Firefox Geode: Web sites know where you are
As expected, Mozilla Labs released a Firefox plug-in Tuesday called Geode that lets Web sites figure out a person's approximate geographic location and use it in online services--as long as you grant the software permission to access the information.
Geode, a preview of technology to arrive in Firefox 3.1, taps into technology called Loki from Skyhook that deduces a computer's location from the signals of nearby wireless networks, according to a Mozilla Labs blog post on Geode.
To show the technology off, Mozilla shared an application called Food Finder that shows the user's approximate location and nearby dining establishments. Others that work with the technology are Pownce, a microblogging site that can record users' locations as they post notes or photos, and Yahoo's Fire Eagle, which lets users govern which applications get access to their location information.
There's one thing I find interesting about the general thrust of this technology. The Internet has broken down geographic barriers, letting people stay in touch with high school buddies, tap into a global market for used books, and find comrades with shared interests such as speaking Latin or photographing mating insects.
But a lot of new work on the Net is trying to unlock the location information. After all, people often need to keep from getting lost or to find their friends at the concert. And of course, plenty of advertisers would like to target ads at people who are likely to walk past a storefront.
Although Geode today uses Skyhook's service, Firefox 3.1 will be configurable to select other options as well, such as a GPS device, Mozilla said.
The Food Finder demonstration application showed my location, almost, with a blue dot, and nearby pastry shops listed at Yelp.
(Credit: CNET News)Mozilla envisions more than just more intelligent online maps. Its other examples: local news based on where a person actually is located, a Web site log-in process that only works if a person is at a specific location, and an RSS feed reader that changes what subscriptions it shows users depending on whether they're at work or home.
Web designers who want to take advantage of the feature can use the W3C's Geolocation Specification, currently in draft form.
Geode asks permission before letting a Web site use your geographic information.
(Credit: CNET News)
Stephen Shankland writes about a wide range of technology and products, but has a particular focus on browsers and digital photography. He joined CNET News in 1998 and since then also has covered Google, Yahoo, servers, supercomputing, Linux and open-source software, and science. E-mail Stephen, or follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/stshank.
Whereas this Firefox function can almost pinpoint your location.
"Geode works both inside and outside with an accuracy of between 10 to 20 meters."From Mozilla Labs.
It's a different technology.
They can already track you down easily if they want to, but this is just even more insane. It's like they are saying:"Let's make the people choose, to have big brother look at them all the freaking time". Who in the right mind who want big brother watching their every step? The introduction of cell phones, GPS and many other devices were not introduced to make our lives easier. All of the track and trace technology, has been introduced to control and watch over our every move. A farmer tags his animals so he can identify his cattle's movement and location right? It's been reported and confirmed by FOX NEWS etc that the FBI can turn your cell phones on from a distance, without you knowing about it.......... And they can listen to every single word you are saying. They can turn your camera on in your phone to watch what you are doing, why would they want to do that??? Well if you think that they are only targeting criminals you are sadly mistaken, because they spy on basically everyone regardless of criminal activity or otherwise.
Here's the link to the report FOX or FAUX news made about this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0G1fNjK9SXg
The Internet used to be a safe haven, a free source of information and it was safe to use your freedom of speech. But they are braking it down piece by piece and in the end you'll have payed and approved content, you won't be able to visit every single site. Alternative media will be destroyed on the net, and free speech will become a thing of the past. There are plans on the table to do this stuff, and that's not a joke people!
Here's an article about it:
http://www.infowars.com/?p=2640
Peace
all the latest gizmos are just there to 'spy' on all of us
if thats true thats pretty interesting,
as a webmaster i can view people's ip and country very easily (and daily)
and i could also find there isp's (or exchange) location but thats about it normally and i dont bother doing that anyway.
- www.playswfgames.com
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by wheelie207
October 14, 2008 7:17 PM PDT
- Pretty soon they will be using our web cams to spy on us through our own web apps...
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