Niantic project "Ingress"

[Kulverstukas]

My first post in this board and I have noticed that this awesome game haven't been posted. I was like w00t!

For those who haven't heard of this amazing game, Ingress is an alternate reality game where you use your phone with internet and gps. This game is more for active people because it requires you to walk and sometimes even run around the city
Ingress is actually created by "Niantic Labs" and hosted on Google servers, because it uses "Google Maps".
Ingress isn't plain and simple like that. It has a deep story. You have to log into the "Niantic project" website with your google account which you registered on your android phone to play with, and you can follow the investigations there, solving puzzles and whatnot.

Read more:
http://www.nianticproject.com/
http://www.ingress.com/
Watch this video for a better explanation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAExyzJPPHA


Ingress is a closed beta for now, but you can request an invite in either of the 2 websites I gave above. Or you can send me your email via PM and I will send you invite, I have 9 left

[vezzy]

So it's basically story-driven geocaching?

[Kulverstukas]

I suppose you can call it like that... it's hella fun though

[Stackprotector]

"Niantic Labs" and hosted on Google servers,

According to wikipedia

Niantic Labs, or NianticLabs@Google, is an internal startup within Google, Inc.[1]

Applications like this are created by google for various reasons. This application is made to collect a SHITLOAD of location data so they can perfect their algorithms. This application uses all the currenct position techniques like wifi, gyrometer, gps and might even sent all the wifi points to google.

[proxx]

even sent all the wifi points to google.

Im pretty sure thats the case.

[Stackprotector]

Im pretty sure thats the case.

Though, as long as you are not concerned about your location being shared with google it's not a very big issue. In the end you are helping google to make their services and this game even better   And i have also read something about this being a good base for google glass.

[Kulverstukas]

It's not an issue for me at all if google collects my GPS coords of where I walk playing the game... I don't see this as an issue at all, really.

But then there will be those people, yes THOSE people, yelling to everyone that Ingress is evil and should be burned to the ground, it collects your useless (to you and everyone else but google) personal data and shit like that... just chill, god damn.

[vezzy]

You don't see this as an issue?

Making a perfect interactive map of everywhere you've been is not an issue?

The actual map is here (in German, translate it yourself).

[Kulverstukas]

I'm not talking about those idiots that use GPS geotagging, posting to facebook where they are at now. They use those services 24/7 and dare to complain that someone is tracking them where ever they go... I mean, come on!

If I only use GPS and internet while I'm playing Ingress, it really isn't an issue to be worried about...