OpenStreetMap
Hi all
Firefox is now able to calculate the users geolocation. This is done with WIFI signals.
People are a bit scared about that ;-)
If you wanna see that with openstreetmap, go to
If you click at "Follow geolocation" the map center follows you if you walk around with your computer.
Have fun
Bernhard
Parola
Comentario de Biogenesis_ no 2 de Xullo de 2009 ás 23:49
How on Earth would it use WiFi signals? Using the mobile phone network I could understand as you can triangulate if the phone is getting a signal from 3 or more towers, but WiFi has no geographic data attached to it.
Comentario de Biogenesis_ no 2 de Xullo de 2009 ás 23:52
Just did some research: it does use WiFi by comparing your IP to a database of known access points. So it only works if you're using a public AP which is in the database.
So really it's nothing special that couldn't be done before with netstat, traceroute, and an IP geolocation database.
Comentario de HannesHH no 3 de Xullo de 2009 ás 06:12
Except that it is actually rather accurate. IP geolocation is not.
Comentario de AshKyd no 3 de Xullo de 2009 ás 17:15
From whawt I'm understanding, it uses all of the APs which are in range regardless of whether you're connected or not. All FF needs to do is compare the SSIDs in your area with the ones in the central database and it can triangulate a location from that.
Check out Skyhook, which seems to be the benchmark for this thing.