Receiving GPS data is not bad. Apps like this are more for demonstrating cool technology, not for practical use (though it seems to be working really well as well).
That being said, MicroG does use BeaconDB as a network location provider, so there is a lot of utility there as well.
I am aware of that but somehow expected that it still took more energy to receive until there are enough SATs available than to do a BLE scan. Just a gut feeling though and only receiving should have a bigger impact than I thought. Makes sense!
I’m not sure why anyone thinks receiving GPS data is “bad”.
If you’re somewhere where GPS is frequently jammed (such as a warzone, etc.) then it could be useful.
Receiving GPS data is not bad. Apps like this are more for demonstrating cool technology, not for practical use (though it seems to be working really well as well).
That being said, MicroG does use BeaconDB as a network location provider, so there is a lot of utility there as well.
Enegy use comes to mind.
GPS is a passive receiver.
There’s processing going on, but you dramatically decrease energy use by just updating less often.
It’s not like you’re sending a signal to space.
what are you talking about? GPS is far from a “passive receiver” in any sense of that vague term. It’s running an oscillator at the carrier frequency.
GPS is probably the most power hungry sensor on your device.
I am aware of that but somehow expected that it still took more energy to receive until there are enough SATs available than to do a BLE scan. Just a gut feeling though and only receiving should have a bigger impact than I thought. Makes sense!
Don’t worry your gut feeling is right. Wifi / Bluetooth scans are orders of magnitude cheaper. People in here don’t unterstand how localization works.