From: mariasophia@comprehension.com   
      
   VanguardLH wrote:   
   > Seems superfluous to waste CPU cycles on a feature that is ineffective,   
   > so I disabled it again.   
      
   Hi Vanguard,   
      
   On a desktop PC with no GPS, no cellular modem, and no Wi-Fi radio, Windows   
   Location Services can't do much beyond IP-based geolocation (unless you   
   manually provide a user-provided location).   
      
   Apparently Google Maps uses the browser's geolocation API, which prefers   
    a. GPS   
    b. Wi-Fi triangulation   
    c. Cell towers   
    d. IP address (which is all that you likely give it)   
      
   If you had Wi-Fi, most people might not realize Windows doesn't need to   
   connect to Wi-Fi, as it only needs a Wi-Fi radio to scan nearby SSIDs.   
      
   Those SSIDs are matched against a massive global database (Google,   
   Microsoft, Apple all maintain their own).   
      
   If you "want" better geolocation, a $10 USB Wi-Fi dongle is enough to give   
   Windows & Google Maps accurate location because it enables Wi-Fi scanning.   
      
   From what I looked up for you, Vanguard, Windows devices with Wi-Fi radios   
   that are enabled with location services & "Improve location accuracy"   
   enabled will periodically send your personal Wi-Fi scan data to Microsoft.   
      
   Apparently Microsoft has in the past licensed or exchanged geolocation data   
   with Skyhook and other data providers, so it's unclear what's in their DB.   
      
   Unlike Google whose WPS database is public with restrictions, and certainly   
   unlike Apple's WPS database which is (IMHO criminally) insecure, Microsoft   
   does not expose it publicly in any form as far as I was able to find out.   
      
   Any of the above might be wrong as I found this out by researching an   
   answer to your question.   
   --   
   Just one person paying it forward by helping others who later help me.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)