Safari 5 Location services?

[joelovesapple]

Hey, I was reading about Safari 5 (which I am using now) and I heard it has got location services, but I've never had a website that utilises this facility. Any idea when it comes into play? Bit confused!

Thanks

 

[joelovesapple]

Well, anyone?

 

[tkermit]

Here you go

 

[joelovesapple]

Here you go

Failed!

 

[sammich]

Only works if you're on wireless.

 

[mgmusicman94]

That link worked for me.

 

[joelovesapple]

Only works if you're on wireless.

That's just stupid Ethernet is so so much better in my house...

Would it be anything to do with me being in GB?

 

[tkermit]

That's just stupid Ethernet is so so much better in my house...

Would it be anything to do with me being in GB?

Should work in GB as well, but it possibly has something to do with the exact location that you're at. To approximate your location, your Wifi is used by OS X to scan the environment for hotspots whose location is known, utilizing a database provided by Skyhook (as far as I know) to get that data. I would have expected for this to work even on an ethernet connection, as long as your wifi is turned on and you're in close enough proximity to a known hotspot.

Is OS X able to approximate your location when you go into System preferences->Date & Time->Time Zone ?

EDIT: Check coverage in your area

 

[joelovesapple]

Should work in GB as well, but it possibly has something to do with the exact location that you're at. To approximate your location, your Wifi is used by OS X to scan the environment for hotspots whose location is known, utilizing a database provided by Skyhook (as far as I know) to get that data. I would have expected for this to work even on an ethernet connection, as long as your wifi is turned on and you're in close enough proximity to a known hotspot.

Is OS X able to approximate your location when you go into System preferences->Date & Time->Time Zone ?

EDIT: Check coverage in your area

Thanks, I tried turning on wifi and connected to my router just fine and location services worked on the test site you provided. However it doesn't seem to work with Ethernet alone which I think is strange as the ethernet connects to the same router (an AEBS). Any idea why it won't solely work over Ethernet? I prefer Ethernet much more because it's tons more reliable.

BTW, I connect with Ethernet via power cable if that makes a difference?

 

[tkermit]

[...]However it doesn't seem to work with Ethernet alone which I think is strange as the ethernet connects to the same router (an AEBS). Any idea why it won't solely work over Ethernet? I prefer Ethernet much more because it's tons more reliable.[...]

Regardless of the way in which you connect to the internet, the computer's wifi functionality definitely has to be enabled since otherwise OS X is simply not informed about nearby wifi networks. You shouldn't really though have to be actually connected to any wifi network. I'm not quite sure if, when you write "Ethernet alone", you mean that you have actually deactivated your computer's airport functionality or are merely not connected to any wifi network.

 

[sammich]

Thanks, I tried turning on wifi and connected to my router just fine and location services worked on the test site you provided. However it doesn't seem to work with Ethernet alone which I think is strange as the ethernet connects to the same router (an AEBS). Any idea why it won't solely work over Ethernet? I prefer Ethernet much more because it's tons more reliable.

BTW, I connect with Ethernet via power cable if that makes a difference?

It's the way the CoreLocation API is built into OS X/Safari, in that it only provides the MAC Address of the wireless station that you are directly connected to. That's why it won't work on ethernet because Skyhooks database is built solely on the lat/long of your wireless box.

You can leave the wireless connected. OS X will automatically switch to the fastest connection that it can get internet from. So you're at your desk with the cable in and the wireless connected as well, you could (*if* you were on a laptop, I know you're on an iMac) just pull out the cable and OS X will switch to internet from the wireless. And when you plug it back in, OS X will switch back.