A Hawkes eye view in Google Earth

While some children spend their youth fascinated by model cars and legos, I was always more interested in aerial photography. For years I amassed a collection of books capturing this unique perspective of the world, and it was obvious from looking through my personal library that British aerial photographer Jason Hawkes was a huge influence and hero of mine. Last year, Jason came to the Google office in London to give a Tech Talk, and I was finally able to meet him in person. He mentioned being a big fan of Google Earth, using it to put together virtual flight plans for his trips.

After Jason’s visit, we decided to collaborate on an effort to bring geographic context to his work with Google Earth. By creating a KML file showcasing some of his most beautiful images, we were able to truly capture a “Hawkes eye view” of locations all around the world.

The English coastline, near Sittingbourne, Kent captured by Jason Hawkes
While Jason hails from the United Kingdom, his work spans the globe. Simply open the KML in Google Earth, and you’ll feel like you’ve taken a seat right next to him as he flies over the United Kingdom, New York, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Budapest and Minorca.

The Great Sphinx at Luxor in Las Vegas, Nevada
Given the excitement around London this summer, we included a variety of photographs that bring the changing face of the city to life, from the addition of The Shard skyscraper to the massive redevelopment taking place in Stratford for the Olympic games.

The Shard and River Thames in London, England

The Olympic Park in London, England
When viewing the KML in Google Earth, make sure the “3D Buildings” layer is enabled in the left hand panel to enjoy a 3D experience of famous buildings. Happy flying!

Posted by Phil Verney, Program Manager, Google Earth and Maps

Go indoors at locations across the United Kingdom

Given the current British weather, we seem to be spending a lot more of the summer than we’d hoped indoors. The thing about being indoors is that people often get lost - I’m not talking about in your own home, of course, but when you’re out and about, in train stations, museums, department stores and shopping centres.

We’re happy to announce that today Google is launching indoor maps for Android devices in the UK. You’ll no longer need to feel clueless when you’re at the railway station, trying to figure out where to buy a coffee before you rush to catch your train from platform 11; nor will you feel embarrassed about asking for the lingerie section when you’re in the department store - because you’ll have all the answers in the palm of your hand.

Just open Google Maps on your Android mobile phone, zoom in to the location you’re in and the indoor floor plan magically appears. And for buildings where the information is available, we’ll even show you where you are on the map with a familiar blue dot if you’ve enabled the My Location feature. Next, search for the location you’d like to get to (Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross Station or Peter Jones in Sloane Square) and we’ll provide directions to help you get there - even if you’re on a completely different floor.

More than 40 venues in the UK have worked with us to have their indoor floor plans appear on Google, ranging from train stations to art galleries, department stores to sporting venues. In fact, any building owner can upload their maps for future inclusion in Google Maps.

I know that I’ll definitely be using the indoor maps feature this summer to find my way around London as I start my work as a volunteer this summer. And no doubt I’ll also be using it in between my shifts, perhaps for a spot of retail therapy at Peter Jones or to check out the James Bond exhibition at the Barbican.

So whatever the weather, take time to explore the indoors this summer in the UK.

Posted by Razia Ahamed, Geo Indoor Partnerships Lead, UK

An English view in the heart of Toruń!

This was the other shot that I nearly went for in yesterday's city photo swap. No we haven't gone back in time to 19th Century London nor are we even back in England. This Impressionist style painting is actually in the heart of the Old Town of Toruń! In fact it is a false window on the side of the local language school "ENGLISH SCHOOL" - where yours truly is employed as the school's native language teacher. You can check out their website at: http://www.englishschool.alpha.pl. Nothing like a shameless plug for my school!!

English language teaching is a huge industry here in Poland. On average most Poles can speak at least 2-3 languages (unlike the lazy English!). Here in Toruń (a relatively small city with a population of 200,000) there are at least 30 private language schools...all competing against each other. I have no idea how they survive. Every year new schools arrive...but also some do go.

As a qualified English teacher, I enjoy teaching the language. It's a great job...one which is both rewarding and incredibly interesting. I recommend anyone who enjoys meeting people from different cultures to take up the challenge and enroll on a TEFL course. If you need any tips or advice about teaching English to foreigners, please drop me a line!

On the right is a picture of me leading a conversation class about the cultural differences between Poland and England (there are many!).