Google and Audi Partnership

The war between Android and iOS is not just about mobile anymore. Insiders revealed this week that Google has partnered with Audi to develop an in-car entertainment and information system that uses its open source operating system. The platform, which is set to be announced at the upcoming CES 2013 conference in Las Vegas, is a response to Apple’s aggressive partnering in the automobile industry.

Additionally, Google is reportedly collaborating with other car manufacturers as well as major technology firms like Nvidia to “establish Android as an important technology for future vehicles.” The search giant’s infotainment offering will deliver many of the features found in smartphones and tablets, including music streaming, navigation and other services.

Google is also making gains in the notebook space, with a recent study from market research firm NPD Group indicating that Microsoft’s Scroogled campaign failed to dent the growth of Chrome OS. The report concludes that Chromebooks accounted for 21 percent of all notebook sales and 8 percent of all computer and tablet sales through November, up from one tenth of a percent in 2012 – the largest share increase in the entire consumer computing market.

Windows Phone is on the rise as well, thanks in large part to growing developer interest. After polling 6,698 mobile developers, Appcelerator and IDC found that more than a third would consider developing applications for the platform, and 22 percent are “very interested” in doing so. Microsoft is hoping to further accelerate adoption by making its operating system more attractive to manufacturers: the software titan is rumored to be in advanced talks with Sony to launch a Windows Phone device as early as mid-2014.