What Are Sensors?

[TomBrooklyn]

What are sensors, and what are they about?


In the Control Panel, I just found Sensors. I never heard anything about sensors before.

 

[Ztruker]

There is no Sensors in my Control Panel.
What happens if you click on it?

 

[Layback Bear]

I have it in my Control Panel.
Locations and other Sensors.
Just type Location and Sensors in the Help and Support and it gives the info on what it does.
I don't care to have it activated. I'm lost and I like it that way.

 

[Ztruker]

I have Location Settings, no other.

 

[AddRAM]

http://archive.msdn.microsoft.com/SensorsAndLocation

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/using-location-and-other-sensors

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/enable-or-disable-a-sensor

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/install-or-uninstall-a-sensor

 

[Ranger4]

What are sensors, and what are they about?


In the Control Panel, I just found Sensors. I never heard anything about sensors before.

On my computer it is shown in Control Panel as "Location & other Sensors". Below is a copy of Windows help on the subject. Apparently it comes with Windows.

How does a sensor affect my privacy?

By default, when a sensor is enabled, all programs and users on your computer can access the information from that sensor. Windows notifies you when programs access information about your location by temporarily displaying the Location and Other Sensors icon Picture of the Location and Other Sensors icon in the notification area. Windows displays this icon the first time a program or a service accesses your computer's location from a sensor.

Some programs could potentially use personal information (such as your location) from sensors without permission. You can limit programs from accessing information from sensors by user account. For more information, see Change who can access information from a sensor. For information about enabling and disabling sensors, see Enable or disable a sensor.

 

[Ztruker]

It has to be something you install then as I don't have it.

 

[derekimo]

It has to be something you install then as I don't have it.

It's part of the OS, win 7 all versions except starter and home basic,

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/14422-compare-windows-7-editions.html

All versions of win 8,

Compare Windows 8 Editions

You may not have any sensors installed on your system but the platform to recognize them is there in the above mentioned systems.

 

[Ztruker]

I run Windows 8 Pro X64. I do not have a Location & other Sensors.



Do you have to somehow activate a sensor before that shows up?

 

[derekimo]

That's the same on my windows 8.

That location is part of the sensor platform,

Windows Sensor and Location Platform

A little more info,

Testing sensor functionality with the Sensor Diagnostic Tool (Windows Drivers)

Instead of writing an application to perform these tests, you can use the Sensor Diagnostic Tool, which ships as part of the Windows Driver Kit (WDK).
Once your sensor or location driver is installed and your hardware is attached to your PC, the tool immediately recognizes and records your device in the list of available sensors.

Here is one possibility of a sensor for screen brightness,

Adaptive Brightness - Turn On or Off in Windows 8

Your display would have to support that, no doubt using a sensor. My laptop does.