Mercedes-Benz opens car app store

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STUTTGART, Germany, June 29 (UPI) -- Mercedes-Benz says its European customers can buy and download apps to run on their cars' infotainment systems from the company's own app store.

In the competitive race to integrate mobile phone applications with vehicle infotainment systems, Mercedes-Benz has cut the middleman out of the process by opening its own app store, CNET.com reported.

On the Mercedes-Benz App Store customers can browse for new applications to add to their vehicle's Command infotainment system.

Google Search, Weather, Facebook are standard apps preinstalled in the Command system and Yahoo should be added later this year, the German car maker said.

Using their phone's Internet connection, Mercedes owners can connect to the MB App Shop to download new apps to their car.

The first two apps available for purchase are a news app and a parking finder app, each available for $12 per year, Mercedes said.

It's unknown if this dedicated and Mercedes-branded app store strategy will extend beyond the European countries, CNET.com said.