location accuracy

miltk · Jan 19, 2010

how does "location accuracy" use a wifi network???

powrful1 · Jan 21, 2010

google knows everything...hence wifi locations even if you don't attempt connection

Eugene · Jan 21, 2010

There are a couple companies out doing location via wifi now. They started out mapping known wifi access points then have phones triangulate based off of those. One of the companies made some service where they know your location based on existing wifi and add new so if old ones go away they don't have to go remap. I don't know exactly how google does it but probably similar to those.

miltk · Jan 22, 2010

Eugene said:
There are a couple companies out doing location via wifi now. They started out mapping known wifi access points then have phones triangulate based off of those. One of the companies made some service where they know your location based on existing wifi and add new so if old ones go away they don't have to go remap. I don't know exactly how google does it but probably similar to those.

doesn't that presuppose that i am in an area close to known hot spots, like say starbucks. there i was, sitting in my apartment 3 new york city blocks away from the nearest "known" hotspot,,,and maps cannot get a read on my location. i turn on wifi location, and google maps picks me up!!

what's with that? are they triangulating off private wifi's ? that can't be done, can it?

powrful1 · Jan 22, 2010

Yes it can...in fact I used to have a i760....if it had a GPS chip that wasn't disabled by Big Red who knows if I would have switched....anyway, the only way I was able to get my position was to turn on the wifi or carry my bluetooth gps receiver around. It usually took a couple of minutes...then like majic there I am. If you ever turn off your gps in maps, using only towers to triangulate, then turn on the wifi...the "cone of confusion" gets smaller.

Eugene · Jan 22, 2010

miltk said:
doesn't that presuppose that i am in an area close to known hot spots, like say starbucks. there i was, sitting in my apartment 3 new york city blocks away from the nearest "known" hotspot,,,and maps cannot get a read on my location. i turn on wifi location, and google maps picks me up!!

what's with that? are they triangulating off private wifi's ? that can't be done, can it?

Yes, they drove their car around and mapped out any wifi signal they could find, much like how google did for the street view.

IOWA · Jan 24, 2010

Ummm they may be using IP address's as well.

powrful1 · Jan 24, 2010

Nice guess..but if you never connect...the no wifi IP issuance.

location accuracy

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