BMW has become the first vehicle to integrate IFTTT (If This Then That) service with its iDrive, which now lays out many options of "Recipes" that "Trigger" the chosen "Action". In layman's terms, this means that the users will be privy to an array of personalized services like switching on the lights of the house while garaging the car or sending an automatic message to the spouse while picking up kids from school.
Like most automobile companies, BMW has also been testing ways of combining new technology with the in-built ConnectedDrive feature. As a result of all the hard work, its BMW Labs has now been rolled out on January 19 which allows the customers to connect with the IFTTT services through an online platform and check out how the customized services work. The services are only available in English at this moment and have been tested in the US, Germany, France, Spain, and Australia, according to International Business Times.
This free BMW service allows the customers to link apps and smart devices to create personalized "recipes", which when selected "trigger" the desired "action". It not only connects with more than 260 applications like FaceBook, Twitter, Google Drive and emails, but can be connected with some smart home devices like Nest, Philips Hue, and Netatmo.
However, as CNET represents, the users need to integrate their vehicles with navigation and ConnectedDive services via BMW Online. The IFTTT users should have a personal account that gives them access to BMW Labs on the IFTTT website, where they can create personalized "recipes" that will soon become a part and parcel of their lives.
As paultan.org points out, once the technical bit is in place, the world is your oyster. A number of customized services can be fitted into the car, and these small 'actions' will infinitely make life easier. For instance, you will be able to upgrade your autopilot experience so that the garage doors open or close automatically when the car pulls into or out of the driveway. If connected with technology like Philips Hue, the lights of the house will get automatically turned on or off. If you want to keep a tab on your teenager's speed limit when they are out with your car, an email will be sent to you once they cross the speed limit set by you. The exact location of your parking spot will show up in a GMap link and your customized 'recipes' will send automatic alerts whenever you want to.
While IFTTT performs so many functions for the car, the car can also perform a function for IFTTT. For example, when the Samsung SmartThings motion sensor detects any movement, a notification comes up on the iDrive display. A host of personalized 'recipes' is listed on the website so that it becomes easier for the customers to select and customize their own list.
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