iphone 3G – Free OS mapping

Surely this paranoia would be very easy to test – set up a new connection and see what position you’re getting then before there’s any time to update dbs, etc…

Yep, simply buy another WiFi router to replace the one you have and then see if it can still find you. 🙄

or move a wifi router from a mate’s house to yours and see if it updates…

More fuel on the fire:

http://mapperz.blogspot.com/2009/02/gmail-gets-location-support.html

http://mapperz.blogspot.com/2009/02/introducing-google-latitude-new.html

Tin foil hats on….

Yep, I was already heading down that path. I’ve liberated an access point from work, I’ll set it up this weekend and will report back on my findings.

The iPhone location *is* done using skyhook.

They *do* drive round places, at least to create an initial database. They’re selling their software to Apple, Google etc. They can afford a few vans with laptops in.

They can also take user updates – although I don’t think the iPhone app does this – I think in apps that do, it asks you if you’re cool with it before updating, and there is a verification process before it goes back into the database.

http://www.skyhookwireless.com/whoweare/privacypolicy.php

If you’re a developer, you can get the skyhook SDK, and play with it to see what is in their database.

http://www.skyhookwireless.com/developers/

Also, I can’t remember exactly how they do it, but I have a feeling it works by looking at all available wifi networks, not just the one you’re connected on – so if you’re playing with stuff, make sure you turn off your normal home access points.

Joe
(who has some vague idea of how this kind of thing works due to working in a lab full of people doing location based thingies, we actually had some contact with the skyhook people at some point before they got into the Apple deal and stuff)

Don’t know if this helps, but if I turn on one of the mapping apps like iOSMaps, and I’m indoors where my iPhone can’t see any satellites, then it places me spookily in the street I used to live in…
over thirty years ago and nearly three quarters of a mile away from where I live now. Not much good for the spooks to track me down, so I’m not developing a case of rampant paranoia…
unlike some on here.
Don’t worry, the aliens know where YOU live, even if the government hasn’t got a clue.w

The skyhook thing is pretty amazing. It located my wifi point within about 50ft. I’m in the middle of nowhere so it’s scarily thorough if a van has been past with a sniffer.

The skyhook thing is pretty amazing. It located my wifi point within about 50ft. I’m in the middle of nowhere so it’s scarily thorough if a van has been past with a sniffer.

Was that on iphone or just an ipod? If it was iPhone, it may have cell ID lookup as a fallback? That’d potentially explain your result and the one above it too.

Joe

I thought that was a possibility, so tested it from my notebook pc.
Now that you meantion that though, it might be really cunning (well quite sensible) and use the cell id location of my iphone to update it’s wifi database. i.e. each time you do a location check on your iphone, it uploads to their database your gps location, cell phone location and any wifi signal strengths. So any old punter walking past with an iphone may have updated the db. Dunno if that’s how it works, but it strikes me as a pretty efficient way of updating the db, rather than paying people with vans and sniffers to go along each road.

Graham suggested that earlier in the thread Ian.

What, you expect me to read other peoples posts!!?
I’m far too important to do that 🙂