[gr4z]

Hi chaps
Got a couple of q's

1) When using the Pro SatNav and RTTI this morning I had enabled 'dynamic guidance'. There are some roadworks on the A43 near Towcester/Silverstone at the moment. The SatNav wanted to redirect me around the roadworks? Why? The road wasn't blocked. The lanes were just narrowed. Why would the Satnav want to redirect me around an open road? I noticed this the other day with some roadworks near Thrapston. It wanted me to all the way over to Kettering as if the road was completely blocked. Bonkers.

2) I subscribe to Napster and love the fact iDrive can use my Napster account when my Iphone is connected via a USB cable. However, you need to have the Napster app in the foreground of the phone and the phone permanently powered on. Why? If I turn the phone off, iDrive Napster stops. Similarly if I switch to another app the same happens. Any way round this as I dont really want my phone powered on with the screen blazing all the time - especially at night!

Thanks

[gr4z]

Anyone?

[xenon]

My only suspicion with (1) is that the even if the RTTI knew the road was open it may have also known there was a temporary speed restriction and the diversion would be quicker even if it was further. It may have got that wrong tho....

I don't use Napster, Spotify etc so can't help you with that. I have an iPod Touch permanently connected which is on all the time in much the same way, but as it's in the arm rest it doesn't bother me.

[sahajesh]

Re Q2, it's to do with iOS and apps having to be in the foreground for them to work - I have the same with Audible and Tune In Radio - very annoying as a passenger can't then use the phone for browsing etc.

I may de-code the crappy BMW Apps and see if it works normally, seems to me that's the issue, until (hell being cold) Apple changes their iOS behaviour.

[gr4z]

I wonder if any jailbreak tools will help? I see there is a ios8.1 jailbreak out now although a little buggy.

[xenon]

The most annoying thing with the BMW apps is the car location which it will only reveal if it's less than 1.5km from where you are due to "privacy reasons". Hang on, it's my bloody car! Who is it being private from?

[zofinger]

Re Q1) isn't the answer as simple as RTTI says taking another route will mean will get to your destination quicker should nothing change.

Having only had the professional media for a few weeks I've yet to put dynamic guidance to the test. I've only seen a 'yellow' car symbol which I think means there's delays and re-routing is not recommended. A 'red' car means there's an alternate route available which might be quicker.

[gr4z]

I agree but the roadworks were only for a about 500m. I doubt coming off a dual carriageway on a detour would of made the journey quicker just doesn't sound very intelligent! My old £35 tomtom on my iphone never did that unless there was a actual delay.

[JD6]

Originally Posted by zofinger

Re Q1) isn't the answer as simple as RTTI says taking another route will mean will get to your destination quicker should nothing change.

Having only had the professional media for a few weeks I've yet to put dynamic guidance to the test. I've only seen a 'yellow' car symbol which I think means there's delays and re-routing is not recommended. A 'red' car means there's an alternate route available which might be quicker.

I had a red delay totalling 79 mins last night on the M5/M6 which suggested not re-routing. It seems the colour relates to the total delay, perhaps as a proportion of the journey time.

In practice, I slowed to 55-60mph, engaged eco pro, to discourage use of my right foot and watched the delays reduce to almost zero. Luckily they were far enough away to do that.

[gr4z]

I am confused about the yellow and red warning. I thought red meant bad and rerouting is recommended. Yellow is a just a warning of delays albeit minimal.

[JD6]

Originally Posted by gr4z

I am confused about the yellow and red warning. I thought red meant bad and rerouting is recommended. Yellow is a just a warning of delays albeit minimal.

Just possible that one of the more distant delays of the 5/6 required re-routing, but I thought not.

[JD6]

Red is "The expected delay is more than 20 minutes or there is a blockage of the risk information for the route".

The translator must have had a few or perhaps this is German humour!

[moonshine]

the RTTI works whether or not a nav destination is active so it is nothing to do with delay length etc - my understanding is it is only a representation of traffic flow speed - red - Stationary traffic, amber/ yellow - slow flow , green, normal flow.

[JD6]

Originally Posted by moonshine

the RTTI works whether or not a nav destination is active so it is nothing to do with delay length etc - my understanding is it is only a representation of traffic flow speed - red - Stationary traffic, amber/ yellow - slow flow , green, normal flow.

We are referring to the colour of the queuing car symbol on the LHS of the screen during navigation, but you are right about the flow colours.

[moonshine]

Originally Posted by JD6

We are referring to the colour of the queuing car symbol on the LHS of the screen during navigation, but you are right about the flow colours.

AH.. ok...

[gr4z]

Originally Posted by moonshine

the RTTI works whether or not a nav destination is active so it is nothing to do with delay length etc - my understanding is it is only a representation of traffic flow speed - red - Stationary traffic, amber/ yellow - slow flow , green, normal flow.

Ah is that the colour that surrounds the road on the main map? I didnt know that

I am talking about the traffic icon on the left hand side.

[teaston]

Originally Posted by xenon

The most annoying thing with the BMW apps is the car location which it will only reveal if it's less than 1.5km from where you are due to "privacy reasons". Hang on, it's my bloody car! Who is it being private from?

But that's not on BMW apps, that's BMW remote!

[pdk42]

I had prof nav in my last car - an F11. I always found the dynamic re-routing pretty useless. Not only does it re-route when it doesn't need to, but it tends to be late in updating to changing conditions. On one occasion it tried to take me off the southbound M6 due to an accident that was cleared at least 2 hours earlier. My wife hated it too since whenever it popped up red warnings, I would start doing all sort of route replanning which stressed me and then her!

I suspect there are endless threads here and elsewhere comparing iDrive nav to TomTom and whilst I haven't read them, I can guess they all say the same thing - the TomTom wins hands down when it comes to basic navigation. It's just a pity that there isn't a way to have TomTom properly integrated into the car's display.

[gr4z]

Originally Posted by pdk42

I had prof nav in my last car - an F11. I always found the dynamic re-routing pretty useless. Not only does it re-route when it doesn't need to, but it tends to be late in updating to changing conditions. On one occasion it tried to take me off the southbound M6 due to an accident that was cleared at least 2 hours earlier. My wife hated it too since whenever it popped up red warnings, I would start doing all sort of route replanning which stressed me and then her!

I suspect there are endless threads here and elsewhere comparing iDrive nav to TomTom and whilst I haven't read them, I can guess they all say the same thing - the TomTom wins hands down when it comes to basic navigation. It's just a pity that there isn't a way to have TomTom properly integrated into the car's display.

Completely agree 100%. I never understand why BMW, Audi, Mercedes etc don't look to partner with TomTom or Garmin and produce a way to use their devices in the dashboards. Paying £1900 for a SatNav which lacks basic re-routing or other services found on a <£100 device really annoys me. I know its mainly for profit margins but surely there comes a time when they need to look at it. I for one, am looking forward to Apple and Google becoming more featured in in-car systems.

I will be getting out my iPhone TomTom device soon as I trust it to make the right decisions and the traffic subscription only costs about £20 per year!