Count the characters in each word, _ means 0

That takes us to this[1] Google doc with this embedded video[2]

[1] https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/11uA9a5wgoY9w9vOyx3C7...

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8uV0dCTKrE

The "Transmission" video is using TunesToTube.com.

It is a bunch of numbers being recited (though I don't know the significance of the static image):

"053 050 046 049 056 050 049 044 032 050 048 046 057 057 054 053" It then pauses and repeats for exactly 5 minutes.

Translated (by others in this thread), it turns into 52.1821, 20.9965, which brings you to the number 18, in Poland. It also links to this Google Drive folder titled "Latest Discoveries":

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B2BGioksxQiRc2hpTDJ1...

This has a few photos of statues of the Buddha and a couple of temples. I find the photo that looks corrupted the most interesting, as I think there is data hidden in there (similar to 4chan.js if you've ever heard of that).

The file names of the photos are shrine.jpg, statue.jpg, spire.jpg, pillar.jpg, and cave.jpg.

The owner is named G Marconi maybe after Guglielmo Marconi

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guglielmo_Marconi

The doc with video gives us numbers:

053 050 046 049056050049044032050048046057057054053

These represent the ascii codepoints of the next lat/long.

I recognized that right away, and tried entering in the number, but it didn't seem to like it.

Edit: Had an extra number in it. Oops.

"52.1821, 20.9965"

points to poland (18 on the map)

hint url here is https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B2BGioksxQiRc2hpTDJ1...

51.3015, -3.0178

Ahh thanks. Any idea on the next one? :P

EDIT: Nevermind 3 should be easy for most HNers. Wrote that before I even saw it.

There is an hexadecimal block hidden in caves.jpg:

4e 75 6d 62 65 72 73 20 61 72 65 20 61 6d 61 7a 69 6e 67 2e 20 46 6f 6c 6c 6f 77 20 74 68 65 20 63 6f 75 6e 74 2e 0d 0a 0d 0a 0d 0a 20 20 56 20 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 0d 0a 3e 20 31 20 20 37 20 20 38 20 20 35 20 20 34 20 20 31 30 20 31 20 20 32 20 20 36 20 20 33 20 20 36 20 20 31 2e 20 39 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 34 2e 20 32 20 20 39 20 20 34 20 20 32 20 20 37 20 20 39 20 20 38 20 20 35 20 20 36 20 20 35 20 20 32 20 20 37 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 34 20 20 31 30 20 39 20 20 37 20 20 34 20 20 32 20 20 35 20 20 39 20 20 36 20 20 38 20 20 31 30 20 37 20 20 39 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 38 20 20 35 20 20 33 20 20 35 20 20 33 20 20 35 20 20 34 20 20 37 20 20 32 20 20 39 20 20 36 20 20 31 20 20 38 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 32 20 20 37 20 20 31 20 20 33 20 20 34 20 20 31 20 20 35 20 20 38 20 20 34 20 20 39 20 20 38 20 20 38 20 20 33 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 36 20 20 31 20 20 39 20 20 34 20 20 35 20 20 35 20 20 37 20 20 33 20 20 31 20 20 32 20 20 36 20 20 31 30 20 34 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 31 30 20 38 20 20 37 20 20 31 20 20 32 20 20 34 20 20 35 20 20 38 20 20 32 20 20 35 20 20 37 20 20 39 20 20 31 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 32 20 20 33 20 20 35 20 20 37 20 20 31 20 20 34 20 20 36 20 20 39 20 20 35 20 20 33 20 20 34 20 20 35 20 20 36 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 39 20 20 31 20 20 34 20 20 34 20 20 38 20 20 33 20 20 37 20 20 36 20 20 32 20 20 35 20 20 31 20 20 36 20 20 37 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 32 20 20 31 20 20 39 20 20 33 20 20 37 20 20 34 20 20 35 20 20 37 20 20 33 20 20 36 20 20 38 20 20 37 20 20 38 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 38 20 20 33 20 20 38 20 20 35 20 20 38 20 20 34 20 20 36 20 20 31 20 20 35 20 20 39 20 20 31 2c 20 31 30 20 36 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 36 20 20 33 20 20 35 20 20 37 20 20 37 20 20 31 20 20 31 30 20 34 20 20 38 20 20 36 20 20 33 20 20 35 20 20 39 20 3e 0d 0a 20 20 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 76 0d 0a

  Numbers are amazing. Follow the count.

    V -----------------------------------
  > 1  7  8  5  4  10 1  2  6  3  6  1. 9|
   |4. 2  9  4  2  7  9  8  5  6  5  2  7|
   |4  10 9  7  4  2  5  9  6  8  10 7  9|
   |8  5  3  5  3  5  4  7  2  9  6  1  8|
   |2  7  1  3  4  1  5  8  4  9  8  8  3|
   |6  1  9  4  5  5  7  3  1  2  6  10 4|
   |10 8  7  1  2  4  5  8  2  5  7  9  1|
   |2  3  5  7  1  4  6  9  5  3  4  5  6|
   |9  1  4  4  8  3  7  6  2  5  1  6  7|
   |2  1  9  3  7  4  5  7  3  6  8  7  8|
   |8  3  8  5  8  4  6  1  5  9  1, 10 6|
   |6  3  5  7  7  1  10 4  8  6  3  5  9 >
    ------------------------------------v

Here is better format:

  Numbers are amazing. Follow the count.

    V -----------------------------------
  > 1  7  8  5  4  10 1  2  6  3  6  1. 9|
   |4. 2  9  4  2  7  9  8  5  6  5  2  7|
   |4  10 9  7  4  2  5  9  6  8  10 7  9|
   |8  5  3  5  3  5  4  7  2  9  6  1  8|
   |2  7  1  3  4  1  5  8  4  9  8  8  3|
   |6  1  9  4  5  5  7  3  1  2  6  10 4|
   |10 8  7  1  2  4  5  8  2  5  7  9  1|
   |2  3  5  7  1  4  6  9  5  3  4  5  6|
   |9  1  4  4  8  3  7  6  2  5  1  6  7|
   |2  1  9  3  7  4  5  7  3  6  8  7  8|
   |8  3  8  5  8  4  6  1  5  9  1, 10 6|
   |6  3  5  7  7  1  10 4  8  6  3  5  9 >
    ------------------------------------v

14.2981, 101.2189

Start from top-left, move the number of spaces given by the number of your current square:

down right left down right right up down down right down

It's a maze; worked backwards from the numbers that have commas and points next to them.

Number: 19; Title: Thailand https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipMNGiEkdfeZKK5uus5iOmt-...

Image name is base64 encoded: V2hlcmUgaGF2ZSB5b3UgYmVlbj8 = Where have you been?

So, maybe where the chess pieces have been moved from?

This has been bugging me for days...trying to figure out how you knew to go down, right, left, etc. I finally figured it out.

Start at the end. That's a 9. The only way that we could have landed on that 9 is either moving down or right. So, look at each number on that path and see which one would have got us there. There is an 8 that is 8 squares above 9, so that's the second last number. Now, how did we land on the 8? There is a 1 that is one square to the left, so the next number is 1. And so on.

It looks like the king on the white side is sitting dead on the side?

I cannot reply the sibling comments yet, but "where have you been?" could refer to where we were for the past 4 clues: 5 - Brazil, 17 - England, 18 - Poland, 19 - Thailand

V2hlcmUgaGF2ZSB5b3UgYmVlbj8

base64 decode "Where have you been?"

Damn I was going to bed before I found this. Now I need to solve it. Did anyone solve the chess board?

I feel the pawns on the left are somehow significant 4-3-2-1...

Can someone confirm what chess pieces are on the board? It looks like black has knight, rook, king and white has rook and queen?

How did you figure out the directions? (i.e. down, right, left...)

we should concentrate on the numbers in the board

Here's the caves.jpg fixed:

http://imgur.com/a/WBqiL

FBMD is found in metadata: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/31120222/iptc-metadata-au...

Number maze. Move East and South. Possibly along the lines of 1, 2, 3... haven't quite solved the meaning of moving through the maze yet.

looks like a maze which shows you where to enter and leave. must not cross your own path, and the .s and , would work well in creating a geolocation

number paths wrap down and right...first move down and right 1 step, then down and right 2 steps...?

should we play the chess and use the moves as an entering point ?

All you need to do is sum up the numbers on each row/column. Horizontal will produce the latitude (except after the 1,), and vertical will produce the longitude.

I think for the chess game we have the play the game backwards.. I am trying to play the game forward, but not clear what is the delineation for the comma or period in the lat lon.. maybe black can put white into check?

Hint: it can't be a valid game since one of the kings has been removed. :-)

So you have 12 groups of numbers, two with decimals, one with a comma. Just need to figure out where to put them. :)

To those looking into FBMD: https://www.hackerfactor.com/blog/index.php?/archives/726-Fa...

FBMD01 000a 9c0d0000 ec4f0000 55df0000 b5e80000 fcfa0000 5cb20100 13ef0200 69fc0200 3d110300 942b0300 b0ce0500

Is the converted meta data for facebook

Special instructions: FBMD01000a9c0d0000ec4f000055df0000b5e80000fcfa00005cb2010013ef020069fc02003d110300942b0300b0ce0500

it looks like a grid where you enter from the top left (>) and exit to the bottom right (>).

There are two numbers with dots after them as well as one with a comma. Any ideas?

Numbers up to the first decimal add up to 54, which feels navigationey...

Numbers after the comma add up to 90.

so the images have been uploaded to facebook ? I wonder why google do this

The page says 18?

the numbers when sum up should represent a location at the map

Here's 4: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B2BGioksxQiRc2hpTDJ1...

Looks like caves.jpg has something wrong with it, but I'm not sure what to do with it.

Interesting: the author of the image is "Pei Xiu"

Pei Xiu (224–271)... was a minister, geographer, and cartographer of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pei_Xiu

Okay, for four open caves.jpg in Notepad. Inside is some hex:

4e 75 6d 62 65 72 73 20 61 72 65 20 61 6d 61 7a 69 6e 67 2e 20 46 6f 6c 6c 6f 77 20 74 68 65 20 63 6f 75 6e 74 2e 0d 0a 0d 0a 0d 0a 20 20 56 20 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 0d 0a 3e 20 31 20 20 37 20 20 38 20 20 35 20 20 34 20 20 31 30 20 31 20 20 32 20 20 36 20 20 33 20 20 36 20 20 31 2e 20 39 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 34 2e 20 32 20 20 39 20 20 34 20 20 32 20 20 37 20 20 39 20 20 38 20 20 35 20 20 36 20 20 35 20 20 32 20 20 37 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 34 20 20 31 30 20 39 20 20 37 20 20 34 20 20 32 20 20 35 20 20 39 20 20 36 20 20 38 20 20 31 30 20 37 20 20 39 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 38 20 20 35 20 20 33 20 20 35 20 20 33 20 20 35 20 20 34 20 20 37 20 20 32 20 20 39 20 20 36 20 20 31 20 20 38 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 32 20 20 37 20 20 31 20 20 33 20 20 34 20 20 31 20 20 35 20 20 38 20 20 34 20 20 39 20 20 38 20 20 38 20 20 33 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 36 20 20 31 20 20 39 20 20 34 20 20 35 20 20 35 20 20 37 20 20 33 20 20 31 20 20 32 20 20 36 20 20 31 30 20 34 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 31 30 20 38 20 20 37 20 20 31 20 20 32 20 20 34 20 20 35 20 20 38 20 20 32 20 20 35 20 20 37 20 20 39 20 20 31 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 32 20 20 33 20 20 35 20 20 37 20 20 31 20 20 34 20 20 36 20 20 39 20 20 35 20 20 33 20 20 34 20 20 35 20 20 36 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 39 20 20 31 20 20 34 20 20 34 20 20 38 20 20 33 20 20 37 20 20 36 20 20 32 20 20 35 20 20 31 20 20 36 20 20 37 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 32 20 20 31 20 20 39 20 20 33 20 20 37 20 20 34 20 20 35 20 20 37 20 20 33 20 20 36 20 20 38 20 20 37 20 20 38 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 38 20 20 33 20 20 38 20 20 35 20 20 38 20 20 34 20 20 36 20 20 31 20 20 35 20 20 39 20 20 31 2c 20 31 30 20 36 7c 0d 0a 20 7c 36 20 20 33 20 20 35 20 20 37 20 20 37 20 20 31 20 20 31 30 20 34 20 20 38 20 20 36 20 20 33 20 20 35 20 20 39 20 3e 0d 0a 20 20 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 76 0d 0a

Convert it to a string and you get:

??Numbers are amazing. Follow the count.

  V -----------------------------------

> 1 7 8 5 4 10 1 2 6 3 6 1. 9|

|4. 2 9 4 2 7 9 8 5 6 5 2 7|

|4 10 9 7 4 2 5 9 6 8 10 7 9|

|8 5 3 5 3 5 4 7 2 9 6 1 8|

|2 7 1 3 4 1 5 8 4 9 8 8 3|

|6 1 9 4 5 5 7 3 1 2 6 10 4|

|10 8 7 1 2 4 5 8 2 5 7 9 1|

|2 3 5 7 1 4 6 9 5 3 4 5 6|

|9 1 4 4 8 3 7 6 2 5 1 6 7|

|2 1 9 3 7 4 5 7 3 6 8 7 8|

|8 3 8 5 8 4 6 1 5 9 1, 10 6|

|6 3 5 7 7 1 10 4 8 6 3 5 9 >

  ------------------------------------v

14.2981, 101.2189 Start from top: down right left down right right up down down right down It's a maze; worked backwards from the numbers that have commas and points next to them. Number: 19; Title: Thailand https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B2BGioksxQiRc2hpTDJ1...

its not showing the best here but > and < are pointing into #1 in top left and away from 9 bottom right maybe a clue?

Pei Xiu outlined six principles that should be observed when creating a map. He then defended his position and each of the six principles with a short explanation as to how they provide better accuracy in map-making and cartography. The first three principles outlined the use of scale (fan lu), direction (zhunwang), and road distance (daoli), while the last three principles are used to properly calculate distances on uneven terrain as represented on a flat, two dimensional map

ah interesting...like a maze! if we get a count from somewhere, we hop that many steps, and you end up at the exit at the bottom right.

Ascii 7 bit encoding - 52.1821, 20.9965

Using this thread to say that the page names may mean something, but I didn't notice initially.

5 -

17 -

18 - Poland

5 - Brazil 17 - England 18 - Poland

should we count the numbers or something ?

Is the caves.jpg broken for everyone?

the caves has instructions in the metadata FBMD01000a9c0d0000ec4f000055df0000b5e80000fcfa00005cb2010013ef020069fc02003d110300942b0300b0ce0500

Facebook metadata?

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/31120222/iptc-metadata-au...

It shows a 17 on the page. Just a note.

So far: 5 - Brazil, 17 - England, 18 - Poland

caves.jpg is broken for me too. I'm on mobile - has anyone checked the JPG metadata?

Yep

checked out caves.jpg with a hex editor, i'm thinking the next clue is embedded in the jpeg, which is causing the corruption

yes the image is broken

51.3015,-3.0178