iPod touch Google Maps on iPod touch

[Blakely028]

Hi my iPod touch with the purchased software upgrade doesn't seem to let my Google Maps work. I go to that app, connected to the wireless network and I try to get it to find my current location, but I get a message "Your location could not be determined."

It has done that since I bought the upgrade, please help!

 

[PMB]

It means your location (and IP) needs to be regestred with skyhook, and i HIGHLY reccomend NOT doing so.

 

[emw]

I believe the "find my current location" is dependent upon the availability of several wi-fi networks in your range, from which Google Maps can triangulate a rough position.

If you're simply connected to a local wi-fi network and no others are in range, in can't figure out where you are.

I'm assuming you can map things out, just not find your location, right?

 

[PMB]

I believe the "find my current location" is dependent upon the availability of several wi-fi networks in your range, from which Google Maps can triangulate a rough position.

If you're simply connected to a local wi-fi network and no others are in range, in can't figure out where you are.

I'm assuming you can map things out, just not find your location, right?

No, this was the reason for the $20 update was to pay skyhook for their services, and it it like the cell tower location mapping, just with wifi (and i believe it only needs one signal)

 

[emw]

It appears it's a little of both:

"Skyhook's technology uses signals from Wi-Fi hot spots to triangulate and find a person's location, instead of using a chip that lets a mobile device communicate with the Global Positioning System," Johnson reports.

"Today Skyhook's technology works in about 8,000 U.S. cities and towns, and the company is expanding its database by mapping Wi-Fi signals in Europe and Asia," ," Johnson reports.

"The software upgrade that includes the new location feature - it is available free on an iPhone and for $19.99 on an iPod Touch - allows people to simply press a button to see where they are," Johnson reports. "A map displays a bull's-eye that's centered on the user's location; Morgan said Skyhook's technology typically is accurate up to about 165 feet, or 50 meters."

Timely link.

I'd also add that the feature likely doesn't work real well if your wi-fi "hotspot" is your home wi-fi, unless as PMB mentions, you register with Skyhook. Which doesn't sounds like a great idea.

 

[ranwanimator]

Here's the thing. I read the product brief on skyhook's website. I honestly don't know what the fear issue is with registering with them. Every person who registers their router makes their location network more accurate. Unless you have your SSID broadcast turned off, they most likely have your router in their system already. They had teams of drivers just tooling around cities collecting SSID broadcasts and tying them to physical locations.

So it's probably not working for one of a couple reasons. Either they haven't driven past your house, you haven't registered your router with them, or your SSID broadcast is turned off and there are no other known wireless routers within 200ft of you broadcasting SSIDs. It only needs one known router to get an idea of where you are. The more it can poll the more accurate your results and the smaller your target circle.

Peace.

 

[Blakely028]

I can search for maps and calculate routes, its just that I can't get it to pinpoint my location.

 

[sandman42]

It means your location (and IP) needs to be regestred with skyhook, and i HIGHLY reccomend NOT doing so.

I'd also add that the feature likely doesn't work real well if your wi-fi "hotspot" is your home wi-fi, unless as PMB mentions, you register with Skyhook. Which doesn't sounds like a great idea.

What am I missing? Why are people leary of registering with Skyhook? Not that I think it's ok, I'm just curious what people's actual worries are.

 

[emw]

^ I suppose my concern may perhaps be somewhat unfounded, but I'm a little wary that it seems that the bulk of locations were initially found by driving around sniffing for wireless networks, which seems shady. Sure, I realize it probably really isn't, but it seems that way.

I'm also wary of sending the MAC address of my wireless router out. Again, likely because I'm somewhat uneducated on this but I just don't like that idea.

 

[PMB]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPod; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/4A93 Safari/419.3)

I live a half mile off the road, so my router won't get picked up, and I would rather not have a physical location attached to my router