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Old 22-02-2016, 12:09
bobcar
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But does it actually turned GPS off or just blocked all and sundry apps from being allowed to access it. I think I saw somewhere about this info being made available for emergency service use but can't remember if that was current actuality or future plans.
I don't have direct experience of actual mobile phones but I design (I'm a software/hardware design engineer) with embedded modems with GPS and putting the GPS part of the modem into standby (not used) saves an enormous amount of power so I would be surprised if turning it off in mobile phones did not actually turn it off.

Having said that the embedded modems do have power saving modes for GPS when a fix is taken at intervals that save power so it is possible that the phone could be doing that. It is also likely that applications using GSM will consume more power than the GSM itself as nothing takes more power than having the processor running meaning that just stopping the applications themselves would be the major power saving.

I don't know why the phone wouldn't turn off GPS hardware, it is just a simple software command to the modem.
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Old 22-02-2016, 13:40
gomezz
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It is also likely that applications using GSM will consume more power than the GSM itself as nothing takes more power than having the processor running
Keeping the screen lit up is what drains the battery in my experience (eg as playing a simple game with little processing needed demonstrates). So actual sat-navving is heavy on power usage whereas using my sports tracking app to log a run is not even though both use GPS constantly.
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Old 22-02-2016, 15:20
lundavra
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But what is to stop the service provider's systems logging the GPS position of the phone when a call is made or received? But do they?
If it is turned on but many, like myself only rarely turn GPS on as it is not necessary, wastes battery and just keeps Mr Google supplied with lots of data to sell.
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Old 22-02-2016, 16:33
gomezz
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I refer you to post 275.
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Old 22-02-2016, 16:58
LostFool
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If it is turned on but many, like myself only rarely turn GPS on as it is not necessary, wastes battery and just keeps Mr Google supplied with lots of data to sell.
I find the location history to be very useful as it reminds me where I was on a night out.
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Old 22-02-2016, 17:14
Doctor_Wibble
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I find the location history to be very useful as it reminds me where I was on a night out.
Is that not what tattoos were originally for? How times change
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Old 22-02-2016, 18:14
Vetinari
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I think that, in reality, if mobile operators were logging GPS details we would have heard a great wailing and gnashing of teeth from the 'Personal Freedom' brigade.

I think that if you want to believe this happens you need to find some piece of legislation that gives mobile operators freedom from complying with the Data Protection Act, as they would obviously be keeping data that they did not need to provide the service.

I know the DPA probably does not operate in DIP land but I think the principle is that this is not going to be a viable route for the police to collect evidence at anything like the granularity that would be useful.
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Old 22-02-2016, 18:32
firefly_irl
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Civil liberties groups already have issues with how phone company's track locations, and yes they can do it if required if you have location services running on your phone. But as it drains power many only turn it on when necessary.
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Old 22-02-2016, 19:53
LostFool
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I think that, in reality, if mobile operators were logging GPS details we would have heard a great wailing and gnashing of teeth from the 'Personal Freedom' brigade.
If you have an Android phone, Google is probably already tracking it without you being aware

Take a look at https://www.google.co.uk/maps/timeline

It shows me everywhere I have been in the last few years. Quite useful when you can't remember the name of that bar you were in a few months ago.
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Old 22-02-2016, 23:40
lundavra
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I find the location history to be very useful as it reminds me where I was on a night out.
I don't get drunk so don't need to be told where I have been!
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Old 22-02-2016, 23:44
lundavra
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Civil liberties groups already have issues with how phone company's track locations, and yes they can do it if required if you have location services running on your phone. But as it drains power many only turn it on when necessary.
Legalities can be got around by anonymising the data though it is not foolproof. The companies that track phones around places like shopping malls supposedly do that.
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Old 23-02-2016, 00:51
bobcar
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Keeping the screen lit up is what drains the battery in my experience (eg as playing a simple game with little processing needed demonstrates). So actual sat-navving is heavy on power usage whereas using my sports tracking app to log a run is not even though both use GPS constantly.
Having the processor run is an even bigger drain but how much it runs depends on the application for some it will not run much but others are computationally intensive. However the GPS drain is significant for when the phone is ready to accept a call but otherwise not running and that is the majority of the time for many of us for that reason I would expect GPS to actually be off when turned off.
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Old 23-02-2016, 00:58
gomezz
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Just had a look at the details on my phone for Location Services (which I keep turned on without unduly affecting battery life) and it says

"Your location info is available to your mobile operator"
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Old 23-02-2016, 09:25
Vetinari
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"Your location info is available to your mobile operator"
The devil is in the detail.

What do they mean by 'location data'?

After all, 'duh', they know which base stations your phone is polling.

Even if a mobile operator is able to turn on and access GPS data, it's pretty much irrelevant in this scenario because they would need to permanently turn on and not only access but continuously record the information, for it to be any use.

That's even assuming the the GPS data was accurate enough. One problem with GPS is that although it can be pretty accurate, it can aslo be pretty inaccurate and you can never tell how it is performing at any given point,

I really think you need to give up on this. GPS was never going to be viable for providing useful evidence in this case.
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Old 23-02-2016, 09:46
Doctor_Wibble
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I really think you need to give up on this. GPS was never going to be viable for providing useful evidence in this case.
My own doubts were based on me not feeling entirely confident that someone is always going to be in a position to call anyone after they have been stabbed unless they are standing on top of the other combatant.

And then when the body turns up I find myself wondering how long someone (who looks an awful lot like the stab was right in the heart) can keep going and whether or not they are capable of finding their phone, making the call and saying 'aargh aargh' and thinking about it, would they be able to read the screen with that red fountain going on...?

And obviously the 'phones always lie' theme, it felt a bit too close to the last one of those. As for GPS, having the services switched on doesn't necessarily always get that data to your mobile operator, this is mainly for the apps that leech all your personal info! So the phone company won't always know and you'd have to go and fight facebook etc for it.
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Old 23-02-2016, 10:20
Doghouse Riley
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This programme is set on an imaginary very small island. How many phone masts would they need, given there is some quite high ground, to cover it?
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Old 23-02-2016, 10:25
lundavra
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Doesn't Mr Google also do some tracking using the information they have collected on WiFi locations?
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Old 23-02-2016, 14:39
Zaichik
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If you have an Android phone, Google is probably already tracking it without you being aware

Take a look at https://www.google.co.uk/maps/timeline

It shows me everywhere I have been in the last few years. Quite useful when you can't remember the name of that bar you were in a few months ago.
I wasn't aware of that, and don't know whether to be alarmed or not!
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Old 23-02-2016, 14:41
Robboman
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I wasn't aware of that, and don't know whether to be alarmed or not!
Only if you're a burglar or having an affair
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Old 24-02-2016, 10:58
Verence
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Renewed for a sixth series

http://www.digitalspy.com/tv/news/a7...es-on-bbc-one/
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Old 24-02-2016, 10:58
Verence
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Old 24-02-2016, 11:18
inothernews
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Good news, but they need to beef up the scripts a little.

Held up well in the ratings this year, and they are king.
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Old 24-02-2016, 11:34
dmwat
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Old 24-02-2016, 15:21
Vetinari
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This programme is set on an imaginary very small island. How many phone masts would they need, given there is some quite high ground, to cover it?
It's quite impossible to know the answer to that question without knowing the detailed topography of the island, it's size, how much money they are prepared to spend, and what is a politically acceptable coverage proportion.

Pretty much irrelevant in this context anyway, for reasons already mentioned.
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Old 25-02-2016, 21:12
apaul
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So it's the same plot yet again. Not killed when the shot went off, but earlier. The scenery is attractive, but apart from the local killing the plots have been hopeless this series.
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