BMW

Apple reportedly approached BMW over using i3 as basis for its electric car

Apple approached BMW last year regarding its rumored electric car project, reports German business magazine Manager. The publication says that Tim Cook and other senior executives visited the i3 assembly plant in Leipzig, Germany during "autumn 2014" to discuss the possibility of using the i3 as the basis for its own vehicle.

For those who aren't familiar with the i3, it's BMW's urban 5-door electric car that looks like a hatchback from the future. It's been generally well-received by critics, but with a 0-60 time approaching 7 seconds and a battery range of under 100 miles, it's not turning nearly as many heads as the model S and other Tesla-made cars.

Apple’s Siri Eyes Free mode coming to 2014 BMWs

The German maker of luxurious cars BMW back in March added four new apps to its BMW Apps platform: Amazon’s Audible, Glympse, Rhapsody and TuneIn app.

As one of Apple's early launch partners, BMW previously featured Siri's Eyes Free mode on select vehicles. The latest update to BMW's iDrive platform expands Eyes Free support with new Siri features, including Bluetooth access to on-device music.

And finally, the car maker has announced that the new iDrive 4.2 firmware doesn't just bring Siri on its 2014 model cars, it also enables S Voice, Samsung's own voice thing found on newer Galaxy devices...

BMW folds 4 new iOS apps into Apps-enabled cars

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, better known as BMW, features a special option dubbed Apps which integrates iOS software from third-parties for some cool in-car entertainment and driving experience.

Part of the luxury automaker's ConnectedDrive initiative, the Apps platform supports model year 2011 and later vehicles and is controlled through a dedicated iOS app aptly named BMW Connected App. These apps are still few and far between so today the German car maker launched new additions.

A total of four iOS programs that integrate with the BMW Apps platform have been confirmed: Amazon's Audible app which lets you listen to audio books, real-time location sharing software Glympse, the subscription-based music streaming service Rhapsody and Pandora-like TuneIn app that features offers over 70,000 stations and two million shows...

BMW adopts Apple’s Genius model to educate car buyers

If there is one consumer experience needing updating, it is that trip to an auto sales floor. Too often, the salesperson can only provide potential buyers with the most basic information. Luxury automaker BMW hopes to change all that, using Apple's Genius model to answer consumer queries.

Part of the BMW Genius Everywhere program to launch in the U.S. in 2014, young people armed with iPads will roam the automaker's showrooms even before the sales staff get down to clinching the deal. The company becomes just the latest hoping to ignite more sales by taking a page from Apple's wildly successful Geniuses who provide unassuming assistance and educate consumers on Apple gear...