Android May Be Broadcasting Your Location

[korndog55]

This is used by manufacturers like Cisco and Cisco Meraki to help retail businesses track customers. It helps them market better and understand how often a unique device visits, for how long etc. All it needs is a cisco access point and for users to leave wifi turned on. https://meraki.cisco.com/solutions/cmx

 

[daekar]

Who on earth leaves their WiFi on all the time? This is basic stuff, people... you don't leave Bluetooth on when you're not using it, and you don't leave WiFi on when you're not using it. I mean, sure, if you want to kill your battery and give up control of the security of the most important gadget you own, it's no skin off my back. Just seems like walking around a bad neighborhood at night waving wads of $100 bills. Sure, you SHOULD be safe, I mean mugging is against the law, but none of us stupid enough to tempt fate like that.

Way to go blaming the customer, typical Google spying apologist, never their fault is it. Why don't you skip right to the part where they implant a GPS chip straight into the brains of newborn babies.

Nonsense. I'm no apologist for any company - they should secure their software and systems. However, if you've spent any time at all paying attention to the world of software security, you'll know that there is always another bug and another exploit on any platform. It's foolish to give up your ability to control those things and blunder around mindlessly with you device set to allow interactions with devices and networks you don't choose. Knock yourself out though - I'm sure you'll get by for a while on "should."

 

[alextheblue]

Nonsense. I'm no apologist for any company - they should secure their software and systems. However, if you've spent any time at all paying attention to the world of software security, you'll know that there is always another bug and another exploit on any platform. It's foolish to give up your ability to control those things and blunder around mindlessly with you device set to allow interactions with devices and networks you don't choose. Knock yourself out though - I'm sure you'll get by for a while on "should."

Would you be so apologetic if this was only an Apple issue?

If you truly believe manually disabling your wifi is the sensible solution, you're too far out there and I don't think anyone here can reach you - especially since you've probably disabled wireless on your side of the moon. A device that is not actively connected to a wifi network shouldn't be blindly broadcasting all that info. Conversely at home your device should be allowed to stay connected to sync, backup, download, etc - without you needing to manually connect and disconnect. That's ridiculous. I wouldn't own a device that I lack so much confidence in that I manually disable wifi. That is NOT a solution. Might as well start recommending that people unplug their routers when not in use. Oh, and don't forget building a faraday cage into the exterior of your home.

Also, wifi actually doesn't use that much power. It actually saves energy vs LTE, for example.

 

[daekar]

Nonsense. I'm no apologist for any company - they should secure their software and systems. However, if you've spent any time at all paying attention to the world of software security, you'll know that there is always another bug and another exploit on any platform. It's foolish to give up your ability to control those things and blunder around mindlessly with you device set to allow interactions with devices and networks you don't choose. Knock yourself out though - I'm sure you'll get by for a while on "should."

Would you be so apologetic if this was only an Apple issue?

If you truly believe manually disabling your wifi is the sensible solution, you're too far out there and I don't think anyone here can reach you - especially since you've probably disabled wireless on your side of the moon. A device that is not actively connected to a wifi network shouldn't be blindly broadcasting all that info. Conversely at home your device should be allowed to stay connected to sync, backup, download, etc - without you needing to manually connect and disconnect. That's ridiculous. I wouldn't own a device that I lack so much confidence in that I manually disable wifi. That is NOT a solution. Might as well start recommending that people unplug their routers when not in use. Oh, and don't forget building a faraday cage into the exterior of your home.

Also, wifi actually doesn't use that much power. It actually saves energy vs LTE, for example.

I see we are incapable of making arguments without silly exaggerations and accusations... that really doesn't help you. I probably have used WiFi on my phone around 20 times, and each of those times was an exception brought about by poor cell coverage. Since I have unlimited 4G data, there is absolutely no reason for me to bother looking for WiFi hotspots when it's not available at work (private corporate network not for personal phones), in my car, or desirable at home because of our bandwidth cap.

I never said they shouldn't fix the issue, I just can't imagine a world of working adults where it's actually that big a deal. Or do you spend your whole day sitting in a coffee shop using their WiFi network?

 

[alextheblue]

I see we are incapable of making arguments without silly exaggerations and accusations... that really doesn't help you. I probably have used WiFi on my phone around 20 times, and each of those times was an exception brought about by poor cell coverage. Since I have unlimited 4G data, there is absolutely no reason for me to bother looking for WiFi hotspots when it's not available at work (private corporate network not for personal phones), in my car, or desirable at home because of our bandwidth cap.

I never said they shouldn't fix the issue, I just can't imagine a world of working adults where it's actually that big a deal. Or do you spend your whole day sitting in a coffee shop using their WiFi network?

I was just illustrating how ridiculous your "solution" is. Nothing was getting through. It took forever just to get you to explain things better. Did you know that many LTE users here in the US have limited full-speed data (and have to pay additional for more)? Yet most wired broadband has either no cap or extremely high caps. So basically, the situation for most readers here is the exact opposite of what you describe. So what works for you is actually a terrible idea for most people reading your comments.

 

[daekar]

I see we are incapable of making arguments without silly exaggerations and accusations... that really doesn't help you. I probably have used WiFi on my phone around 20 times, and each of those times was an exception brought about by poor cell coverage. Since I have unlimited 4G data, there is absolutely no reason for me to bother looking for WiFi hotspots when it's not available at work (private corporate network not for personal phones), in my car, or desirable at home because of our bandwidth cap.

I never said they shouldn't fix the issue, I just can't imagine a world of working adults where it's actually that big a deal. Or do you spend your whole day sitting in a coffee shop using their WiFi network?

I was just illustrating how ridiculous your "solution" is. Nothing was getting through. It took forever just to get you to explain things better. Did you know that many LTE users here in the US have limited full-speed data (and have to pay additional for more)? Yet most wired broadband has either no cap or extremely high caps. So basically, the situation for most readers here is the exact opposite of what you describe. So what works for you is actually a terrible idea for most people reading your comments.

I've been very careful to preserve my unlimited data by keeping the same plan and buying phones alone rather than signing up for the promotional 2 year plans. It's not like I want or need a new phone every two years anyway... that's just how often the phone companies would LIKE us to upgrade.

I can't imagine why anyone would bother with anything but a low-end smartphone without unlimited data... if I'm anywhere with a WiFi connection and I'm going to have the time for downloads and content consumption, I'm at home and I just use my PC. If I'm out and about, chances are I won't have time to stop and find a WiFi connection or I can't be tied to a WiFi hotspot while I do whatever it is that requires data. That whole bandwidth limit racket just completely ruins the major benefits of mobile devices.

 

[godnodog]

how does 'keep wifi on during sleep" option to never increases data usage and more importantly power consumption?

WiFi connections use less power than 3G/4G data connections and leaving WiFi always-on where you have access to a WiFi network means apps that sync stuff in the background can use your WiFi bandwidth instead of your 3G/4G data plan.

Thanks for the reply, but you did not answer my question, as the data amount will be the same, the way it´s syc/uploaded/downloaded may be different (3g/4G vs WIFI) but 3mb is 3mb regardless.
But it´s the claim that the power consuption being greater if wifi is off rather then on is baffling me

 

[InvalidError]

Thanks for the reply, but you did not answer my question, as the data amount will be the same, the way it´s syc/uploaded/downloaded may be different (3g/4G vs WIFI) but 3mb is 3mb regardless.
But it´s the claim that the power consuption being greater if wifi is off rather then on is baffling me

Yes, the data amount is the same between 3G/4G and WiFi but data over WiFi is either free or at least much cheaper.

The power consumption goes a bit in the same way: they make that claim based on the average smartphone user being connected to Facebook, Twitter and a bunch of other things practically all the time and maintaining an always-on connection to online services drains less power over WiFi than 3G/4G since the WiFi signal only needs to travel 0-30m and 0-5 walls/floors to the AP instead of 30m-20km and 0-20 walls/floors, trees, hills, etc. for 3G/4G