Forget GPS, Hello WPS

No France writes "A company known as skyhook wireless has announced the commercial availability of its Wi-Fi Positioning System, or WPS. The company has compiled a database of every wireless access point it can find in a given city. When a mobile user running th Skyhook client is in a recorded area, their position is calculated by selecting the surrounding signals and comparing them to the reference database. Currently there are 25 US cities mapped, including New York City, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Apparently this device is accurate to within 20-40 meters, though one has to wonder how well it deals with people moving their wireless access points."

Too Simple

[nxtr]

They might as well give everybody a peice of paper with a huge X on it that says 'You are here'.

What a joke...

[nemostultae]

Apparently this device is accurate to within 20-40 meters

Hell, I can guess where I am to that accuracy. I thought GPSs where accurate within 5-8 meters nowadays. And this sounds really useful out in the open ocean, you know, where all those rouge wireless access points hang out.

Re:but there's really no point!

[cryptoz]

Say what?!

Determine your location in a building with an accuracy of somewhere inside 40 meters. Oh yeah, that's useful. Which floor again? Which room? Eh?

Useless?

[knightPhlight]

I'm currently surrounded by the SSIDs, "linksys" and "default". Can someone tell me where I am?

Re:but there's really no point!

[JanneM]

u do have a road map in teh car dont u?

I'll get a road map in my car the moment I get a car. I'll put it right next to my dictionary.

Re:Karma whore

[nametaken]

I'm worried less about privacy, and more about how I'm going to tape my wireless access point to my roomba just to mess with them.

But then, with such poor accuracy, it's not like anyone will be worried about 40 or 50 feet here and there.

Re:The Positioning Sledgehammer

[Technician]

Or, are any of my friends within 6 blocks of me?

They only way a free AP sponsor would be interested if any of your friends are within 6 blocks would be to suggest you all meet at Starbucks.

Re:What a joke...

[gardyloo]

And this sounds really useful out in the open ocean, you know, where all those rouge wireless access points hang out.

Ah, yes, the pink ones.

Re:20 - 40 meters?

[ouzel]

Why, when you young whippersnappers were still in diapers we were feeling lucky to get 100m accuracy with SA enabled.

AND we had to walk uphill both ways in the snow to get it.

Re:20 - 40 meters?

[Tony Hoyle]

Sounds optimistic...

Let's say I'm within range of 50 access points all called 'Netgear'.

Where am I?

Re:The Positioning Sledgehammer

[LocoMan]

Now it'll only have to specify on which starbuck you are to meet them out of the 10 within those 6 blocks.. :)

Re:but there's really no point!

[brontus3927]

Actually, this is right along the lines of what I was going to suggest. For me, I'm horrible at remembering appointments and other such tasks. Sure, I can set up reminders and what not to remind me at 5:00 that I'm meeting a friend after work, but what about stopping at the bank on my way to the groccery store. Can't tell you how many times I've forgotten to make that stop. So a *PS-enabled system to remind me to turn left at the light and go to the bank instead of right to the groccery store would be very helpful