How to Mount your Amazon Echo Dot on the Wall, Ceiling, or Under the Counter

Mounting Amazon Echo Dots around your home is easier than you think!

If you’re looking to turn your house into an Alexa-enabled Smart Home, there’s no better way than with the Amazon Echo Dot. It’s plenty powerful, but most importantly it’s small, allowing it to blend in with the decor of your home.

Out of the box, the Dot is designed to sit on a countertop or end table, and that’s pretty good, but there are plenty of options for mounting your Amazon Echo Dot in clever ways around your home. That way, Alexa is always there to answer your questions or control the lighting around your home without being right there on the table.

We’ve rounded up some of the best options for mounting an Echo Dot (2nd Gen.) around the house, and the best news is they’re just as affordable as the Dot itself.

• ProCase Wall Mount
• The Flush Mount by Mount Genie
• FStop Labs Home Outlet Wall Mount Holder
• CUVR Silicone Case and Mounting Pad
• Fintie Wall Mount with Hanger Loop

ProCase Wall Mount

Mounting an Echo Dot to your wall seems like the perfect solution except for one thing — the Dot needs to be plugged in, which means an ugly cable running from the wall mount to the outlet.

ProCase offers a pretty smart solution for mounting your Dot by addressing that cable issue with a smart cable management system within the case housing. During installation, you’ll wind up the cable on the inside to keep all the excess cable hidden. You can mount the case on practically any surface with a super sticky gel pad on the back as long as you’re in range of an outlet.

This is a compact wall mount that will look really good in any space. You can get this great wall mount case for just $12 on Amazon.

See at Amazon

The Flush Mount by Mount Genie

If you own your home and are looking to permanently install some Echo speakers throughout your house as part of a smart home renovation, you need to consider The Flush Mount by Mount Genie. It lets you mount an Amazon Echo Dot right into a drywall wall or ceiling.

It will take some handy work to complete, but once you’ve cut the hole with the accompanying template and run your cables to a power source and optional speakers the mount and the Echo Dot are held in place by a combination of pressure fit and wire placement.

Since the speaker on the Echo Dot is at the bottom of the device, Mount Genie designed the mount with a channel that effectively provides an unmuffled result. The Flush Mount sells for $19.99 each or as a 5-pack for $89.99. This is certainly the most elegant solution to mounting Echo speakers around a home, although it’s also the most intensive installation.

See at Amazon

FStop Labs Home Outlet Wall Mount Holder

So you’ve got an Echo Dot in your kitchen, but you’d rather not have it right there on the countertop or deal with that cable running to the outlet. You need this clever outlet mount from CloverTale, which solves both problems by allowing the Echo Dot to take up about as much space as a nightlight.

The mount comes with 3M adhesive tape for extra security but essentially hangs from the plugged connection to the outlet. It works no matter the orientation of the outlets and could greatly improve the microphone’s reception depending on where you’re able to better place it in the room.

There’s no installation or tools required here — simply pop the Dot into the cradle and plug it in with the included USB cable. It’s a quick and easy way to mount an Echo speaker in any room in your house and can be easily moved without much fuss. Get yours for just $8 from Amazon or get a two-pack for just $11!

See at Amazon

CUVR Silicone Case and Mounting Pad

The CUVR is an Echo Dot case that doubles as a way of mounting your Echo Dot to a wall, on the ceiling, or even on the underside of a table.

The case is made of soft silicone and precisely designed to fit the form of the Dot Echo with cutouts for the cables and speaker. It looks stylish used on a coffee table, or you can use the included 3M mounting pad to stick your Echo onto nearly any flat surface. Walls, plastics, woods, metals, tiles, glass — you’re only limited by the cable.

With six colors to choose from, this is a great accessory for dorm rooms and bachelor apartments. Available for just $15, so get one for each of your Dots!

See at Amazon

Fintie Wall Mount with Hanger Loop

If you’re not looking to fuss around with adhesive pads, cutting drywall, or any of that business, you might just be looking for this simple and elegant wall mount by Fintie.

Made of sturdy metal with a nice little hanging loop, all you need to do is hammer a nail or use a 3M hook and boom! You’ve cleared a bit more valuable counter space for yourself.

This is a great option for anyone who just needs to get the Echo Dot and its cables up and away from children or pets. It’s also quick and easy to install or move. They’re available in black, rose gold, or white to match your decor and start at $11.

See at Amazon

Where would you place an Amazon Echo Dot?

Have you tested different placements for your Amazon Echo Dot? Let us know your best locations in the comments!

Update May 2018: Added the ProCase wall mount to our list and updated pricing info across all our entries.

Amazon Echo

• Tap, Echo or Dot: The ultimate Alexa question
• All about Alexa Skills
• Amazon Echo review
• Echo Dot review
• Echo Spot review
• Top Echo Tips & Tricks
• Amazon Echo vs. Google Home
• Get the latest Alexa news

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Philo now has a referral program so you and a friend can save some cash on streaming TV

There’s no limit on the number of referrals you can get each month.

Streaming upstart Philo today announced a referral program. Every time someone signs up using your individual referral code, you’ll get a $5 credit on your bill, and your friend will get $5 off their first month.

Philo is a low-cost streaming service that has a limited number of channels but also tops out at $20 a month. So if they have what it is you want to watch, you’re going to be saving a lot of money. And the really cool part here is that there’s no limit as to the number of folks you can refer — so theoretically you could be watching Philo for free month after month.

To find your individual referral code, head over to this link.

The fine print? This (obviously) applies to new subscribers. They’ll have to be coming to Philo for the first time. If someone cancels before they pay for their first month of Philo, you won’t get the referral credit.

Credits don’t expire. (Though if you pause your account a ix-month clock will start ticking.) So if you were to refer, say, five new accounts (for a total of $25 in credit), the extra money would roll over to your next bill. (You’ll still have to pay taxes each month on remaining balance, though.)

Also: These credits are also only good for new sign-ups after May 25. Nothing before that counts.

Philo is available on iOS, Android, Roku, Xbox One, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV later this summer, and on desktop browsers. (Though it gets a little tricky because not every channel is available on every device.)

Get a free Philo trial today

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Severe Weather and Android: Everything you need to know

Whether the weather you need to weather is coming by land or by sea, we’re here to help you prepare for it.

We’re right in the thick of tornado season, and hurricane season is just days away. We can’t know how severe this severe weather season will be, but we can be prepared, and in an uncertain world, luck favors the prepared. Your Android phone is a tool that helps you through most major events in your life, and severe weather is no exception, so long as you properly prep your phone and have a plan in place to follow with it. We are here to help you through whatever storms are to come, so let’s batten down the hatches and get the barn doors shut.

• Weather Essentials
• Tornadoes and Severe Thunderstorms
• Hurricanes
• Severe Weather Accessories

Weather Essentials

Regardless the kind of weather you’ll face when you step outside your door, there are some weather essentials everyone should have ready on their phones, and that starts with a reliable weather app. Whether you check your forecast once a day, once a week, or once and hour, a good weather app will keep you from getting caught in the rain — or far worse conditions.

Read more: Here are our favorite weather apps

There are dozens of weather apps on the Play Store, and while they have various layouts and features, the most important aspect of a weather app can’t really be reviewed for everyone: how accurate it is for you. See, weather apps can pull their data from a variety of weather services, and some are better in some regions than others. To this end, if you live in an area prone to severe weather, it’s important to find a weather app that doesn’t just look good, but one that’s accurate for your area, so that you get the best forecasts available and can be better prepared.

This brings me to the second requirement on our phones for severe weather: a meteorologist you trust. Many local TV stations have weather apps that offer up forecasting directly from their team of meteorologists, and they usually offer live streaming during severe weather events. Even if your chosen station or meteorologist doesn’t have an app, chances are they have a social media page they’ll be active on during severe weather. Whatever the case, make sure that during a severe weather event, you have a way to listen to what your meteorologist is saying. They’re going to give you the most up-to-date information and warn anyone in the storm’s path more efficiently than a simple NWS alert from a national or international weather app.

Beyond having a weather app and a meteorologist you trust, there are a few things that are useful to have on your phone at all times:

• Get the number for your local Emergency Management Office, as this is the office that will run things when an event happens in your county. Find their number and put it in your Contacts.
• While you’re at it, add in the numbers for your insurance companies, because trying to look them up on spotty, overloaded networks after a major weather event could be difficult or impossible.
• A current photo of yourself, your loved ones (including pets), and your vehicles.

Tornadoes and Severe Thunderstorms

We’re in the thick of tornado season here in the south, and while there may be a few days heads up that some kind of severe weather might happen, usually you’re lucky if you get 30 minutes warning before a tornado hits. This is why proper watch and warning settings on your weather app of choice is critical.

Alert settings in 1Weather and First Alert 25

On many weather apps, Severe Weather Alerts are an all-or-nothing setting — a single toggle — but some apps understand that different levels of weather alert warrant different levels of alarm. For instance, on 1Weather, you can set different sounds and dictate which levels of alert trigger a Vibration or Flash to alert you.

This means that for a Watch, when severe weather is possible, you can have your phone just vibrate but not play a sound, while a Warning, when severe weather is expected or already arriving, gets to cue the lights and sirens. Meanwhile, on the First Alert 25 app used in Central Texas allows you to pick which watches and warnings you are notified for, but they all notify you the same way. If you don’t want to be bothered with thunderstorm warnings but do want to know about tornado watches and warnings, you can do that.

Radar pages in Weather Underground and The Weather Channel

Broken lines of supercells and isolated tornadic storms are quick to develop, quick to move, and quick to change, and having a good radar app is extremely useful. Nothing quite convinces you to get back inside like a nasty mess of yellow and red bearing down on your little location icon on a radar map.

Most weather apps have some kind of radar included, but some are more robust than others. Not everyone needs the professional-level radar of $10 (and then a subscription) RadarScope, unless you’re foolhardy enough to go storm chasing, but Weather Underground offers an hour loop on its radar as opposed to the half-hour radar loop on most weather apps. The Weather Channel sports a two-hour radar loop. Some apps offer “future radar” rain forecasts, but during severe weather, that isn’t going to be all that accurate.

Hurricanes

Hurricanes are powerful, devastating, and — for better or worse — slow-moving. If you are in the path of a hurricane, you will (hopefully) have days to prepare, but you, unfortunately, will have far more you need to prepare for. Radar and weather alerts are slightly less helpful in a hurricane considering how large an area tends to fall under Tropical Storm and Hurricane Watches and Warnings, but there are a number of things you can and should do with your phone to prepare:

Go to your mobile browser of choice and bookmark The National Hurricane Center’s website. It’s going to spit out new predictions every six hours, and there are a variety of ways to keep up with those predictions, but the easiest are Twitter or email. Here’s the American Red Cross’s Hurricane app, if you need step-by-step tips and guidance through your first hurricane. The Red Cross’s app isn’t infallible, but it can be a resource.

Another great app that is used by our very own Phil Nickinson is SeaStorm Hurricane Tracker. This keeps track of tropical storms, hurricanes and typhoons in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. You’ll get tracking and forecasting of named storms, depressions and other cyclones. The base price for the app is $2, with additional add-ons.

If you haven’t already turned on photo backups in Google Photos, do it right now and start photographing everything for insurance. Your home, your cars, your tech, your loved ones. Turn on Google Photos’ free backups and photograph everything, throw it in a folder in Google Photos, and hope that you don’t need to use them to convince your insurance agent that there was not, in fact, a tree on top of your car before the hurricane came. While you’re taking photos, switch over to a Google Sheets document as you go and inventory things.

If the network goes down, the network goes down, and while it’ll be back quicker than power in most places, make sure you have what you need while it’s down: the emergency numbers we mentioned back at the beginning of this article, and whatever music/books/movies will keep you and your brood sane. If you have old/spare phones and tablets, load them up with media so you don’t kill the batteries on the phones that matter once the power’s out and you’re relying on portable batteries.

Severe Weather Accessories

Portable batteries are a lifeline for our technology in many, many situations, but during severe weather, they can turn into lifelines, so if you haven’t invested in one or five yet, now is the time. Portable batteries are getting smaller and cheaper every year, it seems, and whether you just need a pocket-friendly battery to last you through a lightning-caused blown transformer or PowerHouse to keep you powered through days of darkness, there’s a portable battery out there for every power — and price — point, so charge up accordingly.

Check Thrifter for deals on battery packs. Seriously, there’s a portable battery of some shape or size on sale almost every day.

Most importantly, charge early and often. Once the power’s out, you don’t know when it’s coming back on.

Of course, you also need your phone to stay dry, and while waterproof phone pouches are marketed more for beach vacations than flash flooding, they’re three for ten bucks and can protect your thousand dollar phone and possibly your only method of communication. They even come with handy lanyards for making sure your phone stays within reach. And if you don’t need them this season, you can use them the next time you go to the water park.

See Mpow Waterproof Case at Amazon

Are you ready for the storm?

What other preparations do you make with your phones for severe weather season? And what non-phone preparations have you made? Is there a storm kit in your car or your house? What severe weather alerts do you have set up on your phone? Let us know your severe weather setup in the comments, and if you have any tools in your prep kits that served you well during last year’s very active hurricane season, share them!

This article was updated in May 2018 with the addition of SeaStorm Hurricane Tracker.

Keep RAVPower’s $30 jump starter and portable battery in your car for emergencies

All-in-one for roadside emergencies.

The RAVPower 10000mAh 400A car jump starter and battery charger is down to $29.99 with code 9BHR4JD5 on Amazon. It normally sells for $50 and has rarely dropped from that price. This is the best price we’ve seen even including other coupon code deals.

The portable charger carries a 10000mAh battery, which is enough to charge even the most recent smartphones a couple times over. The micro USB input can recharge the battery in less than six hours. The jump starter has a peak of 400A and works with cars, motorcyles, ATVs, snowmobiles, and more. If you hold down the power button, you can make use of the built-in flashlight. It even has an SOS mode and warning strobe. Like any modern charger, it also protects against overvoltage, overheating, short circuits, and more. Users give it 4.1 stars based on 42 reviews.

See on Amazon

Wireless chargers, Bluetooth headphones, hard drives, and more are on sale today

Whether you’re looking for new tech gear or household items, we’ve got you covered.

We found plenty of great deals today that include big discounts on wireless chargers, Bluetooth headphones, 2TB hard drives, and more! Time’s running out to take advantage of these prices, so hurry!

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If you want to know about the deals as soon as they are happening, you’ll want to follow Thrifter on Twitter, and sign up for the newsletter, because missing out on a great deal stinks!

Google Pixel 3: News, Rumors, Release Date, Specs, and more!

Everything we know about what’ll likely be one of the year’s best phones.

Google first introduced its Pixel series in 2016, and since then, has been hard at work to establish itself as a serious player in the smartphone market. Google may be one of the most powerful and iconic companies in the world, but when it comes to hardware, is still very much a newcomer.

We saw vast improvements with the Pixel 2 compared to the original Pixel line, and we’re expecting to get that again with the Pixel 3. Google’s quickly learning what it takes to compete with the likes of Samsung and Apple, and seeing as how the Pixel 2 was one of 2017’s best phones, there’s a lot riding on this year’s entry.

Ladies and gentlemen, here’s everything we know so far about the Google Pixel 3.

May 30, 2018 (part 2) — Verizon is said to be the exclusive carrier for the Pixel 3, again 😕

A report from Bloomberg recently surfaced confirming a few details about Google’s upcoming phones per a source that’s familiar with their production. According to the report:

• The Pixel 3 series will once again be exclusive to Verizon Wireless in the U.S.
• A notch will be present on the larger Pixel 3 XL
• Google will announce/launch the phones in October
• Foxconn will manufacture the Pixel 3/3 XL
• Stereo speakers will be present on both phones
• The Pixel 3 XL will have dual front-facing cameras
• “Both models will include upgraded, single-lens cameras on the back”

May 30, 2018 — LG will reportedly manufacture the Pixel 3 XL’s OLED display

Just a couple days after the Pixel 3 XL’s notched panel leaked, a report’s come out of Korea claiming that Google will once again use LG to manufacture and supply an OLED screen for the phone.

Furthermore, an official from LG Display that remains anonymous said, “We have maintained close ties with Google and the volume will not be much different from the previous one [the Pixel 2 XL].”

If this turns out to be true, one can only hope that LG’s improved the quality of its mobile panels since last year. The LG-made Pixel 2 XL display was the center of a lot of controversy for the phone’s first few weeks out in the wild, and Google really can’t afford to go through that again with gen-three.

What do you think about LG making the Pixel 3 XL’s display?

When will the Pixel 3 be released?

In 2016 and 2017, Google held its hardware event on October 4. We don’t have a concrete date for this year’s event quite yet, but there’s no reason to believe Google will deter from this pattern.

Another October 4 event isn’t out of the question seeing as how that falls on a Thursday this year, but at the very least, we should be looking at some point in early October.

Pre-orders for the Pixel 3 will likely open shortly after it’s announced that same day with shipments going out at least a couple of weeks later.

How much will the Pixel 3 cost?

Over the past couple years, pricing for Google’s Pixel phones has remained mostly the same. The MSRP for the Pixel and Pixel 2 series is as follows:

• Pixel w/ 32GB — $649
• Pixel w/ 128GB — $749
• Pixel 2 w/ 64GB — $649
• Pixel 2 w/ 128GB — $749
• Pixel XL w/ 32GB — $769
• Pixel XL w/ 128GB — $869
• Pixel 2 XL w/ 64GB —$849
• Pixel 2 XL w/ 128GB — $949

I imagine we’ll see similar numbers with the Pixel 3, but don’t be too surprised if we get a Pixel 3 XL variant that crosses the $1000 threshold.

Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL

• Pixel 2 FAQ: Everything you need to know!
• Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL review: The new standard
• Google Pixel 2 specs
• Google Pixel 2 vs. Pixel 2 XL: What’s the difference?
• Join our Pixel 2 forums

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Review: BMW’s CarPlay and Qi Charging Support Offer a Convenient All-Wireless Setup, but Subscription Plan Remains Questionable

While CarPlay has become very common in cars over the past several years, most manufacturers are still relying on a wired implementation that requires the user to plug his or her iPhone in using a Lightning cable connected to one of the vehicle’s USB ports.

The first and only car manufacturer to adopt wireless CarPlay so far is BMW (including its MINI brand), although Mercedes recently announced wireless CarPlay coming later this year. On the aftermarket front, Alpine is offering one solution that supports the feature, while Pioneer has just announced a few models of its own.

One common justification for the slow adoption of wireless CarPlay has been that the car is an easy place to charge your phone, so it pays to plug it into your car to top off the battery while you’re driving. But with Apple’s latest iPhones supporting Qi wireless charging and more car manufacturers starting to include Qi charging pads as options on their vehicles, we thought it would be worth taking a look at how such a setup works in the real world.

BMW’s Plant Spartanburg
BMW recently invited me down for a tour of Plant Spartanburg in South Carolina, which is BMW’s largest plant in the world and produces 1,400 vehicles per day from the X3, X4, X5, and X6 lines. I also got to take part in the Performance Center Delivery program at the BMW Performance Center, a program that is typically available to anyone who purchases a new BMW and elects to pick it up at the factory.

Off-road course at BMW Performance Center
During the program, an instructor introduced me to the capabilities of some of the company’s cars, including Dynamic Stability control on the skid pad, ABS handling in panic braking situations, and general vehicle handling on a road course. A follow-up off-road experience in an X3 offered a taste of high-water driving, climbing, descending, moguls, and more. After that, I was oriented on a 2018 X3 M40i and sent off on my own time to test out its capabilities, focusing on the CarPlay integration with BMW’s iDrive infotainment system.

2018 BMW X3 M40i
As far as CarPlay goes, it’s a fairly standard experience, as Apple primarily controls how the feature functions. On the X3, CarPlay requires the Premium or Executive tier with a widescreen 10.3-inch display that also supports onboard navigation (the standard center display is 6.5 inches), the CarPlay interface takes up the left two-thirds of the screen while a split screen function allows you to display one of a number of widgets such as current audio selection, vehicle information, or other options on the right side of the screen.

Center display with CarPlay in split screen

Wireless CarPlay

Where BMW’s CarPlay implementation differs from nearly every other manufacturer is that it’s entirely wireless. In fact, wired CarPlay isn’t even supported in BMWs, so setup is just a bit more complicated than you might be used to, but the pairing process to get things up and running is still pretty simple.

Pairing for wireless CarPlay happens over Bluetooth for ease of initial data transfer, but the actual CarPlay communication happens over Wi-Fi for a stable, higher-bandwidth connection. It’s remarkably convenient to just hop in the car and have CarPlay pop up on the screen without having to take your phone out of your pocket.

CarPlay pairing over Bluetooth
One inconvenience of the wireless-only CarPlay implementation in BMWs is that it’s harder for guests to use their phones with the system. If you’re in the car every day, it’s a minor inconvenience to spend a minute walking through the pairing process the first time you set it up. But for a guest who may only be in the vehicle once, either as driver or passenger, you have to go through that pairing process to add his or her phone to the vehicle rather than simply plugging the iPhone in and granting CarPlay permission.

Wireless Charging and Hotspot

If you’re going for a longer drive, you might want to charge your phone while you’re in the car, and that normally means plugging in a Lightning cable. It’s another accessory to remember, a split second of finickiness as you get the cable plugged in, and then the actual cable draped over your dashboard or center console while you’re driving. Some vehicles offer a tidier solution where you can store your phone away while plugged in, such as in the center console, but that too takes a few extra steps.

With the $500 wireless charging and Wi-Fi hotspot option on the X3, you’ve got a convenient wireless charging pad located right at the front of the center console. You can just toss your phone down onto it, and it begins charging while wireless CarPlay pops up on the display. A small status light near the front edge of the charging pad shines blue while charging and red if things aren’t quite right like the alignment is off.

iPhone X on Qi charging pad with status light at front edge
In practice, I found the charging surface quite forgiving in terms of placement, and only once did I run into a red light situation with improper device alignment. The charging surface is plenty large, with even a Plus-sized iPhone in an Apple case fitting with room to spare.

Even Plus-sized iPhones fit comfortably
Charging speeds leave a bit to be desired, however, as I typically found the charging pad only able to maintain or slightly increase the battery level during use. For example, during one 90-minute drive while using Apple Maps via CarPlay, the wireless charger in the X3 was only able to boost my iPhone X battery from 46 percent to 54 percent. Taking time to ensure optimal alignment of the phone with the charging pad might yield a bit better results, but if you’re looking for a quick charge this isn’t the way to go. Still, it’s better than allowing your phone to run down on a long road trip as you’re using it for maps, music, and more.

The vehicle will also warn you if you’re about to leave your phone in the car on the charging pad, sounding a chime and popping up a warning on the dashboard as you exit the car if a device is still on the charger. It’s nice to have a reminder, but I found it sounding a bit too often simply because it takes a second for the charger to recognize the phone has been removed. So if you’re like me and the last thing you do before opening the door is grab your phone, you’ll still get an occasional warning because the car hasn’t realized the phone has already been picked up.

There’s one other quirk that stems from the wireless CarPlay setup that’s related to its use of Wi-Fi to make the connection. When you’re using wireless CarPlay, you can’t also connect the phone to the car’s Wi-Fi hotspot, as the phone’s Wi-Fi connection is already being used. If you try to connect to the hotspot, your iPhone will prompt you that you need to disconnect from CarPlay.

It’s not a huge deal, as vehicle Wi-Fi hotspots are most useful for devices that don’t have their own cellular access. In fact, you may even have your car as a separate line on the same account as your phone, in which case the data is likely all coming from the same bucket anyway, regardless of whether you’re using a direct cellular connection on the phone or routing through the Wi-Fi hotspot.

BMW’s Wi-Fi hotspot service is provided by AT&T, and the X3 comes with a free trial lasting three months or 3 GB, whichever comes first. After that, you’ll need to subscribe either on a standalone basis or by adding it as a line to an existing account.

CarPlay Subscription Pricing

BMW has generated some controversy with its recent shift in pricing model for CarPlay support. Initially, CarPlay was a standalone $300 option on BMW vehicles, but with the 2019 model year, BMW is shifting to a subscription model. Instead of a separate upfront option charge, CarPlay support is included in any of the packages that support navigation, but only for one year. After that, you’ll have to sign up for a subscription priced at $80 per year.

The controversy unsurprisingly centers around this shift to a subscription model, which on the surface appears to make little sense considering there are no ongoing costs to BMW associated with the feature. Once the hardware support for CarPlay is included in the vehicle, it just works, which suggests an upfront fee should be the obvious way to charge for CarPlay.

As BMW tells me, however, the subscription model offers owners more flexibility as technology rapidly evolves. For one, many people who own or lease cars only keep them for a few years, so the subscription model ends up being cheaper than a $300 upfront fee for these users, particularly with the first year free.

Including CarPlay support in all BMWs with navigation also makes it easier for owners to add the service in the future if they decide they want CarPlay or if the vehicle changes owners. A simple software unlock will activate CarPlay once a subscription is purchased, which will even be possible straight from the ConnectedDrive Store right in the car.

Now, I may be in the minority of car owners, but I tend to keep my vehicles for ten years or more, which would make the shift to a subscription model a bad deal for me, so it would be nice if BMW offered the option of a flat fee or a subscription.

Better yet would be if CarPlay was simply part of the navigation package with no additional charges required at all. It would mean non-CarPlay users would be paying for a bundled feature they won’t use, but at some point it’s worth keeping things simple and just grouping it all together in one package. The incremental cost of supporting CarPlay for manufacturers must be relatively small, as it’s available even in fairly low-priced cars at this point, although BMW’s wireless CarPlay implementation likely costs them a bit more.

iDrive

BMW’s iDrive system has been around for over 15 years and is currently on version 6. Over the years, it’s generally regarded as having become one of the most intuitive and best-looking infotainment systems available from car manufacturers, which is a welcome contrast in a field where many manufacturers do a very poor job.

The iDrive system offers three main ways to interface with the system, including the large touchscreen (a recent addition for BMW), a Nuance-based voice assistant, and the iconic iDrive controller knob within easy reach next to the gearshift on the center console.

iDrive controller knob next to gearshift
There’s actually even a fourth way of performing some functions, and that’s Gesture Control that lets you wave your hand near the dashboard to do things like turn volume up or down and accept or decline phone calls, but it’s rather gimmicky when you’ve got buttons for those functions right at your fingertips on the steering wheel. With 360º camera views around the car, you can even use pinching gestures to pan around the vehicle, but again, the real-world usefulness here is pretty minimal.

360º views
BMW’s voice assistant works quite well, and both BMW’s assistant and Siri are invoked using the same button on the steering wheel – a quick press activates the BMW assistant, while holding the button brings up Siri.

Assistant/Siri button at bottom right of right-side cluster
The iDrive controller knob is a convenient and powerful control mechanism that allows for a wide variety of inputs within easy reach. The knob itself turns like a dial to scroll through options (including through various interactive buttons in CarPlay), and pressing the knob down registers your selection. The knob can also be rocked forward, backward, and side to side to quickly navigate through the various menu hierarchies.

Text entry unsurprisingly leaves a bit to be desired, as each letter must be selected from a rotary display, but even here BMW has simplified things by making the surface of the knob touch sensitive so you can quickly draw the desired letter with your finger. Either way, text entry is slow and clunky, so you’re definitely going to want to use voice input if possible.

Text entry by drawing on top of controller knob
Surrounding the knob is a series of buttons for media, communications, menu, map, options, and a back button. Those will quickly take you straight to the corresponding popular functions, and they even intelligently integrate with CarPlay so that, for example, if you’ve been using Apple Maps in CarPlay, hitting the Map button will take you there. But if you’ve been using the onboard navigation, the button will pop up that feature.

The main iDrive 6 display consists of a series of six cards offering functions like media/radio, communications, navigation, vehicle data, notifications, and Connected Drive app services like weather, news, Yelp, and more. The cards can be rearranged as desired.

iDrive main screen
Navigation works quite well, with traffic support and several different viewing options. If you want to dedicate the entire 10.3-inch display to navigation, you can do that, and you’ll see a wide panoramic view of the route in front of you.

iDrive navigation in widescreen mode
The Premium tier and above include a heads-up display, which projects your vehicle’s speed and the current speed limit onto the windshield in the lower portion of your field of view. It can also pop up audio options as you change stations or sources from the steering wheel, so you don’t have to take your eyes off of the road. Finally, it will also show upcoming turns when using the built-in navigation system, and that’s one important reason why you might want to use BMW’s navigation system rather than CarPlay.

Heads-up display with speed and navigation

Wrap-up

BMW already offers a solid infotainment system in the form of iDrive, but CarPlay provides another option for those users embedded in the Apple ecosystem. With wireless CarPlay and Qi charging support built into the vehicle, everything is nearly seamless, and it’s hard to overstate the convenience of having CarPlay just work every time you step into the car. Having to plug in a cable doesn’t seem like much of a hurdle, but it’s one more thing to think about and an extra few seconds of fumbling when you’re just trying to get where you’re going.

All of this convenience doesn’t come cheaply, however. BMW’s aren’t entry-level vehicles to begin with, and then you have to add on at least the Premium tier to get the large display with navigation capabilities in order to get CarPlay. On 2018 models, CarPlay support is an additional $300 on top of that. Starting with 2019, there’s no additional charge for the first year, but then you’re stuck paying for a yearly subscription to access a hardware feature, which is unfortunate.

If you want wireless charging, that’s another $500 upfront fee, which does also get you a convenient hotspot to let the kids surf the Internet on their iPads in the back seat, but remember that after three months it’s also going involve another monthly fee to AT&T.

Still, if you don’t mind opening up your wallet, the combination of wireless CarPlay and Qi charging is undoubtedly handy, and here’s hoping it comes to other car brands and trickles down to lower-priced models and packages over time.

Related Roundup: CarPlayTag: BMW
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Petition Calls on Apple to Open Up Access to UI SDKs on iOS Devices so Devs can Implement Digital Wellness Tools

As Apple prepares to introduce iOS 12 at the Worldwide Developers Conference next Monday, a group known as the Digital Wellness Warriors have launched a petition calling on Apple to allow third-party developers to make changes to the iOS interface and user experience to allow apps to implement digital health features to help users manage their digital wellbeing.

The petition comes amid rumors suggesting Apple is working on implementing several native digital health features into iOS 12, but the scope and content of what Apple’s digital health options will include is unknown as of yet.

The Digital Wellness Warriors ask for an open iOS interface SDK that would allow for wellness-related features available through third-party Android apps to be ported over to iOS.

Several examples are listed in the petition, including replacement home screens that would offer “decluttering and dimming,” an SMS autoresponder, screen covers to “nudge users towards healthier behaviors,” contextual modes for limiting access at certain times, phone usage monitoring, and app usage insights.

We ask that Apple commit to opening its SDK to developers to allow us to make the changes to the iOS interface and user experience that consumers are demanding.

In order to prevent potential abuses of greater access to APIs and permissions, we anticipate and welcome a strict approval process so that well-intended developers can demonstrate how their products will improve the wellbeing of iOS users.

Apple has always maintained strict control over the user experience and design of the iPhone, so it is unlikely that this petition is going to spur the company to introduce an SDK that would allow for developers to make major changes to the interface, even with a stricter review process.

It also seems unlikely to happen as Apple is planning on implementing its own digital health tools in iOS 12, which will perhaps provide details on app usage and screen time along with more robust Do Not Disturb controls for blocking incoming notifications and calls.

The Digital Wellness Warriors, which includes app developers like Siempo, Lilspace, Flipd, HAPPI, Bagby, and others, are asking for signatures on their petition. As of now, the petition has garnered just under 350 signatures.

Related Roundup: iOS 12
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Apple Inks Deal for Emily Dickinson Series Starring Hailee Steinfeld

Apple’s latest original television series is a half-hour show about the life of poet Emily Dickinson, which is set to star Hailee Steinfeld, reports Variety.

Apple recently gave a straight-to-series order for the show, which is described as a “comedic look into Dickinson’s world” that explores the “constraints of society, gender, and family from the perspective of a budding writer who doesn’t fit into her own time.”

Image via Shutterstock
Emily Dickinson was a prolific American poet known for short lines, slant rhyme, and irregular use of punctuation. Much of her work focused on death and immortality, and she lived a reclusive life.

Hailee Steinfeld will take on the titular role of Emily Dickinson. Steinfeld, who is also a musician, is known for her roles in “True Grit,” “Pitch Perfect 2,” “Pitch Perfect 3,” “Ender’s Game,” and most notably, 2016 coming of age film “Edge of Seventeen.” The Emily Dickinson show will mark Steinfeld’s first serious television role.

Alena Smith, who was previously a writer on “The Affair” and “The Newsroom,” will serve as writer and executive producer on the series. David Gordon Green, known for “Stronger,” Red Oaks,” “Vice Principals,” and “Pineapple Express” will direct.

Apple has more than a dozen original television shows in the works, which are outlined in our Apple TV roundup. It’s not yet clear when we will see the first of the shows debut and on what platform, but rumors have suggested they could start launching in 2019. The first of Apple’s shows was picked up in October of 2017, so a 2019 timeline makes some sense.

Related Roundup: Apple TVBuyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Neutral)
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Deals Reminder: MacRumors Exclusive Anker Sale Ends Tomorrow, Save on Lightning Cables and More

Earlier in May, MacRumors and Anker launched an exclusive new sale for our readers with discount codes available for a handful of useful Anker accessories. Now that June is fast approaching, the sale is set to end tomorrow, May 31. If you’ve been holding off on taking advantage of any of the exclusive codes, consider this a friendly reminder to get your orders in today.

All of Anker’s products on offer are sold on Amazon, so if you’re interested simply add an accessory to your cart, proceed to the checkout screen, enter the relevant promo code into the Gift cards & promotional codes field, and then click “Apply.” As usual, Amazon Prime customers can get free two-day shipping on all orders.

Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Products in the sale range from iPhone cases to Lightning cables and wall chargers, so take another look at everything discounted in the list below:

• iPhone X Case Breeze Case – $5.59 with code RUMORS96, down from $7.99

• iPhone X Silicone Case (Pink) – $8.39 with code RUMORS28, down from $11.99

• PowerLine+ Lightning Cable (6ft) – $11.89 with code RUMORS22, down from $16.99

• PowerLine+ II Lightning Cable (3ft) – $11.99 with code RUMORS52, down from $15.99

• PowerWave 7.5W Fast Wireless Charger with QC 3.0 Charger – $39.99 with code RUMORS25, down from $49.99

• Surge Protector PowerPort Strip with 12 Outlets, 3 USB Ports – $26.99 with code RUMORS27, down from $34.99

• Dual-Port USB-C PD Charger, PowerPort II with Power Delivery – $25.19 with code RUMORS23, down from $29.99

• 40W 4-Port USB Wall Charger with Foldable Plug, PowerPort 4 – $18.99 with code RUMORS24, down from $25.99

In other reminders, anyone still on the fence about the DirecTV Now/Apple TV 4K promotion should definitely consider their options before the end of the day, as we outlined in an article last week. The promotion for 3 months of DirecTV Now at $105 and a 32GB Apple TV 4K at no extra cost could expire for good tomorrow, but there’s still a chance that AT&T will keep the popular sale around for a while longer. Even if it does go away, it’s also likely that AT&T will re-up the deal again this fall with new terms, as it has for the past two years.

Later this week, T-Mobile is kicking off the summer with a new buy one, get one sale on smartphones from Apple, Samsung, LG, and more. For Apple, the deal starts June 1 and will let customers buy one iPhone 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, or X, and get a second device of equal or lesser value for up to $700 off. Under the offer, users can’t mix and match brands, and both devices must be bought on T-Mobile’s Equipment Installment Plan. The rebate will be received in the mail through a prepaid MasterCard Card in six to eight weeks.

Below we’ve rounded up a few other notable deals happening this week, including one of the lowest prices ever for the Beats Studio3 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones at Walmart.

• Walmart – Get the Beats Studio3 Wireless Over-Ear Headphones for $214.97 in White, Red, and Blue, down from $349.99

• eBay – Save $15 using code P15HOME when shopping in select categories (Home & Garden, Sporting Goods, Baby, Pet Supplies, and Crafts) in the eBay app on iOS or Android

• Electronics Valley via eBay – Purchase the 2018 iPad (128GB, Wi-Fi) for $399.99, down from $429.99

• Verizon – Get a $50 Mastercard as a rebate when spending $200 or more on accessories like AirPods, Nest products, Beats, and more (exp. 6/2)

Head over to our full Deals Roundup to catch up with every sale and offer going on as May comes to a close, including another MacRumors exclusive sale, this one with RavPower.

Related Roundup: Apple DealsTag: Anker
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