Mercedes-Benz

Immenstadt – November 06, 2026 -- Mercedes-Benz plans to let managers require full-time employees to work in the office up to four days a week without justifying the order, with the rule expected to take effect on January 1, 2027.

Michael Fuchs, founder of consultancy Five4Success, argues that attendance quotas do not fix leadership problems. In his view, the quality of collaboration depends on how a company organizes it, not on where staff sit.

Four mandatory office days do not improve communication on their own, Fuchs argues

If employees spend office days at screens, answering e-mails or joining video calls, physical presence adds little value, according to Fuchs. He adds that AI already handles tasks that once required several people, including data analysis, report drafting and first-draft solutions. Those tasks mainly require quiet and few interruptions.

Paris – November 05, 2026 -- Stingray is pressing automakers to keep in-car entertainment in-house rather than cede the dashboard to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, using its Mondial de l'Auto appearance in Paris to make the case.

DATAxis panelists frame entertainment as an OEM battleground

At the DATAxis Conference ahead of the Paris Motor Show, industry leaders agreed that in-cabin experience increasingly shapes brand perception, customer loyalty and purchasing decisions as vehicles become software-defined. Tom Adams, who represented Stingray on the panel, said automakers should retain control of their "digital customer journey" instead of leaving it to third-party smartphone ecosystems.

North America – November 03, 2026 -- Ford and Lincoln drivers in the U.S. and Canada will get new in-vehicle audio apps powered by Stingray starting in October, as automakers lean on infotainment to differentiate software-defined vehicles.

Stingray built a Ford karaoke app for passengers

Stingray worked with Ford on a karaoke experience that lets passengers in the front or rear seats sing along while the vehicle is moving. The same app can be used on the in-vehicle screen while parked. Stingray's in-cabin portfolio also includes OEM Audio, ZenLife and TuneIn.

Stingray builds its apps for AAOS, AOSP and HTML environments, or delivers them via API. The company cites nearly a decade of in-vehicle infotainment deployments worldwide.