Posted on 07/24/2014 1:18:00 AM PDT by Slings and Arrows
It is either the funniest thing on the internet, or the creepiest, but one thing is for certain: a guy called Owen Mundy knows where your cat lives.
No matter where you are in the world, if you have posted a photo of your feline friend on social media, chances are Professor Mundy’s supercomputer has captured it, collated it, and pinpointed your location.
Professor Mundy combines art, design and computer programming in his addictive site – simply titled iknowwhereyourcatlives.com - highlighting our obsession with cats and the trends of the internet.
On his website, Mundy reveals that there are 15 million photos tagged with the word ‘cat’ on the internet – and thousands more are being added around the world every day.
He swept popular photo-sharing sites, searching the word ‘cat’ (which is why some photos are of people, or pictures of cats, or cat tattoos etc), and captured around one million pictures.
Using latitude and longitude coordinates embedded in pictures’ metadata, Mundy used a supercomputer at Florida State University to present them in clusters on a map of the world.
Before you start calling the police, he has not included postcodes or addresses, just a simple general area – and, of course, the photo you uploaded.
The result is: a decent way to waste about two hours of your life.
We can’t think of any real practical use for the site, although it would have been handy for James Bond when he was searching for that elusive underground lair.
(Excerpt) Read more at metro.co.uk ...
This guy’s hobby obsession could end up being very useful. If I were him, I would expect a very polite email, tweet or phone call from Scotland Yard, extending to him an offer he best not refuse. If they don’t get him on the payroll, a group of jewel and furniture thieves is standing next in line.
Doesn’t have either of my cats. This is actually kinda creepy.
What about cat burglars?
"I see no problem with this."
I.cant get it to work to see if he has my kitty.
NSA: “That’s chickenfeed.” WE KNOW WHERE YOUR GUNS ARE.
Another reason to avoid “social media”.
It’s based on Google Earth. You may need a desktop machine.
At the bottom of the lake, after that tragic boating accident.
Indeed.
Zoom the map in on your house. Then zoom out a few times, until the site switches from displaying individual cats to showing cat counts in the region. You'll find the numbers are way low compared to the actual number of cats that should be in the area.
Cat burglars?
“Mundy used a supercomputer at Florida State University to present them in clusters on a map of the world.”
Hmm, sounds like public assets being used for
personal reasons. One more reason I don’t subscribe to social media. Other than FR and an email address that’s about it for me.
Even his name is creepy. I can hear the news report now:
“Professor Owen Mundy was a quiet man, lived alone, his only hobby, locating where cats live, until THE HEADS OF 5 COLLEDGE STUDENTS WERE FOUND IN HIS FREEZER!
>>Cat burglars?
The director John Waters says that he used to case houses to break into as a yute based on photos of people's "stuff" in the newspaper.
Now everyone posts their rooms online for the world to see.
Exactly zero cat pictures near my local Chinese restaurant. Strange.
The cat project is a legitimate computer science project, and I don’t doubt that he’s gotten numerous publications out of it. Not sure about the heads in the freezer, though.
“Not sure about the heads in the freezer, though.”
Me neither but these days, not out of the realm of possibility.
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