Google Timeline (Scarey)

[Dave Rice]

Another Google service I didn’t know existed. My movements in the last year. 3 countries, 64 cities and 205 places.

Adding Vienna to that next week.

[Drezha]

I thought it’s been made clearer that this is the case that Google enable this. You can turn it off, and I believe can do it on initial setup of an Android device. I think even more scary is how accurate it is! If you drill down per day, it’s uncanny how accurately it’s tracked me. More so when I’m cycling I think than when I’m in the car… But it pretty much tracks my exact times and routes of commutes. I would have turned this off in the past, but it’s actually reasonably interesting seeing it.

I know the phone companies are doing this anyhow – see this Ted talk. At least I get to see the information this way as well.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett

[blacklion1725]

It is scary and useful – they have also added “share your location” now which can be really useful – e.g. turn it on for the person at your destination as you set off using google navigation – they can track your progress…..or maybe use to follow your younger kids when on holiday or out and about.

I sort of think I’ve sold my soul to Google now so “in for a penny”.

I also found out yesterday you can add home screen (or folder) navigation shortcuts for specific destinations (e.g. home/work/mum/brother/sister) via the “directions” widget under maps.

It is all so good I am prepared to take the associated risks – plus I am now too old an boring to do anything bad.

[Bob Williams]

Dave, we get people round our way who move about like you. They’re called Travellers and they are always blocking up space in car parks from Skeggy to Cleethorpes. ?

EDIT in fact they don’t ‘Travel’ as much as you do, which is part of the problem…

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

I love this feature. Especially when paired with photos.

It dates back longer than 3 years Dave. Google have been tracking me singe the g1.

My eldest  lad now 23, when in the 4th year of high school, went through The stage of wagging it.  in return of keeping his phone, the htc hero (the htc desire hd) he had to share in real time his location with us.

I only checked on it every few months, but he never knew that. He got his phone, and we got him back in school.

He has just finished  uni. So win win.

 

Another bit of “creepy” info that is of no real use to us as an individual , but useful to google, and us as a whole, evey tone you speak to your phone, it’s recorded and kept. You can find your voice snipits, somewhere in your Google account. You can delete them if you wish. Bit the more bits of voice data they have, the more the AI learns. So creepy, but worth it.

As someone said above, “in for a penny…”

[Dave Rice]

I think Bobs calling me a pikey! Now you know why I cropped it at Holyhead ?

[Ed P]

The scary bit comes when ‘you know who’ does cluster analysis on your tracks and compares it with ones in whom they have an interest and finds accidental significant matches.

Many years ago, almost in the days of quill pens, I used to travel Europe quite a lot and often in the company of a Cypriot guy. For some reason he had been put on a ‘watch list’, (probably because he shared a last name with a wanted terrorist.’) It used to make this guy’s life hell – every time he went through an Airport Immigration desk – he was often there for hours!

[Bob Williams]

Dave Rice wrote:

I think Bobs calling me a pikey! Now you know why I cropped it at Holyhead

Never mind Dave, my Gran was a Real Romany! Born in a Romany van somewhere in the West Country in 1878, no birth Cert, never registered, but her mum & dad never let her forget the date.

So I am the one here with the Pikey blood!

Yer all Gawjos! ?

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

There was a camp where i grew up. What amazed me that these “travellers” was 2nd and 3rd generation living in that camp ground, with £100k vans and 28/32″ tvs (that was big and hugely expensive then) and more mod cons than any place I’d seen at the time.

Lived there longer than most non travellers live in the same house/street.

 

[Dave Rice]

If you’re not paying tax things are a lot more affordable.

[The Duke]

Never mind The tax, I don’t they paid wholesale for anything.

[JayCeeDee]

Dave Rice wrote:

If you’re not paying tax things are a lot more affordable.

“Ain’t that the truth!!”+1?

As far as Google Timeline is concerned it shows a lot, and very accurate that is too – which is less of a problem, especially now that I know about it 🙂 – but there is a lot missing too.

It seems to pick up stuff that has been actively looked at along with other factors. It shows a relative’s address that I researched before she moved in last year using Google Maps, plus she’s in my phone Contacts. It doesn’t show our rental property which I also Googled a lot, using Street View, but I’ve also spent a goodly amount of time there over the last year and more so over the last week since that tenant left. Yup, it’s re-furb time.:(

It’s interesting to see what it needs to add an “event” to the page.

 

Edit – Quote from the Duke – “Never mind The tax, I don’t they paid wholesale for anything.”

 

Never mind wholesale, there’s a lot that wouldn’t have been paid for at all.

In our local paper, the news that the Circus/Funfair/Traveller’s Camp is in town, is usually followed a month or so later, by an article about the increase in petty theft and burglaries!!

[Bob Williams]

The problem is that ‘Travellers’ today are not the Real Deal, they are parasites who have somehow ended up with more Human Rights and benefits (with Benefits!) than the rest of us who pay our dues. Then they either do not travel enough, or travel to the wrong places, then stay and the crime rate local to their illegal temporary site, goes up. Along with the piles of rubbish, fouled ground and abandoned krap.

There is an Industrial Site to the north of Louth, which is home to some old and new businesses of all kinds and sizes, including the IT company where my No.1 gson works. It is expanding all the time and has brought a lot of employment to the area of East Lindsey. Last year, one of the sites planned for a big trucking firm was empty and awaiting the start of building. Dozens of travelling tossers moved in and several businesses suffered break ins. I cannot tell you here exactly how it was done, but all the companies got together and cleared the site over a weekend. It had been decided that waiting for legal action was a waste of time, so large numbers of trucks and heavy agricultural machinery were utilised in a peaceful protest which resulted in an empty site. Empty that is, apart from a broken down truck, (stripped of anything remotely useful) 2 dead dogs, a pile of used nappies and other similar effluvium.

Police and bailiffs turned up on the Monday, to find no one to accept the papers served upon them.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[keith with the teef]

TBH I’m a little paranoid about tracking apps and so I have my location turned off.

[Bob Williams]

keith with the teef wrote:

TBH I’m a little paranoid about tracking apps and so I have my location turned off.

Why is that, Keith? Doesn’t bother me at all if Google or any other tech service tracks me. In fact, as I get older and more of my grey matter dies, I am happy to know that as many people as possible, know where I am!

Sometimes I struggle to know my location, myself. ?

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

I don’t mind either comes in handy often . Your tracked wither you turn it off or not, so you may as well leave it ‘on’ and get the personal benifits from them.

[Dave Rice]

Exactly. Your phone company knows which mast you’re associated with. Use an ATM or pay for anything by card and that pinpoints you to a time and place.

[Ed P]

Just simple security – never make it easy for others. Make it ‘hard’ for NSA/GCHQ. Do not hand them the info on a plate, make them get Court Orders.

You never know when Governments or the Grey Government will go ‘bad’. Both the UK and the US have done ‘bad things’ to their own populations in the past, and the future has the potential to be far worse.

[Dave Rice]

Well I’m on my way to Vienna, sat in the airport lounge. Google reminded me to leave within 30 minutes to get on time and gave me directions avoiding the real time traffic.

It told me of a delay to my flight before easy jet (but only by a minute, ej are on the ball with their app).

It knew that we were at the airport and provided maps and where to eat and shop. It has offered do the same for the area around the hotel it knows we are staying at.

Right at this moment I cannot see what use this will be to HMG or the NSA but it’s bloody useful to me.

Just booked at table at the restaurant sperl 5 mins walk from the hotel.

Marvellous.

[Richard]

Dave, I can only agree that for you the capability is all positive and I envy your being able to take such trips, though my destinations of choice might well be different. I checked my google plots of movements. Back and forth to the tip, the supermarket, the doctor, the pharmacy and even a slightly miss placed plot of a walk to a post box, boy that was exciting as a different walk. The rest of the time it did not move anywhere.

I hope that those who worry about mobile phone tracking never use a cash card, credit card, mail order or for that matter a bank either as all are tracked and mined actively for a chance to work out your social background, tastes, desires, wants or what can be sold to you – or if you are spending more than your declared means suggests you should. Probably best not to have a TV or an  entertainment account with anyone either.

Oh and forget using a car as ANPR and video observation is everywhere these days, though possibly not when it is most needed. Encoded public transport tickets are another tracking risk, better avoid them and walk everywhere. Also avoid social media as that is a happy hunting ground for so inclined trolls and sundry malcontents. Few if any of whom have any connection to the two, three or four letter spy agency acronyms, though they can be far more vicious and unpleasant.

Above all enjoy your trip Dave but do not make me too envious by reporting too great a time, Google already tells me what I am missing!

[Author]

Posts