# Detailed article on BMW "MyInfo" (Google Maps)



## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

Click here for article.



> Thanks to a new GSM-based telematics system soon to be available across the entire range of BMWs (except X3 and Z4), BMW is launching the MyInfo feature in the States. Using Google Maps, this new offering allows BMW owners to send a destination, including street address and telephone number, to a satnav-equipped BMW from virtually any computer connected to the Internet.
> 
> The MyInfo feature was introduced in Europe in early 2007 and has since become very popular. It works as simply as advertised: once you have a destination up on Google Maps, click on Send to Phone and follow the options.


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## chicagofan00 (Feb 10, 2008)

Sucks that this won't be available as an upgrade to the MY 2008 or earlier owners.... :thumbdwn:


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

chicagofan00 said:


> Sucks that this won't be available as an upgrade to the MY 2008 or earlier owners....


While it´s unfortunate, it´s not exactly a big surprise or shock - no real justification for BMW or any car maker to make all new features backwards compatible; that would hold them back on introducing innovations and also not motivate people to purchase the latest and greatest model.


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## X3 Skier (Aug 21, 2005)

Since this is a BMW set of software, it would not surprise me that the directions involve directing the driver to some strange and totally unexpected places.:angel:

BMW is not what one would call a world class software developer.

Cheers


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

X3 Skier said:


> Since this is a BMW set of software, it would not surprise me that the directions involve directing the driver to some strange and totally unexpected places.:angel:
> 
> BMW is not what one would call a world class software developer.
> 
> Cheers


Actually, it just sends address info to the satnav system; nothing´s changed in that department. It routes as well as it normally would.


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## ///M Rakete (Apr 1, 2002)

Just wait until someone harvests all of the account names for this and starts sending spam locations. Not really sure an unmoderated/unauthenticated push is such a good idea. I'd prefer one where I had to authenticate as part of the request process. Or at least the option to require authentication.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

Ja, that´s a question I have for them (to be covered this week when I speak in real-time to the product mgr as opposed to via e-mail) BUT a spammer would have to know the type of car, the country of service, and the specific e-mail address used for the service (in my case, I have about 300 different addresses that are vendor or service specific and I can terminate one without much fuss - besides, someone would have to guess how I constructed the e-mail address for the BMW Assist service).


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## ua549 (Oct 22, 2007)

Earlier you posted that the info is sent to a phone number, not an email address.
AFAIK my 535i does not have an email address. Which is correct? 

Cellular phone numbers are easy to obtain or randomly call. One would think that the car has its own phone number independent of any user provided cellular telephone connected to the car.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

ua549 said:


> Earlier you posted that the info is sent to a phone number, not an email address.
> AFAIK my 535i does not have an email address. Which is correct?
> 
> Cellular phone numbers are easy to obtain or randomly call. One would think that the car has its own phone number independent of any user provided cellular telephone connected to the car.


On the Google Maps page, you use an email address (same as what you use for BMW Assist).


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## ///M Rakete (Apr 1, 2002)

JSpira said:


> On the Google Maps page, you use an email address (same as what you use for BMW Assist).


In fact if you have more than one BMW it will attempt to send the My Info message to each car.


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

5 Rakete said:


> In fact if you have more than one BMW it will attempt to send the My Info message to each car.


I take it you got two failure messages then?


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## ///M Rakete (Apr 1, 2002)

JSpira said:


> I take it you got two failure messages then?


Yes.


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## Billd104 (Aug 30, 2006)

Jon, I thought I read an article somewhere, can't recall where, that BMW was going to 3G technology via AT&T for the onboard phone system instead of GSM? Just my imagination??


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## JSpira (Oct 21, 2002)

Billd104 said:


> Jon, I thought I read an article somewhere, can't recall where, that BMW was going to 3G technology via AT&T for the onboard phone system instead of GSM? Just my imagination??


At this time, there is no support for 3G.


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## Billd104 (Aug 30, 2006)

Thanks Jon!!


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## lensman314 (Apr 28, 2006)

I am anxiously waiting for this for my 135i when my lease is up. It would be great to have this feature availible for Euro Deliveries, but I doubt they will be able to activate BMW Assist for us over there. 

Imagine this: 
Once you get your trip planned out, collect all the addresses(10 only?) you will need. 
Somehow get the "BMW Assist/MyInfo" service activated after the car is built. 
Then, send the collected addresses to your car as it sits in the Welt. 
Pickup your car, with your first destination allready programmed


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## Kzang (Apr 12, 2006)

chicagofan00 said:


> Sucks that this won't be available as an upgrade to the MY 2008 or earlier owners.... :thumbdwn:


Yeah same thing happened shortly after I got my car the live traffic report on the navs were available. :thumbdwn:


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## ua549 (Oct 22, 2007)

So how does the car know what your email address is? 
Mail sent to my email address lands on my home mail server. 
It sounds like BMW will be assigning unique email addresses to each nav system.


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## ///M Rakete (Apr 1, 2002)

ua549 said:


> So how does the car know what your email address is?
> Mail sent to my email address lands on my home mail server.
> It sounds like BMW will be assigning unique email addresses to each nav system.


The car doesn't have to know its email address.

When you send the map information (from Google for example) you are using a web interface that asks for specifics about make, country, and email address. That web interface will then send the location/data and the email address you specify to BMW Assist. You are not sending an email to your email address.

BMW Assist matches that email address which is your BMW Assist account username to the registered cars in its database that belong to you. Each car's telematics unit is a cellular phone and it can receive the My Info SMS text message that BMW Assist will distribute to it based on what you send.


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