Viewfinder links Google Earth and Flickr pictures

Google Earth is great, but doesn't give the best feel for a place. Flickr pictures are great, but it's hard to place them in geographical context beyond a pink dot on a map. The gang at Viewfinder are linking the two systems together in one of the most exciting mashups I've ever seen, allowing you to see Flickr pictures in location, tilted to just the right angle, offering a snapshot within a snapshot. The photos could also be historical, allowing you to flick back in time in that location.

Take a look at their video, above, to see how it might work, and follow their progress as they develop something that will help more of us understand the cultural, historical, linguistic and geopolitical worlds we are living in.

Comments

[Bob Hill]

Ewan
John Johnston's talking about Exhibit set me wondering about Google Earth and Geographical Information Systems. This sounds as though it is going some of the way. Have you come across anything that links a database or spreadsheet to Google Earth?

[Ewan McIntosh]

You can link spreadsheets to Google Maps, which generates a KML file which you can then import into Google Earth. That way you can create tours and overlays really easily. That's maybe not as dynamic as you're looking for, where as the database is changed G Earth updates. That WOULD be nice.

[Debbie]

I do love Google Earth - have you seen the programme called Google Sketchup - http://www.sketchup.com/ - that allows users to make scale 3D models of buildings and place them onto Google? My husband is forever looking up football stadia...and has taken it upon himself to make a model of our house! I prefer looking at the construction that's happening in Dubai, personally!

Also, I wanted to say thanks for commenting on my blog for the S2 kids - I showed them your comment last period and they were 'fair chuffed'. :-)

[Ewan McIntosh]

Jings - that was quick! Sketchup is a wonderful tool. Some kids form Islay have done some cool stuff with it:
http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/2007/06/what-can-12-yea.html

[Bob Hill]

Ewan

Thanks for those pointers. It's not really as dynamic as one would wish for. I was thinking about pupils being able to take scientific observations on a filed trip or through links with other schools, put them in a spreadsheet with Lat and Long and see them on Google Earth. That might help in getting pupils aware of the earth and their place in it.

However I will definitely investigate your suggestions.

[Ian Grove-Stephensen]

This looks like just the sort of project Google would want to pick up and bring/duplicate in-house, but with Flickr (probably) about to go to Microsoft, I can't see that happening. An integration with MS Virtual Earth maybe? But I'm not sure MS have quite the same "because it's cool" obsession that Google would bring to such a project. Plus, us Mac users would get locked out. So watching this amazing video, I'm saddened as much as excited.