Google has been pushing Android Automotive as the next big thing for cars, and it’s resulted in some big names such as Ford and Honda signing on. Now, though, Mercedes-Benz is joining the list of carmakers adopting Android Automotive, but the flavor without Google’s input.
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Google is getting serious about its self-driving car initiative.
Reuters reports on Wednesday that Google has entered discussions with several top automative manufacturers about self-driving cars, including General Motors, Ford, Volkswagen and Daimler, the German company behind Mercedes-Benz. The company has also partnered with a number of auto suppliers to develop and refine self-driving systems and components, such as Continental AG, Robert Bosch, LG Electronics and Nvidia.
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Nest’s smart thermostat is getting smarter, thanks to a number of new additions to the Works With Nest connectivity program, ranging from your car to your washing-machine.
Some of the applications are obvious, such as your August smart door lock setting the heating or cooling to Away mode when you leave the house. The Kevo lock goes one better, letting Nest who is home and away, so that their preferred temperatures can be used …
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There is both a lot happening at this year’s Google I/O and very little, depending where you look. Obviously, if you are a developer who builds Android and even web apps, you are a kid in a candy store. If you are looking for new hardware, there isn’t much that wasn’t out there already. Neither Google co-founder took the stage this year after successive years where Sergey Brin led the introduction of Google Glass (which is all but absent this year) and Larry Page led an epic Q&A last year.
Back in January Google announced a new Open Automotive Alliance that would see the company work with automakers to bring Android-based entertainment systems to vehicles. We’ve seen hints of those partnerships start to trickle out and the latest comes from Mercedes. Following a job listing from Mercedes last week looking for a software engineer to work on a “Google Projected Mode” that would integrate content from Android devices into an in-car system, the company has once again mentioned using Android in a press release today.
While announcing that Apple’s just announced CarPlay feature for iOS would be demoed on a new Mercedes-Benz C-Class at the Geneva Motor Show, the company also said it would offer Android support as “as soon as Google brings its own in-car infotainment system to market.”
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Earlier this week, a report emerged claiming that Ferrari, Volvo, and Mercedes are going to unveil the first iOS in the Car integrated vehicles this week. iOS in the Car was first announced by Apple at WWDC in June, though the company has been rather quiet since then. Now, it appears as if Google is getting ready to take a stab at an in-car technology system.
According to a job posting, first spotted by German site Mobi-flip.de, Mercedes-Benz’s parent company Daimler is looking for a software engineer who can help implement Google’s in-car system. The in-car interface will reportedly be called “Google Projected Mode” and will allow users to “seamlessly integrate” Android devices into a dashboard’s head unit.
A new report out of the Wall Street Journal indicates Audi and Google will jointly announce a new in-car entertainment and information system at next weeks Consumer Electronics Show. The aim of both companies is to “allow drivers and passengers to access music, navigation, apps, and services that are similar to those widely available now on Android-powered smartphones.”
