WiFi location tracking of people

["Richard M. Smith" <rms () bsf-llc com>]

The flip side here is that the Loki network is also keeping track the
location of its users.  Perhaps not that big of deal with laptops, but this
location database becomes more interesting down the road when phones all
come with built-in WiFi support.
 
Richard
 
http://www.boston.com/business/personaltech/articles/2006/03/23/software_tur
ns_laptops_into_navigators?mode=PF

Software turns laptops into navigators


Loki system melds global positioning, WiFi to find services


By Hiawatha Bray, Globe Staff  |  March 23, 2006

A Boston company is giving away software that can turn nearly any laptop
computer into a global positioning system, enabling users to find the
nearest restaurant, hospital, or gas station at the touch of a button.

Skyhook Wireless Inc.'s new Loki service uses the popular WiFi wireless data
networking system in a radical new way. The company has created WiFi maps of
the nation's 100 largest cities, with precise locations for five million
wireless data signals. Loki uses these wireless signals to tell users with
WiFi laptops where they are -- and where they can obtain a variety of
products and services. Anybody with a WiFi-equipped portable computer that
runs
<http://studio.financialcontent.com/Engine?Account=bostonglobe&PageName=QUOT
E&Ticker=MSFT> Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating system can use Loki,
which is available for download at  <http://www.loki.com/> www.loki.com.

Skyhook's chief executive, Ted Morgan, said Loki is designed to complement
the global positioning system, which uses radio signals from satellites to
pinpoint locations on earth. ''As a user, you don't care whether it's coming
from satellite or WiFi," he said. ''You just want the best possible
location."

GPS often doesn't work in cities, because tall buildings may block satellite
signals. US cities, however, are blanketed by millions of short-range radio
signals from WiFi routers in homes and businesses. Each router broadcasts a
unique ID code and is located at a precise point on the earth. So they can
serve as homing beacons.

Skyhook Wireless hired people to drive down every street in America's 100
biggest cities. Their cars were loaded with WiFi detection gear, as well as
GPS satellite receivers. A computer in the vehicle identified each unique
WiFi signal, and linked it to latitude and longitude data from the GPS
system. The result is a map showing the location of nearly every WiFi router
in town.

...

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