#geolocation data

[odinsblog]

How automakers make use of data collected by connected cars is coming under scrutiny in California. On Monday, the California Privacy Protection Agency announced that it will review the data privacy practices of connected vehicle manufacturers. The agency is empowered to do so thanks to a 2018 state law, the California Consumer Privacy Act.

"Modern vehicles are effectively connected computers on wheels. They're able to collect a wealth of information via built-in apps, sensors, and cameras, which can monitor people both inside and near the vehicle," said Ashkan Soltani, CPPA's executive director.

"Our Enforcement Division is making inquiries into the connected vehicle space to understand how these companies are complying with California law when they collect and use consumers' data," he said in a statement.

Connected cars are fast becoming ubiquitous—it may well be impossible to buy a new car, truck, or SUV in 2023 that doesn't have at least one embedded modem in it. In the mid-2010s, many OEMs saw dollar signs at the prospect of monetizing data collected by their deployed vehicle fleets, and unlike with cellphones, it can be hard or impossible to disable location tracking in one's car.

"Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, geolocation is considered personal information. People have the right to say no to being tracked in their cars, but it is unclear if car companies are providing this right," said Justin Kloczko, a privacy advocate at Consumer Watchdog. "These companies know more about us than we know about ourselves, and they’re the ones in control of our personal information, not us," Kloczko said.

(continue reading)

[freemicrotools]

Bulk GEO IP Locator - Find Geolocation Data for Multiple IPs

[schakira]

apps really need to stop being so voracious when it comes to my data. i just discovered the bus schedule app for my town has full access to my contact list for no reason. why do you need to know my contacts???? your only job is to give me bus schedules. why was it toggled on by DEFAULT?!

[nationallawreview]

House Committee Postpones Markup Amid New Privacy Bill Updates

On June 27, 2024, the U.S. House of Representatives cancelled the House Energy and Commerce Committee markup of the American Privacy Rights Act (“APRA” or “Bill”) scheduled for that day, reportedly with little notice. There has been no indication of when the markup will be rescheduled; however, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairwoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers issued a statement reiterating…

[monetizeme]

Recently I read about a massive geolocation data leak from Gravy Analytics, which exposed more than 2000 apps, both in AppStore and Google Play, that secretly collect geolocation data without user consent. Oftentimes, even without developers` knowledge.

I looked into the list (link here) and found at least 3 apps I have installed on my iPhone. Take a look for yourself! This made me come up with an idea to track myself down externally, e.g. to buy my geolocation data leaked by some application.

TL;DR

After more than couple dozen hours of trying, here are the main takeaways:

I found a couple requests sent by my phone with my location + 5 requests that leak my IP address, which can be turned into geolocation using reverse DNS.

Learned a lot about the RTB (real-time bidding) auctions and OpenRTB protocol and was shocked by the amount and types of data sent with the bids to ad exchanges.

Gave up on the idea to buy my location data from a data broker or a tracking service, because I don't have a big enough company to take a trial or $10-50k to buy a huge database with the data of millions of people + me. Well maybe I do, but such expense seems a bit irrational. Turns out that EU-based peoples` data is almost the most expensive.

But still, I know my location data was collected and I know where to buy it!

[systellartechnologies]

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[the-daughter-of-lilith]

I think people either don't realize or forget the fact that songs that remind you of situations or people are linked to data. Almost every piece of technology is connected to the Internet (IoT) now. This means any music is associated with algorithmic data.

It's nothing personal, it's just data.

[padworks]

The Power Of Billboards: Measuring Impact In a Digital Age

In today’s digital age, where online advertising dominates, the power of billboards remains undeniable. As a key element of outdoor advertising, billboards have evolved, integrating modern technology while preserving their exceptional capacity to engage viewers. At Providence Adworks, the effect of billboard advertising is always carefully evaluated to ensure totals meet marketing goals efficiently.

The Enduring Appeal of Billboards

Billboards are an essential tool for brand visibility. With their strategic positions at the center of highways, busy streets, and high-traffic areas, they reach a diverse audience. Billboards are particularly popular because they effectively and briefly put across brand messages visually, and they can also be used for both local and national campaigns. In fact, studies show that billboard advertising can increase brand awareness by up to 80%!

Integrating Technology for Measurement

As technology advances, so does the ability to measure the effectiveness of billboard advertising. Traditional metrics like reach and impressions are now supplemented by digital tools that provide deeper insights. Here are some modern methods for measuring billboard impact:

Traffic Data Analysis

The usage of traffic flow information assists the advertisers to determine the flow of traffic in the billboard location. By analyzing this data, brands are able to predict potential impressions and adjust the overall message.

Geolocation Tracking

Including geolocation technology that allows advertisers to track how many  individuals view their billboards. This technology can provide insights to the consumer about how many people visited a store after seeing the billboard.

Social Media Engagement

Monitoring social media interactions related to billboard campaigns offers valuable feedback. Consumers can use hashtags, mentions, and shares to indicate whether they like a brand’s campaign or not.

QR Codes and AR Experiences

Including QR codes or augmented reality (AR) enables engagement of the consumers in billboards themselves. In this way, headings or experiences with AR components help in analyzing how effective uses of billboards are and collect valuable data for future strategies.

The Benefits of Data-Driven Insights

Using data to measure billboard impact provides numerous benefits for brands. These insights help advertisers:

Optimize Campaigns: By understanding which particular message is preferred with the audiences can help the brand refine their campaigns for better performance.

Allocate Budget Wisely: Understanding audience demographics and behaviors enables creative teams to develop more targeted and relevant messaging.

Enhance Creativity: Knowledge of audience demographics and their behaviors is crucial to crafting better, more relevant messages for creative people to consider.

Conclusion

In a world dominated by digital advertising, the power of billboards remains a potent force in the marketing landscape. In the current world, technology and data are used effectively in the measurement of billboard campaigns by brands. At Providence Adworks, we envision assisting organizations to execute effective outdoor advertising campaigns and achieve maximum impressions. Embrace the power of billboards, and let’s drive your brand forward in the digital age!

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[genuflectx]

Windows LLM "Copilot" with Shitty Privacy

Windows has decided to place an experimental version of Bing AI into Window's task bar. It can access data about your computer and give it back to you, including what apps are downloaded onto the device and your computer's specs.

However, it's just as bad as any other LLM when it comes to hallucinating- on my first try it claimed it could search for files and open files for me. I told it it could not, it argued it could and that it "knows what it can and cannot do," and then hallucinated files for me. Further pushback just made it get repetitive and show "fear" that it "hoped you don't think I'm lying."

But the worst part is is Microsoft's shit privacy policy for this thing. For some business apps its "commercial data protection" is turned on for free, but using Copilot directly on your computer itself- well, fuck the consumers' data, I guess. In fact, clicking "privacy statement" in Copilot takes you to Microsoft's general privacy statement- one which does not mention Copilot in it at all. And, the Copilot for Windows privacy page is so sparse that it doesn't even specify if it keeps and uses your input to train the LLM, which is a basic fucking statement that any usage of LLM should have.

Just another shitty, rushed, useless LLM feature that nobody really needs, and which has flimsy data protection. Turn it off if you can. But wait, that's right, you can't! :^) you can only "hide" the icon, unless you want to pop open the command prompt! Eat dick Microsoft >:P

[odinsblog]

Modern cars do more than get you from Point A to Point B. With sophisticated, internet-enabled onboard computers, they provide vehicle manufacturers with a truckload (pun intended) of data on where you’re driving, what you’re buying, demographic data and more. So what are they doing with all this information? That’s what the newly created California Privacy Protection Agency would like to know, and so it has launched a review of the auto industry’s data privacy practices.

“Modern vehicles are effectively connected computers on wheels. They’re able to collect a wealth of information via built-in apps, sensors, and cameras, which can monitor people both inside and near the vehicle,” said CPPA Executive Director Ashkan Soltani in a statement.

With more than 35 million vehicles on the road in the Golden State, that is a lot of data for these car-makers to scoop up. [And sell!]

The announcement was hailed by advocacy group Consumer Watchdog’s Justin Kloczko, who said in a statement, “These companies know more about us than we know about ourselves, and they’re the ones in control of our personal information, not us.”

(continue reading)

[servicesapi]

Empowering Apps with IPstack Location Services API for Accurate Geolocation Data

In today's digital landscape, location-based services are at the forefront of enhancing user experiences and delivering valuable information. IPstack Location Services API, with its rich set of features, is a game-changer for developers seeking precise IP geolocation data and GPS coordinates. Let's dive into how this powerful tool can transform your applications.

IPstack Location Services API: This versatile API offers an easy and efficient way to obtain IP geolocation data. Whether you need GPS coordinates for tracking, location IP lookup for user personalization, or a free IP lookup API for cost-effective solutions, IPstack has you covered.

Accurate IP Geolocation Data: With IPstack, you can access highly accurate IP geolocation data. This means you can pinpoint a user's location down to the city or even the neighborhood, providing personalized content and services based on their geographical location.

Precise GPS Coordinates: For applications relying on GPS data, IPstack Location Services API delivers pinpoint-accurate GPS coordinates. Whether you're building a fitness app, a delivery tracking system, or a social networking platform, this level of accuracy is indispensable.

Location IP Lookup: Need to perform location IP lookup? IPstack's API simplifies the process. It allows you to identify the location of any IP address, making it ideal for security applications, targeted marketing, or compliance verification.

Free IP Lookup API: Budget-conscious developers will appreciate IPstack's free IP lookup API. It provides a cost-effective way to access essential IP geolocation data without compromising on accuracy. This option is perfect for startups and small businesses looking to optimize their location-based services.

API IP GeoLocation: If you're seeking a comprehensive solution for IP geolocation, IPstack is the answer. Its Location Services API offers seamless integration, enabling your application to harness the power of precise geolocation data. Whether you're building a weather app, a restaurant finder, or a travel planner, this API can take your project to the next level.

In conclusion

, IPstack Location Services API is a versatile and valuable tool for developers. It empowers applications with accurate IP geolocation data, GPS coordinates, and location IP lookup capabilities. Plus, with a free IP lookup API option, it caters to a wide range of needs and budgets. Embrace the power of geolocation and provide your users with personalized, location-based experiences by integrating IPstack into your projects. Elevate your apps today with IPstack Location Services API!

[healthcaretechnologynews]

How Indian Companies are Using Location Data to Improve Access and Optimize Commercialisation

Location intelligence is becoming an increasingly important tool for healthcare companies in India. By leveraging location-based data and analysis, these companies can gain valuable insights into the healthcare needs of different regions and communities and develop targeted strategies to address them.

Read Full Blog Here: https://www.anervea.com/how-indian-companies-are-using-location-data-to-improve-access-and-optimize-commercialisation/

One way that healthcare companies in India are using location intelligence is through geospatial analysis. By mapping healthcare data such as patient demographics, disease incidence, and treatment outcomes, companies can identify patterns and trends that can inform their strategic decisions. For example, a company may use geospatial analysis to identify areas where a certain disease is more prevalent, or to understand why certain treatments are more successful in certain regions.

Another way that healthcare companies in India are using location intelligence is through spatial data visualization. By creating interactive maps and visualizations, companies can communicate their findings to stakeholders in a clear and intuitive way. This can help them identify areas of opportunity and make data-driven decisions on how to allocate resources and expand services.

Location intelligence is also being used to optimize healthcare delivery. By analyzing data on population density, transportation, and accessibility, companies can identify areas where healthcare services are needed most. This can help them develop targeted strategies to reach underserved communities and improve access to healthcare.

In addition, location intelligence can also be used to analyze healthcare cost and resource allocation. By analyzing data on healthcare expenditure, companies can identify areas where costs are high, and resources are scarce. This can help them identify areas where they can reduce costs and improve efficiency.

Overall, location intelligence is becoming an essential tool for healthcare companies in India. By leveraging location-based data and analysis, these companies can gain valuable insights into the healthcare needs of different regions and communities and develop targeted strategies to address them. This can help them improve access to healthcare, optimize delivery and resource allocation and drive efficiency in their operations.

Visit our website now: https://www.anervea.com/

[argumate]

The researchers “use de-identified smartphone geolocation data for a sample of US phones from January 2019 to February 2020,” obtained “from an online data vendor that provides data commercially to businesses, governments, and researchers” and “works with numerous mobile application providers that track ‘pings’ of the location of a phone while the application is either currently in use or is running in the background.” Then they use the addresses of SEC offices and corporate headquarters, and then match the smartphone pings to the buildings. A smartphone is assumed to belong to an SEC employee if it “pinged for at least 20 unique workday hours within one SEC location during the month” and “the accumulated time in that SEC building [is] greater than in any other buildings in the respective month.” And then they go measure which companies those SEC employees visited.

Matt Levine casually mentioning this in an aside like it's normal

[imaginebetterfutures]

Useful (not AI) Tools for Writing

For years I've been compiling a list of useful tools for writing (fiction and non-fiction) and I thought it might be fun to share it.

What am I missing? What do you use and love? I'd love to keep building this list!

Historical Research

General plug: Librarians!!! They want to help you.

Search for words/signs in Brooklyn

Encyclopedia of Hair

Underwear, a history

Newspapers.com

Historical (and modern) meeting minutes

Find a grave

Political TV Ad archive

Oral Histories

Columbia

National Archives

MoMA

Archives of American Art

The Oral History Review

Words

Wordnik

Dictionary of American Regional English

Scrivener built in name generator

Lose the very

Scene Setting / Images

Animals & Plants by geolocation (also good for general scene setting)

Flickr world map

Past weather by zip code

Google Maps streetview / Google Earth

General Inspiration

Oblique Strategies

Worldbuilding

Tarot decks (my personal favorite is this one)

The Thing from the Future

The Picture Game

Misc

Data is Plural -- a newsletter full of interesting datasets

[blueiscoool]

$1 Million Worth of Gold Coins Stolen From 18th-Century Shipwrecks Found

After an extensive investigation, Florida officials recovered dozens of gold coins valued at more than $1 million that were stolen from a shipwreck recovery nine years ago.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced in a news release Tuesday it had recovered 37 gold coins that were stolen from the 1715 Fleet shipwrecks.

The fleet of Spanish ships sailed from Havana, Cuba and headed to Seville, Spain on July 24, 1715. The journey was short-lived, as a hurricane wrecked the fleet just seven days later off the coast of Eastern Florida.

The first ship was discovered in 1928 by William Beach north of Fort Pierce, Florida, about 120 miles south of Orlando. Since then, gold and silver artifacts have been recovered offshore for decades following the first discovery.

In 2015, a group of contracted salvage operators found a treasure trove of 101 gold coins from the wrecks near Florida’s Treasure Coast, about 112 miles west of Orlando. However, only half of the coins were reported correctly. The other 50 coins were not disclosed and later stolen.

The years-long investigation by the state’s fish and wildlife conservation commission and FBI “into the theft and illegal trafficking of these priceless historical artifacts” came to a head when new evidence emerged in June, the news release said.

The evidence linked Eric Schmitt to the illegal sale of multiple stolen gold coins in 2023 and 2024, officials said. Schmitt’s family had been contracted to work as salvage operators for the US District Courts’ custodian and salvaging company for the fleet, 1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels, LLC. The Schmitts had uncovered the 101 gold coins in 2015.

During their hunt for the coins, investigators executed multiple search warrants and recovered coins from private residences, safe deposit boxes and auctions, the news release said. Five stolen coins were retrieved from a Florida-based auctioneer, who unknowingly purchased them from Schmitt.

Investigators used advanced digital forensics to nail down Schmitt as a suspect in the case. In most cases, digital forensics can recover data stored electronically on devices such as a cell phone, computer system or memory module.

With the help of advanced digital forensics, investigators identified metadata and geolocation data that linked Schmitt to a photograph of the stolen coins taken at the Schmitt family condominium in Fort Pierce, Florida.

Authorities said Schmitt also took three of the stolen gold coins and put them on the ocean floor in 2016. The coins were later found by the new investors of the fleet’s court custodian and salvaging company.

Throughout the investigation, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission worked closely with historical preservation experts to authenticate and appraise the recovered coins sold by Schmitt.

Schmitt is facing charges for dealing in stolen property, the release says.

The company commissioned to salvage the shipwreck said in a statement it “was shocked and disappointed by this theft and has worked closely with law enforcement and the state of Florida regarding this matter.”

“We take our responsibilities as custodian very seriously and will always seek to enforce the laws governing these wrecks,” the statement read.

Recovered artifacts will be returned to their rightful custodians, the news release said. But the investigation is far from over: 13 coins remain missing.

[systellartechnologies]

Transform the Way You Manage Your Workforce with Praesentia!

Workforce management is evolving rapidly, and organizations are looking for smarter ways to overcome common challenges. From tackling attendance fraud and managing complex shifts to ensuring data security and streamlining remote work operations, businesses are seeking solutions that drive efficiency and productivity.

Innovative technology now allows real-time data tracking, secure biometric systems, and automated scheduling, making it easier than ever to manage large teams and adapt to hybrid work environments.

These advancements not only reduce manual errors but also empower HR teams to focus on strategic initiatives.

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#WorkforceManagement #HRInnovation #FutureOfWork #Efficiency #Organizations #challengestradale #futuretechnology