Behind the "My Location" Errors In Google Maps 78
waderoush writes "Ever since Google added the 'My Location' feature this week to the desktop and laptop versions of Google Maps, allowing Firefox and Chrome users to see their current location on a map, people have been reporting bizarre location errors — Manhattanites, for example, are being told by Google that they're in Austin, TX. Ted Morgan, the CEO of Boston-based location software provider Skyhook Wireless, talked about the problems in an interview Friday. Skyhook's Wi-Fi-based location-finding technology was passed over when Mozilla adopted Google's own location services toolkit for Firefox 3.5 in April; Morgan says that was unfortunate for Web app developers, because Google's 'crowdsourced' database of Wi-Fi access point locations is far less reliable than Skyhook's."
Skyhook's implementation really is inventive (Score:5, Interesting)
The initially war-drove around, mapping APs. Then when users connect to those APs in the database and query the location, they also send back a report on other nearby APs. This allows their database to grow and become more accurate over time, without them having to keep war-driving previously established areas.
Can't find My Location (Score:3, Interesting)
I've been looking in Google Maps for this mythical "My Location" feature and I can't seem to find it. What am I doing wrong? I've got my default location setup, but I'm pretty sure that's not what they referring to.
Bryan
Re:Skyhook's implementation really is inventive (Score:2, Interesting)
Not ready for prime time, that's for sure.
Re:Skyhook's implementation really is inventive (Score:5, Interesting)
Skyhook's reliance on wireless APs doesn't work so well when the APs move. I took my APs with me when I moved to a new place, but my iPhone (which uses Skyhook's assisted-GPS) thought I was always at my old place for months until I realized what was going on and that I should submit my AP MAC addresses [skyhookwireless.com] to correct their location.
It's possible that it sees an AP near you that's recently been moved.
We're well into the jet age.... (Score:1, Interesting)
...it's way past time to be making assumptions about a person based on where you think that person may be.
Just because I'm in Germany doesn't mean I want the German language version of anything. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Apart from helping me figure out where to go, I don't see the value of geolocation on the web. All the touted benefits of geolocation other than finding directions seem either naive or sinister to me.
Re:Skyhook's implementation really is inventive (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:I hate this 'location-based' crap (Score:3, Interesting)
A while ago I was in Germany, and Google insisted that I read the German version of Google, even though my browser said that it only understood English (as I configured it). It's fine when they use GeoIP to present a localized version of a page, but not when the Accept-Language request headers requests otherwise.
I suspect that the problem is that a lot of people have misconfigured (or buggy) browsers that foul up the Accept-Language header, always claiming to prefer English. That puts Google in a bit of a bind; they're damned whatever they try, so they try to satisfy the majority and minimize the level of grief. FWIW, when I use Google in Germany, it still comes up in English. (Well, I think it does, but I've not checked for a bit and my configuration might have other differences too.)
Re:I hate this 'location-based' crap (Score:4, Interesting)
I get that in Spain, but that's okay, since you can change the Google preferences to English easily enough.
However, what I don't get is the non-advertised, hidden, mandatory biasing of search results based on the Google UI language. Results vary depending on what language is picked for the Google UI (and no, this isn't the "show only results in such and such language" feature, as it still shows results in multiple languages - it's just biased in preference of the UI language). Why isn't there a checkbox to turn it off, and why is it hardcoded to use the UI language? Very often, if I'm using Google in spanish I find that the most relevant results for obvious queries (say, some well-known open source software) are in 4th or worse place, and the first few spots are occupied by some random sites about it that happen to be in Spanish. I get the idea and why some people might like it, but I don't see why they will not explain it or offer an option to turn it off.
Try using Navizon (also crowdsourced but accurate) (Score:2, Interesting)
The difference is that while it is unclear what method Google use, Navizon clearly states they will PAY users who have GPS installed in their phones, to roam around and collect Cell ID, APs, etc. and submit it to them. At the SAME time you get maps to see where you are, Buddies to see where your friends are, etc.
So in this instance, Navizon is paying for the crowd to submit the latest/updated data all the time. So if I drive around an area, and an AP that was there yesterday is no there anymore, you won't get the same error as Google where you suddenly appear to have gone to a different city/state/whatever, as I just personally updated the AP landscape.
Great stuff, and to get paid as well... I guess it is cheaper for Navizon to pay users a $10 or $20 dollars for a few hours of "driving" rather than run their own vans around trying to update APs all over the world, and this way the database is likely to stay very, very fresh!