Apple hires BlackBerry talent for its car project

Dan Dodge, the founder and former chief executive officer of QNX, the operating system developer that BlackBerry acquired in 2010, joined Apple earlier this year, the people said. He is part of a team headed by Bob Mansfield, who, since taking over leadership of the cars initiative - dubbed Project Titan - has heralded a shift in strategy, according to a person familiar with the plan.The initiative is now prioritizing the development of an autonomous driving system, though it's not abandoning efforts to design its own vehicle. That leaves options open should the company eventually decide to partner with or acquire an established car maker, rather than build a car itself. An Apple spokesman declined to comment.This whole thing of Apple designing, building, and selling a car still seems so extreme to me - it feels like jumping the shark, really - but at the same time, it could just as well be the genius move that prolongs Apple's winning streak for decades to come. I have far too little insight into the car industry to say anything meaningful here, but it does fascinate me that a technology company like Apple is presumably entering the car market.