Mar 12th, 2012
Today at South by Southwest Interactive in Austin, Texas BMW Group announced that the Stitcher Smart Radio iPhone App will be the next compatible app for iDrive/MINI Connected. Video of the prototype app in a BMW 650i and press release after the jump.
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Mar 1st, 2012
We’re big fans of MINI Connected. The system is just getting started though. A handful of third-party apps have made their way into the system, but frankly, there should be more. So here’s the question: what would you like to see in MINI Connected? Obviously, there’s Android support, but what kind of apps would you like to see? What features would you existing users love to see? What features would put you nay-sayers over the edge to pony up the dollars for the system? Sound off in the comments.
Feb 27th, 2012
[Official Release] The AUPEO! Personal Radio iPhone app will soon be available for all current BMW and MINI models. Following the launch of the Pandora and MOG music services for the US product range in 2011, the BMW and MINI Connected Apps options will allow customers in Europe, too, to enjoy their own personal music service.
AUPEO! is a customisable internet radio service that uses a recommender system to allow music to be matched to listeners’ individual tastes. continued →
Dec 16th, 2011
While in Austria during the JCW Countryman preview, I had a chance to spend some time with Heinz Krusche, the head engineer for BMW’s Driving Dynamics devision. Driving Dynamics is the group responsible for the DSC, DTC, xDrive and All4 systems for both BMW and MINI. Much of the press event was about experiencing MINI’s All4 system on the snowy mountain roads of Austria. While previewing the JCW Countryman prototype, Herr Krusche gave me a full run-down on how the system works and just when the rear wheels are pitching in to do their part. Turns out, the system works a little bit differently than we’d previously been told. continued →
Dec 15th, 2011
We’ve seen this rumor floating around for the past couple days and held off on reporting it until it seemed completely viable. However with both sides now specifically not denying the claims, it appears true. The story originally the German newspaper Wirtschaftswoche but has since spread throughout the web. According to the report GM and BMW would collaborate on hydrogen fuel-cell technology. The interesting thing there is that BMW recently slowed it’s Hydrogen program down to a crawl after switching gears to focus on the electric BMWi sub-brand (which was previewed by the MINI E). With this agreement BMW will be leveraging GM’s work in the field by simple contributing towards the research costs. continued →
Dec 12th, 2011
Ever since MINI Connected debuted in 2010 for the iOS, people have been asking about Android. We’ve reported previously that the sheer number of different device types and hardware has made it very difficult to create a unified MINI Connected app for Android devices. Now we have the details.
With the exception of the BMW Android Remote app that will launch before the end of the year there will be no future offerings for the current crop of BMWs or MINIs. That specifically means no support for MINI’s in-car App platform MINI Connected. We learned this hard truth about the number one smartphone operating system from one of the BMW and MINI Connected Drive engineers during a recent trip to the FIZ (R&D center) in Munich.
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Dec 8th, 2011
Just what we’ve been waiting for. One of the best things about MINI Connected is the easy of updating the software with new features. Luckily it looks as if those features aren’t all going to revolve around social media and games. Enter the Driving Excitement App. The app allows drivers to see the following:
- Lateral Gs
- Acceleration
- Coolant temp (finally!)
- Engine output
- RPM
- Torque output
This update will come in the form of an updated app for iOS (yes it works on the iPhone but also the iPod Touch and iPad) in the coming days. Android users are out of luck for the foreseeable future.
Read on for details and the full gallery. continued →
