From: ithinkiam@gmail.com   
      
   VanguardLH  wrote:   
   > Windows 10 has its location service, but I'm wondering why enable it.   
   > It was disabled, I tried enabling it, but it doesn't help finding my   
   > location.  As a test, and after enabling location, I went to Google Maps   
   > and entered a restaurant some 10 miles away.  When I clicked on   
   > Directions to specify start and end locations, there was a circle icon   
   > to "Use your location".  Clicked on that, and got a prompt "Google Maps   
   > wants to use your location".  In permissions, location is set to Ask.  I   
   > click "Just this time", but the starting point was way way off from   
   > where I am.   
   >   
   > Because my location was so far off, I have to wonder just how Microsoft   
   > finds my location other than IP geolocation which doesn't require a site   
   > to use Windows location services.  This is on a desktop PC.  No cellular   
   > radio to connect to a tower.  No GPS radio.  Just how is Windows   
   > location going to determine my location?  Doesn't seem it has anything   
   > with which to determine my location other than by IP geolocation.   
   >   
   > https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/windows-location-s   
   rvice-and-privacy-3a8eee0a-5b0b-dc07-eede-2a5ca1c49088   
   >   
   > Timezone.  Really?  That's going to track my location?  A dozen a-bombs   
   > could land in the same timezone and never hit me.   
   >   
   > Find my device.  Start -> Settings -> Update & Security -> Find my   
   > device.  Other than IP geolocation, how is that going to work on desktop   
   > PC with no cellular or GPS radios?   
   >   
   > With location and find my device enabled, I go to:   
   >   
   > https://account.microsoft.com/devices   
   >   
   > which says "Unknown - Location data isn't available".   
   >   
   > GPS. No GPS radio in my desktop PC.   
   >   
   > Nearby wireless access points.  I have some wifi devices connected to my   
   > wifi cable modem, but not my desktop PC.   
   >   
   > Cell towers.  It's a desktop PC, not a smartphone.   
   >   
   > IP address.  Yep, they can use that, but it highly inaccurate.  What a   
   > site would see is the WAN-side IP address specified by my ISP's DHCP   
   > server for the cable modem which uses a NAT router.  With Windows   
   > location disabled, my IP address is still known. When I use several IP   
   > geolocation sites, each gives a different location resulting in a span   
   > of about a 15-mile radius, or an area of 706 square miles.   
   >   
   > Some folks are paranoid about revealing their location to web sites that   
   > want it for a service they provide, or to track them.  However, for a   
   > desktop PC, there is no difference when Windows location is enabled, or   
   > not.   
   >   
   > Seems superfluous to waste CPU cycles on a feature that is ineffective,   
   > so I disabled it again.   
   >   
      
   If all you have is a wired connection then I'm impressed it got that close.   
   Mine is hundreds of miles out usually.   
      
   As you say, it's useless.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)