Recently researchers discovered a file on the iPhone that stores time stamped coordinates of the iPhone’s location. The logs of the locations of Wi-Fi hot spots and cell phone towers near the users’ of iOS devices, essentially revealing users’ movements over time.
This file was downloaded to iTunes every time a sync was performed. Apple dismissed it at first, but after a while the issue caused quite a stir and grew in notoriety. Following public scrutiny Apple addressed it in the recent iOS 4.3.3 update which stops the iPhone from storing locations when the location services are disabled under settings.
Now a project called OpenPaths provides users a tool to harvest this iPhone location data.
With openpaths, you can preserve your iPhone or iPad’s location information as well as visualize where you’ve been. You can even download your data in CSV and JSON format so you can remix it and use it in your own projects.
What’s more, openpaths allows you to securely and anonymously donate your data to researchers who could use it to study mobility, transportation, land use, epidemiology, and overall make the world a better place.
With openpaths, you can preserve your iPhone or iPad’s location information as well as visualize where you’ve been. You can even download your data in CSV and JSON format so you can remix it and use it in your own projects.
Your location (or the location of your phone at least) can be securely and anonymously “donated” to the makers of OpenPaths. All you have to do is download the OpenPaths Uploader (Mac OS X, Windows 7 / Vista), and you’ll be able to visualize your own location information, as well as share it with them.