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Behind the "My Location" Errors In Google Maps

Posted by Soulskill on from the i-can-see-my-house-from-here dept.

waderoush writes "Ever since Google added the 'My Location' feature this week to the desktop and laptop versions of Google Maps, allowing Firefox and Chrome users to see their current location on a map, people have been reporting bizarre location errors — Manhattanites, for example, are being told by Google that they're in Austin, TX. Ted Morgan, the CEO of Boston-based location software provider Skyhook Wireless, talked about the problems in an interview Friday. Skyhook's Wi-Fi-based location-finding technology was passed over when Mozilla adopted Google's own location services toolkit for Firefox 3.5 in April; Morgan says that was unfortunate for Web app developers, because Google's 'crowdsourced' database of Wi-Fi access point locations is far less reliable than Skyhook's."

8 of 78 comments (clear)

  1. Problem not limited to Chrome and Firefox by ilsa · · Score: 2, Funny

    Every now and then my G1 will insist that I am somewhere in Oregon. Usually I am clued in by the weather app giving a clearly erroneous temperature on the front screen. Perhaps my phone is just asking for a trip to someplace cool, since Vegas gets pretty hot in the summer. So far the phone has always come to its senses in a few hours.

    --
    -- I Am Not A Terrorist.
  2. Re:Can't find My Location by auric_dude · · Score: 2, Funny

    The Google "My Location" feature is indeed hard to find and some also report having problems finding other G"spots"

  3. who cares... by hitmark · · Score: 3, Funny

    get a gps dongle, and install google gears if your using firefox (tho i'm not sure if there is one for 3.5 yet), and get improved accuracy.

    question is, when can one get automated routing to the nearest pizza place?

    --
    comment first, facts later. http://chem.tufts.edu/AnswersInScience/RelativityofWrong.htm
  4. Re:Remind me not to use Firefox 3.5! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Please dear god tell me that screenshot isn't from your computer! That's gotta be one of the most disturbing skins I've seen in a long time.

  5. Re:Can't find My Location by kybred · · Score: 3, Funny

    Addendum: Whois on my own IP also indicates a Virginia location. I can't figure out how they're getting Texas!

    That's because Texas is where you want to be!

  6. Re:Skyhook's implementation really is inventive by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    It say's you're in texas. because that's where the 'linksys' AP was last seen...

  7. Re:Can't find My Location by jrumney · · Score: 2, Funny

    Great, apparently I live under a motorway junction about 10 miles away. Thanks Google, you just made me homeless!

  8. Its okay by garphik · · Score: 2, Funny

    Its still beta ;-)