MS S&T 2006 wireless positioning

Windsetter · 11-05-2005, 05:56 AM

Work bought me a copy of Streets and Trips 2006 and I saw during the installation (on my home PC as I have yet to start my carputer) that there is the capability of using wireless network signals to determine your position on the maps. Has anyone tried using this feature yet? If so, how well does it work?

Nabby · 11-05-2005, 07:08 AM

I am fairly sure that Streets & Maps using the same technology as their standalone app called LocateMe or something like that. It uses your IP address and determines your location to a very broad area. I tried it on a computer in Orlando, and it returned a zoomed out map of the whole city.

raghavghei · 11-05-2005, 12:04 PM

you might be right

pasic · 11-18-2005, 12:53 AM

its a cool concept but fairly useless, just hook up a cheap $50 gps receiver and click the zoom to location button (something like that, its in the gps panel settings) .

buurin · 11-18-2005, 03:05 AM

I used the feature and it zoomed in pretty darn close to me.

I suppose I should admit, i was sitting in a Microsoft office in redmond.

Marvin Hlavac · 11-18-2005, 03:14 PM

Buurin you are the very first one I have heard who said the function actually worked ;-)

Normally people say the WiFi part of it doesn't work because no known hotspots nearby, so the function just determines the location from your IP and that is often way off ;-)

Sonicxtacy02 · 11-18-2005, 04:20 PM

i've tested it a bunch of times across the country and it aint worked once for me. Why would they even include somethin like that as a "feature"

buurin · 11-18-2005, 05:26 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Sonicxtacy02

i've tested it a bunch of times across the country and it aint worked once for me. Why would they even include somethin like that as a "feature"

This is entirely speculation but i believe the intent was looking ahead towards the furutre.. In the future IP addresses may resolve to a location more accurately and therefore they want to have the functionality already embedded in the product. Perhaps IPv6 will make the difference.

Also any reasonable WiFi provider should resolve to at least somewhere in the same county you are in, so the feature does work. Instead of opening up the app and looking at the entire US, zooming into your region is pretty useful.

Marvin Hlavac · 11-18-2005, 05:42 PM

I agree that the feature may be more useful in the future. It would be great if all users viewed the feature for what it is: an interesting example of new technology which does have future potential.

Unfortunately I have heard several users criticizing Microsoft because of their unrealistic expectations of this feature.

buurin · 11-18-2005, 11:03 PM

Quote: Originally Posted by Marvin Hlavac

I agree that the feature may be more useful in the future. It would be great if all users viewed the feature for what it is: an interesting example of new technology which does have future potential.

Unfortunately I have heard several users criticizing Microsoft because of their unrealistic expectations of this feature.

Well put... Its a cool, easy to use feature. People complain like its zooming you into the wrong location.

widower · 11-19-2005, 02:00 AM

It may be the same technology that the secret guys are looking into. It doesn't just use IP addresses, but also, measures delay. I believe they are also looking into this technology for 911 service on IP phones.

tj!2k4 · 11-19-2005, 02:39 AM

worked for me once too. just it located my ISP's office location (OOL's office in Ossining, NY)

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