… and it bugs me.
Well those who know me know I understand how technology works, or the principles, but this one has me stumped.
Apple released the same applications (almost) for the iPod Touch that are on the iPhone. Here's the crunch, on Google Maps on both the iPhone and Touch is a "Locate me" button which on the iPhone checks it's nearest mobile cell and then shows where you are on a map; no problem – I understand how this works. On the Touch it works equally well although it only has WIFI access. When I tried it at home I though it was doing something sneaky like checking the contacts to see where my home was, but on the way to work I attached to a number of unsecured WIFI AP's and still it was able to find me. I'm in Croydon at the moment connected to "theCloud.net" and it correctly identified my location. The freaky thing is it's acurate down to 2-300yrds better than the mobile cell method!
Help me figure this out, answers on a postcard please….
#1 by Ari Protheroe on January 19, 2008 - 8:42 pm
It is Skyhook Wireless Technology http://www.skyhookwireless.com/howitworks/coverage.php
#2 by Martin Newham on January 19, 2008 - 8:58 pm
Yeah, thanks I found this information at;
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=6351927
But I thought to myself how do they map all the personally owned access points? especially when most of them don’t even reach the house boundaries?