Skyhook Wireless
Encyclopedia
Skyhook Wireless is a Boston-based company that developed a technology for determining geographical location using Wi-Fi
as the underlying reference system. Using the MAC address
es of nearby wireless access point
s and proprietary algorithms, Skyhook's Wi-Fi Positioning System WPS
can determine the position of a mobile device within 20–30 meters. It provides service similar to GPS without GPS hardware and can also integrate with GPS-enabled devices to provide hybrid positioning
. Skyhook Wireless claims that with sub-second time-to-first-fix, supposed 20–30 meter accuracy and near 100% availability indoors and in dense urban areas.
Skyhook's database is gathered through wardriving
, and includes more than 250 million wi-fi access points and covers 70 percent of population centers in the United States, Canada, Western Europe and selected Asian countries..
Skyhook Wireless offers Loki, a free 'virtual GPS' toolbar that automatically integrates a user's location with web content such as Google Maps
, Fandango, Weather.com, etc. It has been now replaced by a "Find Me" page on the website, as well as tools and SDK's used for adding location-based data to sites such as WeatherBug.com.
Skyhook announced a partnership to help users in geotagging
their pictures.
At the Macworld Conference & Expo
in January 2008, Apple CEO Steve Jobs
announced that both the iPhone
and iPod Touch
would use Skyhook's WPS as the primary location engine for Google Maps and other applications. All Apple devices utilized Skyhook's WPS until the iPhone/iPad software 3.2 release in April 2010, which utilized Apple's own location technologies.
(SDK), which allows developers to create location-enabled applications. This uses Skyhook's software-only Wi-Fi Positioning System on the platform of their choice. The software development kit is compatible with all GPS NMEA
applications, and provides excellent accuracy and confidence estimation.
The SDK supports Windows XP
, Vista
and Mobile
, as well as Symbian OS, Mac OS X
, and Linux
platforms.
, describes how to use the Skyhook database with an iPhone
and a laptop running Linux
to identify the location of any router's MAC address
. There is an associated YouTube
video showing how to trick Skyhook's Location Service: the user searches Google for the router's MAC address, sets his/her laptop to broadcast that other MAC address, and thereby fool their iPhone or iPod Touch's Location Services into thinking it's at the other router's location.
The same exploit was published in April 2008 by a team led by Srdjan Capkun at the Department of Computer Science, ETH Zurich
.
A 2008 article exposes the underlying protocol to query the Skyhook database for the physical location of any MAC address.
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi or Wifi, is a mechanism for wirelessly connecting electronic devices. A device enabled with Wi-Fi, such as a personal computer, video game console, smartphone, or digital audio player, can connect to the Internet via a wireless network access point. An access point has a range of about 20...
as the underlying reference system. Using the MAC address
MAC address
A Media Access Control address is a unique identifier assigned to network interfaces for communications on the physical network segment. MAC addresses are used for numerous network technologies and most IEEE 802 network technologies, including Ethernet...
es of nearby wireless access point
Wireless access point
In computer networking, a wireless access point is a device that allows wireless devices to connect to a wired network using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or related standards...
s and proprietary algorithms, Skyhook's Wi-Fi Positioning System WPS
Wi-Fi Positioning System
Wi-Fi-based positioning system emerged as an idea that can solve the positioning in certain situations , taking advantage of the rapid growth of wireless access points in urban areas...
can determine the position of a mobile device within 20–30 meters. It provides service similar to GPS without GPS hardware and can also integrate with GPS-enabled devices to provide hybrid positioning
Hybrid positioning system
Hybrid positioning systems are systems for finding the location of a mobile device using several different positioning technologies. Usually GPS is one major component of such systems, combined with cell tower signals, wireless internet signals, Bluetooth sensors or other local Positioning...
. Skyhook Wireless claims that with sub-second time-to-first-fix, supposed 20–30 meter accuracy and near 100% availability indoors and in dense urban areas.
Skyhook's database is gathered through wardriving
Wardriving
Wardriving is the act of searching for Wi-Fi wireless networks by a person in a moving vehicle, using a portable computer, smartphone or PDA....
, and includes more than 250 million wi-fi access points and covers 70 percent of population centers in the United States, Canada, Western Europe and selected Asian countries..
Skyhook Wireless offers Loki, a free 'virtual GPS' toolbar that automatically integrates a user's location with web content such as Google Maps
Google Maps
Google Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free , that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API...
, Fandango, Weather.com, etc. It has been now replaced by a "Find Me" page on the website, as well as tools and SDK's used for adding location-based data to sites such as WeatherBug.com.
Skyhook announced a partnership to help users in geotagging
GeoTagging
Geotagging is the process of adding geographical identification metadata to various media such as a geotagged photograph or video, websites, SMS messages, QR Codes or RSS feeds and is a form of geospatial metadata...
their pictures.
At the Macworld Conference & Expo
Macworld Conference & Expo
Produced by Boston-based IDG World Expo, Macworld | iWorld is a trade-show with conference tracks dedicated to the Apple Macintosh platform. It is held annually in the United States, usually during the second week of January...
in January 2008, Apple CEO Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs
Steven Paul Jobs was an American businessman and inventor widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the personal computer revolution. He was co-founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Apple Inc...
announced that both the iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
and iPod Touch
IPod Touch
The iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...
would use Skyhook's WPS as the primary location engine for Google Maps and other applications. All Apple devices utilized Skyhook's WPS until the iPhone/iPad software 3.2 release in April 2010, which utilized Apple's own location technologies.
Public SDK
Skyhook offers a software development kitSoftware development kit
A software development kit is typically a set of software development tools that allows for the creation of applications for a certain software package, software framework, hardware platform, computer system, video game console, operating system, or similar platform.It may be something as simple...
(SDK), which allows developers to create location-enabled applications. This uses Skyhook's software-only Wi-Fi Positioning System on the platform of their choice. The software development kit is compatible with all GPS NMEA
NMEA
NMEA 0183 is a combined electrical and data specification for communication between marine electronic devices such as echo sounder, sonars, anemometer, gyrocompass, autopilot, GPS receivers and many other types of instruments. It has been defined by,...
applications, and provides excellent accuracy and confidence estimation.
The SDK supports Windows XP
Windows XP
Windows XP is an operating system produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops and media centers. First released to computer manufacturers on August 24, 2001, it is the second most popular version of Windows, based on installed user base...
, Vista
Windows Vista
Windows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
and Mobile
Windows Mobile
Windows Mobile is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft that was used in smartphones and Pocket PCs, but by 2011 was rarely supplied on new phones. The last version is "Windows Mobile 6.5.5"; it is superseded by Windows Phone, which does not run Windows Mobile software.Windows Mobile is...
, as well as Symbian OS, Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, and Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
platforms.
Privacy and hacking
An article written in February 2008 by Terry Stenvold, and published in the summer 2008 edition of the magazine 26002600: The Hacker Quarterly
2600: The Hacker Quarterly is an American publication that specializes in publishing technical information on a variety of subjects including telephone switching systems, Internet protocols and services, as well as general news concerning the computer "underground" and left wing, and sometimes ,...
, describes how to use the Skyhook database with an iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
and a laptop running Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
to identify the location of any router's MAC address
MAC address
A Media Access Control address is a unique identifier assigned to network interfaces for communications on the physical network segment. MAC addresses are used for numerous network technologies and most IEEE 802 network technologies, including Ethernet...
. There is an associated YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
video showing how to trick Skyhook's Location Service: the user searches Google for the router's MAC address, sets his/her laptop to broadcast that other MAC address, and thereby fool their iPhone or iPod Touch's Location Services into thinking it's at the other router's location.
The same exploit was published in April 2008 by a team led by Srdjan Capkun at the Department of Computer Science, ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich or ETH Zürich is an engineering, science, technology, mathematics and management university in the City of Zurich, Switzerland....
.
A 2008 article exposes the underlying protocol to query the Skyhook database for the physical location of any MAC address.
See also
- Hybrid positioning systemHybrid positioning systemHybrid positioning systems are systems for finding the location of a mobile device using several different positioning technologies. Usually GPS is one major component of such systems, combined with cell tower signals, wireless internet signals, Bluetooth sensors or other local Positioning...
- Mobile phone trackingMobile phone trackingMobile phone tracking refers to the attaining of the current position of a mobile phone, stationary or moving. Localization may occur either via multilateration of radio signals between radio towers of the network and the phone, or simply via GPS...
- Local Positioning SystemsLocal Positioning SystemsA local positioning system is a navigation system that provides location information in all weather, anywhere within the coverage of the network, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to three or more signaling beacons of which the exact position on earth is known...