REFLECTOR: ipad

[Don Johnston]

Even without a GPS, a WiFi only iPad still can determine it's location.

Google started the WiFi access point mapping project with their street view
cars. In addition to taking pictures, they were logging every access point
they found.  People complained and google stopped logging the WiFi access
points. Now they do it with separate vehicles.  Cute, huh?

Bottom line is there is a database(s) with almost every access point and
its location. So when you connect to an access point, there's about a 98%
chance the AP is logged and your iPad now knows where it is.

The apps want to be able to do things like report your location so it can
show you ads relevant to your location, or show you current weather in
WeatherBug without you having to enter your location.

For Google maps traffic is pulled from everyone that has a GPS enabled cell
phone and has opted in to location services.



On Tuesday, June 18, 2013, Mark Magee wrote:

> Dave,
>  Not sure on on this, any CIA contractors in the group wish to share?? :)
> Some of this can be cloud based simulations/predictions based upon
> previous patterns I suppose.
> Back to my original question: my wireless only iPad 3 just rec'd last
> Friday is constantly asking me to activate LOCATION SERVICES on all the
> apps pulled over from a cloud sync with my iPhone (about 40 apps) despite
> having no built in GPS nor cellular radio???
> Trying to keep this V related: LOCATION SERVICES is pertinent to using an
> iPad to navigate aircraft, no?
> Don't be afraid to chime, the NSA has already data vacuumed this thread.
> All members of the V group are already on the 'watch list',... :(
>
> Mark B. Magee
> N34XL
> Sent from IPhone 4S
> 1COR 16:13-14
>
> On Jun 18, 2013, at 1:15 AM, Dave Philipsen <velocity at davebiz.com> wrote:
>
> So when you look at Google Maps, say, on an evening like this evening at
> the streets of a small quiet town of around 100,000, why is it that the
> traffic display is somewhat spotty and on some routes the traffic is shown
> only in one direction of a two-way road.  And why is it that only certain
> parts of the road have traffic reports at all?  Tomorrow, however, when I
> look at Google Maps on the same road both lanes will be reporting traffic
> for the entire length of the road.  Are some of the "cameras" being turned
> off at night?
>
> Dave Philipsen
> Velocity STD FG
> N83DP
>
> On 6/17/2013 10:33 PM, Mark Magee wrote:
>
> Traffic is from cams. Cams are everywhere now.
>
> Mark B. Magee
> Sent from IPhone 4S
>
> On Jun 17, 2013, at 9:43 PM, Dave Philipsen <velocity at davebiz.com> wrote:
>
>   Apparently someone somewhere has a big database of wifi hotspots and
> the GPS coordinates of their fixed positions. So, when you turn on the wifi
> in your iPad and run the maps app it looks around at what wifi signals are
> being picked up and attempts to triangulate your position based upon that.
> This is just my rough guess of how the system works.
>
> So, imagine this scenario:  I have a private wifi router at my house.  It
> is encrypted and password protected so only I can connect to the internet
> there.  At one time I turned on the wifi on my phone and turned on location
> services which gives Google the right to collect anonymous data from my
> phone.  My phone communicates with Google and says it has found a secured
> wifi hotspot and the signal is very strong.  Since the GPS is turned on on
> my phone it also send the coordinates to Google.  Google then makes the
> assumption that there is a hot spot very near to the coordinates my phone
> just sent it.  It has enough unique information about the hotspot in my
> house to categorize it.
>
> Now someone is walking down my street with a smartphone in their pocket.
> It has location services and the GPS turned on.  It 'sees' the same hotspot
> (in my house) and even though it can't connect to the internet through my
> hotspot it 'knows' the unique information about the hotspot.  Now Google
> has another reference about where my hotspot is.  I believe that all of
> this stuff gets compiled together and through some sort of 'magic' they can
> determine pretty well where a mobile device is based upon the wifi signals
> that it 'sees' at any one time.
>
> Now if you keep thinking about this you'll probably also come to a
> conclusion about how the traffic indication on Google Maps works.  I've
> never seen any traffic helicopters around my neighborhood watching traffic
> so how does Google Maps know there's currently a little mini traffic jam
> right outside my front door?  You tell me...
>
> Dave Philipsen
> Velocity STD FG
> N83DP
>
> On 6/17/2013 9:12 PM, Mark Magee wrote:
>
> All,
> If your on the ground, awaiting on a clearance and have a WIFI ONLY iPad,
> you can use your iPhone as a hotspot and surf to the web via your phone as
> a hotspot. I have an iPhone 4S and have had a 5G plan with the hotspot and
> have been using it often for nearly a year now. In my review of the options
> I think I'm cost effective in using this methodology vs activating an AT&T
> cellular card in my new iPad. I don't believe the lack of a built in GPS is
> so bad with all the Bluetooth GPS options.
> I do have a question for the group: since an iPad without cellular radio
> doesn't have a built in GPS, why is mine (wifi only) asking me as I load
> new apps if I wish to activate LOCATION SERVICES???
> How is this box determining where it is with no c
>
>
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