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Apple Continues to Recruit Talent to Join Secretive Automotive Team
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You think Apple would start putting on the top of the contracts they're giving to these new hires:
"YOU MUST NOT UPDATE YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE".
"YOU MUST NOT UPDATE YOUR LINKEDIN PROFILE".
Apple could put anything they want in their hiring agreement so long as it's within the bounds of the law. I don't think adding a clause that says, "Employee agrees to not make any post on social media alluding to their employment at Apple while employee remains employed by Apple unless directed otherwise by Apple management" would be outside the bounds of the law.
There are plenty of covert operatives and other people who work for the government who cannot disclose details about who they work for or what they do to their close friends, much less post it on a public website. Their ability to keep quiet about any and all aspects of their job is a base requirement for remaining employed.
The fact that Apple doesn't require that their new hires refrain from posting about their new employment at Apple tells me that senior management at Apple enjoys seeing outsiders trying to put the pieces together from afar to try to determine what Apple is working on.
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It seems clear to me that Apple has no problem with the media speculation on this project. But all these new hires are pretty vague about what they're working on at Apple. The one update that really made me believe this is not just software for other car makers was the woman who said she was prototyping for industrial designers. I doubt anyone would be prototyping car software for Apple's industrial designers.
I wouldn't read too much into this. Autonomous vehicles are a really hot R&D segment right now, and everyone is trying to claim a piece of it or get involved somehow.
I think Apple is doing this more as an investment in future autonomous vehicle IP that it hopes to earn money from later on, rather than development of a future Apple-branded commercial product. Indeed, with as much cash as they have laying around, there really isn't a better investment today than trying to develop autonomous vehicle IP. Whatever Apple develops, and I'm sure they will develop quite a bit, Apple can license or sell to whoever is actually interested in commercializing the ideas that are born out of the R&D.
I just don't see Apple trying to jump into the actual commercial automotive industry. However, I do believe that Apple see this as a good investment and use of their funds today.
Alternatively, I think this might be similar to what Google and Delphi are doing it - albeit more publicly. I don't think Google nor Delphi actually intend to compete with car manufacturers. I think Google and Delphi are each developing a technological platform / foundation on which other manufacturers will build autonomous cars (protocol for car-to-car communication, standardized analysis software, etc.). Of course, use of the platform would require payment of a fee or some other terms. Essentially, Google and Delphi each hope to make the standards on which autonomous cars will be based. Maybe Apple is trying to also develop their own platform, to stay competitive.
I think Apple is doing this more as an investment in future autonomous vehicle IP that it hopes to earn money from later on, rather than development of a future Apple-branded commercial product. Indeed, with as much cash as they have laying around, there really isn't a better investment today than trying to develop autonomous vehicle IP. Whatever Apple develops, and I'm sure they will develop quite a bit, Apple can license or sell to whoever is actually interested in commercializing the ideas that are born out of the R&D.
I just don't see Apple trying to jump into the actual commercial automotive industry. However, I do believe that Apple see this as a good investment and use of their funds today.
Alternatively, I think this might be similar to what Google and Delphi are doing it - albeit more publicly. I don't think Google nor Delphi actually intend to compete with car manufacturers. I think Google and Delphi are each developing a technological platform / foundation on which other manufacturers will build autonomous cars (protocol for car-to-car communication, standardized analysis software, etc.). Of course, use of the platform would require payment of a fee or some other terms. Essentially, Google and Delphi each hope to make the standards on which autonomous cars will be based. Maybe Apple is trying to also develop their own platform, to stay competitive.
But why would it have to be car related at all? It seems that a background in prototyping for industrial designers would be very relevant to current products as well, or the type of products we know they make.
It's interesting to read everyone's take on what apple is doing with all the icar rumors flying around. My money is that apple will not build a consumer level vehicle, just like someone mentioned earlier. If they do build a vehicle at all that is.
Apple is most likely developing an complete vehicle management software system, apple carkit if you will(you heard it here first!). I'll try to be brief with my thoughts on why they're going this route, and not building another vehicle ground up.
1. Building a car DRAINS capital
Apple is most likely developing an complete vehicle management software system, apple carkit if you will(you heard it here first!). I'll try to be brief with my thoughts on why they're going this route, and not building another vehicle ground up.
1. Building a car DRAINS capital
Automotive business is where tons of money gets sunk into R&D and building and tooling for very small margins. The money comes from scale and basically building and selling tons of them. I know apple has tons of money and they can very well build a factory and build a car but it would be very unwise use of their money. Also this is something completely different than consumer electronics, they may be better off just purchasing Tesla. Makes sense for them to partner up with a manufacturer such as BMW like it has been rumored...
2. Apple's specialty
Is software and hardware integration. Most people agree that vehicle's infotainment system is horribly integrated and doesn't function the way most people want it to. People now want their cars to function like their phones. Carplay and android auto alleviates this somewhat but apple is still limited in what they can do since they are limited to just the infotainment portion of the vehicle. Apple wants more control of the vehicle, because this way they can control the user experience beyond just infotainment.
If apple can package a comprehensive vehicle software system(all the way from engine management to infotainment), they can do a lot more and can integrate their services into the vehicle way more than they can now. You can start your car with touchID, updating your vehicle software can be done through your phone, the possibilities are endless.
3. Focus on autonomous drivingIf apple can package a comprehensive vehicle software system(all the way from engine management to infotainment), they can do a lot more and can integrate their services into the vehicle way more than they can now. You can start your car with touchID, updating your vehicle software can be done through your phone, the possibilities are endless.
Their focus on autonomous driving leads me to believe they want to build a packaged system with all the bells and whistles to the automotive manufacturers, including autonomous driving. Lot of manufacturers are focusing in on this area but none have yet had any major breakthrough. If apple can divert their resources and put a lot of money behind this and make it work, and most importantly beat the manufacturers, they can sell it and basically have control over the vehicle's systems.
4. Apple's ultimate goal
Apple wants to be everywhere. It wants to be in your pocket, on your wrist, in your home, on your desk. Now in your car. It's like a trojan horse in a way. It started with carplay, which I believe laid the groundwork for their project Titan. Once they can get inside the car and have control over majority of the vehicle's systems, there is so much they can do. And that is their ultimate goal, to take over the car. Not to build it per say, but to control almost every aspect of it. They don't have to invest in building all the hardware(chassis, drivetrain etc) and go through all the government testing, they let the manufacturers pick up the tab, but they're present in the car and can dictate how the systems function.
This is why Toyota has refused to integrate apple carplay into their vehicles because they know what's coming and they don't want to give up control of vehicle systems. Same with Ford.
And I'm sure google's working on something very similar as well.
This is why Toyota has refused to integrate apple carplay into their vehicles because they know what's coming and they don't want to give up control of vehicle systems. Same with Ford.
And I'm sure google's working on something very similar as well.
What's really interesting to me is how they keep things so quiet given that there are probably around 1000 people now working on this project. Remarkable. I understand that there are confidentiality agreements and all of that, but still not an easy feat to keep things under wraps.
Has anyone thought that maybe they are just creating an automomous vehicle to shuttle people around their new massive campus? At least as a first run project, then maybe a consumer vehicle down the road...
Anything is possible. But why would Apple industrial designers need someone with auto industry background to prototype for them?
Very interesting post and I get where you're coming from but I still think Apple is working on a vehicle. Mostly because Apple doesn't have a history of building technology for other people's products and there's not much evidence existing car companies are willing to give up the dashboard or other car electronics to Apple or Google. But if Apple is doing a car I have no doubt manufacturing will be contracted out. I don't see Apple building manufacturing plants.
The point is that the relevant part may have been the prototype and industrial design experience, not the automotive background per se. Where do you find people with a background in prototyping and industrial design, there are many fields where you could get such experience, incuding the automotive industry.
BTW, I have no doubt that Apple could make a car, I think they both have the skills and obviously cash to do it. But I'm invested in their platform, I just don't want that to recieve less attention because a lack of focus. I mean a car seems like such a major comittment, you'll need service locations all over the world, you can not make it obsolete after 5 years, but you need to support it for a long time with spare parts and stuff like that.
I made an earlier comment that I removed about iTunes. It seems like the iTunes player needs to be a separate application from iTunes the store. Something small and nimble. Imagine only being able to run apps from the appstore, within the appstore application.. Or only listen to a CD you bought inside the actual store. Something basic like this seems to just never get done, and that is with all their focus on computing devices they now make.
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What happened to "diversity", Apple? All 3 are men and none have black skin. All 3 hires should have been black women.
Because we all know qualifications don't matter. The only thing that matters is having 13% of your workforce be black, regardless of how many blacks actually apply or are qualified to work in tech. Oh yeah, you also need to hire lots of humans with vaginas... because... well... just because.
Because we all know qualifications don't matter. The only thing that matters is having 13% of your workforce be black, regardless of how many blacks actually apply or are qualified to work in tech. Oh yeah, you also need to hire lots of humans with vaginas... because... well... just because.
I think smart people will have no trouble figuring it out knowing how auto correct can substitute a wrong word when a typo occurs
Unless they were also introducing an unlimited data plan people can actually afford that would DOA.
It wouldn't be the first time Apple squandered what was once perceived to be an unassailable market position..
This is the single funniest and greatest thing I have ever read on the internet.
Lol you guys are to silly, I'm really siting here laughing out loud!
Apple is doing what they always do, and that is change the way we use products and create new ones too. They did it with music and the music player, the computer, the phone, the watch, the tv. Just as how these devices evolved, so will the car once Apple put their minds to it. They will use the same technique they've used when evaluating existing devices. Just look at how their computers have evolved over the years. Backlit keyboard, new redesigned keys, glass multitouch trackpad, force touch, powernap, mag safe, redesigned fan blades and exhaust on the pro line, continuity on the software side etc. Look at the watch, it is a tradition to make round watches because of the analogue clock which makes sense, but it doesn't make sense for a digital watch so it is square. Apply the same mindset to a car, look at the functions and components, both exterior and interior, think objectively and evaluate then create!
This is what Tesla did with their car, which is why it has one giant computer screen in the middle. I can imagine it is probably cheaper to just replace that one center unit that controls many different functions. My car has an lcd, easy access buttons and controls under it, radio and ac unit all separate but stacked on top of each other. They replaced the entire engine, transmission and endless other components with basically a simplified drivetrain, motors attached to the wheels powered by batteries.
It will be hard to improve upon what Tesla already did with the car, but nothing is impossible. Think big and think different!