[00_MACKIE_00]

Originally Posted by Robb Bates

Actually, I believe they do, but not how you think. I believe Google's location service has a database that contains info about where certain wi-fi routers are located. At some point, someone had GPS and wi-fi on at the same time and so Google's location service program said, a-ha! this wifi router (uniquely identified using its MAC address) is located at X degrees North and Y degrees West. I'll remember that. So next time you run wi-fi, but not GPS, the program says, a-ha! you're near this wi-fi router, so according to this database, you must be near X degrees North and Y degrees West. And since wi-fi has a range of only a hundred feet or so, you get a very accurate location fix. The cell tower triangulation may factor in there somewhere as well. Basically a combination of GPS, cell towers and wi-fi router locations gives you an accurate reading even if you're in a concrete bunker.

You may also find that if you're outside of wi-fi range, you may get no location. Someone should try it.

I may be totally wrong, but that's how it seems to work for me.

Robb

I think your right on target there.

thanks for the info