Improve Location Detection (Wi-Fi "Condition")
This request originally called for a true "Wi-Fi" Condition where users could select specific Wi-Fi access points based on MAC address or SSID. What's the point of doing this? Most users really just want an accurate/low-power way to detect location.
With recent improvements to the location engine in Locale, the need for such a "Wi-Fi Condition" is almost obsoleted. Rather than provide 2 completely different ways of determining location--the maps-based UI and a Wi-Fi access point picker--we'd rather provide a single location detection system that "just works." This makes Locale a better app all-around (and actually improves battery life).
So, this feature request is being repurposed to encompass enhancements to the location system that leverage Wi-Fi.
AdminCarter
(Admin, two forty four a.m.) shared this idea
Wi-Fi location training is now available as a feature in Locale 1.2. It can be found under the Menu of the Location condition.
We strongly discourage the use of third party location conditions or Wi-Fi conditions. These are less accurate and require more battery power. Instead, users should use the built-in Location condition and use Wi-Fi training if necessary.
66 comments
-
Todd Holt
commented
Using the battery<30% condition, I turn off wi-fi to conserve power. But when I add a second battery condition of "battery unplugged" it's an OR condition, not an AND condition. If I have 10% battery and I plug-in the phone, I want the condition to turn off and use wi-fi again. How else can I do this?
-
FRANK
commented
hi,
I am interested in local+astrid, and i would like to know if i can when I'm in a way ,in a street to know if there are shops that i visited or places that i have fixed on a google map or similar, thank sorry for my english -
jimdibb
commented
The free SSID one is crashing on me left and right, even after the update.
-
nordheim85
commented
Okay, apparantly it does work if WLAN is switched, since it tries to access the saved access points to display auto completion possibilites while typing. Nevertheless, it should not terminate, if WLAN is switch off but either switch WLAN on temporarily or just not display the auto completion. Actually this should be fixed in version 1.1 according to the changelog but for some reason I still have that error....
-
nordheim85
commented
The SSID Plugin does not work properly for me :-( After having installed it, I tried to add an SSID condition to an existing situation. Adding the condition seemed to work at first sight, but the situation was not triggered, however I was definitely in the range of the WLAN. I removed the condition and tried to add it again. From that point on, I always got a "The application was terminated unexpectedly. Please try again." error whenever I clicked the SSID condition button. Can someone please help me? :-/
I have a Motorola Milestone (Droid) with Android 2.01 and Locale 1.06.with SSID Plugin 1.1 running on it. And no, restarting Locale and the whole system did not help.... -
Marc Schulthess commented
Hello,
+1000 for SSID condition ! In other case, I waste 3G traffic and battery power. It is so simple to manage and to realize, why not go forward with this proposal ?
Marc
-
Marcus
commented
Has any more thought been put into a true SSID/MAC condition? This would solve so many problems so quickly. Using Skyhook seems to be a waste since people just use the SSID/MAC to know the location.. it doesn't matter where its physically located, just that we're in the vicinity of the AP.
Without this feature Locale is extremely handicapped.
-
Ilya Kogan
commented
I'm assuming locale checks the database of access points on-demand? At job we use a web based authentication system for wireless. That is, once you get an IP from the access point, any web request gets redirected to an authentication gateway before any other kinds of requests are permitted through the firewall. This causes huge problems with tons of software on the phone as the phone believes that it's connected when, in reality, it's not. Locale believes that it can reach the internet to query the wifi access point database. When this fails, Locale assumes that it cannot find the location without even trying to use the GPS. There are several solutions to this problem that I can think of:
1. Query GPS in all cases where the location is "unknown" before giving up.
2. Provide a wireless SSID/Mac condition (as we can't get to the online database if we can't get online first!)
3. Create a setting that allows us to force the location detection system/order. That is, toggle always using GPS vs Wireless and the timeouts associated. Perhaps with a trigger so we can set this based on plugged in/unplugged status. -
octootje
commented
WLAN checking is done too often now, should be done only when e.g. GSM location is changing. I do not see the point of flipping WLAN on and off every few minutes while the location has not changed as compared to the previous check. This drains the battery too much.
-
Marco
commented
I hope the new feature will indeed allow the user to choose a specific SSID. I work in a 50 story building and a 2D map doesn't help to determine which floor I am on. Specifying SSIDs would solve this.
-
nordheim85
commented
Can no one answer my question? :-(
-
Marco
commented
This should also include a condition for leaving a particular Wifi-Spot. Uses cases: leaving the office, leaving the house, etc.
-
nordheim85
commented
I don't get the thing with the skyhook database yet. Is locale connected to it and actually using its information?
Nevertheless, I agree with the previously stated comments, that a MAC and SSID based wifi condition would be cool. -
dlux.hu
commented
This is really a must-have feature. The current location-information is just not good enough to find me at home or at the office.
-
AdminCarter
(Admin, two forty four a.m.) commented
Johan: what happens on your phone if you disable Network locations in the Android settings? (Locale will pester you to turn it back on). But doing that might help determine whether Google or Skyhook is returning bad location results.
As always, keep up the good ideas!
-
chipsmaster
commented
After all the positive reviews I red, I decided to install locale. However, home seems not to be recognized (from both experimental wifi feature or from the mobile antenna signals - GPS don't work as I'm inside a building). Even if I force my adress in, when I'm at home, that's the default situation that Locale detects.
I tried someplace else, but the localization seemed not to work, even if all the softwares I have installed work A-ok.
I don't know if locale is only interfaced with the US mobile signals, but it does not seem to work in Switzerland. Therefore ... app desinstalled ! until further development.
It's a pity, I really like it.
-
johan
commented
OK, I didn't realise it was an android problem instead of a locale one. Thanks anyway! I do love locale. :)
-
Mike Stark commented
I ride on an intercity bus with WiFi with a policy requiring ringers to be silenced. The buses have unique SSIDs that have a common part with a number appended, so SSID matching that allows for partial matches would be great.
-
Lord GUmeR
commented
Another vote for SSID based wifi condition.
-
Mike Burden
commented
Aha! The "train wifi" didn't get the marker at the right place, but the Skyhook update did.
