Buzz
Is the gracenote only available via the dealer?
Only I find the voice activation to be very poor, compared the my Nexus 7 its from the stone age.
At the moment I believe so. Mazda customers services didn't know how to download the latest version and the owner's manual and wesbite do not explain either.
I only really use voice control for making phone calls but as my car no longer works with my phone, I currently don't use it at all! Though I understand that (with the USB issue) it could save time getting the last track to play again more quickly

Also, I keep getting the bluetooth and music note symbols pop up on my screen every few seconds. It's very annoying when trying to read the sat nav! Is this a crap design feature?
Like you, I really didn't appreciate the qualities of another brand's set up, until I started to play around with the Mazda system. BMW professional HD sat nav / USB/ idrive system is far, far superior to Mazda's.
Overall, I do really like the car and believe its excellent value for money.