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Well, I think it's great - I have just been able to track business mileage accurately, even when I have lost the exact date and route - I also can retrace my steps from that holiday 8 months ago where I went to a really nice place and forgot the name of it.
Neither of those uses is supported by the information in question.
 
Jobs is spinning his BS again as usual. Even when there is overwheming evidence to the contrary...he still insults the intelligence of his customers who he clearly regards as beneath him.

You can tell these lies if you feel they confirm your bias, but they are not true statements.
 
+1. My IP is being logged right now most likely. No matter where you go, using any communication device, you can be tracked. If you're that paranoid, get off the grid. Every phone company tracks your location. This for iPhone users is just a log of it on your phone.

I do agree, however, that the consolidated.db file should at least be encrypted if it is to remain on the device. Now any good crook knows all they need is your iphone to find out when best to rob you.

Exactly. I don't know why everybody is all fired up about this. If you aren't a criminal, you have nothing to worry about. If you are, then you are probably bright enough to use a burn phone. :p
 
iOS uses services from a company called Skyhook to help with location tracking. they use GPS and wifi access points to pinpoint locations faster than GPS.

Apple stopped using Skyhook a while back, I think around v3.2 or something. Let me check. Yes, that was when Apple changed to using their own WiFi and cell databases.

Agreed. Google's darling Android doesn't just track cell towers. They've found it recording wi-fi networks near the user as well and transmitting that data... like every couple of minutes.

See above. Apple does something very similar. Whenever an app requests a location using GPS, the phone also scans for nearby cell towers and WiFi hotspots. That info is sent up to Apple to build their database.

Why does Google need to know this?

Same reason as Apple. While on this topic, let's hit the wayback machine:

Before the iPhone came out, Google was secretly collecting cell location info via any phone with GPS and Google Maps. Mostly Windows Mobile phones, I would think.

Good thing, too, because the iPhone debuted without GPS and was pretty much useless in that respect. Then Google unveiled a version of Google Maps using their cell location database, and suddenly the iPhone and other phones without GPS reception were useful after all.

Yet I use Google every day, but I at least know they're watching me.

Yet you didn't know Apple was. Ignorance is bliss.

Except that neither cares about watching YOU. They're watching for cells and hotspots. Sorry, they're more important :)

Ok, here's the information that's actually known about the consolidated.db file:
1) It records the locations of nearby wi-fi access points and cell towers.
2) When location services were originally added to the iPhone, the file had a different name and was stored in a different location. (It was moved as part of the multi-tasking updates.)
3) The purpose of the file has been explicitly spelled out by Apple *from the beginning*. It is used *by* location services to calculate your current position in order to be able to display your position faster than would be possible solely using GPS. (It's part of the Assisted GPS process.)
4) There is absolutely no evidence that the file's contents are ever transmitted to anyone. It exists on the iPhone, and in the backup(s) of said iPhone.

That's almost all correct (*). It's just a receive-only cache to speed up locating and use less battery and network resources.

(*) WiFi and cell are not part of A-GPS. The A in A-GPS on the iPhone is about receiving satellite information from an assistance server on the 'net.
 
(have not read all the posts, so forgive me if already pointed out)

Uh....the phone companies track you and know where you are....they have to so that you can get a signal from a cell tower...so why is this a big deal?
 
Another tip: best way to ignore trolls is to not feed them.

Better yet, add them to your Ignore list.

Android is funded by target advertising? I didnt know that, can you provide a link that backs this up?

It's amazing how easily Google convinces its minions that Big Brother is really someone else.

Google:

watching.jpg
 
"Allegations"?
People claim the iPhone saves cell location data on the phone, and also saves this file during iTunes backups. This is TRUE, and can be verified by reading your OWN iPhone database, which shows where YOUR phone has been. That would be impossible if it didn't save that data.

SOME people (not most!) also claim that the data is sent to Apple, rather than just kept on the device. THIS, however, is unproven and may well be false.

As it stands, though, I don't see how "The info circulating around is false." is not a lie. It's very easy to verify that "the info" that this data is indeed saved is true.

While the data is being saved may be true, the info that Apple is tracking its users is false, and this is what is being spread so widely in the news. As such, the statement that "The info circulating around is false" is subsequently true.
 
Besides if you encrypt your backup, nothing can happen. Thank you, have a good day.

Puhleeeeze. We are not concerned about your average criminal or private investigator. We are concerned about the us government, homeland security, cia, nsa, fbi, etc.

To say "nothing can happen" is absurdly naive.
 
IF apple is not collecting the data, then what's the point of the file in the first place.

AGPS and it helps with tower switching while actually using the phone. Android has the same type of file (and likely other phones before it) for the same reasons. The only difference is that Apple left out a time based truncation feature.
 
Even if we take SJ at his word (stupid idea, I know). The fact remains that Apple does store the database of all your moves on the phone and PC for eternity thus preserving the capability to access it any time they want. This is clearly a very bad idea any way you look at it.

Putting on SJ hat:

"You are all idiots anyways"

Sent from my iPhone
 
Exactly. I don't know why everybody is all fired up about this. If you aren't a criminal, you have nothing to worry about. If you are, then you are probably bright enough to use a burn phone. :p
The issue is more being concerned about those in abusive relationships and the like. You definitely don't want a physically abusive spouse to have access to your location information.
 
Except that neither cares about watching YOU.

You don't believe a company whose sole source of revenue is providing advertising and data search services cares about keeping an eye on you???

Ignorance truly is bliss.
 
AGPS and it helps with tower switching while actually using the phone. Android has the same type of file (and likely other phones before it) for the same reasons. The only difference is that Apple left out a time based truncation feature.

Incorrect. It makes absolutely no sense to store ALL locations/WiFi data/timestamps indefinitely for what you described. The data should be processed and pruned to be used efficiently.
 
Puhleeeeze. We are not concerned about your average criminal or private investigator. We are concerned about the us government, homeland security, cia, nsa, fbi, etc.
Who has easy access to that info even on dumb phones. That is not the issue here.

All Apple needs to do is flush the file once a day(s), encrypt the file on the phone and not back it up (and if there's a reason, to have that encrypted [which can already be done]).

Incorrect. It makes absolutely no sense to store ALL locations/WiFi data/timestamps indefinitely for what you described. The data should be processed and pruned to be used efficiently.
That's what he said: "The only difference is that Apple left out a time based truncation feature."
 
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Anyone that defends Apple actions and Steve Jobs are people in same the mental state of mind that acquitted OJ Simpson......in complete denial.

Now because Apple got caught with their filthy hands in the cookie jar, fanboys seem to think it's ok :rolleyes:
 
The issue is more being concerned about those in abusive relationships and the like. You definitely don't want a physically abusive spouse to have access to your location information.

Wow, some one who pointed out a realistic, not paranoid theory, reason why this is not a good thing (not that I don't think some people being paranoid have a point. But I also think this scenario is a much more likely to happen reason why the info being stored on the phone unencrypted is a bad thing).

1. Apple is not tracking you until they actually make the phone send them that info.The info stays on your phone and your computer so you have control over it (well as long as it doesn't get into some one else's hands). I don't even know why this is being discussed since it's not happening.

2. I think the bigger problem is that the phone doesn't erase this info after a while and it doesn't encrypt it which makes it easier if some one takes your phone to get that info. Leaving it to issues of if people (criminals, abusive spouses, the government) steal your phone or force the info off. It makes it that much easier to them and that much more available.
 
Geo-location is here to stay!

A lot of the science practices used now days an that will be used in the future starts being used for something it was not designed for,or better yet not "though of" (minoxidil was created for hypertension, not treatment of hair loss, Botox was used for treatment of facial spasms not make you look younger, The internet was created for research development by the government, and the list goes on and on). It is the nature of science and technology to evolve. Like it or not (I sure don't), just like Napster, Geo-location technology used for finding out even more information about you is here to stay one way or another.

Man up people! how we implement the "new" use of any technology without crossing and protecting personal rights is where we should be concentrating on (promoting solutions and protection laws). It is waste time arguing (through news articles and political speeches) defending the mere existence of something that is not going anywhere.

This is what I posted in the CNET article http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20056540-245.html#ixzz1KYPyyi19
 
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_3_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/533.17.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.0.2 Mobile/8H7 Safari/6533.18.5)

I don't get the big deal about it. If you want to be anonymous, get off fb, twitter, macrumors, etc. Then cancel all Internet plans you have and your cellular plan. Then no one will ever know where you are unless you tell them.

Absolutely 100% in agreement.
 
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