I think you will find much of this is because of the current balance struck between privacy invasion and usability. If brilliant minds were put to it, I am sure

I think you will find much of this is because of the current balance struck between privacy invasion and usability. If brilliant minds were put to it, I am sure location services could be mostly client side and not server side. And so on. Just writing it feels heretic and crack-pot, except it wouldn't have to be.