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      03-01-2017, 10:03 PM   #1
outdoooorzz
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Hello,

I have a 2013 X3. I've been doing a lot of reading and I need some help understanding a few things:
  1. BMW Apps (in Canada) -> does this really do anything I need, are the mobile phone apps available in Canada, will it work with iPhone 7? I can already play Spotify so not sure there is any value to me to add Apps.
    My X3 has:
    6VA CIC
    6VC Combox
    6NL Enhanced Bluetooth
    639 mobile phone prep
  2. Adding Sirius
    Who is the best company for may to pay to add this? I have 693 satellite prep.
  3. Updating Navigation
    Who is the best company for me to buy the navigation code/maps from? I have Navigation Pro 609

    Thanks!

    Sorry is this is a I've read a ton of threads and have seen a few different/confusing responses to the above.
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      03-25-2017, 07:40 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by outdoooorzz View Post
BMW Apps (in Canada) -> does this really do anything I need
I'd say that depends on what you need!

We like it. The primary benefit to us (in a car the age of yours) was getting navigation destinations into iDrive from the BMW Connected app more quickly than using My Car in Google Maps.

We also liked Life360 and Glympse. Otherwise it's not really all that useful.

Quote:
Originally Posted by outdoooorzz View Post
are the mobile phone apps available in Canada
No idea. Why not check on the Canadian iTunes store and see?

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Originally Posted by outdoooorzz View Post
will it work with iPhone 7?
Yep.

Quote:
Originally Posted by outdoooorzz View Post
Adding Sirius

Who is the best company for may to pay to add this? I have 693 satellite prep
Your BMW dealer.

Your dealer just needs to enable it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by outdoooorzz View Post
Updating Navigation

Who is the best company for me to buy the navigation code/maps from? I have Navigation Pro 609
Your BMW dealer.
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      03-27-2017, 01:12 PM   #3
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The dealer will overcharge you for both activating Sirius and updating your navigation. There are several people on this forum and the internet in general who will help you do both for less than half of what the dealership will charge you. I have done both to my 11 X3 without any problems.
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      04-08-2017, 02:52 AM   #4
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How does glympse and life360 work with bmw connect? Can you track the car rather than the phone?
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      04-08-2017, 08:38 PM   #5
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How does glympse and life360 work with bmw connect?
They work just fine.

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Originally Posted by Sephanite View Post
you track the car rather than the phone?
No.

The app is on your phone. Using BMW Apps just lets you control the app (on your phone) through iDrive.
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      04-08-2017, 08:40 PM   #6
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The dealer will overcharge you for both activating Sirius and updating your navigation. There are several people on this forum and the internet in general who will help you do both for less than half of what the dealership will charge you. I have done both to my 11 X3 without any problems.
Well, perhaps, except that they're stealing services from Sirius and BMW and their map vendor. You can always get something cheaper by stealing. I suppose the dealer overcharges for cars compared to those who steal them and sell them to you, as well.
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      04-12-2017, 09:00 PM   #7
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They are not stealing from Sirius, they just allow you to activate the hardware that is already in the vehicle. You still have to pay for a Sirius subscription to receive the stations after the initial few months as is common with any new Sirius receiver.

As for the maps, the map update files are freely available online, so what you are really paying for is the code to allow the install. The non-dealer sellers of this code do have to get it from BMW in some way, they just dont have the same overhead as the dealer so they can sell it for cheaper.

Are the auto parts stores that sell OEM parts for less than what the dealer charges stealing? Or are the independent auto shops that work on BMWs stealing from the dealer because they charge less? I didnt think so.
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      04-14-2017, 01:23 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by najnad View Post
They are not stealing from Sirius
No? Do you think SiriusXM receives any licensing fees for vehicles that weren't sold with SiriusXM or activated by the dealer?

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Originally Posted by najnad View Post
they just allow you to activate the hardware that is already in the vehicle.
And that's where the stealing from BMW part comes in.

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As for the maps, the map update files are freely available online
Because they're stolen - illegally copied. Just because you can find a movie torrent online "freely" doesn't mean that the owner of content has made it available free of charge. Feel free to check with MPAA or RIAA on that whole concept if you're confused.

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Originally Posted by najnad View Post
so what you are really paying for is the code to allow the install. The non-dealer sellers of this code do have to get it from BMW in some way
No, they just generate the FSC code using a keygen or other software.

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Originally Posted by najnad View Post
they just dont have the same overhead as the dealer so they can sell it for cheaper.
They can sell it for cheaper because they steal it.

Surely you don't think I can call up BMW and say "I want to sell FSC codes online so people can activate their stolen nav discs" and BMW will work out a price with me, do you?

If you have TV cable in your building ("freely available") and some guy sells you a box and a code that lets you watch all the channels without paying the cable company you are certainly not a legal subscriber and he's not a legitimate vendor able to charge you less than the cable company because he has lower overheads.

Quote:
Originally Posted by najnad View Post
Are the auto parts stores that sell OEM parts for less than what the dealer charges stealing?
Of course not, but that's a completely different thing.

They actually went out and bought physical parts someplace and are reselling them.

You can't really be so obtuse that you fail to grasp this, can you?

Quote:
Originally Posted by najnad View Post
Or are the independent auto shops that work on BMWs stealing from the dealer because they charge less? I didnt think so.
Nor does anyone think that. This isn't about charging less for doing work. This is about charging less because it's someone else's work.

People selling codes or copied nav discs aren't buying them in bulk from BMW and selling them for less than the dealer. They're spending nothing at all for them because they're generating FSC codes on their own, burning nav discs from torrented files, etc.

Those independent car parts places and repair shops do nothing at all to hide their identities. If the cops or BMW's lawyers showed up, they'd happily give them a tour because they're doing nothing wrong. Do you really, truly think those same people would acknowledge in writing to BMW AG or to a prosecutor what they're doing?

It's hard for me to accept BMW's massively inflated prices for map updates. It's hard for me to accept the concept of installing hardware but disabling it, then enabling it for a fee as if some new hardware or feature were being installed rather than merely switched on. Let's not pretend, though, that what you describe is anything other than stealing.
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      04-14-2017, 01:50 AM   #9
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Quote:
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How does glympse and life360 work with bmw connect? Can you track the car rather than the phone?
From IDrive, Glympse lets you easy send people a text message and they can track your progress and estimated arrival in realtime.

I have never used life360, so not sure.
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      04-17-2017, 12:58 PM   #10
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If all of this is illegal as you claim, then why hasnt BMW cracked down on anyone selling navigation updates, sirius radio activation, and all the other coding that is available from dozens of sources online? Heck, why does Xbimmers and other forums allow people to continue to advertise and promote this "illegal" activity? And don't try and claim those selling these services change their names as soon as they are found out or something like that, the few that I have communicated with have had the same profile for many years. It is not illegal, hence no crack down or banning or lawsuits.

And to show how little you know about sirius, no matter if BMW activates it in your vehicle or someone else does, everyone gets the same 3 month free trial and then to continue to receive the sirius stations you have to pay sirius a subscription fee.

Of course, if something goes wrong with your vehicle after you or a third party has done some coding and your vehicle is still under warranty, BMW might choose to say you invalidated your warranty...if they detect the coding you did and can reasonably claim it could have effected the problem you have. But again, it is not illegal.
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      04-18-2017, 02:49 PM   #11
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Just use Waze instead of Glympse. My phone is far superior to BMW Nav. I love the backup camera and parkTronic though.
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      04-18-2017, 11:13 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oaklandish View Post
Just use Waze instead of Glympse. My phone is far superior to BMW Nav. I love the backup camera and parkTronic though.
are you talking about getting waze on your on screen monitor? how do you do that?
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      04-26-2017, 10:58 AM   #13
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Quote:
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If all of this is illegal as you claim, then why hasnt BMW cracked down on anyone selling navigation updates, sirius radio activation, and all the other coding that is available from dozens of sources online?
Tell, you what: why don't you just go ahead and call up BMW NA and tell them you plan to sell copies of their nav discs and see how they react?
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      04-26-2017, 11:09 AM   #14
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My phone is far superior to BMW Nav.
That probably just means you don't know how to use the BMW nav system properly.

Just try using your phone to navigate in an area with limited satellite coverage and no cellular signal.

The BMW system can continue to navigate accurately for a surprisingly long time with no satellite signal (mine did for nearly a week with the GPS cable disconnected) because it has inertial and wheel sensors in addition to GPS. Your phone's nav app will stop doing anything useful if you lose GPS lock.

With most phone apps, you're going to have to load map tiles over-the-air as you go. With Apple CarPlay, Apple Maps usually displays a blank grid and a car symbol for me given the very poor cellular signal around here.

You can't display directions from your phone on the car's HUD, on the instrument panel, or on the Command Display.

You can't use the iDrive controller with your phone's app.

What do you think the nav app on your phone does in a way that's "far superior" to the BMW nav system?

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Originally Posted by zhoudaniell View Post
are you talking about getting waze on your on screen monitor? how do you do that?
You cannot do that unless you have an Android phone, a recent iDrive system, and manage to get screen mirroring working for you.
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      04-26-2017, 11:21 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mstevens View Post
Tell, you what: why don't you just go ahead and call up BMW NA and tell them you plan to sell copies of their nav discs and see how they react?
Typical internet argument...despite evidence proving my point you refuse to concede you may have been mistaken, instead you suggest something ridiculous in an attempt to save face. Its sad, really.

The burden is on you to prove your point, but you can't. And if you can't prove your point and I can prove my point (the numerous businesses operating legally providing these services instead of BMW), then your premise is wrong.

Deal with it.
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      04-26-2017, 11:43 AM   #16
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Typical internet argument...despite evidence proving my point you refuse to concede you may have been mistaken, instead you suggest something ridiculous in an attempt to save face. Its sad, really.

The burden is on you to prove your point, but you can't. And if you can't prove your point and I can prove my point (the numerous businesses operating legally providing these services instead of BMW), then your premise is wrong.

Deal with it.
There is absolutely no question whatsoever that copying and selling map discs is illegal. I have no need to save face. It's unarguably illegal, beyond any question. I simply cannot imagine that you honestly do not realize that. There is no conceivable way you can prove doing this is legal.

The fact that someone does something, or even that many people are doing it, doesn't prove that it's legal - it merely proves they are getting away with it. The fact that BMW isn't currently pursuing legal action against sellers of copied discs (or sellers of hacked FSCs) doesn't prove it's legal - it merely proves that's not currently a priority for BMW.

There's nothing "ridiculous" about my suggestion, which would be a way to establish how BMW really views illegal copying and sales of their nav discs.

Selling a hacked FSC is not even similar to selling aftermarket water pumps.
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      04-26-2017, 12:34 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mstevens View Post
There is absolutely no question whatsoever that copying and selling map discs is illegal. I have no need to save face. It's unarguably illegal, beyond any question. I simply cannot imagine that you honestly do not realize that. There is no conceivable way you can prove doing this is legal.

The fact that someone does something, or even that many people are doing it, doesn't prove that it's legal - it merely proves they are getting away with it. The fact that BMW isn't currently pursuing legal action against sellers of copied discs (or sellers of hacked FSCs) doesn't prove it's legal - it merely proves that's not currently a priority for BMW.

There's nothing "ridiculous" about my suggestion, which would be a way to establish how BMW really views illegal copying and sales of their nav discs.

Selling a hacked FSC is not even similar to selling aftermarket water pumps.
According to your logic, xbimmers / bimmerpost / bimmerforums / bimmertech / and any other forum or website that either sells these services or allows others to advertise and sell these services are at a minimum accomplices to theft and should be charged as such and sued for damages by BMW. Again, none of this is happening. All it takes is a cease and desist letter from a BMW attorney to shut all of this down, if it was illegal. So either BMW has an overworked legal department (unlikely) or a lazy legal department (unlikely) or these people/websites are operating within the law.
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      04-29-2017, 03:52 AM   #18
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Quote:
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According to your logic (blah, blah, blah)
None of what you say is necessarily true according to "my" logic.

It was illegal to hack our own cars until very recently. It may be illegal again. Believe it or not, this was up to the head of the Library of Congress to determine.

Now hacking out own cars isn't illegal.

Have you been living in a cave when it comes to pirating stuff (music, movies, software)? All intellectual property is under copyright when it's published, so unless the terms explicitly give you permission to copy it, it's not legal for you to copy it.
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