iphone 4 cradle

[apw2607]

Well things are moving on ...

The BMW connected drive app is now available on the iTunes store. In order for you to properly use it you'll need a new option .... 6NR ... known as apps.

The app offers internet radio (although all the BBC radio channels are missing which is odd), twitter and facebook integrations through the idrive interface.

This will be for cars from 3/2011 and I believe this will be required for the forthcoming iPod out feature as well

[Kloogy]

Great. So I'll have to wait for my NEXT Bmw to use it

[ukwildcat]

The "smartphone integration" adds the cradle - which takes up about half of your center console storage, be aware - a connection to the antenna, charging and media support.

However, you get a lot of that WITHOUT smartphone integration.

If you have the iPod "option" (I forget the code, sorry), you get a USB port and a minijack input. With the "Y" cable that comes with it, you can plug in an iPhone or iPod and play music all you like. With the October builds and later, it omits the need for an adaptor and you can use the "native" iPhone / iPod cable. It also adds some bluetooth and other options. However..

Apple can be - and IS, in practice - very restrictive with what they allow. Just because the device is perfectly capable of a given feature / option / technology does not mean that it will be allowed.

Since I don't have the "October" features, I am not certain - others here will correct me, but..

From what I understand, Apple does not allow SMS (text) message data over bluetooth, so that feature is useless (for now, anyway). They do finally allow music streaming over bluetooth (but watch your battery when you do that). I am not 100% sure this means your iPod library AND other audio, or ANY audio.

With the simple iPod option, you can charge it and play music.
With the smartphone integration, you can also use the antenna, if the phone supports it.

I got it because the cradle seems like it would be really much more convenient for me but I've been waiting on the adaptor for the cradle. In the meantime, my center console storage - what little there is to begin with - is a wreck and it annoys me.

Feature-wise, with an iPhone 4, it's not required to get what you want our of your phone and car audio. It works fine with just the cable. As to whether or not that's convenient is up to you.

You cannot use the USB port in the glovebox for music, as far as I know.. Even though there's even a little "pouch" at the bottom of the glovebox that looks like you would stick an iPod there and plug it into that USB port. But nooo...

I guess in Germany it's not done that way.. Hence the sort of saying..

"Does that look weird to you?"
"Normal weird or German weird?"

If I can figure out how well just the iPod adaptor for the cradle fits with a 4th Generation iPod Touch, I'll just get one of those and use the cradle for that and keep the iPod in the car so I don't keep forgetting my phone.

Bluetooth itself takes care of all my calling - and it works quite well, I should make a note on the older thread - I'm not allowed to use SMS in the car in this state anyway, and the music comes from the iPod. All set.

[Kloogy]

So what is that USB port in my glove box for ? I tried to link my Iphone 4 through it, with no results as you well stated.

[ukwildcat]

I came across some vague technical document on the web - which was probably obsolete - that it's a direct connection to whatever black box handles "entertainment."

Page 188 of the manual (well, the 2011 X5 manual anyway) says it is the ONLY way to transfer music from a USB device to the vehicle's hard drive.

The rest is quoted verbatim..

"Suitable devices: USB mass storage devices, such as USB flash drives or MP3 players with a USB interface."

"Unsuitable devices: USB hard drives, USB hubs, USB memory card readers with multiple inserts, Apple iPod / iPhone."

"Music from a USB device can be stored only via the USB interface in the glove compartment."

OK, so that's what it's FOR: COPYING music from a USB memory stick onto the vehicle hard drive. Why you would do this? I dunno.. It might be easier for some folks? I'm OK with flexible, even if I don't use it.

The one in the center console is for everything else, and you can play music from anything there: USB memory stick, hard drive, iPod / iPhone. It also can charge the device.

[Kloogy]

I have an older 60GB Ipod that I use in my armrest console. I like to keep my Iphone 4 within reach, so I don't use it in that spot. I just wanted to upload my itunes Library to the hard drive. I guess I'll have to try alternative methods.

[ukwildcat]

You could do that but you'd have to use an intermediary device, i.e. USB stick.

I stick with an iPhone or iPod because my entire library is Apple Lossless, and the BMW won't play that natively - I can only play it THROUGH an Apple device.

If you had just MP3 or WMA or another format the BMW WILL play, then you can copy your library to a USB stick and transfer it that way. From a Mac, at least, though, I had problems with little files hanging around (dot files that probably represented album artwork) that made navigation difficult. It did work, but it was quite awkward.

[apw2607]

Originally Posted by ukwildcat

I came across some vague technical document on the web - which was probably obsolete - that it's a direct connection to whatever black box handles "entertainment."

Page 188 of the manual (well, the 2011 X5 manual anyway) says it is the ONLY way to transfer music from a USB device to the vehicle's hard drive.

The rest is quoted verbatim..

"Suitable devices: USB mass storage devices, such as USB flash drives or MP3 players with a USB interface."

"Unsuitable devices: USB hard drives, USB hubs, USB memory card readers with multiple inserts, Apple iPod / iPhone."


"Music from a USB device can be stored only via the USB interface in the glove compartment."

OK, so that's what it's FOR: COPYING music from a USB memory stick onto the vehicle hard drive. Why you would do this? I dunno.. It might be easier for some folks? I'm OK with flexible, even if I don't use it.

The one in the center console is for everything else, and you can play music from anything there: USB memory stick, hard drive, iPod / iPhone. It also can charge the device.

Why would you use it ?

Well ... You might have already ripped your CDs so you can simply now copy them from the USB stick to the car hard drive.

Equally, say you've actually ripped your CDs to the car using the cars CD/DVD drive. However you now want to listen to the tracks on your iPod. You can copy the tracks from the cars hard drive back to the USB thumb drive. Also if theres a issue with the CIC, and it needs replacing this gives the dealer the option to backup a customers music collection.

[ukwildcat]

Not to nitpick, but..

You can't copy from the vehicle to an iPod / iPhone.

Some other player, perhaps (and yes, I get your point) but not an iPod / iPhone.

Apple and its restrictions again. It's really a shame.. I have a house full of Apple gear and I wonder how much better it would be if it could do just a little more. Which it's fully capable of, but noooo...

Backing up a collection would be a useful feature, yes - I agree.

[apw2607]

Originally Posted by ukwildcat

Not to nitpick, but..

You can't copy from the vehicle to an iPod / iPhone.

Some other player, perhaps (and yes, I get your point) but not an iPod / iPhone.

Apple and its restrictions again. It's really a shame.. I have a house full of Apple gear and I wonder how much better it would be if it could do just a little more. Which it's fully capable of, but noooo...

Backing up a collection would be a useful feature, yes - I agree.

I never said you could <directly>. I said you could copy the contents from the cars hard drive to a USB stick. From there you can do what you want. Just drag the files into iTunes and then transfer to your iPod or iPhone.