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The GPS is so accurate, it's a little creepy

Ntombi

Ntombi

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Jul 1, 2008
3,822
1,636
Bostonian exiled in SoCal
I know it's not working perfectly for everyone, and I'm not discounting that, so maybe I'm lucky, or just always in places that are ideal for the satellites, but I just took this from inside my apartment, and it actually shows where in my building I'm sitting.

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And here's me walking to the porch...
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I don't know why I'm fine with it for a standalone GPS (i.e. a driving device), but I find it a bit unnerving for a phone, but there you go.
 
This is because it is not pure GPS, but GPS-A so not only does it use the satellites, but cell towers and local wi-fi spots, that is why it is so accurate.

TEG
 
Haha.. I found it a little creepy when it found me sitting underneath a tree in my backyard. ;)
 
Personally, I think it's pretty cool that I can run around inside my house and watch that little dot move back and forth. I'm not sure why I find that cool, but I do.
 
Mine shows me sitting on my driveway, but I'm in my house. Although not bad considering I'm only maybe 20-30 ft from my driveway where I am in my house.

EDIT: Okay, after I typed my post the little blue dot moved directly where I was in my house! Its like a ghost following me!!! lol
 
apheonixboy said:
ummm... thats the point of GPS... it tells you "exactly" where you are.... :D
Click to expand...
I know, I know. :eek:

I don't know why this has me thinking of Minority Report, but it really does. I keep expecting it to start talking to me, telling me I want to buy Life Cereal when I'm in the cereal aisle of the grocery store...
 
Very awesome - I love it when things work great.

My office building is too tall and "thick" for GPS to work really well ... but I've been walking down the street, and that blue dot could not be any more accurate!
 
It sounds like you got a pretty lucky device, or area, as it seems that many are not finding it to be all that accurate. I just wish that it would list my general area correctly on the iPod touch. Granted I think that it was the problem of the company that took the wifi signals, because at home I am about 1,000 feet outside of the circle, but at school the circle is much larger (probably because our school's wifi is bounced off of about 100 difference routers over the 44 acre campus), but I am at the dead center of the circle, which is pretty accurate.
 
I work at night so I have been using the GPS maps to see exactly where I am on certain properties so I know what is near me in the dark. Works very well. This is the biggest advantage over using a Garmin GPS.
 
This is because it is not pure GPS, but GPS-A so not only does it use the satellites, but cell towers and local wi-fi spots, that is why it is so accurate.
Click to expand...

Will this iPhone myth never die?

Neither WiFi nor Google tower id are part of A-GPS.

A-GPS is about giving the GPS device assistance on what satellites to look for (almanac), and their orbits (ephemeris), so it doesn't have to waste time downloading that info from the satellites themselves over several minutes.

When GPS can't get a good lock, THAT'S when things can fall back on tower locating or wifi methods. Which is NOT A-GPS, but is called a Hybrid System.
 
Nevermind. When I posted I couldn't get a location at my job but once I left it picked me up and followed me home. :)
 
kdarling said:
Will this iPhone myth never die?

Neither WiFi nor Google tower id are part of A-GPS.

A-GPS is about giving the GPS device assistance on what satellites to look for (almanac), and their orbits (ephemeris), so it doesn't have to waste time downloading that info from the satellites themselves over several minutes.

When GPS can't get a good lock, THAT'S when things can fall back on tower locating or wifi methods. Which is NOT A-GPS, but is called a Hybrid System.
Click to expand...

Bingo. Thanks for saving me the time to type this.
 
Ntombi said:
I know, I know. :eek:

I don't know why this has me thinking of Minority Report, but it really does. I keep expecting it to start talking to me, telling me I want to buy Life Cereal when I'm in the cereal aisle of the grocery store...
Click to expand...

Wow. You're shocked that it works as advertised and now think it will start scanning your retinas?
 
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