Infinite Flight’s prettiest views imo.

Decoding Apple Maps Guide URLs

Share view for a personal Guide in Apple Maps.

Revisiting the noted release of beta dot maps dot apple dot com just now, I found my way back to back to a “mystery” I deserted some years ago[^1] when “Guides” were first added to Apple Maps. You can see the result inputted into the ChatGPT conversation pasted below of using the share sheet on my personal “Columbia Area Essentials” Guide (see above.)

You’ll note that said URL is very different from the officially published (and entirely useless to any real person as far as I can tell) Guides (ex: “The best things to do in Paris” - https://guides.apple.com/?lsp=9902&pg=10753559041452954389) in that at least some of the data is encoded directly into the URL.

I should have recognized it as base64 immediately but… I didn’t.


You:

Can you tell me what type of encoding the following URL is using?

https://guides.apple.com/?ug=ChhDb2x1bWJpYSBBcmVhIEVzc2VudGlhbHMSDgiuTRCOlIuKnObzvcYBEg4Irk0QuZTq18HKsu3jARINCK5NEObEq77r9OSRfBINCK5NEI7Eq4Oy2M7pIBINCK5NEKuu8s%2FmyrKIbxINCK5NELqP87HO%2BMuvFxIOCK5NEJ79oLGW0NvzzAESDgiuTRCb76zk3OnngYwBEmIaNDY5MDAgRSBPJ1JlYXIgUmQsIENvbHVtYmlhLCBNTyAgNjUyMDIsIFVuaXRlZCBTdGF0ZXMiEglj0t9L4YVDQBGP4bGfxQ5XwCoWV2lsZCBIYXZlbiBOYXR1cmUgQXJlYRIOCK5NENWijbSzrKiUsQESDQiuTRC6wa7Ymbzj%2FRASVxo2MjI0OSBSVC0xNjEsIE1vbnRnb21lcnkgQ2l0eSwgTU8gIDYzMzYxLCBVbml0ZWQgU3RhdGVzIhIJCbWVTW90Q0AR%2FSSIBJ3iVsAqCVJlZCdzIEdhcxJkGjM1NDk1IFBlYWJvZHkgUmQsIENvbHVtYmlhLCBNTyAgNjUyMDIsIFVuaXRlZCBTdGF0ZXMiEglOnUfF%2F4FDQBFd%2BpekMhBXwCoZQmlvcmVhY3RvciBMYW5kZmlsbCBTY2FsZRINCK5NENr875OEgrjaRhIOCK5NEJvi0MzqrNvPkAESDgiuTRCekraew5bK%2BYEBEigiEglIaww6IXZDQBHvOEVHchhXwCoSVGltbXkncyBQb29sIFBhcnR5Eg4Irk0QvOT4n5v89b3YARJjGjQxODE4IFcgV29ybGV5IFN0LCBDb2x1bWJpYSwgTU8gIDY1MjAzLCBVbml0ZWQgU3RhdGVzIhIJgfQDDex6Q0AR9nQaDnAXV8AqF0NvbHVtYmlhIFB1YmxpYyBTY2hvb2xzEg0Irk0QhYfHuNKupMRyEg0Irk0Ql4qYqMH2z4NaEg0Irk0QxeSu%2B%2BH8qdYpEmQaMVcgQnVyciBPYWsgUmQsIENvbHVtYmlhLCBNTyAgNjUyMDMsIFVuaXRlZCBTdGF0ZXMiEgl4qLKi0HJDQBGS0fK%2Fyx1XwCobQmlnIEJ1cnIgU3RhcnJ5IFNreSBQYXJraW5nElUaNDEwOSBFIFN0ZXdhcnQgUmQsIENvbHVtYmlhLCBNTyAgNjUyMDMsIFVuaXRlZCBTdGF0ZXMiEgmZ45AAKnlDQBFutYxDfRVXwCoJR2F5IEhvdXNlEioiEgllGNT9aHdDQBF19ro0gBlXwCoUQ2hlcnJ5IEhpbGwgR2Fkd2VlYm8SDQiuTRDa5dLMx9iizjwSKCISCST3KwAaakNAEYoHfXZHD1fAKhJDYXJ0d3JpZ2h0IENpcmN1aXQSDgiuTRCZr9mgssangeMBEg0Irk0Q%2B9uh18izx8pDEg0Irk0Q9afRyfG15J1VEg0Irk0QzcPM%2BKjp5blvEg0Irk0QiK%2Fhu7XP3acIEg4Irk0QjZS24KKtt%2FaIAQ%3D%3D

ChatGPT:

The URL you provided appears to be using percent encoding (also known as URL encoding).

In percent encoding, special characters are replaced with a percent sign (%) followed by two hexadecimal digits that represent the ASCII code of the character. For example:

  • The space character ( ) is represented as %20.
  • The slash character (/) is represented as %2F.

In the URL you provided, you can see encoded characters such as %2F, %2C, and %3D. This encoding is commonly used in URLs to ensure that all characters conform to the standard URL format and can be safely transmitted over the internet.

You:

Are you able to decode it?

ChatGPT:

Sure, I can help you decode the URL. Here’s the decoded version of the URL you provided:

https://guides.apple.com/?ug=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

In this decoded URL, spaces and other special characters that were percent-encoded are now displayed in their original form. The string following ug= is still encoded and appears to be in base64 format. If you need further decoding of that part, it would require additional processing to decode the base64 string.

Would you like me to proceed with decoding the base64 portion of the URL as well?

You:

Yes please.

ChatGPT:

Sure, I’ll decode the base64 portion of the URL for you. The base64 encoded string is:

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

Let me decode this for you.

You:

Please continue

ChatGPT:

Sure, I’ll decode the base64 string step by step. Here’s the rest of the base64 string:

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

Now, I’ll decode it.

ChatGPT:

It looks like there was an issue with the decoding process. I’ll retry the decoding process properly.

Let me proceed with decoding the base64 string now.

ChatGPT:

The decoded base64 string appears to be a structured data representation, possibly in a binary or protocol buffer format. Here’s a partial interpretation of the decoded content:

Columbia Area Essentials
46900 E O'Rear Rd, Columbia, MO 65202, United States
Wild Haven Nature Area
62249 RT-161, Montgomery City, MO 63361, United States
Red's Gas
35495 Peabody Rd, Columbia, MO 65202, United States
Bioreactor Landfill Scale
41818 W Worley St, Columbia, MO 65203, United States
Columbia Public Schools
Big Burr Starry Sky Parking
4109 E Stewart Rd, Columbia, MO 65203, United States
Cherry Hill Gadweebo
Cartwright Circuit

This suggests that the encoded data is a list of locations, likely with additional metadata such as coordinates or identifiers. However, there are non-printable characters and other binary data interspersed, which indicate this is not a straightforward text encoding but rather a structured format requiring specific decoding logic, likely a protobuf or similar serialization format.


Also, WTF??

[1] 2014, in iOS 14 Beta.

when he go and spend every second of the whole weekend at the racetrack "snapping photos," but this all he come back with...

Sunset behind a tree and a forest, with a grassy field in the foreground and a partly cloudy sky above.

when he go and spend every second of the whole weekend at the racetrack "snapping photos," but this all he come back with...

Nilay Patel Calls for 5G Emails

If you are a person…

⏚̶̯̺͎̦̬̝̺͓̝̳̞̙͈̦̦̹̫͆̏̊̓̉͗͋ͭ͂ͥ̏͛́͘ͅ⏚ͨͩ͊̍̍ͪ͂͆̉̂ͨͣ̓͏͏̪̙̝̜̫̫̥̱̫͙͕!̵̮̯̲͚͉̪̱̻̝̠̜̳̓ͮͨ͊̐ͮ̃̽̚͝ ̶̵̶̢̛͎̲͉̠̱̝͇̙̹̺̼̮̯̘ͦ̌ͤ̋ͭͮͩͫͩ͌̿ͧ̂̇ͥ̒ͦ͛̚ƃ̸̣͙̺̠̻͖̩͓̬̯̩̦̙̗̮̎̇ͧ͒̏ͩ͆ͦͦ̚̚͡🅽̔̋͑̂ͤ̍ͩͫ͌́̾ͥ͏͈͙̩̝̜̙͔̙̝̹̠͙͔́⌶̛̑ͧ̋ͣ̂͆̀̎͆̃̇̿̊ͯ̽ͮͧ͜͏̶̘̣̠͔ⓝ̶̊̌ͦͮ̑͂͂ͣ͝͏͓̗͔̝̦ⓡ̴̶͎͕͔̤̣̃ͮ͌̈́̈͌̇̌ͣ̔͜͠@̷̼̤͍̤̻̪̈́ͬ̏͋̑͊̏͑̅ͭ̄̃̓ͦ͝͞͝㎚͕͉͉̲̝̬͉͕̦̯̼͍̇̓͗̏̓̑ͣ͞͞ ̡̬͎͉̣̖͙̗͙̪̞̼ͧ̊ͯ͆̉̎͂͌̈ͫ́͞ ̨̢̔ͨͮ͂̓ͣͤ̆̈́̂͑̈́̊̀ͫ̉҉̛̩͍̼̬̦͎̖́⍙̴̪̦̭̲̟͑ͫ̇̀̔ͬ̆ͬ̈́͑͟͠ͅ🇴🇴͒̓ͯ̓̾̀ͩ͆̋̄͛͒̐̏̅͋ͧ̍͏̸̢͍͕̪̠̗̩͓̙̳̬͉͔͠⅁̵̶̢̗̦̬̭͕̼̥̥̦͙͚͓̲̺͍͉̼̇̾̈͒͋͘

I just realized how incredibly original Sunlit is in simply allowing one the ability to source one’s already-uploaded (but not shared, notably) media library… which is alarming, but delightful.

I just realized how incredibly original Sunlit is in simply allowing one the ability to source one’s already-uploaded (but not shared, notably) media library… which is alarming, but delightful.

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Ranting Around about Wavelength

Wavelength metadata entry view

Thoughts about capturing audio with handsets.

caracole

Verb

  1. make a half turn on a horse, in dressage
    • Less specific
      • turn

caracole - LookUp

noun

  1. Riding a half turn to the right or left by a horse

verb

  1. Riding (of a horse) perform a caracole he danced sideways and then caracoled round the corner of the stables

Origin

early 17th century : French caracole , caracol , via Italian from Spanish caracol snail, snail’s shell, spiral

Urban Dictionary

Caracol is a very unique name given to a special and loving girl. This girl will stop at nothing to make her friends happy and is probably the sexiest, most talented and wonderful girl you will ever meet. She is also a very bootyful Mayan goddess who has the powers to seduce any man or lesbian that walks her way.

Friend 1 “I saw Caracol the other day” Friend 2 " I bet she was rocking her spandex and gettin' men" Friend 1 “And she was twerking. REALLY WELL”

I Wonder What the Hell Auphonic Did with this Shit

Waiting on Auphonic

Vegan Engine Coolant

Caint believe it.

Craft Assistant on Commercialized Religion

I was reminded yesterday - as I am very, very occasionally - about a thing I blasted out on The Psalms in early August 2019 about my early childhood mobility from the traditional to the trendy, contemporary side of protestant Christianity. It’s still one of my favorites, but I’ve long since conceded that it’s only of any interest/entertainment to a relatively narrow range of my peers, so please don’t force yourself…

I did, however, find the ability of whatever LLM is powering Craft’s “AI Assistant” to comprehend (pretty much uniquely lol) and … proceed to falsify (when asked with its “Continue Writing” feature) an intriguing, if entirely reiterative, continuation:

Read More →

knave

Noun

  1. a deceitful and unreliable scoundrel
    • Synonyms
      • rogue
      • rascal
      • rapscallion
      • scalawag
      • scallywag
      • varlet
    • Less specific
      • villain
      • scoundrel
    • Related
      • rascally
      • roguish
      • scoundrelly
      • blackguardly
  2. one of four face cards in a deck bearing a picture of a young prince
    • Synonyms
      • jack
    • Less specific
      • face card
      • picture card
      • court card

knave - LookUp

noun

  1. archaic a dishonest or unscrupulous man
  2. (in cards) a jack

Origin

Old English cnafa boy, servant , of West Germanic origin; related to German Knabe boy

Thesaurus

Noun

  1. don’t let yourself by hoodwinked by that knave

Similar Words: scoundrel rogue villain rascal good-for-nothing wretch ne’er-do-well unprincipled person reprobate scapegrace wrongdoer evil-doer charlatan cheat swindler fraudster louse hound cur rat scumbag wrong’un beast son of a bitch SOB skunk nasty piece of work ratbag scrote blighter spalpeen sleeveen fink rat fink scamp scally bastard dog dirty dog swine cad heel bad egg dastard stinker rotter bounder blackguard miscreant varlet vagabond rapscallion whoreson

Urban Dictionary

An unprincipled, crafty fellow.

He’s but Fortune’s knave, A minister of her will.

reticent

Adjective

  1. temperamentally disinclined to talk
    • Synonyms
      • untalkative
    • Similar to
      • taciturn
    • Related
      • reserve
      • reticence
      • taciturnity
  2. cool and formal in manner
    • Synonyms
      • restrained
      • unemotional
    • Similar to
      • undemonstrative
  3. reluctant to draw attention to yourself
    • Synonyms
      • self-effacing
      • retiring
    • Similar to
      • unassertive

reticent - LookUp

adjective

  1. not revealing one’s thoughts or feelings readily

she was extremely reticent about her personal affairs

Origin

mid 19th century : from Latin reticent- remaining silent , from the verb reticere , from re- (expressing intensive force) + tacere be silent

Thesaurus

Adjective

  1. Smith was extremely reticent about his personal affairs

Similar Words: reserved withdrawn introverted restrained inhibited diffident shy modest unassuming shrinking distant undemonstrative wouldn’t say boo to a goose uncommunicative unforthcoming unresponsive tight-lipped close-mouthed close-lipped quiet taciturn silent guarded secretive private media-shy playing one’s cards close to one’s chest mum

Opposites: expansive garrulous

[Urban Dictionary](http://reticent.urbanup.com/6475021 “Definition of “reticent” on Urban Dictionary”)

A demeanor by which the individual does not readily display their thoughts or feelings. This individual may make an excellent undercover government operative or ninja.

His reticent demeanor made him extremely difficult to read.

inferences.json

As the utter psychosis of adtech has come further and further into the mainstream light, I have been occasionally enjoying myself by “leveraging” GDPR-obliged services against the most virulent believers with which I’ve had an account (so, all of them) in order to obtain just glimpses into the actual data of the mythos we’ve all built about the shit. To be honest, I’m still surprised when I find out that the huge majority of people have never bothered, and I try not to dwell on my (informed, taxing) supposition that the individual user’s volition in regards to this inherently exploitive dynamic we’ve sold the web to has been in control of the masters of these mechanisms.

The dictionary below is the entirety of a file I found among my Spotify user data export entitled inferences.json, explained in context a little more by Pragya Verma in this Medium post.

Inferences.json contains Spotify’s understanding of you as a user i.e., what kind of content you consume on Spotify like education, business, dance, and so on.

Two YouTube Favorites of "My" Era

The Tangerine Knight

...some men just want a tangerine.

Slick’s 2009 Airventure Comp

No caption

<img id=“rss_item_716003355395634556” src=“https://pxscdn.com/public/m/_v2/3377/3781ba7d4-1bb9dc/TQlyp9993oyC/iV08XPxl34ciXqnnwlTbepE0FYBR9BZKbyoruGXQ.jpg" alt=“A man standing next to and pointing at a “City Limit Lupus Pop. 33” sign on a rural roadside.">

No caption

A dimly lit urban street at night with parked cars, buildings, and a streetlight illuminating the scene.