[3aficionado]

Originally Posted by 3aficionado

Europe always has cool stuff like traffic updates and TV capabilities. In the US BMW is not supplying traffic updates. I believe the only cars in the US with that option (as of this posting) are Acura's.

Also, in the US we only have rear PDC but the rear indicator is visual in iDrive.

Originally Posted by Atty

Yes it does...It's part of Sirius and is available for every major US city.

Are you referring to a channel on Sirius that displays (audio and text) traffic conditions? The problem with getting all the traffic updates is I have to figure out my own route (if all accidents are reported). In a strange city that’s very difficult to do.

I was referring to the traffic updates received by the nav and automatically calculating alternative directions around accidents and bad traffic. Acura is the only manufacturer I know of with that feature in the US.

[ward]

also I drive removes that pesky storage area behind the shifter

[Atty]

Originally Posted by 3aficionado

Are you referring to a channel on Sirius that displays (audio and text) traffic conditions? The problem with getting all the traffic updates is I have to figure out my own route (if all accidents are reported). In a strange city that’s very difficult to do.

I was referring to the traffic updates received by the nav and automatically calculating alternative directions around accidents and bad traffic. Acura is the only manufacturer I know of with that feature in the US.

Kinda figured you were talking about something else...that would be cool.

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by Atty

Well, I have it in my car and it works fine. I guess I'm special.

Well, ,,special`` might be one way of putting it but Sirius doesn´t offer this service so unless you have someone in your car (or elsewhere) listening to their traffic radio and sending your car´s CCC updates with suggested routes, I don´t think you have it. If you go to the diagnostic section of your car, you´ll see TMC has no info and this goes for all U.S. vehicles (unfortunately, as I really wish we had it).

[Atty]

Originally Posted by JSpira

Well, ,,special`` might be one way of putting it but Sirius doesn´t offer this service so unless you have someone in your car (or elsewhere) listening to their traffic radio and sending your car´s CCC updates with suggested routes, I don´t think you have it. If you go to the diagnostic section of your car, you´ll see TMC has no info and this goes for all U.S. vehicles (unfortunately, as I really wish we had it).

See my last post in response to 3aficionado. We were talking about 2 different things, I about the traffic reports for major cities that Sirius offers (Channels 148-158) and he about an interactive tool only available in Europe.

[3aficionado]

Originally Posted by Atty

Kinda figured you were talking about something else...that would be cool.

I would also like to see TMC (Traffic Message Channel) for use in the US. The closest thing is Acura’s AcuraLink that uses XM’s NavTaffic signal to color code the flow rate, construction, accidents and weather in real time on their nav display. It then tries to calculate a faster route.

If anyone is interested this link has some good info on TMC systems used in Europe:
http://www.tmcforum.com/en/about_tmc/what_is_tmc/

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by Atty

See my last post in response to 3aficionado. We were talking about 2 different things, I about the traffic reports for major cities that Sirius offers (Channels 148-158) and he about an interactive tool only available in Europe.

No one else was talking about traffic info that's available on the radio from local stations and Sirius via audio. The discussion re traffic info referred exclusively to a traffic info feature such as TMC. Radio stations have been broadcasting traffic since, well, I dunno when.

[JSpira]

One more feature is voice recognition (technically speech recognition). This is available only with iDrive.

[3aficionado]

Originally Posted by JSpira

One more feature is voice recognition (technically speech recognition). This is available only with iDrive.

I understand there are many voice commands that iDrive gives you for various car functions. Can non-iDrive autos use voice to dial phone numbers (assuming from a BT linked phone)?

[bmwnewbie]

Bragging Rights! I'm still too inexperienced to give worthwhile information.

[JSpira]

Originally Posted by 3aficionado

I understand there are many voice commands that iDrive gives you for various car functions. Can non-iDrive autos use voice to dial phone numbers (assuming from a BT linked phone)?

I don't think so.

[ihavedrivenanm1]

Originally Posted by 3aficionado

Can non-iDrive autos use voice to dial phone numbers (assuming from a BT linked phone)?

Originally Posted by JSpira

I don't think so.

Wrong.

I use voice dialing in my non-iDrive e90 330i a half-dozen times a day.

With the Bluetooth interface the BMW voice activation system [in non-iDrive cars] will allow you to dial any number by saying that number.

For example: hit the voice button on the steering wheel and then say, "dial number", the car asks for the number, you say, "123-456-7890 - dial number", the car then dials the number. You can also say, "dial name" and the car asks "say the name", you say the name and if it is stored the car will dial that name/number combo.

You can also store names and numbers within the car's own phonebook. The voice activation system recognizes commands such as "dial name", "dial number", "new name", "new number", "incorrect", "wrong", "correct", "yes", "no", "add name", "add number", "save name", "save number", etc.