How does a Wi-Fi only tablet route on Google Maps when on the road?

Am Fri, 30 Mar 2018 15:33:47 -0400, schrieb Meanie:

I have to stand somewhat corrected. The above mention of Apple products
(iPads) put my mindset on that, whereas you never mentioned iPad but
simply tablets. Therefore, it's very possible other tablet brands have
GPS within their WiFi only devices. I can only attest to iPads who don't.

I understand that there are brands of tablets, but we're all talking about
the Google Map app, and "a" tablet that doesn't have cellular or GPS but
that does have GPS.

The question remains which of the two methods the Google Maps app is using
for the location services.

1. Is Google using the geolocation of the *connected* WiFi access point?
2. Or is Google using the geolocation of the *unconnected* Wi-Fi APs?

NOTE: When you're on the road, you won't be connected to anything but
wide-open access points, so that's why the answer to the question matters.

Am Fri, 30 Mar 2018 21:40:34 GMT, schrieb Tim:

Both my Nexus 7 (2013) and my ASUS Zenpad S 8 are wifi only and have GPS.
What I have done in the past was to select an area in Google Maps and
download it to my tablet. Maps will then use that downloaded map and
tablet's GPS to track my location on the map and give turning directions if
I have asked for them.

Once you have GPS, or if you have cellular, which I have for free for life
on all my other tablets, then everything is easy.

The hard part is to track and route without GPS and without cellular.

Hence, the question remains which of the two methods the Google Maps app is
using for the location services.

1. Is Google using the geolocation of the *connected* WiFi access point?
2. Or is Google using the geolocation of the *unconnected* Wi-Fi APs?

NOTE: When you're on the road, you won't be connected to anything but
wide-open access points, so that's why the answer to the question matters.

On Fri, 30 Mar 2018 11:34:48 -0400, nospam wrote:
| In article , Paul
| Colquhoun wrote:
|
| | Recently, I noticed that, on a WiFi-only tablet, the Google Map App was
| | "tracking" me while on the road, where the WiFi-only tablet definitely does
| | not have a GPS chip nor does it have a cellular capability.
| | http://i.cubeupload.com/jOw0fO.gif
|
| That screen shot is from an iPad. Notice the little arrow up in the top
| right corner, next to the 18% battery indicator? That means GPS is
| active.
|
| nope. it means an app is using location services to obtain the user's
| location, which can be done without a hardware gps (and even if there
| is a hardware gps, it's not always used).
|
| I don't think Apple have ever made an iPad without a GPS chip.
|
| they did and still do.
|
| wifi-only ipads do not have gps or cellular.


My mistake. Not sure where I got that idea, I just thought GPS chips
were cheap & plentiful.


--
Reverend Paul Colquhoun, ULC. http://andor.dropbear.id.au/
Asking for technical help in newsgroups? Read this first:
http://catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html#intro

Am Fri, 30 Mar 2018 20:17:53 -0700, schrieb Ragnusen Ultred:

I understand that there are brands of tablets, but we're all talking about
the Google Map app, and "a" tablet that doesn't have cellular or GPS but
that does have GPS.

Ooops,. I mean we're all talking about the Google Map app, and "a" tablet
that doesn't have cellular or GPS but that does have WiFi.
http://i.cubeupload.com/vE2s6G.gif

The technical question of what Google Maps is using, since these are each
possible together or alone:

1. Is Google using the geolocation of the *connected* WiFi access point?
2. Or is Google using the geolocation of many *unconnected* Wi-Fi APs?

NOTE: When you're on the road, you won't be connected to anything but
wide-open access points, and even then, the tablet might be set to ask
before connecting, so that's why the answer to the question matters.

Am Fri, 30 Mar 2018 22:55:53 -0400, schrieb Retired:

Perhaps #4 can be explained by:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad#I...t_connectivity

"The iPad can use Wi-Fi network trilateration from Skyhook Wireless to
provide location information to applications such as Google Maps."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyhook_Wireless

"Skyhook is a mobile location services company based in Boston, MA
that specializes in location positioning, context and intelligence."

Thank you for being a helpful adult in suggesting /how/ Google Maps
determines location so accurately, where it's clear now that Google Maps
uses Wi-Fi but it's not clear whether they're using only a "connected"
access point, or if they can use "non connected" access points.

To explain further the huge difference, let's say I'm traveling and I'm in
NYC and I accidentally connect to the *wide-open* Access Point with the
SSID of "Times Square Access Point", then it would not be difficult for
Google Maps to know that this access point is located in the middle of
Times Square (based on the IP address lookup that Google Maps would have to
store in the offline map database).

On the other hand, let's say I'm in the same spot, but there are zero
wide-open access points to connect to, but, the WiFi "sees" scores of
secured access points, all of which are in the Google Maps online database,
of course, as long as they don't end with "nomap" like all my many access
points do.
http://i.cubeupload.com/vE2s6G.gif

The one caveat is that a "wide open" access point may be set to ask to
join, or to automatically join, it seems (you can see the setting in the
screenshot above).

The URL on Skyhook Wireless says:
"Skyhook originally began by geolocating Wi-Fi access points and
evolved with the idea that hybrid positioning technology, which
incorporates Wi-Fi, GPS, cell towers, IP address and device sensors,
could improve device location."

Notice though, that this Skyhook explanation, while admittedly apropos and
interesting, doesn't yet answer the technical question of what Google Maps
is using, since these are each possible together or alone:

1. Is Google using the geolocation of the *connected* WiFi access point?
2. Or is Google using the geolocation of many *unconnected* Wi-Fi APs?

NOTE: When you're on the road, you won't be connected to anything but
wide-open access points, and even then, the tablet might be set to ask
before connecting, so that's why the answer to the question matters.

Am Sat, 31 Mar 2018 14:36:10 +1100, schrieb Paul Colquhoun:

My mistake. Not sure where I got that idea, I just thought GPS chips
were cheap & plentiful.

This is the cheapest Apple 2017 128GB 9.7-inch tablet you can get, at $300,
where, since I bought three of them, the price matters, but where it
doesn't have GPS or cellular capability at that price.
*The 2017 9.7-inch 128GB iPad with Wi-Fi is $300 at Costco*
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/comp.mobile.ipad/2kUo5789jSk

In article , Paul
Colquhoun wrote:

| I don't think Apple have ever made an iPad without a GPS chip.
|
| they did and still do.
|
| wifi-only ipads do not have gps or cellular.

My mistake. Not sure where I got that idea, I just thought GPS chips
were cheap & plentiful.

they are.

apple combines both gps and cellular for assistive gps. without
cellular, the time for an initial gps fix can potentially be very long.

In article , Retired
wrote:

4. Location was extremely accurate
* Routing appears to work just fine
* Route Preview appears to work just fine
* a. Wi-Fi = on* === this is the only change from above


Perhaps #4 can be explained by:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad#I...t_connectivity

"The iPad can use Wi-Fi network trilateration from Skyhook Wireless to
provide location information to applications such as Google Maps."

ios devices haven't used skyhook wireless in nearly a decade and the
mechanism to obtain the user's location doesn't use trilateration.

apple, along with google and microsoft, now have their own databases.

In article , Ragnusen Ultred
wrote:


you've been told how it works on many, many occasions.

You just make everything up, like what you just said.

To prove that statement, simply point to the location where anyone was
"told this information", and especially to the "many occasions".

right over there ---

In article , Ragnusen Ultred
wrote:

The hard part is to track and route without GPS and without cellular.

for you, everything is hard.

for the rest of the world, it's easy.