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Here we go with the Apple-car rumors again

Posted by: Arik Hesseldahl on August 30

Seems only a few weeks ago that the rumors were going about Apple talking to Mercedes about collaboration on some kind of telematics-entertainment system in a future model year. More like two months. This time the buzz is around Volkswagen, and I at the moment, without further corroboration, I’m feeling as dismissive as before.

But just as I said two months ago, and for the very same reasons, rumors like this have legs because not only because the idea of Apple and a car company teaming up is so cool, but because its plausible. But plausible and likely are two different things.

Meanwhile, this brief furor reminded me of this old Volkswagen add “pods unite” which I located on YouTube. I seem to remember there was another such ad pairing the Beetle and the iPod, but involving an older generation of iPod, but I can’t seem to find it. Or am I mistaken?

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Reader Comments

Bucky Spinster

August 30, 2007 03:20 PM

More hints of the Apple iCar can be found at minute 07:17 of the Pixar movie Cars.

TAOJONES

August 30, 2007 03:42 PM

I wonder if the upcomming announcement of the beetles on I-tunes put the bee in someones bonnet to get this idea.The good news is if apple is working on it at least it will work reliably. can you imagine a touch screen dash from windows.

"you have attempted to start your car! your trial period has expired! please call microsoft to purchase a delux key to your car"

i really want to see a "pay for play" mac jutebox in my local pub that lets me play my i tunes favorites and throws the preformance royalties to the artist on a "one play per quarter " basis (or whatever) the "I-juke box" (now watch this rumor fly) for the record I just made this product up it does not to my knowlege exist (yet)

Sludwig

August 30, 2007 09:37 PM

Think interface design. If you wanted to leap frog over every one's, including your own, crappy interface who would you talk to?

arik

August 31, 2007 08:04 AM

Sludwig: I agree with you completely, which is part of the reason I'm calling these rumors plausible. The other main reason is the embedded version of Mac OS X, on the iPhone, and Apple's patents on multitouch screen interfaces. All this is summed up in the column from June linked above.

Hopeful

September 7, 2007 03:29 PM

Can you imagine the possibilities here? If your car can sync with itunes you could have your entire collection with you on the road without your iphone on an itrip. All of your cars diagnostics could sync and you could keep track of every oil change or other service on your ipod. GPS from apple?

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A blog on the daily doings of Apple and the many companies in its orbit, with insight and analysis by two longtime Apple-watchers BusinessWeek Senior Writer Peter Burrows and BusinessWeek.com Senior Technology Writer Arik Hesseldahl.

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