XPost: comp.mobile.android, alt.home.repair   
   From: ham789@netzero.net   
      
   On 3/30/2018 8:08 PM, Ragnusen Ultred wrote:   
      
   >   
   > So I'm just asking someone to explain how that happens, where all the   
   > childish silly semantic games should be left for the Apple children to   
   > play.   
      
   A system that required connecting to random sites would be useless.   
   A while back, I experimented with the concept and was amazed   
   by how accurately my position could be determined without gps   
   or cell service.  Google knows the exact location of almost   
   every access point.  I don't know how it interpolates, but it appears to   
   do so.   
   You don't have to connect to the site to determine its location.   
   I don't have any experimental data to confirm.  I assume that when   
   you download an offline google route, you must also get the map   
   of access points along the route.  An interesting experiment   
   would be to go perpendicularly to the route and see how far you   
   get before it throws up its hands.   
      
   The problem happens when you are in an area between major population   
   areas and there are no access points within range.   
      
   I assert that 'knowing why' is overrated.  Take the thing on a test   
   route and see what happens.  Knowing why won't help you at all.   
   You already know that it's based on wifi.   
      
   If you just want to get there, a cheap used phone will very likely   
   have gps and you can use something like MapFactor Navigator to do the   
   routing.   
   That works very well until you get into an area where the crowd-sourced   
   information is missing or wrong.   
      
   A dedicated GPS is a more useful device, but the cheap ones you get   
   at garage sales and thrift stores have older maps.  That turns some   
   people off.  I just find a nearby location that is on an older road   
   and route to there.  Perfection is overrated...   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)