Location links to Google Maps - awesome!
- Thread starter James
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Derek Ivey
Member
Yeah, my IP says I am from Arnhem, while I am closer to Amsterdam, but actually in Purmerend.
I've got my cable modem set to a Mac address from China. Just to see what it will say in a year from now
Yeah it's not very accurate for ISPs... I just checked mine and I'm in Pennsylvania but my IP address says New Jersey.
pablo escobar
Member
Blatant promotion: http://theamericandictator.com/cont...OUR-laptop-desktop-computer-cellphone.-Really!
I blogged about this before. Google's Geolocation is actually more acurate than a GPS than you realize... While they don't, as usual disclose their algorithms, enough public information exists to figure it out.....
Go out and buy a new router, it still doesn't matter. When you allow google to "determine your location", what it does is query your wireless signals. Go ahead, pull up your wireless widgit now. How many SSIDs do you see? 4? 5? AND their signal strengths..... It is a simple algorithm to take the list of SSIDs your computer wireless sees, with signal strength, and triangulate your position.
Within a building. Something GPS cannot even do.
Think about it. Now think about law enforcement. Do you really think law enforcement, from ALL over the world, wouldn't want the ability to pinpoint you? Google "asks" for permission to access your ssid info. Law enforcement won't.
I blogged about this before. Google's Geolocation is actually more acurate than a GPS than you realize... While they don't, as usual disclose their algorithms, enough public information exists to figure it out.....
Go out and buy a new router, it still doesn't matter. When you allow google to "determine your location", what it does is query your wireless signals. Go ahead, pull up your wireless widgit now. How many SSIDs do you see? 4? 5? AND their signal strengths..... It is a simple algorithm to take the list of SSIDs your computer wireless sees, with signal strength, and triangulate your position.
Within a building. Something GPS cannot even do.
Think about it. Now think about law enforcement. Do you really think law enforcement, from ALL over the world, wouldn't want the ability to pinpoint you? Google "asks" for permission to access your ssid info. Law enforcement won't.
Erik
Well-known member
You imply that they can simply tap into your computer and access the information. Not true. You first have to browse to a website that is collecting the data, and then explicitly allow it. It doesn't work like phone line tracing or IP Address tracing. (IP Address "tracing" doesn't exist, anyways. All law enforcement agencies do is go to your ISP with the IP Address and subpoena them for the customer's information, including address. At least this is the way it works here in the United States - I don't know about laws in other countries.)
Also, this obviously requires that you have a wireless network card in your PC.
The U.S. is launching a new set of GPS satellites soon with signals so strong you will be able to use GPS devices indoors. The new satellites even have a military-strength civilian signal that can pinpoint a location within a few feet - airplanes could land on autopilot in zero visibility. So while the WiFi method of location can work well in areas with abundant access points, I would still argue that GPS is the more accurate solution.
welshstew
Active member
Yeah, I suggested the same think and Kier said he would look into it: http://xenforo.com/community/threads/member-card.889/page-2#post-11273
Cezz
Well-known member
So while the WiFi method of location can work well in areas with abundant access points, I would still argue that GPS is the more accurate solution.
For now, there are more and more WiFi hotspots being created on a daily basis... My local council has even put up free hotspots all throughout the city so you can sit anywhere in the city centre with a laptop and get internet access.
The more this grows and the more it is mapped the more accurate it will become... HOWEVER it is a lot slower to determin as it has to
1) search for all SSID's in range.
2) calculate the signal strength for each
3) send this data to google's servers
4) receive the response
GPS works by simply looking for the signal of 2-3 GPS satellites and then working out the triangulation.. the calculation itself is done on the device so as you move it can instantly update, the Wifi method would have to do the same 4 steps every time you moved.
DoctorWatsOn
Well-known member
I noticed this a few days ago, my location is given as '3rd Rock from Worthing Pier, West Sussex, UK' and it links to a google map showing the Pier location in Worthing. 
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