Filed under: iPhone
Dear Aunt TUAW: iPhone 3G and GPS
Dear Aunt TUAW,
I've been a faithful reader for awhile and purchased a 3G iPhone a couple weeks ago. Everything is great - except for one thing which is extremely unusual (genius words), I wanted to share with you guys. When I am in my home (and only when I am in my home) my phone believes I am in Springfield PA. I live in Minneapolis MN. It doesn't matter if I am on the 3G network or my personal WiFi network (I've isolated each), Google Maps always centers on Springfield PA. If I walk down my street, watching Google Maps- the phone re-orientates itself back to Minneapolis MN. The Genius tried to re-set the time-zone and a couple other things, but it didn't work.
Anyway, I've got a bunch of screen caps if you guys want to see them. I just can't figure out why BOTH 3G and WiFi would both point to the same (incorrect) place...one uses cell towers and one uses IP addresses right? Anyway, I'm not necessarily looking for you guys to fix it or anything - just thought you might want to know. I Googled "iphone Springfield PA" or "google maps iphone Springfield PA" and several iterations, but it seems I am alone in my situation.
Love,
Jeff
Read on for Auntie's reply.
Dear Jeff,
Clearly, someone's WiFi router has been on the move. Skyhook's WiFi location uses router MAC addresses to create correspondences between real world GPS locations and WiFi routers. When routers move, Skyhook data goes out of date.
The iPhone uses a fallback system for geolocation. So when it can't get a strong GPS signal, it moves back to WiFi location, and from there back to Cell Tower triangulation and from there possibly to IP location. GPS may fail when you're inside buildings or near lots of trees or tall people. (So keep away from basketball teams!)
The problem you're having is that WiFi location is working -- but it's working with a router that Skyhook thinks is in Pennsylvania. Not that there's anything wrong with Springfield, PA. (We hear the Simpsons like it there very much.) You might get better results by stepping outside, away from those ceilings. But the best way to test this theory is to TURN WIFI OFF. Go on. Disable it and try to locate yourself. Auntie TUAW guesses that you'll end up located a lot closer to Minneapolis than Pennsylvania.
Love,
Aunt "My other nephew is a PC" TUAW
Update: Being on a 3G/EDGE network does not automatically disable WiFi scanning for local MAC addresses. You must switch off WiFi. Also, reader Thomas suggests submitting your router's details to Skyhook directly, so they can figure out where you really are.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Tom said 4:11PM on 8-19-2008
nice response, but I believe he mentioned that with wifi off, using the 3G network, it still puts him in Springfield, PA?
Reply
raul said 4:14PM on 8-19-2008
it thinks i'm in the same incorrect place when i use both 3G and wifi.
eatmoreramen said 5:01PM on 8-19-2008
I LIVE IN SPRINGFIELD, PA! What are the roads it's saying you live in!? I wonder if it's near me haha
That's hillarious!
DelCoPA said 5:32PM on 8-19-2008
Which Springfield, PA? There are NINE of them!!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Pennsylvania
raul said 4:12PM on 8-19-2008
my 3G does this too. and only when i'm at work. it thinks i'm about 15 miles away in the next city. strange..
Reply
Erica Sadun said 4:14PM on 8-19-2008
Being on the 3G network is not the same thing as disabling WiFi. Your iPhone can still scan for local MAC addresses
Reply
Rory Hinnen said 4:16PM on 8-19-2008
This exact thing happened to me at Siggraph last week, only my iPhone thought it was in Japan. Then I realized that there was probably some piece of gear at the art show that came from Japan. Sure enough, got far enough away from the art show and suddenly I'm back in LA.
Reply
Thomas said 4:31PM on 8-19-2008
Just an idea, you might try to add your own wifi hotspot (if you have one at home) to the Skyhook database, which is used by the iPhone & others to locate you using wifi hotspots: http://skyhookwireless.com/howitworks/submit_ap.php. If you add your own wifi and your iPhone detects that it may help to find it's REAL location.
Reply
paul said 4:36PM on 8-19-2008
Yes, I live in MPLS and that same thing has happened to me also. But, it does not always happen.
eric said 4:24PM on 8-19-2008
The same thing happens to me also. When I am home (south Jersey) it thinks I am in (north Jersey)
Reply
Ryan said 4:30PM on 8-19-2008
My 8GB iPod Touch has the same issue. I recently moved. After moving I installed the 2.0 update. For some reason, my iPod thinks I still live at the old place which is about 30 miles and two cities away. When I'm at work it finds me just fine. A hard restore hasn't fixed it and I'm not sure what is causing it. Glad I'm not the only one though.
mike said 4:48PM on 8-19-2008
Your WiFi router is causing it, you dope. Tell me, do you have some sort of learning disability that pREVENTS YOU FROM READING?
Johnny Dangerously said 4:26PM on 8-19-2008
"It doesn't matter if I am on the 3G network or my personal WiFi network (I've isolated each), Google Maps always centers on Springfield PA."
Dear Antie TUAW,
Can you suggest a good reading comprehension class? Thanks.
Love,
Johnny Dangerously
Reply
Vince said 1:36PM on 8-20-2008
Doesn't stop it from using WiFi to locate his position by default.
justflybob said 4:26PM on 8-19-2008
Everyone knows that the Simpsons live in Springfield, MA.
Or is it Springfield, IL.?
Like it matters.....
Either way, no one wants to live there.
Reply
heytpn said 5:18PM on 8-19-2008
It totally matters! And it's Springfield, KY (See episode 148: Behind the Laughter)
Doug said 5:26PM on 8-19-2008
Actually, I think I looked one time, and there are actually something like 200 cities named "Springfield" in the U.S.
I think this is exactly why Matt Groenig and Co. used "Springfield". It is a great metaphor for "Anytown, USA".
Here is the list of "Springfields" in the U.S. and around the world (!!!)
Here is an exhaustive study on the location of the Simpson's home town:
badtzmaru said 4:27PM on 8-19-2008
The same thing happened to me the first couple of times I used the GPS locator on Google Maps. The phone thought I was in Houston or Dallas when I was in Northern Virginia at the time. It works fine now so who knows why it happened.
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ben said 4:30PM on 8-19-2008
I live just south of London in England and when I'm at home my iPhone thinks I'm in South Africa?!!
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clasqm said 10:41AM on 8-20-2008
>I live just south of London in England and when I'm at home my iPhone thinks I'm in South Africa?!!
Well, we do have a city down here called East London . . . Anyway, you don't have to move down here, just send all your money.