Location on Pics, Data Usage [split from WARNING TO EVERYONE HERE]

[gcal]

Maybe a dumb question, but are those gps coordinates where your billing address for your account is or where the pics were taken (only on some cameras, of course) or where you are when you uploaded (a good reason to take a long drive or to use MacDonalds?)

 

[Gunny]

where they were taken.. and you can turn it off, I just leave it on, no big thing to me.

 

[gcal]

where they were taken.. and you can turn it off, I just leave it on, no big thing to me.

Hmm. I will remember that. I usually have my phone location turned off, anyway, as it eats gigs like they are free.

 

[TMG51]

The thing about pictures showing location is an example of exif data, or metadata. Most cameras include exif data with an image when recorded. Some dedicated cameras can include GPS coordinates too, not just cell phones. This is not some scary secret hacker thing. If you've ever looked at a file on your computer you've probably noticed information like the title, date created, author, etc. These are examples of metadata; pieces of information that live with the file.

GPS coordinates are sometimes included with images in the same way. Most image hosts automatically strip exif data when uploading. This is done for two reasons. 1) It takes less space and 2) privacy concerns. I'm unsure if the CRVL forum uploader strips this information but it's possible that it does not. To see if your image contains this information, just right-click, view properties and check out the details before uploading.

 

[gcal]

Oh dear. What if you messed the date settings up (like me) and never did bother to fix it (like me). My Nikon thinks it is taking pics several years ago.

 

[ArtW]

gcal I didn't realize location ate gigs, just turned mine off after reading that

 

[rvpopeye]

I thought location worked off of GPS ??????

 

[ArtW]

I found this http://www.verizonwireless.com/arch...ans/keep-your-cell-phone-data-usage-in-check/

 

[gcal]

gcal I didn't realize location ate gigs, just turned mine off after reading that

Yes, it does. It is regularly sending signal to find its location. Great if you are lost in the woods and you need rescue - as long as your battery holds out. Try leaving location on at night when you sleep. Then, try leaving it off at night when you are asleep. As long as you don't actually turn your phone all the way off, you will see a difference in your battery use as the phone confirms its location all night, using gigs to do it. It may not be a lot of gigs, but I pay for mine and I don't like them wasted.

 

[gcal]

(Shrug) I thought location worked off data, too, until the rep at Verizon told me something different. The article above mentioned data. Now, I am confused.

 

[gcal]

I found this http://www.verizonwireless.com/arch...ans/keep-your-cell-phone-data-usage-in-check/

The article above mentions data. The rep at Verizon told me that it affected plan gigs. At least, that is what I understood. Now, I am confused.

 

[Gunny]

Cell phone companies seem to take great pleasure in making things so complicated it takes a lawyer to figure it out. They did that with roaming fees and out of area calls in the early days of cell phones.

I just switched to Verizons rollover plan and by the time the salesperson got thru telling me how much I was going to save my bill went up 12 dollars.

 

[Matlock]

Haven't read the links yet but I don't have a data plan with my Tom Tom or Garmin and they are GPS only systems, No?

I do have VZ so need to see if I'm getting dinged for GPS on my cell....

 

[TMG51]

Oh dear. What if you messed the date settings up (like me) and never did bother to fix it (like me). My Nikon thinks it is taking pics several years ago.

The incorrect metadata gets stored with the image. 99% of the time this will be inconsequential to your daily life. If you want to fix it, fix the settings in your camera. There are also programs that allow you to edit this data on existing files.

 

[Matlock]

Oh dear. What if you messed the date settings up (like me) and never did bother to fix it (like me). My Nikon thinks it is taking pics several years ago.

Back to the Future? No, wait. You can never go back at least according to Stephen Hawking.
Then again I remember a twilight zone episode about a guy with a camera that took photos of things that were about to happen. :huh:

 

[van2be]

There are actually two different things going on with what the cell phone carriers call something like "location services".  There's GPS, which uses the GSP satellites to determine your location, and which doesn't use any cellular network data (e.g., the "data" in our "data plans").  Then there's the tricky part, which does use data.  Under the broad umbrella of "location services" are things like:

• collecting the names of all the wifi access points that your device can see (cellular data is used in looking for the wifi devices, and then in sending information about them to Google, Apple, or whomever)
• sending information about your position as you drive along the highway (this allows Google to build a database of average speeds on specific roads at specific times of day, on specific days of the week -- Google uses that in its logic that recommends routes -- for example, does a slower than normal speed from X number of people in cars suggest normal rush hour traffic, or an accident?)
  See http://www.techinsider.io/how-google-maps-knows-about-traffic-2015-11 for more info on this.

• Apple might use your GPS location (which doesn't use cellular data) to send a query to a database of apps to see if there's an app for some local store, local attraction, etc., and then maybe send you a notification that you can download that app (the checking and notifying parts would use cellular data).  Apparently, they may also use information about nearby Bluetooth connections to determine your location.
  See https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203033, Apple's description of their privacy and location services, for more info.

So the short answer is, no GPS doesn't use cellular data, but cell phone carriers and apps do use cellular data for location-related services.  And why not?  Our data doesn't cost them a thing...