They're watching you

[Iolaus]

I was just on the Verizon site, checking out some of the options available on my cell-phone; one of the available subscriptions that I don't have is something called VZ Navigator. I started checking out their demo on line, and was a little startled when I got to this screen:



Now I knew there was some basic GPS capability in order to use a 911 function, but this really illustrated just how much info "the system" has on you if you have a cell phone! The raw data to generate all this is constantly being broadcast any time your phone is turned on (and for the truely paranoid - when it's off too <joke>) in order for the phone company to be able to call you wherever you are; it's just a matter of a subscription on your part that lets you access the data yourself.

Just thought I'd do my part to increase people's paranoia.

[Prester John]

No, it's not paranoia if they really are out to get you.

Disturbing to say the least, and this is 20 year old technology.

Makes you wonder what they are really using today.

[Yaish]

Is that a screen shot from their demo, or is that your information?

For the really paranoid, punch those numbers into Google Earth.

[Panache]

Hey, but on the bright side...


The scene: Winding Greek country road, Iolaus and Mrs. Iolaus are riding along in their chariot. Iolaus is driving.

Mrs. Iolaus: We're lost aren't we?

Iolaus: No, no, no we're just fine. I know where we are.

Mrs. Iolaus: We should have been at the Parthenon hours ago. We're lost.

Iolaus: No, no, no we're just fine. I know where we are.

Mrs. Iolaus: You have been saying that for the last hour. Well then...
WHERE EXACTLY IN HADES ARE WE!

Iolaus: We are ...errr....umm........ahhh (The lightbulb suddenly goes off above Iolaus' head. He quickly whips out his trusty cell phone from his sporran) We are exactly at latitude North 33 degrees 38' 2.7" and longititude West 117 degrees 44' 10.7" Ok?

Mrs. Iolaus: Oh, well that's ok then.


And the day is saved by our friend Technology!

[Iolaus]

Is that a screen shot from their demo, or is that your information?

For the really paranoid, punch those numbers into Google Earth.

No, that's somewhere in South County (Laguna Hills?); I'm out in Westminster. I was logged in when I was doing this, so I assume they chose a semi-local address to make their pitch a bit more personal.

Hey, but on the bright side...


The scene: Winding Greek country road, Iolaus and Mrs. Iolaus are riding along in their chariot. Iolaus is driving.

Mrs. Iolaus: We're lost aren't we?

Iolaus: No, no, no we're just fine. I know where we are.

Mrs. Iolaus: We should have been at the Parthenon hours ago. We're lost.

Iolaus: No, no, no we're just fine. I know where we are.

Mrs. Iolaus: You have been saying that for the last hour. Well then...
WHERE EXACTLY IN HADES ARE WE!

Iolaus: We are ...errr....umm........ahhh (The lightbulb suddenly goes off above Iolaus' head. He quickly whips out his trusty cell phone from his sporran) We are exactly at latitude North 33 degrees 38' 2.7" and longititude West 117 degrees 44' 10.7" Ok?

Mrs. Iolaus: Oh, well that's ok then.


And the day is saved by our friend Technology!

That's pretty much what my wife said when I was telling her about it! Something about the lengths a man will go to, to avoid admiting he's lost.

On the other hand, if I had access to this technology, she wouldn't be asking, 'cause we'd already be there. ...'course, that assumes I'm willing to admit to myself that I'm lost, which hasn't happened yet.

[Kilted KT]

Hmm... I'd have to say if they really wanted you, GPS is not the first thing they would do...

odds are, they would figure out where you generally live, then walk in to the nearest pub of supermarket and ask an employeer

"Have you seen a big guy with a kilt on recently?"

I'm sure they would be able to find you far faster this way...

[Kiltedfirepiper]

now they know where you are.....and because of the little metal bands in the $$ nowadays ...they know how much money you carry ...that coupled with the cameras eveywhere ..............IM NEVER LEAVING HOME AGAIN!!!!!!!

just kidding of course......it reminds me of that WAV. awhile back ....."if your paraniod...dont press any buttons for we know where you are , and we know what your doing "


Scott ......wraping my head in tinfoil

[Cinnabar]

Hmm...that's quite interesting. I know that "they" have been using cell phones to locate "individuals of interest" in matters of national security. It's weird that Verizon will show you what they can see. I'm curious how accurate the Lat/Long readings are.

[The Supreme Canuck]

Is it GPS or do they triangulate using cell towers? If it's the latter, it won't be anywhere near accurate. Also, I see that the lat/long readings are in 2D. That mucks up GPS: since the satellites need to deal with a third dimension (and the space between the ground and their orbit), if they don't use the right number of satellites to get a 3D fix, their clocks are off (which sounds like a non sequitur, but there you have it). Which means they aren't accurate to closer than, say, 30 metres.

Which is still good enough to blow you up. (LG Mk II Howitzer: accuracy 10 m, blast radius 30 m)

Have a nice day.

Edit: Thought I could slip in the howitzer comment before the next post. I was wrong...

[Iolaus]

Hmm...that's quite interesting. I know that "they" have been using cell phones to locate "individuals of interest" in matters of national security. It's weird that Verizon will show you what they can see. I'm curious how accurate the Lat/Long readings are.

Here's a link to their demo page. They claim you can use the phone as a turn-by-turn real-time GPS navigation system. With the prevelence of cell towers these days, I'm sure the triangulation capabilities are pretty sophisticated.