Thursday, an enhanced version 5.3 of iHeartRadio became available for download in the App Store.
The refreshed application brings out a nice Today widget allowing you to play your recent stations from the Notification Center in iOS 8. You should also appreciate its built-in support for Apple's in-car entertainment system dubbed CarPlay, so you can now listen to iHeart Radio in CarPlay-enabled vehicles.
The updated app can be grabbed for free in the App Store.
Following a recent overhaul with new features, free streaming in more than two dozen countries and other perks, Rdio, the popular Internet service, on Thursday pushed a major iOS 8 focused update.
Following in the footsteps of rival Spotify which two weeks ago added support for CarPlay, Apple's in-car iPhone entertainment system, Rdio has now jumped on the automotive bandwagon, too.
In addition to music playback and navigating your favorites and playlists from the built-in display in CarPlay-enabled cars, Rdio 3.0.4 has a handy new control to adjust streaming quality (should prove indispensable to those concerned about cellular data usage).
Moreover, this update adds support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus screen sizes, iOS 8's Interactive Notifications (you can play music and follow other users directly from an alert) plus other nice-to-haves mentioned after the jump.
Though we've seen our fair share of CarPlay demos in months past, we still can't get enough of learning about the intricacies of Apple's in-car iPhone entertainment system. You may have head that Pioneer recently released a firmware update bringing CarPlay functionality to five of its 2014 NEX in-dash multimedia receivers, so people don't have to buy a brand new car just to enjoy CarPlay.
As noted by TUAW, Josh Carr of technology repair firm Fix Denver put Pioneer's new software through its paces and created several videos showing off different aspects of CarPlay, including Phone functionality, Apple Maps and various other built-in apps including Spotify, which recently updated its iPhone and iPad app with CarPlay support .
Interested? Jump past the break for more.
Despite its good intentions, using Siri while driving is actually quite dangerous, according to a new study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. After a series of tests involving 45 drivers completing in-car tasks with various voice control systems, researchers found Apple's digital assistant to be a "high level of mental distraction."
In fact, Siri performed the worst out of all of the various systems they tested, and even resulted in two crashes during the simulator study. The popular assistant was also rated the least intuitive and the most complex, and AAA criticized it for its lack of consistency and flexibility when it came to recognizing voice commands from its drivers.
A pair of CarPlay-related news reports is making the rounds this morning, one confirming the official release of the first aftermarket CarPlay systems from Pioneer and the other announcing an updated Spotify application for the iPhone and iPad with built-in support for Apple's in-car platform.
As announced back in April, CarPlay is now available as a software update for Pioneer's existing 2014 in-dash multimedia systems, the $1400 AVIC-8000NEX, $1200 AVIC-7000NEX, $900 AVIC-6000NEX, $750 AVIC-5000NEX and the $700 AVH-4000NEX systems.
The company also announced a new $600 smartphone receiver, AppRadio 4, with CarPlay compatibility.
Ferrari on Monday started delivering its new Ferrari FF model with CarPlay integration to early adopters, becoming the first commercially available vehicle on the roads with native support for Apple's in-car system, previously known as 'iOS in the Car'. CarPlay is also available for older vehicles as an aftermarket solution from the likes of Alpine and Pioneer.
The $300,000 sports car with a 6.3-liter V12 engine provides a cool 651 horsepower and takes you from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.4 second (top speed: 208 miles per hour). CarPlay integration in the Ferrari FF includes the familiar features like voice-guided navigation, Siri, music playback, voice controls, messaging, phone calls and more.
German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen is in talks with Apple on bringing CarPlay to its 2016 lineup, according to a new report. This is an important development as Volkswagen, itself notably absent in Apple's press release announcing CarPlay, files as the biggest German automaker and the second largest automaker in the world.
According to a source with knowledge of the discussions, a formal announcement is expected in the coming months...
Following the announcement that Audi will be integrating CarPlay into its vehicle lineup next year, Apple has officially added 9 new CarPlay partners to its website: Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Audi, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Mazda and Ram. These car manufacturers have committed to integrating CarPlay into their vehicles in the future, meaning that Apple now has 29 total CarPlay partners.
Apple says that CarPlay should begin to appear in vehicles from Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Ferrari later this year, with additional car manufacturers following up next year and beyond. Aftermarket stereo systems with built-in CarPlay functionality will also be available from Alpine and Pioneer, although no timeframe is provided.…
Yesterday, luxury car maker Audi announced it'll be integrating both Apple's CarPlay and Google's Android Auto automotive software platforms into the Multimedia Interface for its premium lineup of vehicles. Today, the German car maker shared additional details pertaining to both the feature and the roll-out timeframe.
Coming to 2015 models in Europe and to 2016 vehicles in North America, CarPlay will integrate with Audi’s built-in controls and allow drivers to access apps through the car’s native controls and switch between CarPlay and Audi's Multimedia Interface with a touch of a button...
Audi announced on Thursday that it will be integrating both the CarPlay and Android Auto software platforms into the Multimedia Interface for its premium lineup of vehicles. The new functions will be available for new Audi models starting in 2015, marking a milestone for the car manufacturer in terms of smartphone integration.
Audi was a founding member of the Google Open Automotive Alliance earlier this year, and already offers navigation via Google Maps and streaming music via Google Play Music. CarPlay integration will also bring iOS to its vehicle lineup, following close dialog between the Audi development lab in Silicon Valley and Apple…
Apple's in-car entertainment solution, CarPlay, features limited support for third-party applications, ranging from Stitcher and Apple's own Podcasts to Beats Music, iHeartRadio and Spotify. Previously demoed at WWDC earlier this month, you can now put MLB At Bat on the list of officially supported CarPlay apps, according to Apple's own CarPlay webpage...
CarPlay, Apple's in-car entertainment solution which integrates the iPhone into your car in a safe manner, is receiving some welcomed attention at the WWDC show in San Francisco.
Apple hinted at CarPlay demonstrations by parking a Ferrari inside the Moscone West building, right in front of the keynote line.
Indeed, the company is now using these vehicles to show off CarPlay integration to select members of the press. Among them is the USA Today newspaper whose reporter was able to sneak a peek on CarPlay features in a Chevy Spark.
The video is right after the jump...