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Tuesday, July 13, 2010, 08:00 am
BMW to support Apple's new iPod Out feature of iOS 4
A new feature of iOS 4 that enables iPhone and iPod touch devices to present a full featured control panel on an external display for use in automotive integration is getting official support from BMW.The new "iPod Out" feature was originally profiled in April after developers noted support for the extended new "iPod Accessory Protocol" in pre-release betas of iOS 4.
At the time, it was speculated that the feature would enable the integration of a "video screen to show the menus and custom physical buttons that would produce the notifications to allow the user to move through those menus and select from them," presenting a simplified display nearly identical to the iPod classic and nano.
According to a YouTube video posted by BMW, the car maker will be adding support for the new feature in its BMW and Mini cars starting next year.
The video notes that unlike existing iPod car integration systems that provide basic playback controls, the iOS iPod Out feature exposes more advanced features such as Genius Mixes and presents a familiar Apple interface, "which is one of the main advantages of the system," the company notes.
The company says it hosts the new iOS feature in a "BMW automotive experience," which includes a navigation dial and buttons placed near the driver's right hand and the car's dash-integrated video display.
The video notes that engineers at BMW's Palo Alto technology office in "Silicone Valley" have been working on the project for three years in tight integration with German engineers in the BMW Research and Innovation Centre's Project House in Munich.
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Previous Comments View All
Here's to hoping BMW will be able to do a software upgrade on compatible models when this feature becomes available early next year, but I'm not holding my breath. Regardless, it's nice to see vehicle manufacturers embracing external 3rd party technology in this manner. Personally, I think it would be awesome if Apple designed BMWs next iDrive system. Not that the current one is bad, it's a significant improvement over the 1st generation iDrive system, but an Apple designed iDrive system would be sweet. 
That's really cool. Some companies ( Volvo, Mercedes ) put a lot of effort into to placing the information where you can see it and be safe driving. And it's always a pain trying to get a car's systems and a 3rd party's systems to place nicely together. It's a factor when I buy a new car.
Common guys its 2010!!! all this stuff should be part of the HUD system.
HUD + augmented reality is where its at!!!
I should never have to take my eyes off the road. When I'm looking at the car in front of me i should see snoop dog on that car via HUD and hit play or pause or rewind.
Common Cadillac show these fools how its done!
lol
This is going to be what all cars will goto eventually. Why do you need multiple devices in a car when we are quickily getting to the point that a portable device can handle everything you need? Google Earth on the iPad is the best GPS I have used to date.
I am very happy BMW is taking the lead on this. It means it will be done right!
Well great for those who can afford a band spanking new Bimmer. How about something for the rest of the vagabonds?
Wait - is this the same BMW that earlier settled on Windows CE for their automotive technology platform? How did that work out for them?
i can't wait for a better auto-audio system, and apple will no-doubt have the best out there. the music box in my infiniti is great AFTER you take about a hundred hours to import and categorize cd's... and there's no genius feature, just "play by category" with four poorly named categories.
off-topic, but the infiniti nav gets outdated FAST and the software updates cost as much as a flagship garmin does.
Wait - is this the same BMW that earlier settled on Windows CE for their automotive technology platform? How did that work out for them?
BMW stopped using Windows CE when they switched to VxWorks in 2003. I can't comment on how bad it was as I didn't get an iDrive equipped vehicle until 2007. That system, though still based on the 1st generation iDrive layout, was quite stable, never crashing for me. In 2008, BMW switched to QNX and I can say that the current iDrive system is a marked improvement over the previous one. Still, an Apple-designed iDrive system would be pretty sweet.
i can't wait for a better auto-audio system, and apple will no-doubt have the best out there. the music box in my infiniti is great AFTER you take about a hundred hours to import and categorize cd's... and there's no genius feature, just "play by category" with four poorly named categories.
off-topic, but the infiniti nav gets outdated FAST and the software updates cost as much as a flagship garmin does.
Forgive me for asking, but didn't your Infiniti come with an iPod/MP3 adaptor? My car lets me import songs onto the internal HDD as well, but what's the point when I can dock my 160GB iPod Classic and have my entire music library with me wherever I drive?
i can't wait for a better auto-audio system, and apple will no-doubt have the best out there. the music box in my infiniti is great AFTER you take about a hundred hours to import and categorize cd's... and there's no genius feature, just "play by category" with four poorly named categories.
On my Lexus, I simply plug my iPod into the USB port and then the controls appear on screen. I can choose by playlist, artist, etc. With the HUD option, I can see the songs without taking my eyes off the road.
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That's really cool. Some companies ( Volvo, Mercedes ) put a lot of effort into to placing the information where you can see it and be safe driving. And it's always a pain trying to get a car's systems and a 3rd party's systems to place nicely together. It's a factor when I buy a new car.