SRL Archive - News and General

…if you use WiFi.

Are you using WiFi right now?
At your place of residence, do you have WiFi enabled?
If you answered yes to either of these, congratulations! We all have a 99.99% chance of knowing your exact GPS coords!

Get Opera 10.60, and go to: http://www.opera.com/portal/geo/ or http://html5demos.com/geo
It also works on Firefox, though it is designed for Opera.

Anyways, yeah….. it's some company named Skyhook that partnered with Google. You know, Google Street-view.. how they go by in those cars and take pictures of your house from the road? Yeah, those people. Anyways, Skyhook has been doing this shit for YEARS. They don't just do it once, they do it again and again. I moved a few months ago and they already updated my router SSID's corresponding location.
So yeah, long before streetview you have this company called Skyhook that sends cars with GPSes and WiFi sniffers. All they do is map the location of ESSIDs/MAC addresses. Then they sell this to device makers and software companies so that they can have some kind of "WiFi GPS". (Skyhook, more like Skynet, amirite)

I am really tired right now, but I just wanted to throw that out there.

Thank all deities that we live in a country where if major companies log all your information (even private sometimes), they can get away with it!

Call me a tin-foil-hat all you want, I am sure NO ONE wants this information logged about themselves.

I'll bet you a hundred bucks they don't know where I am, on my Wifi. ;)

Scary

Now, how do we keep them from updating that info on us? :)

Cool now some skiddie is going to be sitting outside my house with his laptop using my wifi

They found me

Also, Harry. I don't see why it is illegal to listen to Wifi packets. When you send it in the air, everyone can pick them up. This is not illegal and never will be. I don't really care if they map my Wifi or not… It is not like they can actually do something with it. I can be on my wifi's IP without being on wifi… if you know what I mean. It doesn't really tell them much; just that my network is being used.

My question would be why do they need to do that? Where do they get the money? What is the advantage? Does it outweigh the costs? Could this money be put towards better use if the above prove to show it inadequate?

Chrome says "X website is trying to access your physical location"

It said my location was 17 miles away from where I actually am.
But couldn't you just hide your SSID and then they wouldn't be able to log it?

From: noidea
Chrome says "X website is trying to access your physical location"

Click Yes.

From: mrpickle
Now, how do we keep them from updating that info on us? :)

Sue Google and Skyhook. Good luck, you'll need it.
Or try to get your local laws changed, but that probably won't happen, and would just cause more bad than good.

From: Wizzup?
illegal to listen to Wifi packets. When you send it in the air, everyone can pick them up

It is not like they can actually do something with it. I can be on my wifi's IP without being on wifi… if you know what I mean. It doesn't really tell them much; just that my network is being used.

This is true, I do not care if people try to sniff my WiFi. I just dislike when they save it into databases.
They will know that you are in that general area. Even if you aren't using your network, they now know you are connected there.

From: cstrike
My question would be why do they need to do that? Where do they get the money? What is the advantage? Does it outweigh the costs? Could this money be put towards better use if the above prove to show it inadequate?

No idea, Google has a ton of cash to blow, and they probably sell some of the lists off to people.

From: noidea
Chrome says "X website is trying to access your physical location"

That is a good thing, yes. The bad thing is that all the information is already in databases. Someone get your router's MAC address? Woohoo, we now know where your house is. Or better yet, if you get malware. It can connect to those databases and get your address, which they can use to get more information about you, without even needing to search your hard-drive.

From: sylvawarrior
It said my location was 17 miles away from where I actually am.
But couldn't you just hide your SSID and then they wouldn't be able to log it?

You using WiFi? What area are you in?
I do not know about Google's devices and how they detect the networks, but I assume that if you didn't broadcast your SSID then they wouldn't be able to located you. Unless their cars go and connect to all channels automatically and log the MACs then…… which is scary I think.

Mhh, this is could be useful. I guess don't mass torrent on wifi (although if you actually buy something, most coffee shops don't care). Haha, they will NEVER catch Aser. He still is sitting behind a 3kb/s dial up miles from the nearest town.

I live in Texas Mothfuc%3r any of you skiddies try coming to my house uninvited I have the legal right to KILL you.

From: IceFire908
I live in Texas Mothfuc%3r any of you skiddies try coming to my house uninvited I have the legal right to KILL you.

I was thinking about organizing a surprise party to celebrate and thank you for all the great effort you spend for this community, but never mind….

On topic: But I think my wireless internet is safe against them, miles away from the closest town in a house with very very thick walls made of old Belgium stone.:norris:

I'm on the internet with wifi and you guys are online…someone try to find me! :)

Google chrome asks you if you want to share the info first though. Win.

From: Mr.Klean
Google chrome asks you if you want to share the info first though. Win.

Yeah, but the problem exists that ALL the information is ALREADY in a database on Google and Skyhook (and probably many other places) servers. Anyone who knows your wireless bridge's MAC address can get your GPS coords.

From: Harry
your wireless bridge's MAC address.

sorry for the nub question, but how would I find this information just being a random person on the internet?

They were off by 2 streets but thats still kind of disconcerting, lol

Off by 1km.

From: Brain
sorry for the nub question, but how would I find this information just being a random person on the internet?

If you have your network setup incorrectly, they get access to your box (somehow), or if you tell them.

I don't really understand what they need this information for. I guess they have some evil plans..

Oh, and brb stalking Frement.

so then you don't have a 99.99% chance of knowing where I live just because I'm on the internet…
I don't see how this is a big deal.

They were off by a few miles! XD I'm guessing it locates service providers..

Mine was off like 5 meters!

LOL OMG, pretty scary tbh. LET THEM COME! I'LL TAKE THEM ALL! :p

So, if I just say don't share. Does that mean I am safe? Do I need to start copper mesh wiring my walls and build an underground concrete barrier?

Let them come and i'll rape them all. :f: