Hasta La Gadget!

We’ve seen just about every mobile device around eventually going on sale in the long haul to as low as $0.99 or even free on contract. But for a BMW? Man, that’s extremely rare. But it happened anyway this week in New Zealand. A car dealership there, named Stadium Cars, accidentally sold a 1994 blue BMW 320i online for just $1. And soon enough, the sweet sounding mistake caught the ears of one Trade Me buyer named ”bignz” who is reportedly from Rangiora – a rural town in the South Island of New Zealand. Check out another photo after the break.

Lucky for him, after clicking the “buy now” button, he became the new proud owner of the BMW. Apparently the dealership honored the sale, in spite of the fact that it was a mistake. Stadium Cars manager Mike Nokes said the $1 price was an error. Nokes explained that the dealership will usually put up cars for auction on the site with a $1 reserve. The problem was that the buy now option was mistakenly added to the latest one. “I thought, ‘Whoops’, but it is what it is. You can only laugh about it,” Nokes said. “Obviously not an ideal outcome for us as the seller. However, we are firm believers in the auction process and for it to be fair to buyers and sellers alike.” Ouch, that was a costly typo. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: BMW’s Mini retrieves javelins at the Olympics, BMW Motorrad unveils its C evolution electric scooter,

Stateside and overseas iOS users with a predilection for remotely controlling high-end German autos have had nearly a half year’s worth of smug to lord over their Android counterparts. Not so anymore, as BMW’s spreading the love and making its Remote app available now for that Google-led contingent on the Play store. The car maker hasn’t updated this iteration with any additional perks, preferring instead to keep the user experience consistent and giving drivers of BMW Assist-enabled vehicles the same ability to remotely lock doors, adjust the A/C, blow the horn or trigger the car’s lights from afar. The app also includes a maps feature for locating your lost ride (fear not privacy paranoiacs, it’s only accessible while the ignition is turned off) and an option to import favorited places from Local Search. Sure, it’s a nice olive branch for car owners that once felt left outside the gates of vainglory, but we’ll reserve our excitement for mobile-operated ovens. Now that’s luxury at its best.

Continue reading My BMW Remote app ready to Play with Android

Filed under: Cellphones, Transportation, Software

My BMW Remote app ready to Play with Android originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Jul 2012 20:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW has revealed its latest electric vehicle, but unlike the i-Series cars the new C evolution bike is somewhat less glamorous and likely to be a whole lot more affordable. Part of BMW’s Motorrad group, the BMW C evolution uses a 11 kW electric drive for a top speed 120 kph and a range of 100 km from an 8 kWh battery. Unlike electric city cars, however, BMW believes the C evolution bike is perfectly suited to motorway driving as well.

While the C evolution may look a whole lot more conventional than the i-Series, it does share some of the behind-the-scenes technology. The li-ion storage modules are the same as in the i3, for instance, and have been designed with longevity despite cold climates and irregular charging patterns in mind.

Meanwhile, an air cooling system saves weight and power, with specially designed ducts guiding airflow through the chassis to keep the battery from overheating. A die-cast aluminum casing with longitudinal ribs gives plenty of surface area, working as a huge heat-sink.

A flat to full recharge takes under three hours, BWM claims, from a regular domestic socket or a public chargin station; in fact the C evolution is supposedly the first two-wheeler to provide support for the latter. In front of the driver there’s a TFT color display which shows remaining charge and range, together with details on whether the automatic power recuperation system – which tops up the battery as the bike slows – is active.

Outwardly, at first glance you might not even realize this particular BMW is electric, though illuminated “e” symbols on the battery trims might be a giveaway. No word on when the C evolution might turn up in showrooms, nor at what price.

BMW C evolution: Earth friendly with no rider compromise is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Technology companies have been lining up to milk the London Olympics spotlight for all it’s worth. BMW isn’t shy about taking its turn, but it’s not looking to cash in — directly, we mean. The automaker is instead using its just-opened i Store to showcase everything electric and hybrid for downtown visitors who aren’t busy watching the cycling. Its centerpieces are unquestionably the i3 and i8, which won’t even go on sale until many months after the summer games’ closing ceremonies; the i3 on the floor is closer to the street model, though, and will tease EV drivers with BMW’s option packs. Should that make your bank account cringe far too soon, the i Pedelec scooter and the i Wallbox charger will be hanging around as well. If you didn’t book a ticket to Heathrow in time, don’t panic: the i line is going on a world tour this year that starts in Rome, swings past the US and Japan, and comes full circle to London in 2013.

Filed under: Transportation

BMW opens i Store in sync with London Olympics, shows tourists their electric destiny originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 01:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hot on the heels of the news it’ll be the first auto company to sport Nuance’s Dragon Drive! on some of its fancy rides, BMW’s now announced a handful of improvements and additions to its elegant ConnectedDrive infotainment system. For starters, the German outfit’s bringing an all-new feature dubbed iDrive Touch (available in China this month, elsewhere at some point next year), giving drivers the ability to use a multitouch pad for easier overall navigating throughout the console, do some numbers / text inputting and use pinch-to-zoom capabilities while using the maps application. Speaking of which, BMW is also introducing “3D City Models,” this will essentially give folks behind the wheel a “realistic depiction” of streets and buildings around their location area — however, it’s worth mentioning these tidbits will only be useful in “select locations.” What’s more, BMW’s said the new enhancements are getting a speed boost thanks to LTE integration, but that’ll have to wait until November of this year. If you’re interested in learning more, feel free to give the PR below a quick read.

Continue reading BMW brings iDrive Touch, 3D maps to ConnectedDrive, LTE integration coming soon

Filed under: Transportation, Software

BMW brings iDrive Touch, 3D maps to ConnectedDrive, LTE integration coming soon originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 23:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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