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Actual Entunes Usage?

Discussion in 'Prius v Audio and Electronics' started by mynewpriusv, Mar 26, 2012.

  1. mynewpriusv

    mynewpriusv New Member

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    As much as I love technology and the new options of integrating your smart phone with your vehicle. I think entunes is not so useful, at least in it's current stage.

    Yes, I get the benefits, the convenience of adding a location from a Bing search directly to your address book, the safety of using your built in vehicle's system vs. your smart phone (while driving).

    However, given I have an iPhone and assume most of you have smartphones of one kind of another, I think the entunes system is rather primitive and basic. I only have a few apps (bing, maps, etc.) and I am not sure how/when to use them.

    I could very well be missing the true usage, but I wanted to ask - how are you using entunes?

    Thanks!
     
  2. hoddy4

    hoddy4 New Member

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    I use primarily for Pandora. But I find Bing very useful and use stocks and sports occasionally.
     
  3. Keiichi

    Keiichi Active Member

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    I don't really use Entune that much myself. I experimented with the Pandora and didn't see any problems, however, I believe it still needs work. I know with the Android implementation, if you clear the notification, it has to be restarted.

    Personally, it is an 'eh' application.
     
  4. mynewpriusv

    mynewpriusv New Member

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    Thanks guys. Agreed, it's more of an "eh" for me thus far. Perhaps, we'll see upgrades in the future.
     
  5. mdime

    mdime Junior Member

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    I haven't noticed that with my Android phone. I clear the notification all the time but when I turn on my phone again it's always back and "listening". I have to force close the service to really turn it off.

    As for the functionality of Entunes, I'm not impressed either. The only app I really use is Pandora and even that drives me nuts. I find that I can only get it to work about 90% of the time. That other 10% I get a message that the data connection on my phone isn't good enough even though I have no problem running Pandora straight from the phone's app.
     
  6. lolstebbo

    lolstebbo Junior Member

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    The only thing I really use Entune for is traffic, but it's annoying how I have to go to the Traffic button and okay the internet connection every time I start the car.
     
  7. RichardAK

    RichardAK Member

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    Please correct me if I'm wrong (as if I even need to ask on PC :) ) but I remember reading that weather, sports, stocks and traffic apps use the XM data service and not the smartphone Internet connection. I was able to use them without my iPhone connected to the USB connection.

    I've used the Bing search to find businesses and I like the integration with the Nav unit and, like others, played with Pandora. At this point, I would not pay much for the Entune service. And the XM reception is so spotty up here, I don't think it's worth $15 per month either.
     
  8. lolstebbo

    lolstebbo Junior Member

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    Weather, sports, stocks, and traffic are piped through your phone unless you have the Premium HDD Nav with Entune, which relies on XM data services.
     
  9. RichardAK

    RichardAK Member

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    Cool. I do like having the weather app but didn't want to have to continue to subscribe to XM as it barely works this far north. I didn't have my phone connected to the USB plug but then again, I do have tethering enabled.

    Something else to try tonight...
     
  10. ProximalSuns

    ProximalSuns Senior Member

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    Traffic is the key. It integrates with the Nav to show traffic jams etc. Don't know if Nav and Entunes traffic talk yet. If you doing a navigated route it should see the traffic jam and ask you if you want to avoid it and reroute.

    Bing also integrates with Nav, look up a place on Bing and nav to location or call on the Bluetoothed phone.
     
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  11. mdime

    mdime Junior Member

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    I wish it worked this way but that hasn't been my experience. In my non-ATP system the traffic app and map app don't share information. Nav routing is done solely based on mileage and speed limits but not on traffic flow. I'm stuck using an app on my phone like Waze (or Google Nav, as of today supposedly).
     
  12. ddaw215

    ddaw215 New Member

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    I have some very frustrating problems with my entune. I agree if you clear notifications I have to restart my phone to get the entune app to work. Sometimes I can be connected Via bluetooth my songs will play and the phone will work but my apps wont. I get a "problem connecting to bluetooth" If I go to connect it then tells me "already connected for voice and Music" very frustrating. Great when it works though love bing and Pandora is always awesome.
     
  13. ProximalSuns

    ProximalSuns Senior Member

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    Trip today and Traffic via Entunes showed on the Nav (green, yellow and red overlays to show traffic level) and rerouted due to traffic jam detected by Entunes Traffic.

    This is low end 6" Nav package not the ATP 7" package. The 7" has XM Satellite Traffic which is different than Entunes Traffic, it runs via the XM receiver not the phone's internet connection.

    Both systems are integrated with Nav, show traffic and the interface with the Nav to warn of traffic problems and offer to reroute.

    I believe the 7" ATP package one can use XMNavTraffic or the Entunes Traffic.
     
  14. mdime

    mdime Junior Member

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    That's cool. I'm going to have to give it another shot this afternoon. I guessing it has something to do with my phone not being connected to entunes before starting the Nav. It doesn't "connect for internet" by default when I start the Nav. It only connects when I run Pandora or one of the other apps that needs data.
     
  15. lolstebbo

    lolstebbo Junior Member

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    It takes a while for traffic information to be loaded into the nav. It's usually not really worth the wait.
     
  16. ProximalSuns

    ProximalSuns Senior Member

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    XMNavTraffic is every 15 minutes I was told by XM tech on phone with me and Toyota tech in the car.

    Entunes Internet traffic appears based on Google traffic which is updated every time there is a change reported by the traffic network.

    As far as them appearing on Nav map, once the Prius does the initial start up, the traffic overlays and information appear on the Nav map immediately.

    A new feature that Entunes could add and the 2012 Nav units could show would be the traffic map live shots. I have this on my iPhone and it's nice to check.
     
  17. lolstebbo

    lolstebbo Junior Member

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    Not through Androids over Bluetooth it doesn't. Every time you start-up, you need to confirm that you are okay with Entune potentially racking up data charges, and then you need to wait for the phone to connect to the servers, and then you need to wait for the map to load in the traffic data.
     
  18. ProximalSuns

    ProximalSuns Senior Member

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    Aka "initial startup". You can disable the warning on the data usage if you want to speed it up but it is a good reminder. The Entunes traffic is faster than the XM traffic which is every 15 minute update.
     
  19. buckaroo

    buckaroo Junior Member

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    I use the Entune for phone service, gas prices and Pandora. The gas prices function alone is worth it for me. Traffic is not that useful.
     
  20. lolstebbo

    lolstebbo Junior Member

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    I've already opted to disable it, but it still pops up.

    Either way, the phone I'm using now doesn't support Entune, so this doesn't affect me for now.