Comments on: Google unveils GPS-less location-detection http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/ The voice of the BlackBerry community. Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:06:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Garry Butkovich http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-443754 Garry Butkovich Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:55:07 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-443754 Interesting read. There is currently quite a lot of information around this subject around and about on the net and some are most defintely better than others. You have caught the detail here just right which makes for a refreshing change – thanks.

]]> By: Garry Butkovich http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-487886 Garry Butkovich Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:55:00 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-487886 Interesting read. There is currently quite a lot of information around this subject around and about on the net and some are most defintely better than others. You have caught the detail here just right which makes for a refreshing change – thanks.

]]> By: dlj http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-251843 dlj Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:39:57 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-251843 Works perfect for me. But I do live and work in central London.

]]> By: dlj http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-487882 dlj Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:39:00 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-487882 Works perfect for me. But I do live and work in central London.

]]> By: dlj http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-487883 dlj Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:39:00 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-487883 Works perfect for me. But I do live and work in central London.

]]> By: dlj http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-487884 dlj Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:39:00 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-487884 Works perfect for me. But I do live and work in central London.

]]> By: dlj http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-487885 dlj Wed, 05 Mar 2008 11:39:00 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-487885 Works perfect for me. But I do live and work in central London.

]]> By: BossHogg http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-216078 BossHogg Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:55:41 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-216078 Let´s get one thing straight: this doesn´t triangulate SHIT. In order to triangulate a cell phone (this is, using three towers and measuring the distance… assuming the hardware is installed by the operator, which is not likely) you would need to have a special warrant AT LEAST. I work in special projects in the largest cell operator. The thingy is very much on the line of most google products: let the users work for google (which harms noone actually).
All cells know what antenna they´re connected to (some ID), and they´re connected always (while in coverage) by one and NOT MORE than one. So what Google does is take advantage of its already emplaced GPS apps on many Blackberrys, all of the GPS-BBs upload the cell tower ID related to the GPS location to Google and they can map in “what location” a tower is… then, with enough data, they have the problem covered.
About the people that say that the error is too large. It´s most probably because you are in less populated areas. In cities a single antenna can cover as little as some meters while in rural areas it can reach miles.

Cheers.

]]> By: BossHogg http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-487881 BossHogg Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:55:00 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-487881 Let´s get one thing straight: this doesn´t triangulate SHIT. In order to triangulate a cell phone (this is, using three towers and measuring the distance… assuming the hardware is installed by the operator, which is not likely) you would need to have a special warrant AT LEAST. I work in special projects in the largest cell operator. The thingy is very much on the line of most google products: let the users work for google (which harms noone actually).
All cells know what antenna they´re connected to (some ID), and they´re connected always (while in coverage) by one and NOT MORE than one. So what Google does is take advantage of its already emplaced GPS apps on many Blackberrys, all of the GPS-BBs upload the cell tower ID related to the GPS location to Google and they can map in “what location” a tower is… then, with enough data, they have the problem covered.
About the people that say that the error is too large. It´s most probably because you are in less populated areas. In cities a single antenna can cover as little as some meters while in rural areas it can reach miles.

Cheers.

]]> By: Google Updater for BlackBerry | BlackBerry Cool http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-214792 Google Updater for BlackBerry | BlackBerry Cool Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:45:51 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-214792 [...] GTalk, and Google Maps, which often get little upgrades without you noticing. New features like My Location might grab your eye and get you to go through the chore of updating, but now The Big G is making [...]

]]> By: Google unveils GPS-less location-detection - BlackBerryForums.com : Your Number One BlackBerry Community http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-214209 Google unveils GPS-less location-detection - BlackBerryForums.com : Your Number One BlackBerry Community Thu, 06 Dec 2007 04:17:55 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-214209 [...] tower triangulation, so even if you don?t have GPS, you can still get some location-based service. Google unveils GPS-less location-detection | BlackBerry Cool BlackBerry Cool – the voice of the BlackBerry [...]

]]> By: Dave Hughes http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-212770 Dave Hughes Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:37:46 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-212770 It seems to me that the farther I get away from a highly populated area, the worse it gets. I’m guess that if it doesn’t have three towers to triangulate your position, it gets lost. I’ve only got one tower near my rural-area house and it puts me up to 10 miles away. Other places closer to the city it puts me about 3 miles off. But at my office, it puts me right where I am correctly.
Hopefully Google can figure out a way to make it more reliable. It’s certainly a great first step.

]]> By: Dave Hughes http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-487880 Dave Hughes Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:37:00 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-487880 It seems to me that the farther I get away from a highly populated area, the worse it gets. I’m guess that if it doesn’t have three towers to triangulate your position, it gets lost. I’ve only got one tower near my rural-area house and it puts me up to 10 miles away. Other places closer to the city it puts me about 3 miles off. But at my office, it puts me right where I am correctly.
Hopefully Google can figure out a way to make it more reliable. It’s certainly a great first step.

]]> By: BlackBerry Beard http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-212575 BlackBerry Beard Fri, 30 Nov 2007 03:43:13 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-212575 Well obviously it doesn’t like me. Over 30 hours since I installed it, with it running continuously (mostly in the foreground) and its still 5 miles/8 kilometers off. At home it thinks I’m Shrek because its also 5 miles off but here it puts me in the middle of a swamp. Sigh.

]]> By: BlackBerry Beard http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-487878 BlackBerry Beard Fri, 30 Nov 2007 03:43:00 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-487878 Well obviously it doesn’t like me. Over 30 hours since I installed it, with it running continuously (mostly in the foreground) and its still 5 miles/8 kilometers off. At home it thinks I’m Shrek because its also 5 miles off but here it puts me in the middle of a swamp. Sigh.

]]> By: BlackBerry Beard http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-487879 BlackBerry Beard Fri, 30 Nov 2007 03:43:00 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-487879 Well obviously it doesn’t like me. Over 30 hours since I installed it, with it running continuously (mostly in the foreground) and its still 5 miles/8 kilometers off. At home it thinks I’m Shrek because its also 5 miles off but here it puts me in the middle of a swamp. Sigh.

]]> By: Cliff V http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-212496 Cliff V Thu, 29 Nov 2007 20:26:02 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-212496 To me it seems to really just locating the tower nearest to me, but not me in general. I have only used it at work and at home, and funny enough there is a tower from each location less than 1/4 mile away. But the blue dot seems to be in that exact location where the TOWER is. What about me! LoL ill test it out once I get my phone turned back on, couldnt pay my bill!! any donations? lol

]]> By: Cliff V http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-487877 Cliff V Thu, 29 Nov 2007 20:26:00 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-487877 To me it seems to really just locating the tower nearest to me, but not me in general. I have only used it at work and at home, and funny enough there is a tower from each location less than 1/4 mile away. But the blue dot seems to be in that exact location where the TOWER is. What about me! LoL ill test it out once I get my phone turned back on, couldnt pay my bill!! any donations? lol

]]> By: Dave Hughes http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-212467 Dave Hughes Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:12:59 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-212467 I opened it up and it showed me almost exactly where I was. I’m guessing that it won’t work well in rural areas where cell towers are not numerous. But I’ll be testing it.

]]> By: Dave Hughes http://www.blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/google-unveils-gps-less-location-detection/comment-page-1/#comment-487876 Dave Hughes Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:12:00 +0000 http://blackberrycool.com/2007/11/28/006152/#comment-487876 I opened it up and it showed me almost exactly where I was. I’m guessing that it won’t work well in rural areas where cell towers are not numerous. But I’ll be testing it.

]]>