Thank you! Wow. This caught my eye:
Google uses its Android devices to acquire the location of every Android smartphone owner [emphasis added] even when the phone is turned off or operating without a SIM card.
That suggests to me that Google might NOT capture location data for a SIM-less Android phone that also has ZERO Google accounts associated with it. (?)
Well, does it, that’s the question?
Is the tracking related to software, hardware or both? 
This is also an interesting article:
@John_Andersson I think it might be in the operating system. As I wrote, in the article, The Lure of Geolocation, there are other sensors in the system that, when analyzed, they can pinpoint to location & movement.
The New York Times posted an article ("Smartphone Directions May Put Novice Hikers in Danger, Experts Say”) on 18 July 2021 that had this synopsis:
@kirkmahoneyphd not just hikers. Sometimes, relying solely on digital navigation can lead to tragedy. Two years ago, this 25yr old kid in Warsaw used GoogleMaps to find his way to the metro station on his way back home from a bar. GoogleMaps led him through an area that had since become a dangerous construction site. He was drunk, it was dark, the visibility was poor & he fell into a retention canal with tragic results. This happened close to my apartment building. My dog found him the next day. If he had just asked for directions, none of this would have happened.
This is the one thing I can’t seem to navigate (pun intended). I live in an urban area and rely solely on mass transit and a bicycle. Using maps for directions and bus/train times has been ingrained into my daily habit. In my area especially, buses/trains are constantly being rerouted and/or delayed and apps can prevent you from standing at a stop for an hour with no bus in sight. Is there a post regarding these issues? Anyone have any tips?
Perhaps some people should stick with their smartphones.
Some of us on the other hand, would prefer something less distracting, uncomplicated, and simple.
This particular thing had me hung up at first.
My initial reaction was that I wouldn’t be able to make it places without GPS. After thinking a bit, I realized that that is exactly what I did before the iPhone got iOS 6 and turn by turn nav by default. Really, I haven’t had this technology all that long. When it did initially become a thing, I still didn’t use it often. It’s only been these last few years.
There are also other ways to get the same data. You can text a number and get the directions via text response. You can print them off on a computer or tablet. You can use a dedicated GPS device.
More than anything, I feel like my phone robbed me of my own sense of direction. It robbed me of remembering how to get places. It also spied on me the whole time and generated a movement profile for big tech companies.
^ Exactly!
@bmw42 As I have been looking for solutions… I have notice, like you stated, there are way more instances where you can use ‘text to phone’ services then I thought; bus stops included. Have to figure out if this goes for trains as well.
I too haven’t used these convenience apps fo that long either. I held on to my BB and BB10 devices as long as I could.
It does however seem that these ‘convenience services’ are coming out and being implemented at a surprisingly fast increment, where not having these services becomes a pain point.
The metro card itself is even being phased out for tap payments : https://omny.info/
It wasn’t by choice… 
I have four : BB 8100, BB 9700, Z10 and Z30. The Z10’s screen just went dark… no idea how or why, it just refuses to go on. If anyone knows how to fix this, I’m all ears! Besides from the 8100’s buttons not up to par, I slowly stopped using the 8100 and 9700 because they are 3G phones. The reception on Tmobile US is extremely iffy on 3G and especially in my house (so many dropped and missed calls and all around delayed service). I’m going to try to see if I can try using the Z30 again.; I rebooted it today while writing this post. Although this phone has 4G LTE I still have issues with bars/signal. Z30 is at two bars in my apartment right now and frequently drops to one or none. I’ve resorted to using Wifi Calling in the past, which isn’t available on any of the BB’s I have. I live in a ground floor apartment in a condensed urban area. Tmobile states that my issues are due to all the metal and concrete getting in the way and these BB phones not having the newer bands to counteract. More on Tmobile bands/frequencies can be found HERE. My phones are in great condition, I just can’t use them for what they were made for - making calls. I think it’s just yet another way companies use ‘planned obsolescence’. They keep updating the bands required on a network so that you have no choice but to upgrade devices.
You said you have a BB Bold, right? Do you notice any signal issues where you are?
Searching today for alternative ways to access bus/train times and directions and fell down a rabbit hole 
. I have noticed that bus times were no longer available at several of my usual stops… now I know why - MTA’s Plan To Get Rid Of Posted Bus Schedules.
They did not make finding this easy… MTA by SMS. Just goes to show you that people (myself included) believe convenience tools/apps are a necessity ONLY due to the fact that they don’t know another way. Wondering how long they will continue to keep this service available.
The more who use it, the longer it will be available. Tell everyone you know!
@mindful321 I have a BBQ10, no signal strength issues at all. It works everywhere. The BBQ10 is 4G LTE compatible. I’ve been in pretty remote places & it still got at least a 3G signal.
