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Interesting analysis that strongly suggests the coordinates are for cell towers, not the iOS device.[1] Personally, the fact that the file is in a cache direct
by jws 16y ago
Interesting analysis that strongly suggests the coordinates are for cell towers, not the iOS device.[1]
Personally, the fact that the file is in a cache directory path, and that some people don't have much data, or any, suggests to me that some programmer forgot to trim his cache or picked a ridiculously large size before he decides to trim.
"locationd" wants to know the coordinates of the cell towers you communicate with in order to triangulate your position without turning on the GPS, and it doesn't want to eat the battery by querying servers all the time. That argues for a cache of the towers you frequent. It's only one bug or poorly chosen constant from there to the situation people are reporting.
[1] That still reports your travels in gross terms and is a problem in need of a fix.
- alain94040 16y agoYou do realize that the towers themselves have had that information about you forever, so AT&T (or now Verizon) can plot your every move.
- davidw 16y agoWhich can be a good thing, if, say, you get kidnapped, or someone gets murdered and they're trying to retrace their steps. What's not a good thing is if there's no one "watching the watchers".
- jws 16y agoDoes AT&T retain the data for a year? Do they give it to the ass hat that stole my laptop?
- allwein 16y agoThe iPhone only maintains the last time a given cell tower was "seen". It does not have your complete movement data for the entire year. (Exception would be someone that has been traveling the entire year and has never been back to the same place twice.)