Annndddd Another Choice:
 

So my original solution (I started this thread) worked great, other than a lot of cables in my center console, which is a bit inelegant and bothersome, so I kept looking.

Here is my new solution that eliminates most cabling, and seems to work just as well.

USB Bluetooth 3 5mm Stereo Audio Music Receiver Adapter Fr Speaker iPhone 4 4S 5 | eBay

Also has the added benefit of costing less than $10.

Not certain I can improve on this... :thumbup:

Very cool mod. I wonder if there is a wireless adapter where I can still keep the idrive control of the iphone.

On another note, when connected via USB and listening to Pandora, does anyone know how to use iDrive to switch playlists and not just tracks?

this methods reminds me the cassettes i used to compose when i was younger...LOL

great idea, and great thread!!!

i like this idea too...

btw...do you think if video application is able to on portable flash drive?

(i was thinking downloading bunch of music videos...lol)

How do you connect the USB?

I just picked up one of these for my '08. Unfortunately for whatever reason I've discovered my iphone won't automatically pair with this device so every time I remove the phone from the car, I have to repair, which is annoying. Anyone know if the Blackberry version others have mentioned will automatically pair upon powering up? I have the iphone 5.

Thanks.

unfortunately we don't all have USB in our X5s (even with the tech pkg in '08). I am connecting my phone to the aux jack right now. If I want to bluetooth it, I want a BT receiver that doesn't require yet another cable for power (especially because the cig lighter and console are so far apart, and no USB at all). Too bad you can't get power for a BT receiver from the AUX line. Don't want to deal with rechargeable receivers either because that's another thing to flip on and off.

Car on, BT receiver on - and vice versa. That's what I'd like. If nothing else, I guess I'll have to go rechargeable.

hi there
not sure if i am doing something wrong. bought the bluetooth item exactly as shown above in post 21. plugged it into usb port. didnt attach anything physically to it like the 3.5mm wire. paired it with my iphone. iphone shows two active connections, the bmw, and the bluetooth. phone working (as a phone) via bmw connection, but when i go to play pandora or another online streaming service, nothing. i can see in songza and pandora that it shows an active connection with the bluetooth adapter in the usb port. maybe one of the settings on the ccc wrong? do you use aux in? usb? other?

No you still need to plug in the Bluetooth device into the audio jack. The USB just powers it, the audio jack plays the music.