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| Thread ID: 123205 | 2012-02-10 16:22:00 | Just A GPS Thought --------------------- | SurferJoe46 (51) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 1258493 | 2012-02-10 16:22:00 | By now everyone knows how bad of an idea it is to send pix of valuables over your cellphone to - say: Facebook or MySpace . Since the GPS co-ordinates are sent with the picture it makes it somewhat easy for a nefarious person to take whatever advantage of that that they may feel to their profit . OK - on to what just occurred to me, not so much about potential theft, but about loss of personal information and security: I bought a Garmin GPS for my car, and I know up-front that there's NO WAY that my name is attached to it - at least originally during purchase and initial usage that is . But that all changes when one enters their HOME address for use when you want to GO HOME . The next OK - so there's still no personal information in that you say? Bah! Ever hear of a 'Reverse Look-Up Phone Directory'? So --- as I see it --- once one enters the Go Home co-ordinates into it and the address is then imbedded into the GPS, and that in turn is then linked to the phone number, it's only one more step to who lives at that address . Not that a hacker could/might be able to access that info - but the gummermint is another thing all together . They KNOW where you live! Just a thought . |
SurferJoe46 (51) | ||
| 1258494 | 2012-02-10 20:31:00 | The government know where I live anyway mate. Paranoid huh? |
Jester (13) | ||
| 1258495 | 2012-02-10 20:49:00 | Nah - just like a little anonymity, that's all. | SurferJoe46 (51) | ||
| 1258496 | 2012-02-10 23:20:00 | Stop your telephone, cellphone and sell the GPS, get rid of your bank accounts and you might start to get there | gary67 (56) | ||
| 1258497 | 2012-02-10 23:39:00 | I'm not paranoid, I don't care who knows my name and address for the most part. That said I don't like it freely advertised without my consent or passed onto marketing outfits either. As for the GPS unit, no real way to protect yourself there, if it gets stolen the thief could easily have your licence plate number and know where you park as well. As for the reverse look-up phone directory, not in NZ. Only the phone companies have that information and they won't give it out. You have to know someones name and address to get a phone number and only a court order will do it the other way around. I guess someone could make one from a phone directory if they wanted to spend that much time transcribing it into a database, or maybe mine the data from an online directory automatically, but there is no legally available option. I'm starting to think one way to stay anonymous is to flood the government with information, just how much resource can they devote to sorting through it. There are more than 6 billion people on the planet, how would you notice any particular one unless something brought them to your attention? For the most part this stuff just gets lost in a sea of useless information and only becomes a problem if for some reason you get investigated. |
dugimodo (138) | ||
| 1258498 | 2012-02-10 23:41:00 | for less straight forward roads - my cellphone gps just a moment ago took me for a ride doing re-routing for 15mins. that newish roundabout at the Hutt off the motorway can be confusing. is it 2 roundabouts to get from say Wellington side to Hutt road where the Shell station is. it didn't say a word so I took the Petone exit by mistake then it asked me to go up London Rd (?) and thru the residential roads before back onto Hutt Road :annoyed: now charging my Navman. not to mention that beside the house my cellphone cannot get a reception. and even if you hold it at the side window it may take 2 minutes. |
Nomad (952) | ||
| 1258499 | 2012-02-10 23:49:00 | Do not pay taxes and the government will not know much about you. | Snorkbox (15764) | ||
| 1258500 | 2012-02-11 02:31:00 | ...As for the reverse look-up phone directory, not in NZ. Only the phone companies have that information and they won't give it out. You have to know someones name and address to get a phone number and only a court order will do it the other way around. I guess someone could make one from a phone directory if they wanted to spend that much time transcribing it into a database, or maybe mine the data from an online directory automatically.. That wouldn't be hard. A simple script could do it easily. |
pine-o-cleen (2955) | ||
| 1258501 | 2012-02-11 02:34:00 | Perhaps I'm missing the merit of GPS navigation with regard to congested cities, but around here there shouldn't be any drivers who can't navigate their own way home without a GPS to guide them. If they can't, then perhaps they shouldn't be driving. What's wrong with programming 'home' as the next street along, or 10 houses up the road from your true home. THere's a limit to how much personal stuff our tech needs to know, just as this site doesn't have my true date of birth, and many other sites understand I was born on the 1st Jan (which I wasn't). Age may have some relevance, but at my age a misreported age is of little consequence. I'm old enough for everything with age restrictions, and too old for everything with age restrictions... if you follow my self depricating humor. |
Paul.Cov (425) | ||
| 1258502 | 2012-02-11 04:52:00 | GPS is a very handy tool, for example a friend rang me for a ride home from a party at and address I wasn't familiar with and the GPS took me straight there. Easier and safer than trying to read a map. I hardly ever use it round my home town though, mainly for finding places of interest on holiday. |
dugimodo (138) | ||
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