Blue&Me - Podcasts

alfagtv58 · August 21, 2013, 02:47:32 PM

I need some advice from anyone who knows the Blue&Me system.....I have just bought an '09 159. I often listen to podcasts through my iPhone5. Can the Blue&Me handle this via bluetooth? Will I need an adaptor for the USB port in glovebox? Or should I just start loading my podcasts onto a dedicated USB stick?

Stuart Thomson · August 23, 2013, 07:30:45 AM

Hi Phil,

AFAIK the '09 B&M won't stream across the bluetooth. A cheapie USB stick in the glovebox would be the way to go.

Blue & Me and Apple products sometimes don't play well together (go figure, Apple V Microsoft), for instance, none of our iPods, iPhones etc play music in the 159 using the USB port. The Mito B&M at least plays music from the iPhones etc, but flatly refuses to read the text messages, a "feature" of the new B&M. This isn't entirely Microsoft's fault as the problem lies in the implementation of iMessage, which B&M doesn't recognise as a text messaging app.

Cheers
Stu

alfagtv58 · August 23, 2013, 10:35:20 AM

Thanks Stu, I paired the phone last night no problems, I really like the speech function. I put a couple of podcasts on a USB last night and listed on the way to work this morning, works fine, the only problem is when I want to listen to the same podcast elsewhere (in the garage for example) I have to try to find where I am up to on the Apple device......1st world problems.

oz3litre · October 19, 2013, 11:23:29 AM

You can buy a USB dongle on Ebay from the UK that will allow you to play and charge the iPhone through the B&M system. It is an official Fiat part. You can buy it from an Alfa dealer, but they will charge you twice as much. I bought one for our 2008 159 and it works perfectly, including using the steering wheel controls. I haven't tried podcasts though. I also bought a dongle for my GT that does the same thing, but plugs into the back of the radio in place of the CD changer.

alfagtv58 · October 19, 2013, 09:06:23 PM

Thanks, I had spotted those dongles, good to hear from someone who has used them that they work!

Doug Gould · October 22, 2013, 06:26:16 PM

Bin the Blue & Me and put a modern system in. Plenty on ebay. Blue & Me was never much good.

oz3litre · October 22, 2013, 07:06:20 PM

Quote from: Doug Gould on October 22, 2013, 06:26:16 PM
Bin the Blue & Me and put a modern system in. Plenty on ebay. Blue & Me was never much good.

Yes, expecting Microsoft to make something that works was a bit naive of Fiat. Still, with the dongle it is OK. The bluetooth phone side of it works OK with iPhones without the dongle.

MattC · February 28, 2015, 03:42:21 PM

Quote from: oz3litre on October 19, 2013, 11:23:29 AM
You can buy a USB dongle on Ebay from the UK that will allow you to play and charge the iPhone through the B&M system. It is an official Fiat part. You can buy it from an Alfa dealer, but they will charge you twice as much. I bought one for our 2008 159 and it works perfectly, including using the steering wheel controls. I haven't tried podcasts though. I also bought a dongle for my GT that does the same thing, but plugs into the back of the radio in place of the CD changer.

I listen to podcasts through my iPhone all the time in the car. The only time it doesn't work is when the system generally doesn't believe I plugged the phone in.