The Glade 4.0

My assertion is, there is no reason (related to E911 or otherwise) to create that database, or to save it to your PC).

The "saving it to the pc" part is a function of the full backup of the mobile device. I see the reason for that even if you disagree.

SUMMARY

[0004] A location aware mobile device can include a baseband processor for communicating with one or more communication networks, such as a cellular network or WiFi network. In some implementations, the baseband processor can collect network information over time. The network information can be converted to estimated position coordinates (e.g., latitude, longitude, altitude) of the location aware device. The position coordinates can be stored in a location history database on the location aware device or made accessible on a network. A user or application can query the location history database with a timestamp or other query to retrieve all or part of the location history for display in a map view. In some implementations, the size and "freshness" of the location history database can be managed by eliminating duplicate entries in the database and/or removing older entries. The location history can be used to construct a travel timeline for the location aware device. The travel timeline can be displayed in a map view or used by location aware applications running on the location aware device or on a network. In some implementations, an Application Programming Interface (API) can be used by an application to query the location history database.

[0005] In some implementations, the location history can allow users to tag photos or other content taken by a device and to synchronize the content with the location history using timestamps. This can allow the user to augment a travel timeline with the content, for example.

[0006] In some implementations, the network information can include transmitter identifiers (IDs). For example, Cell IDs can be tracked and recorded. The Cell IDs can be mapped to corresponding cell tower locations which can be used to provide estimated position coordinates of the location aware device. When a location history is requested by a user or application (e.g., through an API), the transmitter IDs can be translated to position coordinates of the location aware device which can be reverse geocoded to map locations for display on a map view or for other purposes. In other implementations, the network information can include WiFi scan data (e.g., access point IDs) which can be used to determine position coordinates of the location aware device, which can be reverse geocoded for display on a map view. In some implementations, the network information can be sent to a network server, which can translate the network information into position coordinates, which can be returned to the location aware device for processing by a location aware application.

[0007] In some implementations, other information related to various events can be recorded by the location aware device and associated with the location history. The other information can be displayed or otherwise made accessible to a user in a map view or other application. The other information and location history can be part of a personal "journal" for the user, which can be queried at a later time.

The article didn't specify, but I'm pretty sure it's referring to the "Location Based Services", which is an opt-in feature on Android (and Apple I believe). When powering up an Android device for the fist time, you are presented with the opportunity to disable or enable Location Based Services. You can also enable and disable it as needed.

It is my understanding that the data in the iPhone database (consolidate.db) is even collected when your phone is off (as long as there is a battery installed). It's not related to GPS or WiFi location based services (apparently).

Why is my iPhone logging my location?

The iPhone is not logging your location. Rather, it’s maintaining a database of Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers around your current location, some of which may be located more than one hundred miles away from your iPhone, to help your iPhone rapidly and accurately calculate its location when requested. Calculating a phone’s location using just GPS satellite data can take up to several minutes. iPhone can reduce this time to just a few seconds by using Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data to quickly find GPS satellites, and even triangulate its location using just Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data when GPS is not available (such as indoors or in basements). These calculations are performed live on the iPhone using a crowd-sourced database of Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data that is generated by tens of millions of iPhones sending the geo-tagged locations of nearby Wi-Fi hotspots and cell towers in an anonymous and encrypted form to Apple.

iPhone can reduce this time to just a few seconds by using Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data to quickly find GPS satellites

Certainly not by storing my location for the lifetime of my device...

Why would my location data from last year be of any use with aGPS?

Apple has finally commented on the iPhone and iPad location logging controversy that erupted last week, saying that a software update would be available soon. Apple provided a Q&A page with the answers to 10 questions about the situation (shown below), but noted that the company did not transfer any of the location data gathered by people's devices back to the company. The software update, expected to be available "sometime in the next few weeks," will reduce the size of the location database cached on the iPhone, will stop backing up the cache to people's computers, and will delete this cache entirely when Location Services is turned off.

6. People have identified up to a year’s worth of location data being stored on the iPhone. Why does my iPhone need so much data in order to assist it in finding my location today?

This data is not the iPhone’s location data—it is a subset (cache) of the crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower database which is downloaded from Apple into the iPhone to assist the iPhone in rapidly and accurately calculating location. The reason the iPhone stores so much data is a bug we uncovered and plan to fix shortly (see Software Update section below). We don’t think the iPhone needs to store more than seven days of this data.

7. When I turn off Location Services, why does my iPhone sometimes continue updating its Wi-Fi and cell tower data from Apple’s crowd-sourced database?

It shouldn’t. This is a bug, which we plan to fix shortly (see Software Update section below).

Explain to me what about aGPS justifies apple keeping this (or any) history indefinitely without my knowledge or consent? Especially when I've opted out of Location Services?

There are legal requirements to provide e911 location data whether or not you have selected the option allowing apps the ability to access location information (which is all that location services provides).

We've covered this already. E911 provides location data in real time. There is no legal requirement (or justification) to store any history for E911 purposes.

Edit: Wireless Enhanced 911 identifies location for two reasons. To route the call to the correct 911 center, and to give dispatchers a general area where the call is originating from. It only comes into play for 911 calls, and does not utilize any history.

We've covered this already. E911 provides location data in real time. There is no legal requirement (or justification) to store any history for E911 purposes.

aGPS allows for quicker location determination than GPS alone. Seems that something designed for emergency response would benefit from that quality, especially since GPS info isn't always available.