Google's 'Projected Mode' in-car system possibly leaked by Mercedes-Benz

Job adverts aren't most reliable way to hear about new technology, but interesting ones do crop up from time to time, and that's why our eyes are drawn to one recently posted by Daimler, the parent company of Mercedes-Benz. The ad requests the services of a software engineer who can help the German car maker implement Google's forthcoming in-car system, which is apparently called "Google Projected Mode" and which is described as a way to "seamlessly integrate" Android smartphones into a dashboard's head unit. This head unit would presumably house a bigger display that mirrors a simplified version of the Android UI -- unless the use of the word "projected" implies something more futuristic.

The ad makes no mention of how the connection is made between the phone and the dash, for example whether it's cabled, wireless or a mixture of the two. However, it does refer to media playback, messaging, calls and navigation all being handled "safely" through the vehicle's control system, which suggests this will be a fully featured alternative to Apple's "iOS in the Car." Perhaps the most revealing thing is a line at the end of job description that refers to Google Projected Mode coming to "all Mercedes-Benz vehicles in all markets worldwide." That sounds like a pretty firm commitment to the platform, even if Daimler can't claim to be a founding member of Google's new Open Automotive Alliance.


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