Google is very scummy in this topic. Probably because they need the amalgamated gps data for their self driving cars?
Nearly every smartphone contains a GPS. The GPS delivers accurate location data for each app which needs it. However, google want you to also use their ‘High accuracy’ location data, which also takes detected wifi networks (and cell towers?) into account. And which casually also ‘needs’ to send you gps data to google. This ‘high accuracy’ location is no more ‘high accuracy’ than the pure gps. In fact, it used to be called ‘low accuracy’ location data for non-gps devices. At most it makes the gps find a fix a bit faster. They just need a justification to get at your gps data.
Also, more and more apps who want location info rely on the ‘Google Location Service’, which only works if you turn on their so called ‘high accuracy’ location. The apps could work just as well with just gps data, but google makes the API for their ‘Location Service’ easier to integrate into your app.
This can’t be true. They don’t have mine. Not in a jar, not otherwise.
Which reminds me that I should write a proposal to hire me at Google offices, specifically the GoogleEarth division, at Zurich.
Proposal in short: I’ll bring my own research ideas, they give me the computing power, humanity wins.
ETA:
You’ve seen that Android P has implemented Wi-Fi RTT (IEEE 802.11mc)?
This absolutely is high accuracy. And the database they’ve already got is surely a bit of help for building the next navigation breakthrough.
BTW, I haven’t seen their data nor their algorithms, but I would bet a crate of beer that wifi scanning actually improves location Gmaps accuracy, not only GPS fix.
I mean, we can even use cell phones to monitor rainfall* at unprecedented temporal and spatial resolution, so just imagining what you could do with Google’s WiFi plus GSM plus GPS data!
'* If you are interested in recent research, this is a start:
Harumph. Ok, maybe I’m wrong on the accuracy part. Still I think it’s scummy that the ‘Location Services’ they foist on me only work if I send my location to Google. While most of the apps needing location have more than enough accuracy from the gps.
I use to own a google-free Fairphone, and used non-google servers for that.
Nokia, e.g., also build a massive database.
However, the google-free world was a bit of a hassle. I’m currently opting in full scale - got myself a Pixel 2. And while I’m still very much harrumph about the data collection myself, I have to admit that the results of Google sucking up every bit of user info and crunchy bit is pretty amazing.
I’m in am truly faustian situation. And I personally would love to get access to Google’s data (i.e., your data) and see what I could do with it.
