C
cicada
This should have been done long ago. Embed GPS chipsets in future
laptops.
laptops.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
B
Big_Al
cicada said:This should have been done long ago. Embed GPS chipsets in future
laptops.
Only if the user could activate / deactivate on demand.
D
DevilsPGD
In message <[email protected]> "Ken Maltby"
That's one implementation. I'd be just as happy to have a laptop with
802.11n, Bluetooth, GPS, and EVDO-revA built in so that I don't have any
external crap hanging off my laptop.
Levono has one that looks about right, although the GPS is aGPS based on
the EVDO card, and I'm having trouble finding out if there is anything
resembling a real GPS receivers included, or if it's pure
location-by-cell-tower (and wifi?)
The first to learn how would be the thief. Next would be
the teenager.
That's one implementation. I'd be just as happy to have a laptop with
802.11n, Bluetooth, GPS, and EVDO-revA built in so that I don't have any
external crap hanging off my laptop.
Levono has one that looks about right, although the GPS is aGPS based on
the EVDO card, and I'm having trouble finding out if there is anything
resembling a real GPS receivers included, or if it's pure
location-by-cell-tower (and wifi?)
D
DevilsPGD
In message <[email protected]> "-Lost"
Lenovo (if I manage to spell it correctly) has a nice looking unit that
meets my specs, planning to buy it as soon as I finish my current move
and have a stable enough address to ship something.
I think the important point is the resolution of the location, and
whether or not it works "off the grid"
I spend a decent amount of my time traveling for entertainment, and
absolutely love finding "shortcuts" (in other words, off the beaten path
roads that get us where we want to go, whether or not they're actually
shorter)
Depending on whether we're driving our 4x4 truck or car, how far off the
path we go is variable, but it's almost always outside of mobile phone
coverage.
Worse, even if there is coverage, when there is only one tower nearby,
there is no triangulation, and when it's a rural tower cranked up to
maximum range, my location might only be accurate to within several
kilometers.
Well, there are a couple flavours out there. The original iPhone has a
mobile-tower-only location service, which seems to be getting labeled
aGPS.
The iPhone 3G's aGPS implementation is actually fantastic, much better
then my Tilt's true GPS, because the iPhone can locate itself very
quickly using mobile towers and wifi (and it uses both, since with the
radio off, but wifi on, it can still find me, more or less, some of the
time), but once the GPS kicks in a few seconds/minutes later, I find out
*exactly* where I am.
Sometimes you have to wait for the full GPS lock to get enough data, but
sometimes a wifi or tower based location is enough to start a search for
nearby amenities, and by the time I find where I want to go, the GPS has
a lock and can show me how to get there.
My ideal solution would be similar to the iPhone 3G, rough location from
the towers if available, true GPS as soon as I can get a lock.
Worst case, if I have to carry a GPS receiver around, I can live with
that, I mostly just use it in the car anyway, anywhere else and I pull
out my phone or PDA, but it would be absolutely fantastic to have better
location information.
I am less concerns with finding my laptop should it be stolen, since
unless the thief grabs it while I'm using it, they'll have to deal with
bitlocker and other local security measures long before any location
software would kick in anyway. An odd limitation of securing the
machine is that it will be tougher to recover should it be lost, at
least without BIOS level (or a secondary OS which doesn't need any
identification and authentication credentials to boot) recovery.
Now having a way to have the mobile network notify the laptop (A secret
SMS key?) that it has been stolen and have the BIOS lock down into a
"broadcast location via EVDO" mode while wiping the drive and displaying
"return if found..." instructions would be nice, but I'm not aware of
anyone doing anything like this at the hardware/BIOS level at this time.
You and me both, so no worries.
Amen!
Lenovo (if I manage to spell it correctly) has a nice looking unit that
meets my specs, planning to buy it as soon as I finish my current move
and have a stable enough address to ship something.
3) If it allows concurrent up- and downstream of GPS data (location
awareness, e.g., "live tracking") then it seems (to me at least) to
be a "real GPS receiver."
I think the important point is the resolution of the location, and
whether or not it works "off the grid"
I spend a decent amount of my time traveling for entertainment, and
absolutely love finding "shortcuts" (in other words, off the beaten path
roads that get us where we want to go, whether or not they're actually
shorter)
Depending on whether we're driving our 4x4 truck or car, how far off the
path we go is variable, but it's almost always outside of mobile phone
coverage.
Worse, even if there is coverage, when there is only one tower nearby,
there is no triangulation, and when it's a rural tower cranked up to
maximum range, my location might only be accurate to within several
kilometers.
4) My final note (and best guess from memory) is that an aGPS
solution is going to HAVE to be "location-by-cell-tower." That's
the "assisted" part in aGPS.
Well, there are a couple flavours out there. The original iPhone has a
mobile-tower-only location service, which seems to be getting labeled
aGPS.
The iPhone 3G's aGPS implementation is actually fantastic, much better
then my Tilt's true GPS, because the iPhone can locate itself very
quickly using mobile towers and wifi (and it uses both, since with the
radio off, but wifi on, it can still find me, more or less, some of the
time), but once the GPS kicks in a few seconds/minutes later, I find out
*exactly* where I am.
Sometimes you have to wait for the full GPS lock to get enough data, but
sometimes a wifi or tower based location is enough to start a search for
nearby amenities, and by the time I find where I want to go, the GPS has
a lock and can show me how to get there.
In whatever case, make sure to understand that a device should
preferably be able to operate in standalone mode -- that is, be
able to pull GPS data itself and not rely entirely on calculations
from the nearest cell tower.
My ideal solution would be similar to the iPhone 3G, rough location from
the towers if available, true GPS as soon as I can get a lock.
Worst case, if I have to carry a GPS receiver around, I can live with
that, I mostly just use it in the car anyway, anywhere else and I pull
out my phone or PDA, but it would be absolutely fantastic to have better
location information.
I am less concerns with finding my laptop should it be stolen, since
unless the thief grabs it while I'm using it, they'll have to deal with
bitlocker and other local security measures long before any location
software would kick in anyway. An odd limitation of securing the
machine is that it will be tougher to recover should it be lost, at
least without BIOS level (or a secondary OS which doesn't need any
identification and authentication credentials to boot) recovery.
Now having a way to have the mobile network notify the laptop (A secret
SMS key?) that it has been stolen and have the BIOS lock down into a
"broadcast location via EVDO" mode while wiping the drive and displaying
"return if found..." instructions would be nice, but I'm not aware of
anyone doing anything like this at the hardware/BIOS level at this time.
My final, final note is sorry if I ramble from point to point! : )
You and me both, so no worries.