Get specific GPS location somehow on windows 8

I have been googleing a lot. As far as I can tell it will require a lot of work to get the internal GPS chip in my lenovo helix working with any kind of map software. The new stuff is that in windows 8 the internal GPS is a sensor, and not available via the COM port interface. Most software uses the old COM port stuff. The new software from the app store in windows 8 uses the windows location service, which seems to be ignoring the internal chip all together. None of the apps in metro can get accurate coordinates. Just Geo locate by city using IP. This is so bad. Is the GPS functionality useless? Who is at fault, Lenovo or Microsoft?

Edit: I think I fixed it, part of it at least. Under device manager, all you have to do is de-activate and re-activate. Then it will work. It stops working after a couple of minutes. But now at least antenna malfunction is out of the question! Yey!

Algific

Posted 2013-07-25T15:30:58.000

Reputation: 1 143

Lenovo is responsible for providing drivers for your device. – Ramhound – 2013-07-25T15:39:54.870

1What is the GPS device? Do you show it in the device manager? Do you have a driver for it for that OS? Ericsson C5621 TFF(w/GPS Feature) or LTE: Gobi-4K TFF(w/GPS Feature) – Raystafarian – 2013-07-25T15:39:56.563

The drivers are working fine, the device is visible both as a wwan and a gps sensor. And under wireless I can activate the "GPS" as I do with WiFi and bluetooth. – Algific – 2013-07-25T15:42:02.067

Also, you don't need to post your question twice as the site automatically bumps questions after certain events

– Raystafarian – 2013-07-25T15:51:28.240

Answers

It does it automatically, based on best-signal

When is GPS data provided to the Location API?

As in Windows 7, the Location API is built on the Sensors API, and the information in location reports comes from location sensors. The Location API determines the most accurate location sensor for a given report type. This simplifies programming because the Location API will only provide one report of a particular type, even when there are multiple location sensors available. When the Windows Location Provider and GPS both exist on the system and are providing data, the Location API will use the sensor with the most accurate data. In most cases when both WiFi and GPS are available, the GPS will be more accurate and its data will be passed to the application.

source

Raystafarian

Posted 2013-07-25T15:30:58.000

Reputation: 20 384

How long do I have to be outside for it to work? I sat in garden 10 minutes yesterday and it didn't work. – Algific – 2013-07-25T15:48:51.757

Well, it will use WIFI as long as the WIFI has a better signal than the GPS. Perhaps it was cloudy, or maybe the WIFI is a beast. GPS is fickle – Raystafarian – 2013-07-25T15:50:03.140

I'm gonna try without wifi and wwan, and see if some magic happens. – Algific – 2013-07-25T15:51:00.367

It still doesn't work. If I turn of wwan, and wifi. The "where am I app" in app store just exits after a while. Nothing happens. – Algific – 2013-07-25T16:01:28.823