Fred

Apple has long ago removed Wi-Fi finders from the app store, but existing
Wi-Fi apps like yFy have continued to work if you were lucky enough to
purchase them before they were banned. It seems that Apple has now
completed this purge by using the iOS5 update to disable them.

Android has no such restrictions in Wi-Fi apps.

nospam

In article <1819400913340732414.145573fmd-green.net@news.giganews.com>,
Fred <fmd@green.net> wrote:

> Apple has long ago removed Wi-Fi finders from the app store, but existing
> Wi-Fi apps like yFy have continued to work if you were lucky enough to
> purchase them before they were banned. It seems that Apple has now
> completed this purge by using the iOS5 update to disable them.

they pulled them because the apps were using undocumented private apis.

> Android has no such restrictions in Wi-Fi apps.

great, so buy an android phone.

Steve W. Jackson

In article <191020111012554136%nospam@nospam.invalid>,
nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> wrote:

> In article <1819400913340732414.145573fmd-green.net@news.giganews.com>,
> Fred <fmd@green.net> wrote:
>
> > Apple has long ago removed Wi-Fi finders from the app store, but existing
> > Wi-Fi apps like yFy have continued to work if you were lucky enough to
> > purchase them before they were banned. It seems that Apple has now
> > completed this purge by using the iOS5 update to disable them.
>
> they pulled them because the apps were using undocumented private apis.
>
> > Android has no such restrictions in Wi-Fi apps.
>
> great, so buy an android phone.

And they clearly have not pulled all Wi-Fi finders since I've just been
able to find some in the App Store.
--
Steve W. Jackson
Montgomery, Alabama

nospam

In article <stevewjackson-F47BC3.13233919102011@news.individual.net>,
Steve W. Jackson <stevewjackson@knology.net> wrote:

> > > Apple has long ago removed Wi-Fi finders from the app store, but existing
> > > Wi-Fi apps like yFy have continued to work if you were lucky enough to
> > > purchase them before they were banned. It seems that Apple has now
> > > completed this purge by using the iOS5 update to disable them.
> >
> > they pulled them because the apps were using undocumented private apis.
> >
> > > Android has no such restrictions in Wi-Fi apps.
> >
> > great, so buy an android phone.
>
> And they clearly have not pulled all Wi-Fi finders since I've just been
> able to find some in the App Store.

the ones that are still there are just lists of known hotspots.

the ones that were pulled used undocumented apis to get the wifi radio
to scan for all available networks within range of the iphone.

Alan Browne

On 2011-10-19 12:00 , Fred wrote:

> Android has no such restrictions in Wi-Fi apps.

Android has so few restrictions that it is a known target for hackers to
distribute malware.

--
gmail originated posts filtered due to spam.

BreadWithSpam@fractious.net

nospam <nospam@nospam.invalid> writes:

> the ones that were pulled used undocumented apis to get the wifi radio
> to scan for all available networks within range of the iphone.

If they are undocumented, then Apple wasn't guaranteeing that they
are still going to be there in another release.

No surprise the a total system software update breaks things
that use undocumented APIs.

(Why there aren't documented ones and supported apps to do the
same things, I have no idea. File a suggestion with Apple.)

--
Plain Bread alone for e-mail, thanks. The rest gets trashed.

nospam

In article <yobipnkhkj9.fsf@panix2.panix.com>,
<BreadWithSpam@fractious.net> wrote:

> > the ones that were pulled used undocumented apis to get the wifi radio
> > to scan for all available networks within range of the iphone.
>
> If they are undocumented, then Apple wasn't guaranteeing that they
> are still going to be there in another release.

exactly.

> No surprise the a total system software update breaks things
> that use undocumented APIs.

even documented apis have problems. a *lot* of apps have been updated
recently for ios5 compatibility.

> (Why there aren't documented ones and supported apps to do the
> same things, I have no idea. File a suggestion with Apple.)

maybe one day the wifi apis will be fully supported.

Alan Browne

On 2011-10-19 15:02 , BreadWithSpam@fractious.net wrote:
> nospam<nospam@nospam.invalid> writes:
>
>> the ones that were pulled used undocumented apis to get the wifi radio
>> to scan for all available networks within range of the iphone.
>
> If they are undocumented, then Apple wasn't guaranteeing that they
> are still going to be there in another release.
>
> No surprise the a total system software update breaks things
> that use undocumented APIs.
>
> (Why there aren't documented ones and supported apps to do the
> same things, I have no idea. File a suggestion with Apple.)

A peeve of mine is the shallow API for the GPS. I have a lot of
interest in the details of GPS satellites, constellation status and so
on... Apple just give the superficial data (position, some velocity, H+V
accuracy estimate, speed, course, UTC). I want "deeper" stuff such as
satellites tracked, elev/azimuth, Doppler, sig level, DOP (P,H,V,T) and
so on.

I'll be loading an App on my SO's Android to get at much of that as many
of them are available on Android's that have GPS.

--
gmail originated posts filtered due to spam.

salgud

On Wed, 19 Oct 2011 15:02:34 -0400, BreadWithSpam@fractious.net wrote:

> (Why there aren't documented ones and supported apps to do the
> same things, I have no idea. File a suggestion with Apple.)

The obvious, and most likely, reason would be an agreement with AT&T and/or
other carriers not to provide this service as it would cut into their
profits.

Hoane

"nospam" <nospam@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
news:191020111012554136%nospam@nospam.invalid...
> In article <1819400913340732414.145573fmd-green.net@news.giganews.com>,
> Fred <fmd@green.net> wrote:
>
>> Apple has long ago removed Wi-Fi finders from the app store, but existing
>> Wi-Fi apps like yFy have continued to work if you were lucky enough to
>> purchase them before they were banned. It seems that Apple has now
>> completed this purge by using the iOS5 update to disable them.
>
> they pulled them because the apps were using undocumented private apis.
>

They survived the iOS3 to iOS4 update.
I used WifiTrak a lot to connect to access points that otherwise I could not
even see.
It's a pity those days are over...