Mercedes-Benz USA is introducing and launching mbrace2 today. The service provides drivers top-of-the-line features related to safety, infotainment, personal assistance and vehicle care.

The service was developed by Hughes Telematics and was made to work seamlessly inside and outside the vehicle. It features a new control module with two all-new categories of services: Internet and remote access capabilities. It also updates all software via a cloud network so users will always be on top of new technologies being developed for the service. It also includes a remote app for iPhone and Android smartphones. It’s first appearing in the MY13 SL-Class in the spring and will be standard in most MY13 passenger vehicles.

“The connected services included in mbrace2 will enhance both the driving experience and the ownership experience for Mercedes-Benz customers,” Steve Cannon, president and CEO, MBUSA, said. “Traditionally, in-vehicle technology is finalized more than a year before a vehicle comes to market and is difficult to upgrade. The mbrace2 system solves the vehicle electronics lifecycle conundrum in a unique way, creating a truly networked vehicle that is always online, always upgradeable.”

To that tune, mbrace2 features 3G network connectivity. The new Internet-based service is called “Mercedes-Benz Apps,” and includes the usual apps like Facebook and Google. It also includes open browsing, stocks, Yelp! and news headlines.

Facebook in a car sounds dangerous and rightly so. People get into accidents over updating their Facebook while driving. Thankfully, the Facebook app is disabled when the car is in motion preventing text entry according to a Mercedes’ product manager speaking to Reuters.

The remote access apps allow drivers to check on their vehicle with their phones. The apps include geo-fences, vehicle health diagnostics, curfew minder, driving journal, speed alerts, valet protect and remote horns and lights. This is good news for people who want to know where their car is and what it is doing at the moment. I can see this appealing to those who want to feel like Batman, controlling their car from a distance with a remote device.

For those worried about the car not being safe with all these apps possibly distracting drivers, the company rests those fears by offering over 60 apps dedicated to safety and security. Now if only there can be an app that cures reckless driving.

This feature made its first widespread appearance in BMWs; owners throughout Europe are able to use Google Maps in the comfort of their homes or offices and simply send directions to their navigation systems when it’s time to go.  Mercedes made a similar move that involved both Yahoo Maps and Google Maps.

Now we’re reaching the masses, though – those who couldn’t afford a BMW or Mercedes or simply chose something else (and “something else” is, in all reality, likely to be sexier and/or more reliable).  The one catch here is that the new deal only involves the TomTom brand of navigation systems.

And Google – Yahoo fans will have to either ignore this innovation or adapt.  Still, TomTom is a pretty major player in this field, and Google is, well, Google.  The (free) feature’s ease of use adds even more value to the equation; a demo video proves that just about anyone who can type and click should be able to operate it.

Keep an eye out for Garmin, another company that specializes in nav systems, to follow TomTom’s lead.  Also, this development will increase the pressure on automakers to come up with their own out-of-the-factory solutions.

Mercedes Takes Maps From House To Car

Admittedly, a similar system is available from BMW, but it’s only available in Europe, and it only interfaces with various versions of Google Maps.  The Mercedes deal involves both Google Maps and Yahoo Maps; according to a press release, owners will be able to “simply click on a newly introduced ‘Send to Car’ icon” from either site.

“The information is then sent directly to the vehicle’s GPS navigation unit,” the release continues.  “When the driver gets into the vehicle, pushing the i-button of the Tele Aid system downloads the destination directly to the vehicle’s navigation system and prompts the driver as to whether to start route guidance immediately or save the information for later use.”

Not bad, eh?  And although no Mercedes is inexpensive, don’t worry that availability of the “Search & Send” feature will be limited to go-fast AMGs or other exotic models – the company stated that the service will introduced on a range of cars.

Don’t worry, either, that availability of the service will be limited to this one luxury brand.  By introducing Search & Send in the U.S., Mercedes will encourage (even force) BMW and Lexus to keep up.

Upon hearing the news that a Microsoft team had pulled a drive-by, one could imagine the scene:

A rival search engine CEO, looking over fruit at an open market, hears the squeal of tires.

Three minutes later, the deed is done; the Butterfly has destroyed the barrel and hammer from his weapon. Soon they will rest at the bottom of the Bay.

Alas, the reality does not match the potential of what would have been the search story of the year. But that’s ok. The Street-side Drive-by preview arranged by MSN and the Virtual Earth team is pretty cool in its own right.

Sean Rowe, Program Manager, Virtual Earth, described the technology preview that his team made available today:

The team plans to add more cities before formally launching Street-side Drive-by this summer, when it will be integrated into Windows Live Local.

Inspiration for this came from A9′s street photography project, according to Robert Scoble; Microsoft wanted to take this idea “to the next level.” He commented on his blog that photography for each city took about a month to complete for the project.

Street-side is very much a prototype (as in “it doesn’t work perfectly right now and we know this”) at this point, and the Virtual Earth folks are soliciting feedback from those who test it. As for future cities, WebProNews would like to nominate its home of Lexington, Kentucky. After all, we were part of the Birds’ Eye debut in Local Live, so why not Street-side too?

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David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.