Google maps - Page 2

BenMcr · 05-03-2010, 11:07

I'm talking about me here

A clean geolocation search in a fresh download of a Firefox got my house exactly.

I'm talking exact enough that it puts the blue dot on my front door!

**Kymmy** · 05-03-2010, 11:10

Well it won't be from just your IP not unless you live next to a geolocatable item

BenMcr · 05-03-2010, 11:16

Not that I can identify I'm in the middle of residential area and 1km away from the exchange. No open WiFI connections either (but it use them on a PC anyway?)

**Kymmy** · 05-03-2010, 11:17

You still seems to assume that it's purely dealing with the physical line from the internet to your PC

BenMcr · 05-03-2010, 11:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kymmy

You still seems to assume that it's purely dealing with the physical line from the internet to your PC

I'm assuming its purely dealing with the IP address yes - because I've not provided it with any other information

What is odd is the geolocation in Firefox and Chrome are accurate to my front door - even in the 'Private' browsing sessions.

On my Android handset it gets it close but is out by around 100m (with or without WiFi turned on)

Pauls9 · 05-03-2010, 11:28

It gives my location as the middle of town. A few miles from where I am.

**Kymmy** · 05-03-2010, 11:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenMcr

I'm assuming its purely dealing with the IP address yes - because I've not provided it with any other information

How do you know what information it's accessing? As I said earlier it could be matching your IP to for example a google account or millions of other bits of info that we leave in the public domain

**Graham M** · 05-03-2010, 12:55

Does your computer have Wireless? Do you have Google Earth?

BenMcr · 05-03-2010, 13:02

I have both - must hook into those then

I've just tried it in a Virtual XP install on Chrome - in that it just shows as Manchester

**Graham M** · 05-03-2010, 13:05

Yeah I beleive it is able to triangulate you with the posiiton of other people's wireless networks and if you have Google Earth installed, have you set your home location?

BenMcr · 05-03-2010, 13:10

Ah ha. Found this:

Q. How does Google know my location?
A. Google Maps makes use of your web browser's Geolocation feature to determine your location. When you activate the My Location feature, your browser will ask whether you're happy to share your location with Google Maps. If you agree, your browser will attempt to determine your location. This involves analyzing the Wi-Fi access points around you and your computer's IP address, and sending this information to a Google server to then be translated into a location that we can show on the map.

Still scary how accurate it is just off WiFI and IP address