Throwaway GPS

On Sat, 10 Dec 2005 13:52:45 +0000 (UTC),
(Paul Tomblin) wrote:

In a previous article, "Andrew Sarangan" said:
If the cellphone is able to transmit its GPS co-ordinates, surely it
should also be able to give that same information to the user.

Some of them can. A friend has a cell phone that one of the better hidden


menu items is to make the GPS data private - if you don't select it, the

No they can't.
It's a government mandated provision for enhanced 911 operation. This
is what's been driving the VOIP providers nuts. The GPS *along* with
the tower data is supposed to give your position within so many feet,
both vertically and horizontally and it best be there. It comes up
at the 911 center when you call. It saves time. I've called in a
number of wrecks and it took time to give a detailed location report.
With enhanced 911 they would have only verified that I was who the
phone number said I was and all I'd have to do would be say, "yes"
when they asked for the location verification.

cell phone company terms of service allows them the option to spam you
with text messages advertising businesses local to where you are.

Where you are has nothing to do with spam, nor does making the GPS
data private. It's nothing more than a location, but it must be
included and you are not supposed to be able to turn it off, at least
not to the 911 center.

There is also a program somebody wrote using the Google Maps API where you
and a community of friends can always see where the other members of your

This is an entirely different kettle of fish.

community are at any time based on the GPS coordinates of their cell
phones.

Hams have been doing that with GPS and their radios for some time.
We call it APRS.

When storm chasing there is a burst of data that gives out position
and all we have to do is report on the storm.
The EOC which is in the 911 center knows right where we are.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com
Roger

On Sat, 10 Dec 2005 08:01:07 -0800, wrote:

Bob Noel wrote:
In article ,
(Paul Tomblin) wrote:


Some of them can. A friend has a cell phone that one of the better hidden
menu items is to make the GPS data private - if you don't select it, the
cell phone company terms of service allows them the option to spam you
with text messages advertising businesses local to where you are.


what's the name of this cell provider? I want to make sure that I never
ever buy anything from them.

Thanks


All of them most likely. There isn't a wireless company that gives a
squat about their customers. It's all about sales and revenue.

As many users have to pay for connect time it's fast becoming illegal
in many areas to spam via cell phones (unless it's via e-mail and not
text messaging)

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

Roger opined

On Sat, 10 Dec 2005 13:52:45 +0000 (UTC),
(Paul Tomblin) wrote:

In a previous article, "Andrew Sarangan" said:
If the cellphone is able to transmit its GPS co-ordinates, surely it
should also be able to give that same information to the user.

Some of them can. A friend has a cell phone that one of the better hidden


menu items is to make the GPS data private - if you don't select it, the

No they can't.
It's a government mandated provision for enhanced 911 operation. This
is what's been driving the VOIP providers nuts. The GPS *along* with
the tower data is supposed to give your position within so many feet,
both vertically and horizontally and it best be there. It comes up
at the 911 center when you call. It saves time. I've called in a
number of wrecks and it took time to give a detailed location report.
With enhanced 911 they would have only verified that I was who the
phone number said I was and all I'd have to do would be say, "yes"
when they asked for the location verification.

My biggest question is how long before the government orders cell phone makers
to include a no ring "what is your current location?" option? Sure make it
easier to keep track of troouble makers.

-ash
Cthulhu in 2005!
Why wait for nature?

In a previous article, Roger said:
On Sat, 10 Dec 2005 13:52:45 +0000 (UTC),
(Paul Tomblin) wrote:

In a previous article, "Andrew Sarangan" said:
If the cellphone is able to transmit its GPS co-ordinates, surely it
should also be able to give that same information to the user.

Some of them can. A friend has a cell phone that one of the better hidden
menu items is to make the GPS data private - if you don't select it, the

No they can't.

Oh yes they can. "Making the GPS data private" means that it can only be
used for e911. If you don't make it private, you're giving the cell phone
company permission to use it however they like. The guy with the phone
showed me the help item for that menu item, and it explicitly says that
they can use it for geographically targetted advertising if they want.

--
Paul Tomblin http://xcski.com/blogs/pt/
If killing them all to a man is not an option then you are better off to
simply leave them to slowly self destruct under their own incompetance.
-- Dag

On 15 Dec 2005 7:50:7 -0500, "Ash Wyllie" wrote:

Roger opined

On Sat, 10 Dec 2005 13:52:45 +0000 (UTC),
(Paul Tomblin) wrote:

In a previous article, "Andrew Sarangan" said:
If the cellphone is able to transmit its GPS co-ordinates, surely it
should also be able to give that same information to the user.

Some of them can. A friend has a cell phone that one of the better hidden


menu items is to make the GPS data private - if you don't select it, the

No they can't.
It's a government mandated provision for enhanced 911 operation. This
is what's been driving the VOIP providers nuts. The GPS *along* with
the tower data is supposed to give your position within so many feet,
both vertically and horizontally and it best be there. It comes up
at the 911 center when you call. It saves time. I've called in a
number of wrecks and it took time to give a detailed location report.
With enhanced 911 they would have only verified that I was who the
phone number said I was and all I'd have to do would be say, "yes"
when they asked for the location verification.

My biggest question is how long before the government orders cell phone makers
to include a no ring "what is your current location?" option? Sure make it
easier to keep track of troouble makers.

What do you mean when or how long?

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

-ash
Cthulhu in 2005!
Why wait for nature?

On Thu, 15 Dec 2005 14:07:05 +0000 (UTC),
(Paul Tomblin) wrote:

In a previous article, Roger said:
On Sat, 10 Dec 2005 13:52:45 +0000 (UTC),
(Paul Tomblin) wrote:

In a previous article, "Andrew Sarangan" said:
If the cellphone is able to transmit its GPS co-ordinates, surely it
should also be able to give that same information to the user.

Some of them can. A friend has a cell phone that one of the better hidden
menu items is to make the GPS data private - if you don't select it, the

No they can't.

Oh yes they can. "Making the GPS data private" means that it can only be

No they can't: We are talking about two different things. You can
only tell them you want your data private. Setting that flag does
not prevent them from getting the data. If 911 can, so can the
telephone company.

What you are talking about is a flag that tells the phone company you
don't want any adds or for them to give out your location to
unauthorized parties. They still have it, you are just telling them
you do not give them permission to give it out.

used for e911. If you don't make it private, you're giving the cell phone

It's a play on words as you, the end user can never really make it
private. You only remove permission for them to use it for business,
or pass it on to some one else. Think of it more like a flag that
says this guy is on the do not call list. In some states it's
already illegal for any one to send you adds on the cell phone because
it costs you money.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com
company permission to use it however they like. The guy with the phone
showed me the help item for that menu item, and it explicitly says that
they can use it for geographically targetted advertising if they want.