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Forget GPS, Hello WPS
No France writes "A company known as skyhook wireless has announced the commercial availability of its Wi-Fi Positioning System, or WPS. The company has compiled a database of every wireless access point it can find in a given city. When a mobile user running th Skyhook client is in a recorded area, their position is calculated by selecting the surrounding signals and comparing them to the reference database. Currently there are 25 US cities mapped, including New York City, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Apparently this device is accurate to within 20-40 meters, though one has to wonder how well it deals with people moving their wireless access points."
They might as well give everybody a peice of paper with a huge X on it that says 'You are here'.
Apparently this device is accurate to within 20-40 meters
Hell, I can guess where I am to that accuracy. I thought GPSs where accurate within 5-8 meters nowadays. And this sounds really useful out in the open ocean, you know, where all those rouge wireless access points hang out.
Measure once, cut twice
I'm worried less about privacy, and more about how I'm going to tape my wireless access point to my roomba just to mess with them.
But then, with such poor accuracy, it's not like anyone will be worried about 40 or 50 feet here and there.
Or, are any of my friends within 6 blocks of me?
They only way a free AP sponsor would be interested if any of your friends are within 6 blocks would be to suggest you all meet at Starbucks.
The truth shall set you free!
Why, when you young whippersnappers were still in diapers we were feeling lucky to get 100m accuracy with SA enabled.
AND we had to walk uphill both ways in the snow to get it.
Sounds optimistic...
Let's say I'm within range of 50 access points all called 'Netgear'.
Where am I?