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Am I the only one who think Entune is total garbage?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Audio and Electronics' started by benalexe, Jan 13, 2013.

  1. benalexe

    benalexe Member

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    I love my plug in prius. The car is an engineering marvel.. When it comes to Entue I can't believe what a piece of junk it is. First off it is completely glitchy.. Sometime it does not connect to my phone and other times it works fine. I will be driving and have to re-pair it for no reason. If I am driving using the navigation system and listening to the radio and I decided I need to plug in my phone to the car, all of a sudden the music on my ipod comes on. I dont want it on. Every time I hook up my phone to the car this automatically happens.

    In addition sometimes when I don't hook up my phone to the car the music form my ipod play on the radio through the bluetooth.

    The apps half the time do not work either. They don't load or get stuck.

    This is a really botched job by Toyota- It is complete JUNK.

    Anyone agree?
     
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  2. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    Bluetooth works excellently with my keyboard and mouse. Bluetooth with cars and phones, not so much.
     
  3. ph43drus

    ph43drus Junior Member

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    I'm with you. None of the apps are things I had bothered to install on my phone. If they were on my phone, they'd be easier to use there with the Android UI.

    My salesman made a big deal of installing Entune on my phone and getting it to talk with the head unit. I played with it for about 30 minutes total before uninstalling. Now granted, a big part of why I uninstalled was the constant notifications from the app when the phone wasn't even in the car, but I wasn't tempted to reinstall when I read here that they fixed that in the latest release (even though the app continues to run constantly in the background). Just a mediocre interface to allow running apps I wasn't interested in. Build a universal smartphone holder into the console and I'd be more excited.
     
  4. Bossman

    Bossman Junior Member

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    The most amusing thing to me: try looking something up on Bing. Then use Google now on your Android phone. I promise you will never use the Bing app through the car ever again.
     
  5. schlem

    schlem Polygeek

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    Other than the aforementioned USB glitch, I have none of the problems listed here. Using a Motorola DroidX. Apps works consistently and well (as well as cellular connectivity allows while moving). Installed Entune to phone and USB upgrade to car without issue. I agree that the search function puts you in a playpen, but there are lawyers behind that one.

    FWIW, Toyota partnered with Harmon to design/develop Entune. I expect that means Toyota made the hole in the dash, Harmon made the widget.
     
  6. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Given that Entune isn't available in Canada, I've only had limited experience with it and frankly the only thing I used it for was for the Bing Search. It beats trying to look for things via the navigation interface.

    That being said, what's the point of integration if it's all locked out while driving? Might as well just ask the passenger to search it up on their phone. If you're on your own and you stopped to search, why would you use the interface at that point? You would use your phone to look things up.

    The ideal method would allow for a "Send to Car" option similar to Lexus Enform that allows you to send an address or POI to the nav system.

    Or, just wait a few years and wait for that box shown at CES (I forget the name) that mimics your phone's home screen.
     
  7. JMD

    JMD 2012 Prius 4 Solar Roof

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    The Bing and navigation integration works very good for me and that is worth it's weight in gold. I don't use the table reservations or movie ticket service. Can't get Pandora to work and never tried Heart radio.

    I can stream my iPhone music to the car with no problems.

    Make sure you have the current OS and Entune downloaded. That was an issue for me that solved problems.

    If my key and my phone is in the same pocket I get a error message can't find key. There is some RF conflict.
     
  8. Blu-ray

    Blu-ray Blizzard Brigade #215

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    I use it with my iPhone and have no qualms about it. I like how I can get the weather on the big screen as opposed to my phone. It's easier to keep my eyes on the road using the built in touch screen. I also use it for traffic jams and trying to find an alternate route using the traffic app.

    I do however feel that for the navigation that Toyota should just buy Tom Tom or Garmin and start using them as their navigation. I'll probably post a thread today on my [sarcasm]most enjoyable drive home [/sarcasm] allowing the Navigation to tell me how to bypass the heavy traffic.
     
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  9. Jeffrey Cox

    Jeffrey Cox New Member

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    I think that Entune is in the beta stages. I would like to see more aggressive development or open source. I would like to see Spotify and a good fuel mileage app.
     
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  10. schlem

    schlem Polygeek

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    An SDK would be awesome. I keep hoping for someone to figure out how to hack it and install a new Linux or Android. Just the specs would be nice to know.
     
  11. ftl

    ftl Explicator

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    SDK not gonna happen - yet.

    Take a look at Toyota's response when I suggested hacking Entune last year.

    They will have to deal with this eventually, though. At the CES show in Las Vegas last week, both GM and Ford launched programs to open their smart cars to app developers.
     
  12. Valentin

    Valentin New Member

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    Actually it's possible to send an address even using the default entune application. You need to add it to stored locations than load manually from yours car dashboard.

    I've tried to make this process better in Toyota Proxy app for android and seems it works but you have to enter geo coordinates for your address to make it navigable :-( It is not a problem when you use google maps.
     
  13. schlem

    schlem Polygeek

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    I read that post with great interest a few months ago. I am surprised that nobody has cracked this nut yet. I remain hopefully optimistic. Maybe a junkyard unit is available somewhere...
     
  14. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Send from your computer?
     
  15. Zephyr7

    Zephyr7 Member

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    hey would just make the Nav though... then again.. ppl using the Chrysler UConnect with Garmin system love it but they still do experience resets.

    Who like their system's hack? Microsoft? Apple? Samsung? Not even ATT and Versizon unlock their phones. Not like Jailbeak is ok, even on those tablets to root them also voids warranty.
     
  16. Blu-ray

    Blu-ray Blizzard Brigade #215

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    I've actually been having a better experience with Entune since I upgraded to the iPhone 5. I also figured out for those that don't like the iPod activation when you first plug in the phone, all you need to do is plug the phone in BEFORE you start up the car. Then it doesn't activate. Also leaving the app open the system automatically connects for internet.

    My only beef is that the thing won't let my passenger do things while I'm driving. I have to be stopped for them to purchase movie tickets. I understand there is a speed lock bypass but I'd rather not install it as I would like to keep what I can original, especially when it comes to electronics.
     
  17. Valentin

    Valentin New Member

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    Not yet. I enter lat/lon manually :-(
     
  18. dragonfly13

    dragonfly13 Junior Member

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    On my 2013 I downloaded Entune and really don't see any use for it yet. With navigation and all it's points of interest and the audio system having AM, FM, HD and XM I'm not sure I'll have a use for it. I'll play with it but after the trial period...it's gone.
     
  19. JMD

    JMD 2012 Prius 4 Solar Roof

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    They did a good job with the Bing and Navigaton integration. The rest can't say for sure
     
  20. chinito77

    chinito77 Member

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    I agree with the original poster that Entune is pretty useless. If I want music, I connect via Bluetooth or the cable to my iPhone. I can listen to my own collection or use Pandora, TuneIn, iHeartRadio, etc. Why anyone would want to use the car's version of Pandora is beyond me.

    Also, I can quickly get movie tickets and make dinner reservations from my iPhone versus Entune by passing my phone over to my passenger. Heck, I could do it faster myself when sitting at a red light versus Entune.

    The Entune idea was great on paper but unless my Prius had built-in internet access and great apps to help me while driving (i.e, Gas app that points to nearest gas station when fuel is low or nearest mechanic if I get a flat tire) it is absolutely pointless. It's a system that relies on your cell phone which already can do the job quicker and more efficiently.
     
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