Following our report on car makers that have failed to commit to Apple's CarPlay technology (or the Google version, Android Auto), and on the heels of a long-awaited announcement from Volvo, Germany-based manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has revealed that
it will support CarPlay as standard on some models and as part of an optional entertainment package on others among its mid-range and high-end vehicles starting immediately. Even the supported vehicles will not support the wireless version of CarPlay at launch, however.
The CLS550, CLS63 S, GLE 400, GLE450, GLE63, and GLE63 S will have CarPlay included as standard, while buyers of the B-Class, CLA, or GLA series gain CarPlay support only through a standalone $350 option or as part of a new and improved multimedia package. As reported by
AppleInsider, those planning to buy the E-Class, CLS, or GLE models may have pay as much as $4,000 to get CarPlay along with the company's own in-house navigation system. Oddly, the navigation system (known as COMAND) and CarPlay cannot work together simultaneously, according to the company.
Special port for wired CarPlay connection
Guerilla artist Banksy has created a mural on the site of the "Jungle" refugee camp in Calais, France, that draws attention to the plight of the Syrians fleeing the civil war in their homeland by
including an image of Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs, who was of Syrian descent, as one of the refugees. Jobs' biological father was Abdulfattah Jandali, who came to the US for educational purposes and fathered Jobs with his birth mother, Joanne Schieble, but anti-Muslim sentiment from Schieble's father forced Joanne to put the child up for adoption. Jandali went on to become a successful businessman in his own right, and also fathered Jobs' half-sister, the novelist Mona Simpson.
The image shows Jobs in his trademark "uniform" of blue jeans and a black turtleneck, carrying an original Macintosh along with a bag of possessions. The artwork makes the point that many of the refugees currently seeking asylum have much to offer their adopted countries. Some countries have tried to vilify those escaping Syria, fearing an influx of immigrants, whose culture is different than the dominant ones in the new countries ... conveniently forgetting that most countries, including the US, were built largely from the contributions of various and diverse immigrant groups that arrived across many decades.
Abdulfattah 'John' Jandali and Jobs
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