2013-10-23

Clever, and a bit spooky

So, I have apple maps on my MacBook Pro now, as it is in Maverick.

I clicked on it, and it showed my current location.

Spot on, within a couple of metres.

Err, my MacBook Pro does not have a GPS in it.

So, err, how?

[I have some theories]
at

18 comments:

  1. UnknownWednesday, 23 October 2013 at 16:38:00 BST

    Probably the MAC addresses of nearby wifi access points, compared to a big database of MAC address locations. Google do the same thing. If you switch wifi off and try again on a wired ethernet connection you'll probably find it becomes much less precise as it falls back to IP geolocation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. MarekWednesday, 23 October 2013 at 16:52:00 BST

      Now if RevK coded it, when it notices that it no longer has MAC-location to go on, it'll use the built-in accelerometers to determine if it moved. And what's to say that when Apple got the MAC-location, it wasn't also submitted as a hint to their IP geolocation database...?

      Delete
  2. AuxonicWednesday, 23 October 2013 at 16:40:00 BST

    Wifi positioning has become eerily accurate lately thanks to all the cellphones out there. Mapping wireless MAC addresses to location data.

    ReplyDelete
  3. David AbbishawWednesday, 23 October 2013 at 16:41:00 BST

    I get exactly the same. There's a database out there of ip to location.

    See iplocation dot net

    ReplyDelete
  4. RichardWednesday, 23 October 2013 at 16:43:00 BST

    Correlated data from WiFi. This kind of data is known to Apple and has been part of their T&Cs for years. GPS on your phone + coarse location from cell-towers + local WiFi BSSIDs + RSSI Metering per BSSID from your MacBook = Fairly accurate correlated data feed of locations.

    Incidentally, if you were to transplant the BSSIDs local to you to the middle of a field, you'd still show up at home...

    ReplyDelete
  5. Will DeanWednesday, 23 October 2013 at 16:43:00 BST

    It's WiFi SSID based. There's been a lot of past controversy / noise about how much WiFi data Google slurp-up when they collect streetview photos.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Will DeanWednesday, 23 October 2013 at 16:45:00 BST

    http://www.zdnet.com/blog/networking/how-google-and-everyone-else-gets-wi-fi-location-data/1664

    ReplyDelete
  7. FuzzycatWednesday, 23 October 2013 at 16:48:00 BST

    Errm, what?

    it's wifi, mac addresses. Your iPhone has been sending data to Apple about your location. You've not heard of Skyhook?

    How did you not know about this?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RevKWednesday, 23 October 2013 at 18:05:00 BST

      So slightly trolling my own blog - I too assumed MAC address of WiFi.

      Delete
  8. Alan CliffordWednesday, 23 October 2013 at 22:16:00 BST

    Someone should tell Facebook: they think I am in Bracknell and Tamworth.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. jas88Thursday, 24 October 2013 at 13:56:00 BST

      Could be worse; for me, most IP geolocation systems get the wrong *country*. (My ISP's netblock maps back to Essex - I'm up in Scotland, and not even the South end of it either.) WiFi it is, clearly!

      (Now I'm wondering if my Mac Mini will manage to locate itself, being connected over Ethernet with the WiFi interface turned off... It's not running Mavericks yet, though.)

      Delete
  9. Owen ShepherdWednesday, 23 October 2013 at 23:49:00 BST

    Quite probably SSID, but... you know what my answer to the question would have been if I were Apple? The address on your Apple account

    ReplyDelete
  10. matcThursday, 24 October 2013 at 01:15:00 BST

    The blue 'halo' is >2m. The blue dot has you standing in the middle of the street. Strange place to check your e-mail ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. RevKThursday, 24 October 2013 at 08:32:00 BST

      Well, more than 2m, but not a lot more, I am in the corner of the house nearest the blue dot.

      Delete
  11. AnonymousThursday, 24 October 2013 at 07:57:00 BST

    http://curiosity.discovery.com/question/phones-without-gps-find-location

    ReplyDelete
  12. KE55ARDThursday, 24 October 2013 at 09:13:00 BST

    Have you noticed the even cooler feature that you can click the little share icon in the top left and send the location (or route) straight to any iOS device also on your iTunes account :) would be great if they implemented this for web pages in Safari...

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousFriday, 25 October 2013 at 21:46:00 BST

    My guess would have been that you had an iPhone with GPS in your pocket which was telling your Macbook where you were...

    ReplyDelete
  14. sleepygeekSaturday, 26 October 2013 at 18:54:00 BST

    Apple (and Google) record the relationship of WiFi networks to GPS. Apple are also doing things with signal strength to estimate relative distances to low power Bluetooth 4 beacons (iBeacons) and very likely WiFi base stations. This is to enable indoor navigation and very localised advertising (knows when you pause in front of the sock counter).

    ReplyDelete

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