The upcoming iOS 11.3 software update will bring increased security when connecting third-party MFi-certified USB accessories to an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.
New in iOS 11.3: increased pairing security for USB accessories
CarPlay
Apple reportedly delays new iOS 12 features to focus on reliability and performance
A new report from Ina Fried over at Axios says Apple has pivoted their upcoming plans for iOS. Instead of several new features making their debut this year, Apple will put a higher priority on performance and quality, delaying the majority of new features until next year.
Apple Maps lane guidance expands to New Zealand, Belgium, Netherlands & Sweden
Lane guidance, a new Apple Maps feature in iOS 11 for iPhone, iPad and CarPlay, has expanded to four additional countries following its debut in iOS 11 last fall and subsequent expansion in November 2017 to countries like Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the UK.
BMW wants you to pay for CarPlay every year
German car maker BMW is contemplating a subscription-based CarPlay in 2019 models. The subscription plan would be free for the first year of ownership on a new BMW.
Toyota will finally start supporting CarPlay with 2019 Avalon
The Toyota 2019 Avalon was just introduced at the North American International Auto Show up in Detroit, Michigan. It will be the first vehicle in Toyota's lineup to support Apple's CarPlay.
Vehicles equipped with Ford Sync 3 will soon support Waze
If you are driving a newer Ford vehicle, and are a fan of Waze, you've got something to be excited about. At CES 2018, Waze announced that it will be coming to Sync 3 infotainment systems to use right alongside CarPlay.
You’ll finally be able to control your AM/FM radio through CarPlay thanks to Gracenote
Finally AM/FM radio will be controllable through CarPlay's native interface thanks to a new app from music-tagging database Gracenote.
Tidal gets updated to fill iPhone X edge-to-edge OLED display, now supports CarPlay
Beleaguered streaming service Tidal has now been updated with support for CarPlay, as well as the new edge-to-edge OLED display on iPhone X.
Sirius XM Radio gains CarPlay support
After being quite the holdout, the popular Sirius XM app for iPhone and iPad was updated recently to include support for Apple's CarPlay platform, bringing a bunch of radio channels to in-car infotainment systems that don't support the app natively.
How to customize the auto-reply response of your Driving Focus mode on iPhone
Driving Focus is an important step towards minimizing interaction with your iPhone behind the wheel and, more widely, an asset for road safety. The Auto-Reply feature inside Driving Focus mode automatically sends a message to your favorite or selected contacts when they message you while Driving Focus is turned on.
The default auto-reply message is “I'm driving with Focus turned on. I'll see your message when I get where I'm going.”
If the above default message does not sound like your kind of jargon, follow these simple steps to personalize the stock reply.
Hands on with iOS 11 CarPlay: lane guidance, speed limit, DND While Driving & more
iOS 11's CarPlay has gained a multitude of new Maps capabilities for safer driving while bringing slight design changes to some of the stock apps and subtle interface refinements such as notification badges, cellular signal bars replacing the dots, larger app icons and more.
First aftermarket CarPlay wireless receiver from Alpine now available
The car audio and navigation systems company Alpine today announced that its first aftermarket CarPlay wireless receiver, dubbed iLX-107, is now available for purchase in the United States, priced a bit on the high side at $900 a pop.
“The award-winning iLX-107 wireless Apple CarPlay system offers even more convenience in accessing Maps, Phone, Messages and Music from the iPhone in-vehicle without ever needing to connect a cable,” the company notes.
The unit packs a seven-inch VGA revolution capacitive touchscreen in a mech-less body. It integrates with rear view camera systems and your car's steering wheel controls.
The conveniently located Volume, Track, Home and Siri hard keys are accessible for quick access and simple control.
Alpine was one of the first firms to offer aftermarket CarPlay receivers for owners of older vehicles than lack CarPlay integration. However, today's new is significant as the iLX-107 represents their first aftermarket CarPlay receiver that supports wireless connections.
This lets you use CarPlay with your iLX-107 without needing to connect an iPhone via a USB cable. To set it up, you just pair your wireless Apple CarPlay unit from your iPhone. Of course, wired connectivity via the standard Lightning cable is supported, too.
Connecting an iPhone to your iLX-107 via a Lightning cable for the first time automatically sets up wireless connectivity, which is great. The accessory uses the 5 GHz Wi-Fi band to optimize wireless connectivity performance, Alpine has said.
While Alpine does not sell the new receiver directly, you can purchase it from a network of authorized dealers who won't just sell you the accessory but install it for you as well.
Check out Alpine's store locator online tool to find a dealer nearest to your location.
Wireless CarPlay requires iOS 8.3 or later.