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To my knowledge, right now Mobile Me costs $90 something dollars a year, apparently with discounted rates available as mentioned in other posts on eBay for example. I never checked that out so can't really say much about it. I was reading an article in the past few days that one of the March 2 announcements might be that MM will now be free. So I am waiting to see if that is true before I sign up.Quote:
Originally Posted by NLAlston
Sent from my 16GB wifi iPad using iPF
Twerppoet thanks for the link, good explanation. I am in a very rural area in MT and our options for internet are limited. I am at the end of the line for Qwest Internet service and my neighbor, where I "appear" to be in the garage, is on a different ISP altogether. I am not techie at all, but I don't understand why my iPad would not find my ISP over his, and locate me correctly. Is one ISP stronger than another, or am I just not understanding the whole process at all?
Sent from my 16GB wifi iPad using iPF
Don't you people ever sleep???? LOL
MM is basically free if all ya wanna do is find your phone or Ipad. All the other programs that comes with MM is what you are paying for. I have a MM account and also have done a search. It would be nice if the location was correct but mine shows a block away...lol.I also use the free version..Mike >> No, MobileMe Isn’t Totally Free, But Find My iPhone/iPad Now Is >>> http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/22/mob...ind-my-iphone/
Probably for the same reason my Garmin GPS wants me to turn right, to the neighbors house, instead left into the RV lot when I'm navigating home. Their location database isn't perfect, and your ISP may not be in it, or the entry isn't correct.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lavenderlady*w*iPad
Any database with that much information is bound to have more than a a few errors. At least it doesn't think you are located at Delta Airlines' Headquarters. :)
Their database uses IP addresses, not ISP's.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lavenderlady*w*iPad
The database is built essentially by war driving. Cars drive around with devices listening for IP addresses being broadcast by routers. When it picks up address XXX.XXX it uses a GPS in the car to note the approximate location of that signal and stores it in the database.
In your situation, your signal may be so strong that the car picked it up near your neighbor's house and logged it into the database for that location.
Note that these database entries are static and based solely on the location at the time the car drove by. You're in Montana. If your neighbor moves his router (and associated IP address) to Arizona, then if his new neighbor (in Arizona) uses MobileMe solely with IP (not GPS) it will show that he's in Montana if the only nearby IP his iPad can pick up is your old neighbor.
The database Apple uses is maintained by a company called Skyhook. Here is their page explaining how it works. Skyhook: How It Works > Coverage
You can submit your IP to make the database more accurate.
How would the car get an ip if the network is encrypted?Quote:
Originally Posted by Bob Coxner
Finally located one of the articles I remember. Apple no longer uses Google or Skyhook, and haven't for some time.
In April, Apple Ditched Google And Skyhook In Favor Of Its Own Location Databases
Regardless of whether Apple still uses Skyhook the basic concept remains the same. Cars drive around acquiring IP addresses.
If you're in an urban area this method will work pretty well to locate your WiFi iPad. Rural areas not so well.
From the wording of the article and user agreement I suspect that most of the people driving around are iPhone owners. Apple is collecting the GPS and internet data, anonymizing it, and using it to create, or at least heavily supplement the database.
And other than catering to my inner pedantic, do I care? Not really. :)