# What the hell is BING up to? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 21, 2014, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956 "2014-05-21T20:00:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stuffy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f17d59/32.png) [@Stuffy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stuffy)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/1 "2014-05-21T20:00:22Z")
I just saw a Bing car, are they making their own version on Google Maps? It just spent 20 minutes circling my cul-de-sac. Barring that, is someone searching for me on Bing? šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/2 "2014-05-21T20:06:43Z")
Mapping the fuck out of that cul-de-sac! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/3 "2014-05-21T20:13:44Z")
ā€œAnything Google can do, Bing can do crappier!ā€ ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/4 "2014-05-21T20:18:24Z")
> [@Stuffy](#): > > I just saw a Bing car, are they making their own version on Google Maps? It just spent 20 minutes circling my cul-de-sac. Sounds more like theyā€™re using their own version of Google Maps. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/5 "2014-05-21T20:26:55Z")
At least they werenā€™t using Apple Maps, then they would driven the car into your living room. ---
**Author:** ![UncleRojelio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unclerojelio/32/3160_2.png) [@UncleRojelio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleRojelio)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/6 "2014-05-21T20:49:11Z")
Iā€™ve been giving Bing a test drive lately. I think I like it better than Google. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/7 "2014-05-21T21:10:37Z")
One thing Google did with their cars was to also ā€œwar driveā€ looking for WiFi signals. Got into a lot of trouble for snooping out too much info on that. Maybe Bing is doing the same. E.g., a mobile/tablet user without GPS can be located by determining what WiFi routers are in the area. And Comcast is turning their WiFi-router-modems into hotspots for other Comcast customers, so thereā€™s even more interest in other companies tracking down and logging those. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/8 "2014-05-21T21:43:39Z")
To answer the OP: Five or six regular users. ---
**Author:** ![Fool\_in\_the\_Rain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8491ac/32.png) [@Fool\_in\_the\_Rain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fool_in_the_Rain)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/9 "2014-05-22T12:25:55Z")
I saw a bing truck in my area on the way home last week. I was in front of it for a couple blocks. I wonderā€¦will I see my car on Bing soon? ---
**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/10 "2014-05-22T14:30:06Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > And Comcast is turning their WiFi-router-modems into hotspots for other Comcast customers, so thereā€™s even more interest in other companies tracking down and logging those. Whoaaaaa, wait a second. Are you saying that a cable company thatā€™s fanatical about their customers not going over data caps (before of course being charged overage fees) is making the routers said customers use into hot spots for any other Comcast customer who wanders by? Which would toootally coincidentally cause their usage to potentially skyrocket? ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/11 "2014-05-22T16:05:11Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > And Comcast is turning their WiFi-router-modems into hotspots for other Comcast customers, so thereā€™s even more interest in other companies tracking down and logging those. ? Not that we have Comcast, we have Charter - we provide our own wireless router [the modem from Charter is a few generations old and not wireless enabled] so how can they justify opening up their wireless to random subscriber use? I donā€™t want anybody logged into my wireless that I donā€™t personally know - too much risk of them downloading or uploading crap I donā€™t want to get involved with. What could random Comcast subscriber do, box their provided wireless enabled modem/router up and run an actual lead to their own privately owned wireless router so they can control access? What if someone is doing child porn up/downloading and a sting tracks it to your wireless router thanks to Comcast turning you into a hotspot? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/12 "2014-05-22T16:20:55Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > Whoaaaaa, wait a second. Are you saying that a cable company thatā€™s fanatical about their customers not going over data caps (before of course being charged overage fees) is making the routers said customers use into hot spots for any other Comcast customer who wanders by? Which would toootally coincidentally cause their usage to potentially skyrocket? Hereā€™s a [Slashdot](http://mobile.slashdot.org/story/14/03/05/0154229/comcast-turning-chicago-homes-into-xfinity-hotspots) blurb with links about it. Where do you think those 100,000 free hotspots nationwide available to Comcast subscribers they advertise on their web site come from? I doubt that outside usage ā€œofficiallyā€ counts against the subscriberā€™s cap. But itā€™s Comcast, they would probably screw up their tracking if they bother at all. They also claim it wonā€™t reduce your bandwidth. Fat chance. The issue of people doing Bad Things thru your connection could be resolved by giving the hotspot users their own WAN IP addresses, etc. But again, itā€™s Comcast. Thereā€™s also the question of possible exploits that would let people to get into your LAN. It is opt out. But you have to know they are doing it and how to get out of it. Another really good reason to own your own equipment instead of renting. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/13 "2014-05-22T17:27:45Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Another really good reason to own your own equipment instead of renting. You mean, besides saving $30-50 the first year and $60-100 every year after that? And having first-rate Motorola gear instead of outdated no-name crap? Although they donā€™t really get it. I have a satellite office that I put on Comcast Business just about a year ago. I bought my own (second) 6121 modem and thatā€™s how the service was installed. I was just looking over the papers, since Iā€™m closing the office and cancelling the service, and noticed (on the back of each bill, which I apparently never looked at) a $10/month equipment charge. So I get on the horn with the usual hassles and pushback, only to be told their ā€œpolicyā€ is to refund only 3 months of disputed charges. I pushed it up two levels on the argument, ā€œThis is not about a service level or bandwidth issue where I might have overpaid. This is about you charging me for a service I specifically never requested nor received.ā€ They credited me the whole $100+. I was polite and didnā€™t cancel right there (although that was my hole card, to threaten [emptily] to do so). Iā€™ll call back and cancel next week, ahead of the contract deadline. ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/14 "2014-05-22T22:42:57Z")
> [@zweisamkeit](#): > > Whoaaaaa, wait a second. Are you saying that a cable company thatā€™s fanatical about their customers not going over data caps (before of course being charged overage fees) is making the routers said customers use into hot spots for any other Comcast customer who wanders by? Which would toootally coincidentally cause their usage to potentially skyrocket? Well you have to trust your ISP when it comes to the measurement of dataā€¦ The idea is that the hotspot data usage wouldnā€™t be put onto the customers bill. The one CPE ( router, modem thingy) can run PPP twice. Once for the customer and once for the hotspotā€¦the systems just have to be programmed to know the difference. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/15 "2014-05-22T23:37:49Z")
[I got my pic taken by the truck last year.](http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=30.319738~-81.457537&lvl=17&sty=x~lat~30.319738~lon~-81.457537~alt~-24.152~z~30~h~350.6~p~-12.5~pid~5082&app=5082&FORM=LMLTCC) Yes, I delberately mimed my looking at one of my birds in the sky when it came trundling pastā€¦ ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/16 "2014-05-24T15:26:48Z")
I saw the Bing car on my street yesterday. My wife thought it would be a Google car but I remembered this thread and said ā€˜Bet its Bingā€™. I actually kind of like Bing, I just canā€™t break the Google default. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/17 "2014-05-24T15:38:17Z")
> [@Isilder](#): > > Well you have to trust your ISP when it comes to the measurement of dataā€¦ Sort of. If you have a decent router, or if you flash your router with third-party firmware like Tomato or DD-WRT, you can keep track of your own data usage, and see if thereā€™s any discrepancy between the ISPā€™s numbers and your own. Of course, itā€™s not clear what the ISP would do if you complained about a discrepancy. Probably tell you to take a hike. For a while, my ISPā€™s Data Usage meter typically recorded considerably _ **less** _ data usage than i was actually using, but recently they upgraded their meter, and now it seems to be pretty much dead on. ---
**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2014, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/18 "2014-05-25T01:31:57Z")
Itā€™s actually worth noting that Bingā€™s ā€œStreetsideā€ view is really pretty cool. They use some sort of trick to map at the same time as the pictures are taken, and it creates a rudimentary 3D model of the location. Far from perfect, but itā€™s a cool effect and can feel more immersive that Googleā€™s streetview. They were also dabbling with a version that would let you see a 2D view of the storefronts along a whole street that I thought was very clever, but it doesnā€™t appear to have ever hit primetime. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/19 "2014-05-27T06:44:21Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > ā€œAnything Google can do, Bing can do crappier!ā€ Bingā€™s aerial/birdā€™s-eye views are vastly superior to Google Maps/Earth. Maybe itā€™s just that my computerā€™s too old, but with Google Earth I get warped lines that should be straight, buildings that usually look like sand castles, and trees that look like lollpops. By contrast, Bing always provides a remarkably clear view even if it doesnā€™t always let me zoom in that close. Also, while Googleā€™s Street View coverage is much more extensive than Bing Streetside, Iā€™ve noticed that the latter covers some small and out-of-the way streets that Google tends to pass by, like Doyers Street in NYC and small ā€˜courtā€™ streets elsewhere. At the same time, though, Streetside seems to have quite a few bugs and glitches; for example there are times when the aerial view will paint the blue lines indicating that itā€™s available, but when you try to use Streetside, it errors out. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956/20 "2014-05-27T11:30:35Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > To answer the OP: Five or six regular users. To answer the OP: Why? Are the Crosbys looking for him? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-is-bing-up-to/688956.md?page=2)