florianvk

While as a German citizen and avid Apple user, I would very much enjoy such great news, I think AI is misreading the release.

AusweisApp is not meant to replace the German national ID card with an electronic token, but rather to enable the highly-secure physical ID card that uses advanced hardware security (Neuer Personalausweis/nPA - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_identity_card) to be used to authenticate and offer ID-card included information like name, address, age verification, etc., to online services (e.g. eGovernment services, taxes, etc., but also *authorized* commercial companies).

This was so-far possible with certain certified NFC readers that connect to the ID card, together with AusweisApp on PC, Mac and Linux, as well as Android phones. On iOS it was not possible because Apple would not provide API access to NFC functionality.

Nevertheless, the default use case would be to connect using iOS device to such a secure web service, then the service makes AusweisApp start from the Browser, then AusweisApp builds a secure tunnel, the user would hold the government-issued ID card close to his phone, and then the web service would communicate directly with the card. The protocols, encryption, authentication, privacy and other mechanisms are designed to make it impossible to "clone" the card, so allowing this through a simple app would be the proof that the card's design is flawed. I don't think this is on the table right now. 

The article should be verified, and possibly updated.

Well, for once Porsche vehicle development is (luckily) more focused on the non-autonomous driving part than infotainment systems or else, and I certainly prefer it that way. Nevertheless it's desirable to be somewhere close to state-of-the-art with regards to these systems, however what Porsche does is to have a single platform for all their models.

The latest version of this "Porsche Communication Management" (PCM) platform features Apple Carplay and came to the facelifted 911 last fall. Since, it's been launched on the new Boxster model, now the Cayman as well. If it isn't already (haven't checked), it'll be in the Macan, Cayenne and Panamera, and it'll have the same feature set across the line, so there isn't much of a newsworthy announcement here at all.

Same is true for the non-support of Android Auto. It's not that it's not mentioned in this Cayman specific announcement, Android Auto is simply not part of that PCM version, therefore it's not available on any model. When the new platform came to the 911, Porsche explained that they would not support Android Auto for the time being due to Google's contractual requirements for the use of the technology including having to provide access to certain vehicle data to Google, see http://www.theverge.com/2015/10/6/9460471/porsche-911-carrera-apple-carplay-google-android-auto or similar reports.

This is truly important. Carmakers with a reputation should stand up and protect customers from the data-hungry behavior of Internet companies. As we all know, given it's business model, Apple is on the slightly "better" side of that wall for the time being, and hope it remains like this, which is what Porsche recognized with their decision. Thanks, Tim!

sog35 said:

why would Apple partner with a cheating company?

Samsung would be a much better match for VW.

Glad I didn't buy a Passat last year.

Well - for one because that company, based on latest numbers is the largest automaker in the world, and has been in the top-2 for quite a while.

I'll not defend what was done, but unlike past US presidents who stayed in office after having lied to the public and the UN about their justification to go to war with another countries, Volkswagen's CEO, who was the best-paid manager in Germany by far, stepped down as a consequence of what happened.

And finally, once one starts to make arguments like this one, one should rather ask why Apple would keep their HQ in a country where government agencies are trying to force it to destroy the fundamental IT security mechanisms built into their products. They'd be way better off if they relocated to Germany.....