Fun Fact of the Week

Posted by Ori 7.05.2010

5:37 PM

Did you know that your computer, your iPad, and even your smartphone can tell another person quite a bit about where you are? In fact, Google's geolocation software is so accurate that it can often determine what side of campus we're accessing Google Maps from, using the school network. Most internet-based geolocation software uses internet protocol (IP) addresses which are assigned by your internet service provider (ISP) and can be easily read and analyzed by server-side software. This is legal, and in fact encouraged by banks and law enforcement, as in the first case it helps to prevent fraud, and in the second case it helps to track down criminals. Organizations providing location-based content often utilize this software to return the most helpful content to the user, such as Google's Maps Search function, which returns the "closest" options.

Read more about Geolocation Software on Wikipedia!
Learn about Geolocation by visiting these sites:
Geolocation 101: How It Works, the Apps, and Your Privacy - PCWorld
Geolocation by IP Address | Linux Journal
Geolocation on Wikipedia

0 comments:

About This Blog

"...In the spring of 2009, the FPU Online Advisory Committee recommended and proposed to the members of Faculty Session that a center dedicated to providing support and resources for online education and technology enhanced instruction be established at Fresno Pacific University. Members of Faculty Session approved the proposal, pending the identification of external funding resources. In the fall of 2009, FPU was blessed to be able to establish a partnership agreement with the AIMS Education Foundation that provided the needed resources to begin the implementation of such a center. With final approval from the FPU Board of Trustees and the FPU President and Provost, the Center for Online Learning was created in October 2009..."

The COL Corner is one of the places to keep updated with all of the things that the Center for Online Learning at Fresno Pacific University is doing, as well as a place to learn more about Online Learning in general. We are interested in how the power of having the internet at your fingertips changes the way you learn and get involved with your classes and fellow students, and hope to present resources and information that help you in a way you can easily access - but doesn't make you feel stupid.