It's amazing that the service can find your location by at most 200m error. However, the sample on Google Gears website was not able to find my place accurately. Is there something I am missing? How exactly does the API use this Wi-fi spotting technology?
The Gears Geolocation API has far, far worse data than Geode (that uses Skyhook); it can't locate me right now better than somewhere within a 24 km circle, whereas Geode literally has me down to the right building.
Any thoughts on how Gears Geolocation is going to improve its data?
It would be interesting if somebody ran a side by side test of Geode/Skyhook and Google Gears. Maybe go around town and do 15-20 look-ups to see how they compare?
Hmmm. Looks like I have something to do this weekend...
Yep, now at a different location -- my home, with seven wifi access points visible to me, I'm being geolocated by Gears at a location over 25 miles away from my *actual* location. I hate to say it, but this Gears geolocation info is uniformly not useful in its current incarnation.
Google has hopped on the WiFi positioning bandwagon by adding support for an undisclosed database of WiFi network locations to its Gears Geolocation API.Google said on its Code Blog that the service for laptops "securely locate[s] users to within 200m accuracy"and Google's Mobile Blog said the improvement is immediately available for BlackBerry users who download an updated Google Maps for Mobile application.It will soon be rolled out to other platforms,including the Google-backed Android.The new update to Google Gears will now work with Location Based Services. -------------------------- rosejenifar Influencer
I've checked two positions today. One had an accuracy of less than 100m, the other one about 1km. The accuracy error for the second location is caused by my own wifi router...it's been at my previous house during data survey. However, the guessed location been less than 20m from the former position of the wifi router.
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ReplyDeleteIt's amazing that the service can find your location by at most 200m error. However, the sample on Google Gears website was not able to find my place accurately. Is there something I am missing? How exactly does the API use this Wi-fi spotting technology?
ReplyDeleteThe Gears Geolocation API has far, far worse data than Geode (that uses Skyhook); it can't locate me right now better than somewhere within a 24 km circle, whereas Geode literally has me down to the right building.
ReplyDeleteAny thoughts on how Gears Geolocation is going to improve its data?
It would be interesting if somebody ran a side by side test of Geode/Skyhook and Google Gears. Maybe go around town and do 15-20 look-ups to see how they compare?
ReplyDeleteHmmm. Looks like I have something to do this weekend...
Yep, now at a different location -- my home, with seven wifi access points visible to me, I'm being geolocated by Gears at a location over 25 miles away from my *actual* location. I hate to say it, but this Gears geolocation info is uniformly not useful in its current incarnation.
ReplyDeleteSkyhook seems to be 100% better than Gears. I couldn't look up _any_ of ~30 BSSIDs with Gears, but _all_ with Skyhook.
ReplyDeleteIts putting me on a bridge across the harbour from my house, whereas skyhook on loki is putting me in the neighbours house.
ReplyDeleteDoes Google plan to release a REST API to query their CellID and SSID database ?
ReplyDeleteSSID and CellID would be two useful query parameters for Google Maps, though.
I love Google API!
ReplyDeleteI know a very good site tha uses this. Its a real estate search engine called Imobilien.
Google has hopped on the WiFi positioning bandwagon by adding support for an undisclosed database of WiFi network locations to its Gears Geolocation API.Google said on its Code Blog that the service for laptops "securely locate[s] users to within 200m accuracy"and Google's Mobile Blog said the improvement is immediately available for BlackBerry users who download an updated Google Maps for Mobile application.It will soon be rolled out to other platforms,including the Google-backed Android.The new update to Google Gears will now work with Location Based Services.
ReplyDelete--------------------------
rosejenifar
Influencer
I've checked two positions today. One had an accuracy of less than 100m, the other one about 1km. The accuracy error for the second location is caused by my own wifi router...it's been at my previous house during data survey. However, the guessed location been less than 20m from the former position of the wifi router.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking of using the API for one of my sites.
nice blog
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on enhancing the Gears Geolocation API! An interesting post! Thanks for sharing this!
ReplyDelete