My Digital Life

iPhone 3GS – Battery Weirdness (update 2)

 

Update 6/24/09: Yesterday was good battery day although my usage was light email with one 20 minute charge the 3GS lasted all day.

Notice that the under the "Standby" there is now a status which tells you whether the iPhone was plugged in since the last full charge.

Update 6/23/09: Yesterday, I did use the 3GS heavily in the morning streaming audio to my Motorola HT820 Bluetooth headphones, after about 1 and half of heavy use (setting/usage showed 3 hours 12 minutes of use) I was down to 35%. I recharged using the iPhone charger for about 30 minutes and was back up to 61%. I ended up charging two other times for about 15 min (in the car using the Ridax charge converter) and at about 9:30 I ended the day with about 31%. So at this point I would say that the battery usage is no better than the 3G.

There are scatterings of battery complaints on the Apple forum (search for battery) which I can attest to after using the 3G S this weekend. On my first full day of use, the battery drained within 3 hours of average use (I had fully charged it when I received it). Then the iPhone shut itself down. I tried recharging it in my car with my Ridax charge converter (see my BMW install) and could not get the iPhone to charge at all. I then tried the BMW snap in adapter which revived the unit (I was glad to have it). After about 1 hour and half, I started using it again and the battery seem to drain quickly, however at some point the battery meter went from under 50% to over 50%. I tried using the Ridax charge converter again, and even though the thunderbolt shows up in the battery meter it did not appear to be charging.

After reading through the posts on the Apple forum, I made two changes:

1. I turned push email off and then back on (this has always been a drain, but I need it for work)
2. I turned on the percentage meter (settings/general/usage) to monitor charging and draining.

    

Battery Percentage option displays to the left of the battery meter.

I will see how today goes and update this post.

iPhone 3G S – Battery Weirdness (update)

Update 6/23/09: Yesterday, I did use the 3GS heavily in the morning streaming audio to my Motorola HT820 Bluetooth headphones, after about 1 and half of heavy use (setting/usage showed 3 hours 12 minutes of use) I was down to 35%. I recharged using the iPhone charger for about 30 minutes and was back up to 61%. I ended up charging two other times for about 15 min (in the car using the Ridax charge converter) and at about 9:30 I ended the day with about 31%. So at this point I would say that the battery usage is no better than the 3G.

There are scatterings of battery complaints on the Apple forum (search for battery) which I can attest to after using the 3G S this weekend. On my first full day of use, the battery drained within 3 hours of average use (I had fully charged it when I received it). Then the iPhone shut itself down. I tried recharging it in my car with my Ridax charge converter (see my BMW install) and could not get the iPhone to charge at all. I then tried the BMW snap in adapter which revived the unit (I was glad to have it). After about 1 hour and half, I started using it again and the battery seem to drain quickly, however at some point the battery meter went from under 50% to over 50%. I tried using the Ridax charge converter again, and even though the thunderbolt shows up in the battery meter it did not appear to be charging.

After reading through the posts on the Apple forum, I made two changes:

1. I turned push email off and then back on (this has always been a drain, but I need it for work)
2. I turned on the percentage meter (settings/general/usage) to monitor charging and draining.

Battery Percentage option displays to the left of the battery meter.

I will see how today goes and update this post.

BMW E53 X5 iPhone Snap In adapter installation

The BMW snap in adapter concept which allows you to swap it for different phones is excellent, however they never envisioned the iPhone's width when they designed the E53 X5 eject box (snap in adapter fits into the eject box). This means that the iPhone snap in adapter (part no 84 10 9 182 792) fits into the eject box, however the iPhone is to wide to fit into the combination snap in/eject box. The only option is to trim the eject box's side walls as reported in this X5 forum post. The problem is that trimming the walls can be a tricky process which I was not comfortable attempting, however Matt at 2point5 (the makers of the spec doc) has the required skills and equipment to do a great job.

 

The customized eject box with the snap in adapter installed. The red arrow points to the trimmed side walls.

 

The eject box, snap in adapter and my iPhone 3G installed in my X5 center console. The snap in adapter charges my iPhone 3G. It is too bad the iPhone does not have an external antenna to make use of the X5's cell antenna. The iPhone connects via BMW's 13th generation ULF Bluetooth unit (part no 84 10 9 154 358) which works perfectly.

BMW E53 X5 iPhone 3G integration Part 2 - the installation

Part 1 overview

First off; I want to thank all of the BMW enthusiasts out there for all the information they post on the forums, especially x5world. Without the information and responses on these sites I would never have attempted the upgrades to my X5.

For this project I used the instructions provided with the spec dock and this installation post on xoutpost. As with any project I adapted the information to meet my needs. I will document the changes I made to fit my needs.

I tested the configuration before performing any installation. I found two issues with the Intravee II:

1. There was excessive noise while playing the audio
2. The screen display was not stable

After searching the Intravee forum and emailing support (I received a response within the day) two fixes solved the problems:

1. Since I have a BMW Sirius receiver, the Intravee II requires a jumper to be reset. There are four screws to remove and the jumper block in question is closest to the audio connector. With the audio connector towards the top of the unit, move the jumper from the pins on the right to the pins on the left of the 4 pin 'block'.
2. I needed to upgrade the Intravee firmware to  version 5.40-323. The upgrade process is a bit convoluted but if you follow the instructions carefully you should not have any issues.

With those issues behind me, I was ready to move on to the physical installation. The first step was to install the spec dock by following the included instructions. My only comment on the instructions is that with the auto transmission I did not need to lift the shifter trim out of the way. I was able to thread the cable through to the side from the ashtray compartment.

 

View from the passenger side.

 

Cable coming from the ashtray compartment. I plugged the Ridax charge converter into spec dock cable and the CableJive 6 foot extension cable into the other end of the charge converter. I then ran the cable assembly in a gap under the console. The x5forum instructions are for a Dension install, but they are invaluable in order to pass the cables through the cabin. The hardest part of the install is running the cable under the molded carpet in front of the rear seat.

I only pushed the carpet out of the way on the driver's side. After removing the carpet trim on the center console and slitting the carpet with a utility knife, I was able to thread the end of the CableJive extension under the carpet. I was able to pass several inches of the cables, I then fashioned a wire with a hook out of a hanger, and by sliding my hand under the molded carpet from the door, I was able to hook the cable and pull it towards me (it took several attempts). I then connected that end of the cable to the Alpine KCA-420i iPod cable.

 

I mounted the Alpine KCA-420i and the Intravee II upside down above the Navigation computer. I used double sided heavy duty tape. I made sure the Intravee II serial port was exposed so that I could easily perform firmware upgrades.

 

The iPhone 3G charging in the spec dock. Without the Apple inserts, the iPhone fits easily with its silicone jacket which is great.

 

The iPhone 3G and the Intravee II display on the Navigation system.

 

The spec dock with my iPod 5G.

The whole process took about 2 and 1/2 hours which is not bad and as a disclaimer when you perform these upgrades you do it on your own and assume any risks.

If anyone is interested in my Dension Icelink unit for $50 please email me at steve (at) mydigitallife (.) us. It works fine and I would especially recommend it for a non NAV installation. Before you email me, you should be comfortable with installing electronics. Since Dension is out of business support will be an issue and I am selling it as is.

BMW E53 X5 iPhone 3G integration Part 1

This year's Christmas project on my X5 was to upgrade the integration between my iPod 5G and iPhone 3G. I originally installed a Dension interface to my iPod 5G then the iPhone, although it provides basic iPod functionality, the NAV screen integration was less than optimal with scrolling text which changed character size based on the length being displayed. I think the unit was better suited for display on the ODB display below the instrument cluster or the non NAV radio. Dension went out of business and Dice became the leader in 3rd party iPod integration, however Dice does not provide any real advantage over my original Dension other than the text scrolling issue is resolved.

Over the last year I found another solution; the Intravee II at bimmernav.com. The Intravee II uses Alpine AI-Net technology to bridge the iPod's controls, audio, and text to BMW's iBus. Leveraging all the work Alpine put into AI-Net is brilliant and the ability to display information using the entire NAV screen rather than just the banner lines makes the Intravee II the standout iPod integration for BMW's iBus cars. The only downsides are:

1. The cost, since you need to purchase the Intravee II and an Alpine AI-NET device.
2. The Alpine AI-NET adapter I needed does not provide the USB 5V charging voltage required by the iPhone 3G and newer iPods. The fix for this issue is to purchase a Ridax charge converter.

My next problem was the location the iPhone. When I installed the Dension solution, I placed the iPod dock connector in the arm rest storage bin. I could hide my iPod and keep it charged. With the iPhone, placing it in the storage bin every time I enter the car, then taking it out is not very user friendly. I use the BMW Bluetooth integration for phone calls and address book for the iPhone 3G with a 13th generation ULF module part number 84 10 9 154 358. At first, I thought that using the BMW iPhone snap in adapter (part no 84 10 9 182 792) which fits in the top of the armrest would solve my issue, however I had three problems with this solution:

1. I would need some integration work between the snap in's dock connector and the Intravee/Alpine solution.
2. Although, the iPod snap in adapter fits into the E53 cradle it is not wide enough to fit the iPhone (http://www.x5world.com/bluetooth/46436-iphone-fitted-old-style-eject-box.html)
3. The iPhone is hidden from view and is not easily accessible.

The one advantage with the snap in adapter is that it charges the iPhone 3G. I went ahead and purchased the iPhone snap in adapter to see how much of a deal it would be to modify. As I was doing research, I came across the spec dock from 2point5. The spec dock is an iPod/iPhone dock which replaces the ashtray and  is clearly the most elegant solution out there.

Matt Turner over at 2point5, the makers of the spec dock mobile iPod solution, provided me a spec dock which has a cable with a female dock connector which I could connect directly to the Intravee/Al-NET/Ridax charge converter setup. Since I had purchased the snap in adapter and did not want it to go to waste, I decided to use it as an alternate charging dock when I am using my iPod 5G 60GB (contains my entire library) in the spec dock. Matt agreed to trim out the walls of the eject box so that I could fit the iPhone in the snap in adapter. I can highly recommend the spec dock and working with 2point5, LLC for any custom work. They delivered everything as promised and are very easy to work with.

Here is the parts list for the project:

1. Intravee II from bmwnav ($250)
2. Alpine KCA-420i iPod/AI-NET adapter from Crutchfield ($99.99)
3. CableJive 6 foot dock extension cable ($32)
4. Ridax Charge adapter ($29.90)
5. X5 E53 spec dock with female dock cable from 2point5 ($149)

 

The total for this project came to $561 (not including the snap in work), not inexpensive but well worth it for the seamless integration. Part 2 will describe my installation.

Part 2 Installation 

BMW Bluetooth ULF, caller id and calling back to the US

updated: 10/1/08 new screen print.

The 13th generation BMW I-Bus Bluetooth module works very well with the iPhone 3G. The contacts are seamlessly transferred to the car and the incoming call contact's name is displayed on the nav screen.

One of the nice features of the ULF unit is the voice command feature which allows you to save voice tags and phone numbers allowing you to voice dial (a feature missing from the iPhone). Once you initiate the call the contacts name is displayed only if the system finds a perfect match with the phone number associated with the voice tag.

The problem I found was that the contact name for outgoing voice dial call did not always display. The reason was that I had some phone numbers setup with the +1 international dialing code so I can dial US numbers when I am traveling overseas. When I remove the +1, the ULF unit displays the contact name.

The downside of removing the +1 is loosing the ability to dial back to the US when traveling internationally, but the Apple designers must have forethought this issue by including an option to automatically add the +1 to numbers in your contacts which do not have an international dialing prefix. I assume that the iPhone add the appropriate country code based on the iPhone owners residence. The option is set by default in settings/phone as shown in the screen shot.

I updated the picture, since the iPhone TypePad app has issues with screen print images. TypePad says it is an iPhone problem...

iPhone 3G - Bluetooth and BMW I-BUS ULF module compatibility

I have been using using a 4th generation BMW ULF Bluetooth module (part no 84 21 6 950 089 ) with my Windows Mobile devices and the JetWare Mobile Bluetooth add on application for several years now without any issues. The JetWare Mobile application allows you to filter contacts by category, send the first 100 or so characters of emails and SMS messages to the ULF module, and displays address book based caller id information. Although you can still purchase JetWare Mobile, the developer seems to have gone AWOL and the product is no longer supported. JetWare Mobile version 1.31 has worked very well with all the HTC based devices I have used it on.

Although, I could pair my iPhone 3G and transfer the contacts to the 4th generation BMW ULF module, I could not view SMS or caller id. I wanted caller id on the Nav screen so I would not have to look down at the iPhone while driving. I also wanted to place the iPhone in the BMW cradle for charging. I decided to try the 13th generation unit (part no 84 10 9 154 358) from BimmerNav. This is probably last generation I-BUS ULF module from BMW since they are moving all their electronics to i-Drive. I can report that caller id works with the iPhone 3G, however I have not gotten SMS or emails to transfer (more testing needed). The contacts transfer fine, as they did with the 4th generation unit although the iPhone has no way to filter them so my entire contact folder transfers. Since the iPhone can sync multiple contact folders (the only feature it has over Windows Mobile when it comes to ActiveSync), I may filter my contacts using multiple folders since only the main contact folder syncs with the BMW ULF module.

As I mentioned earlier I want to use the BMW iPhone cradle for charging. The cradle is designed for 2006+ models, because the iPhone is wider than the older eject boxes (the cradle fits inside the eject box) like the one in my 2002 X5. There is an excellent thread on the X5forum detailing how to slim down the eject box's side rails which is on my to do list. I also am looking at upgrading my Dension iPod interface to an Intravee II, then wiring it into the eject box so I can charge and play music from my iPhone. I currently have a 5th generation 60GB iPod with my entire music collection connected to the Dension and I am not sure I want to loose access to all my music collection, since the iPhone can only hold a subset, so that part of the project is still in requirements gathering mode...

Another piece of the puzzle pointing to some type of MID computer by Apple

In my Monday ramblings I mentioned rumors I had read about the potential big announcement of a MID, UMPC or tablet style computer by Apple at their World Wide Developers Conference in June.

In macrumors: "but there have been rumors that Apple was developing a mini-tablet multitouch device for launch in 2008. This PDA-like device would reportedly have a higher screen resolution (720x480) and be about 1.5x the size of the existing iPhone." http://www.macrumors.com/2008/05/11/3g-iphone-in-may-another-device-at-wwdc/

In  I4U News: "Apple is rumored to be building a Mobile Internet Device (MID). The MIDs market is shaping up and with the Intel Atom chipset it might have a chance this time around - anybody remember UMPCs?" http://www.i4u.com/article17163.html

Now another piece to the puzzle. Intel is one of the primary sponsor of the BMW Formula One racing team; during a recent event at BMW new museum in Munich (BMW World) Intel's managing director was quoted in ZDnet Germany (thanks to Brandon at pocketnow.com for finding this one and translating it).

"As part of an Intel event for the 40th birthday of the semiconductor company at Munich’s BMW World, Germany managing director Hannes Schwaderer confirmed today what has long been a rumor on the Internet: namely, that there is an iPhone with Intel’s new Atom chip. The device is slightly larger than the current version, Schwaderer said. That is not, however, because of the Intel chip, but because of the larger display used in the new iPhone."

The Atom chip is being used in many UMPCs including several  Fujitsu models (currently on sale at costco.com). The cost of systems with these chips seems to be around $1000.

 

The week of November 12th in My Digital Life

This weekend I decided to try out the AppSnapp method of unlocking my iPhone. I installed the new version of iTunes ,Apple just released which provides unlocking functionality for the additional cellular carriers providing iPhone service in Europe. I then proceeded to restore my unlocked iPhone back to the standard locked firmware. I then followed the instructions on the AppSnapp web site, after some fiddling and multiple reboots I was able to connect to the web site via the iPhone and in less than 60 seconds the iPhone was unlocked. I have a couple of notes on the instructions:

1. When you create the contact, use 0 as the phone number
2. It is not clear whether you have to create a favorite for the contact you created, but I did
3. Once you have initially connected to a WIFI hotspot and you reboot, you need to be patient for the WIFI reconnect to happen (between 1 and 2 minutes), once the WIFI icon appears you can then launch the home page in your saved contact. Follow the instructions on the page, a download and installs occurs. No message will be displayed but within 60 seconds your iPhone will be unlocked.

Of course this only takes cares of the iTunes unlock. My SIM card/cell phone unlock from iphoneSIMfree was still active and worked once the iTunes unlock was completed. Many kudos to the iphonedevteam for putting this together.

On the mobile device OS front, PC Magazine voted Windows Mobile 6 as their Editor's choice despite the fact that it was not perfect. I have to agree with them, and if Apple puts together a well integrated OTA synchronized email/contact/calendar/task application on the iPhone, watch out...They also voted the Samsung i760 as one of the best devices and I agree, it is a very solid device.

I was surprised by David Pogue, one the mainstream media's technology reporters I find balanced,  posted some Windows Mobile comments that are just plain wrong. I was going to refute his post but Matthew Miller of ZDNet beat me to the punch with his rebuttal.

Last weekend one of my PATA drives failed and I caused myself headaches. I ran the Seagate web based drive utility and it reported the drive failure from the S.M.A.R.T status. The drive is still under warranty and I could ship it back for a replacement. The problem is that I use that drive to store my week - 1 backups and it would be a pain not having it for 2 weeks. I decided to use HDD Regen, it recovered one bad sector, I ran the Seagate drive utility, it showed no errors. I have used this utility twice now, once on my Tivo drive and once on this Seagate drive. The $59.99 I spent for the utility has been well worth it.

I am still missing channels 185, 186, 188, 192, and 193 on my Sirius radio. I was being told that it was because the activation/programming signal was not getting through. After placing the antenna in the middle of the roof, I had Sirius resend the activation signal with no change. They were able to deactivate and activate channel 198 (Playboy) so I know I can receive program updates. At this point I am thinking that I have a problem with the Sirius radio.

This week:

• Finish and post part 4 and 5 of my video review of the SCH-i760.
• My review of the iqua BHS-303 Bluetooth headset is still in the queue to be posted on pocketnow.com this week.  This is a very good headset for $35 (Internet price)

The week of November 5th in My Digital Life

Last week I installed my Sirius receiver in my BMW, it is a credit to BMW's I-Bus architecture that I can have factory integrated Bluetooth, Sirius and a DVD based navigation in a vehicle built in 2002. Off course BMW won't admit it or support it since they want to sell new vehicles with these capabilities. I can thank the folks on the x5forum and Tom at European Auto Source for the parts and support. The Sirius Terk antenna is tucked away in the X5's spoiler, no external antenna which keeps the clean exterior look. I have had no issues with reception, although I am missing channels 185 - 197 which is were the majority of the Canadian channels are. Even though I probably won't listen to those channels much, I am paying for them so I should receive them. Sirius has tried to send out a new activation/programming signal several times to no avail. I have read some forum posts that you need the latest Sirius chip set to get these channels. Since I bought the latest generation receiver (3rd) from BMW, I would expect those channels would work. I have emails out on this issue, but I will try to send the re-activation signal from the Sirius web site today to see if that works...

This weekend one my desktop Seagate hard drives failed (the system no longer sees the drive) and I did something stupid, I reset the BIOS (to see if the system would see the drive) and forgot the turn on the RAID option. Since my Intel D865 PERL RAID chipset does not officially support Vista, the RAID driver needs to load before Vista, which means it has to be part of the Master Boot Record (MBR) and is tied to the BIOS setting. Unfortunately when Vista boots, if it does not see the BIOS setting, it will automatically rebuilds the MBR and you loose any ability to boot the RAID driver which means you loose all RAID capabilities associated with the disks. The Vista repair function does not work. I had to reinstall Vista and restore from my Acronis backup. What a pain but everything is finally up and running this morning.

This week:

• Finish and post part 2 and 3 of my video review of the SCH-i760.
• My review of the iqua BHS-303 Bluetooth headset should post on pocketnow.com this week.  This is a very good headset for $35 (Internet price)