5 comments

  • luma 4 hours ago

    Looks like an open version of SkyHook from way back in 2003: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyhook_Wireless

    For a while they had a paid program, I had a Windows Mobile app I could run with an external GPS dongle that would record wifi APs and location, upload to skyhook, who would occasionally cut me a check for my trouble. I made tens of dollars!

    • Mashimo 2 hours ago

      Ohhh, there was money to be made with war driving? I just got points on a German bb forum.

    • drnick1 5 hours ago

      I started rotating my BSSID weekly after I learned Apple and Google abused it to track the location of people and devices.

      Permanent hardware or software IDs, such as the Windows GUID or machine-id on Linux (systemd) are inevitably abused for surveillance sooner or later.

      • S0und 5 hours ago

        You have all the good intentions, but since no one else does this around your location, I don't think you're achieving anything.

        • astrange 1 hour ago

          You mean, they used it so people trying to use their maps apps didn't have to wait several minutes for a cold GPS fix?

          • XorNot 36 minutes ago

            The same physical location showing a different SSID every week but the surrounding ones not changing would be deanonymizing you much more aggressively.

            People mostly don't change SSIDs or even move networking hardware - e.g. AirBnBs.

            Edit: and also are you still carrying a smart phone while doing this? The device which has GPS and a cloud internet connection?

            • skinfaxi 1 hour ago

              How do you coordinate across all of your devices?

            • anigbrowl 4 hours ago

              Isn't this just wha WIGLE does?

              • jcims 4 hours ago

                Basically except it's using an Apple service for the backend.

                Which will likely get cut off at some point.

                • mcculley 3 hours ago

                  Why would it be cut off? Doesn’t Apple use this on devices?

              • doublerabbit 6 hours ago

                Cool. This'll go nicely with my hackslab and tinfoil hat upgrade.

                • oulipo 6 hours ago

                  Interesting, wondering why Apple doesn't restrict the queries to its server using a certificate that would be pinned on the devices, etc, so at least you would need a legit iPhone/Mac to be able to do a query?

                  • mcculley 2 hours ago

                    Are you imagining some certificate unique to each device? What would prevent someone copying it?