look at Gemini, you just want to look straight up and take in as much of the sky as possible because meteors can appear anywhere in the sky and the more sky you see, the better you chance of seeing a meteor."

Meteor showers are created when Earth passes through streams of debris left behind by asteroids or comets. Pieces of space rock and dust are in space are called meteoroids and they become meteors when they burn up in the atmosphere. Meteorites are pieces of meteors that make it to Earth's surface.

The Geminid shower happens every year when Earth passes through the trail of debris left behind the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. The meteor display was first officially detected in the 1800s when the peak was marked by only 20 meteors per hour.

8 Signs You're Doing This Texting and Dating Thing Right

Today is your lucky day. You just scored the digits of your second hottest prospect on OKCupid and you're ready to start scheduling actual dates.
But don't start tapping away at that touchscreen just yet. Don't you know there are rules to this sort of thing? I mean, you wouldn't simply text someone you like and want to see again, would you? You might come off as desperate or clingy or, worse, like you're actually interested. Every texting move you make needs to be carefully planned so you don't totally embarrass yourself and die.

Never you fear, young Casanova. Consider this your guide to relationship texting etiquette. But please, don't follow these rules for face-to-face conversation. (I've never gotten past texting; I actually have no idea what real dating is like.)

1. Everyone loves one-word answers.

Trust me on this. If you get a well-typed, thoughtful paragraph about her bad day or his dinner suggestions, the most impactful response is a nice "k." Or "cool." Or how about "ha." That one always works.
Image: Imgur, ChiefofPoliceInternetDivision
The one-word answer is akin to the smile and nod in face-to-face conversation. It recognizes the person is talking, but allows you the freedom to completely zone out and instead focus on what's important to you.

2. Wait hours to respond.

The worst thing that could ever happen is to give her a whiff of how desperate you are for this date. When she sends you a text like "What are you doing today?", wait an hour to respond so it seems like you're accomplishing something really impressive instead of sitting on the couch. She'll immediately conjure images of you practicing your latest ballad on your guitar or volunteering at a soup kitchen — you know, something super fly.
If she waits an hour to respond to your text, then she's obviously really important. You should wait two hours to prove you're more important and busy than she is. Apply this ratio to every text. If simple conversations take days, you're doing it right.
This is also particularly effective in situations where the other person might be concerned for your emotional or physical well-being. Sending messages like "we need to talk" with no follow-up for hours is a good way to keep her anticipating your next move.

3. Text a lot so you're sure they're okay.

Every couple is different, and the waiting game doesn't always pay off as planned. If your boo isn't responding as quickly as you'd like, send him three or four more messages to make sure he's for sure getting your messages/hasn't died in a car crash. The longer he doesn't respond, assume the worst. Then make sure to communicate panic in your responses. Obviously something is wrong. Why wouldn't he respond to you right away? There's no possible explanation.
Image: Tumblr, onelastlove

4. Never. Text. First.

Ever. This is imperative. What, do you want to be the one who is always putting the most effort into the relationship? Do you want to always give 100% and only get 50% back? Of course you don't. You deserve better. You deserve a partner who cares. You deserve the first text every day.

5. Cut out unnecessary characters.

Even though you've got at least an hour to craft each response to perfection (if you're following rule No. 2 correctly), your responses should seem as rushed and hurried as possible. You don't have time to spell things correctly — you're busy volunteering at the soup kitchen, remember?
Remove unnecessary letters and words from your post. Vowels in particular are easy to cut. The key is to look as illiterate as possible, while still appearing to have some semblance of how words work.
Image: Flickr, IntelFreePress For example, an appropriate response to the question, "What are you doing tonight?" would be: "hdd 2 br w bros." Notice there are several possible meanings here. Are you headed to the bar with the bros? Did you have two beers with your bros? Are you advertising a two-bedroom apartment with your male roommates? Keep her guessing; it makes you mysterious.

6. Don't call them. Why would you call them?

This is important: Don't call someone you're just casually texting, and don't ever call someone who first texted you. What are you going to do next, propose marriage? It's way too soon for voice-to-voice communication.
"But wouldn't it be so much easier to arrange this with a five-minute phone call instead of a three-day texting conversation?" you ask. Of course it would. But it's 2013. These options just aren't available to you anymore.

Image: Tumblr, mindythings

7. Laugh at their jokes.

Just like real life, people like it when you validate their good sense of humor, so give a hearty "BAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHA" each time he says something mildly amusing. Alternate by throwing in a few "lols" or a "rofl" just to prove you're an equal opportunity acronym user.
You know what? Forget we said all this. Respond to all of his jokes and your own with a solid "he he." It says, "I'm playful and mischievous and not creepy at all."

8. Punctuation is key. Emoticons work, too.

Punctuation signifies the difference between nice texting and rude texting. You should always, always, always include multiple exclamation points at the end of positive responses. How else can you ensure the recipient knows you really are excited about her choice of restaurant?
If you're upset with your mate, a period at the end of a short response will assure her you mean business. Add commas, quotation marks and other confusing markings if you seek a more literary vibe. Don't use semicolons. No one knows how semicolons actually work.
If you fear the punctuation mark is making you seem too eager, replace it with an emoticon. Emoticons are the best and if you don't use them and instead rely on the power of the written language to attempt to convey emotions like poets have done for thousands of years, then you're a soulless machine.
Image: Tumblr, fuckyeahjamieking
And there you have it, you would-be romantics of the world, your fool-proof guide to romantic texting etiquette. Now get out there and make 'em swoon.
Editor's note: Don't follow any advice in this post. Ever. Dating is hard enough as is. Stop overthinking texting. Stop overthinking dating. Just stop it. It's supposed to be fun.

Fisher-Price's Apptivity Seat Is Bad for Babies

As a technology reporter and mommy blogger, you’d think the Fisher-Price Apptivity Seat for newborns — an infant seat with a holder for an iPad — would be something I appreciate. But I do not. Nor, it seems, do a number of advocacy groups that want it pulled off the market because they think iPads and babies are a dangerous combination.
Fisher-Price insists its seat is a sign of the times and age appropriate. I have done enough homework on early childhood development to tell you that not only is this seat a symptom of lazy parenting, it is guaranteed to make your baby more stupid.

It Takes Effort

Those of us who are parents know that raising children takes much more effort than we had originally planned, and this just doesn't sit well with some people. Does the Fisher-Price Apptivity Seat promote laziness? I’m not sold on that. The kind of parent that overuses baby seats and hardly holds or interacts with their children may find that the Apptivity Seat supports their lifestyle. But if it wasn't available, they'd just use the TV.

What's more, research suggests it might be detrimental to a child's development.

The Wrong Stimulation

Tablets give off blue light, which has been shown to disrupt sleep patterns. This isn't ideal for newborns, who are supposed to sleep every 90 minutes, according to pediatrician Marc Weissbluth, author of Healthy Sleep Patterns, Happy Child. Naps promote healthy growth, so why would you want to disrupt them?

In Your Brain On Childhood, developmental psychologist Gabrielle Principe outlines the way that an infant’s brain develops. Screen time can actually delay that growth. She says babies learn through eye contact and interaction with the world. In fact, humans are the only primates with the whites of our eyes showing, Principe explains, which means we teach with our eyes. When we say the word “apple,” our babies know what we mean because they follow our pupils to that object.

When babies look at a screen, they're not following their parents' eyes and movements; instead, they are staring at something that does not interact with them. Sure, apps may try to engage babies, but they don't have eyes or limbs. Babies can neither make eye contact with, nor imitate an avatar — no matter how cute. Most developers of children's apps know this; that's why most apps are written for children over 2, who are far too big for the Apptivity Seat.

Screen the Screen

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time before babies are at least 2 years old. I admit that I did not abide by this rule, but I also avoided handing my children a tablet just to shut them up. I played carefully selected apps with them. I used the tablet as an interactive book — not as a babysitter. I made and still make efforts to limit screen time.

There will come a day when we have to tear electronics out of our kids' hands. We will beg them to talk to us, look at us, interact with us. I am painfully aware of this. So why place them in front of screens almost from the moment they emerge from the womb?


In Brain Rules For Baby, brain scientist John Medina says there are two statistically significant ways to boost a child's intellect: Talk to your baby, and nurse for up to a year. Not everyone can do those things, but do you want a tablet in your way while you try?

If you’re a lazy parent, you’ll come up with plenty of excuses to defend Fisher-Price's $80 Apptivity Seat. But if you’ve done your homework, and read the research on early childhood and brain development, you’ll steer clear of it.

8 Brutally Honest Facebook Notifications That Need to Exist Now

1. Why They Really Broke Up

16 Gingerbread Houses to Feed Your Inner Nerd

For the sucrose craftsmen among us, there is no greater Christmas challenge than the nerdy gingerbread house. To make a structure that is simultaneously delicious and true to your beloved culture is a hefty task.
Once you've found that rare Tardis-blue frosting that doesn't taste like chalk, or the right kind of almonds to pave your chocolate creme footpaths, nothing is so satisfying as seeing the Internet praise your work.
From a lifelike Hobbit hole to the mansion of Jack Skellington the Pumpkin King, these are the kinds of houses that would belong in a museum — if only they didn't attract so many ants.

• 1. Grumpy Cat

  

  Image: Imgur, borborborbor

• 2. The Bumble Snow Monster of the North from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

  

  Image: Imgur, Robinsaneyo

• 3. Moe's Bar from The Simpsons

  

  Image: Imgur, jba55

• 4. Hobbit Hole from Lord of the Rings

  

  Image: Imgur, Gluverty

• 5. Gru's House from Despicable Me

  

  Image: Imgur, alshel711

• 6. The Burrow from Harry Potter

  

  Image: Imgur, Walksonthree

• 7. The Tardis from Doctor Who

  

  Image: Imgur, Fortunekitty

• 8. Jack Skellington's House from Nightmare Before Christmas

  

  Image: Flickr, tsayrate

• 9. The Death Star from Star Wars

  

  Image: Imgur, Sillstryparn

• 10. Serenity from Firefly

  

  Image: Imgur, supersopp

• 11. AT-AT from Star Wars

  

  Image: Imgur, JiveMonkey

• 12. Battle Cruiser from Starcraft

  

  Image: Imgur, Impudity

• 13. Hogwarts from Harry Potter

  

  Image: Imgur, jennywren15

• 14. Schrodinger's Cat

  

  Image: Imgur, Cybertrash

• 15. The RV from Breaking Bad

  

  Image: Imgur, luluthinksgreen

• 16. Dr. Gregory House from House M.D.

  

How to Recruit a Last-Minute Winter Intern

Nabbing the right intern is like finding the ultimate present in your stocking. The perfect intern can improve your operations and can be the missing link your organization has been needing. But, what happens if you miss the boat for recruiting winter interns?
Typically, winter recruitment season ends at the beginning of fall. Many winter internships are shorter than their fall and spring counterparts, some lasting only during the holidays and others extending from December to February. Despite the brevity, winter internships can still provide college students and recent grads — as well as organizations — with the help they need to get ahead.
If you find yourself needing an intern, but feel like you've waited too long to recruit one for the winter season, fret not! You just have to put a little magic into your recruitment strategy. Use these methods to recruit a winter intern effectively, even if you're strapped for time.

Be Competitive with Compensation

Pay is important. In fact, paid internship positions on my company's website, InternMatch, get 2.5 more clicks than their unpaid counterparts. While you may believe in unpaid internships, pay is a factor that's going to make your program attractive, especially when recruiting last-minute.
Diversifying your program by providing competitive compensation keeps interns happier and more engaged. In addition to assisting students and recent grads with alleviating loan debt and living expenses incurred while on the job in a new city, paying your interns also protects potential interns from workplace discrimination. Unpaid interns aren't seen as employees in the eyes of the law, and therefore do not have the same rights as traditional employees. Providing compensation means your interns are legally recognized as employees in case of the worst.

Reach Out to Your Network

Your network offers a bevy of wealth in the recruitment process. Someone always knows a talented candidate looking for employment opportunities. This is particularly helpful when you're in a time crunch. Be sure to target specific members of your network in order to gain the best results, including company alumni, former professors or classmates, colleagues and even campus career centers.

Check Out Online Recruitment

With 89% of job seekers using social networking sites, it's a good idea to use online recruitment tools when searching for top intern talent. Whether you amp up your career site, blast your message out on social media, create an infographic job description or make the most of online platforms designed to attract interns, sending your request into the interwebs, especially via social media, is a surefire way to nab a last-minute winter intern.

Hold a Virtual Meetup — Or Hire Remotely

Making a quick intern hire means you have to step outside of your usual recruiting routine. That's where virtual meetups like Google+ Hangouts can help.
As opposed to visiting multiple campuses or blasting out as many emails as you can, virtual meetups allow you to present the details of your internship program in a personalized way. You can answer questions prospective candidates may have, show them around the office and allow them to talk to current employees. You can also record the meetup to create evergreen blog or social media content for candidates who may have missed it.
In addition to virtual meetups, consider hiring entirely virtual interns. By using video chatting and online project management tools, you can interview, train and divvy out tasks even if your interns are working remotely, miles away from your home office. This saves you time and money while allowing you to cast a wider recruitment net.

Target Quarterly Universities

While students at traditional universities are revving up for exams before winter break, those at quarterly institutions are on a different schedule. These schools begin and end later in the year, meaning students may not be dealing with the stress of midterms or other end-of-semester commitments when you're looking to recruit extra talent. These students could also have more time to commit to your winter internship, even it it's shorter than summer or fall options. Check out a list of schools with quarterly schedules here.

Let Them Know How Your Program Stands Out

You may have outlined what you want out of an intern, but what are they looking for?
While many interns cite the need for better pay among internship programs, they also have other concerns. In fact, 30.2% of interns want opportunities to do real work, and 47.3% are interested in access to executives and mentorship. You can also ensure your program stands out by providing workplace perks like telecommuting and remote work options, a pet-friendly workplace, free meals, onsite amenities or gym memberships. In the end, communicating why your internship program stands out while keeping intern needs in mind is going to be what sets you apart from other programs.
If you've decided to take on a last-minute winter intern, be creative in your recruiting strategy. This will move the process along quickly while allowing you to source the best internship candidates for your organization.

Vote for Your Favorite Video Game of 2013

While much of the discussion in the gaming world this year centered around the highly-anticipated releases of the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 gaming consoles, 2013 has also been a strong year for releases of individual games.
Celebrated franchises such as Pokémon, Grand Theft Auto, and Saints Row released new installments, and original games such as Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and The Stanley Parable demonstrated great imaginative capabilities of developers.

1. Dead Rising 3

 

4. Skylanders SWAP Force

 

6. Grand Theft Auto V