Facebook in Mercedes-Benz's Dashboard

Bangalore: Mercedes-Benz has launched social networking apps for its new range of cars with the use of telematics technology at CES 2012.  Teleamtics technology enables the car to become a mobile-communication system using a cloud based solution and this technology is penetrating into the high-end cars with all new hops and pops.

The latest advancement in this telematics technology is showcased by Mercedes-Benz by unveiling its cloud-connected dashboard computer called “mbrace2″. mbrace2 grants access to 3G networks, Facebook apps and other over-the-air software updates. It also includes a set of “Mercedes-Benz Apps” which provides open web browsing along with apps for Facebook, Google, Yelp, stocks & news headlines and is also compactable with both iPhone and Android smart phones. 

The Mercedes’s Facebook app comes with its own limitation as it will not entertain anything which will be distracting the drivers. Any Facebook activity which makes the user enter a text is disabled when the car is in motion.  The app lets you to choose from a set of pre-written postings which you can publish on the social network with a quick tap or a knob turn. You can also enter a destination into the car's navigation system and automatically publish a Facebook posting of your progress and the app also tell whether any of your Facebook friends is nearby or you are driving in the vicinity of a restaurant your friends have "liked" on Facebook.

“Now that cars have screens that are intelligent, you would expect that more and more car manufacturers will want to make those screens capable of allowing people to connect with their friends and take advantage of the social context that comes along with that,” Dan Rose, Facebook Vice President of Partnerships and Platform Marketing, told Reuters. “One of the core things that people do on their screens in the car is GPS navigation and the ability to see which of your friends are nearby is something we think will be really interesting for people.”

It’s visible that Mercedes-Benz has taken a big leap in the in-car connected technology, but Ford is also trying to keep up the phase with the launch of voice command capabilities which controls navigation applications and also finds public radio stations.