Mercedes' App Store Opens for European Customers
Mercedes customers in Europe who drive a car equipped with “Comand” are getting access to the brand’s app store first previewed at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show.
Don’t get upset if you’re one of the well-heeled people driving such a car outside the store’s availability zone. It seems snazzy, but there are only two apps available for purchase at the moment. One of them is a news application that costs an annual 9.95 euro subscription. It shows headlines while the car is in motion and the full text when it isn’t, while the other helps to find a parking spot.
Given the way car companies are already moving to pair Siri with native telematics systems, the Comand app store seems like a fringe benefit for customers dedicated to the Mercedes lifestyle more than practicality. Both of those applications are available on an iOS or Android device, and probably for less money.
The Mercedes system needs to piggy-back with a smart phone data connection anyway, so it’s probably easier not to bother with the system at all. If and when the automaker manages to expand its store to offer a fraction of the useful goodies in either phone’s library it might gain some relevance, but nobody should be shedding tears for missing out.
[Source: CNet]
Luke is an energetic automotive journalist who spends his time covering industry news and crawling the internet for the latest breaking story. When he isn't in the office, Luke can be found obsessively browsing used car listings, drinking scotch at his favorite bar and dreaming of what to drive next, though the list grows a lot faster than his bank account. He's always on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> looking for a good car conversation. Find Luke on <A title="@lukevandezande on Twitter" href="http://twitter.com/lukevandezande">Twitter</A> and <A title="Luke on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/112531385961538774338?rel=author">Google+</A>.
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