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Patent reveals Google EV charger by Apple-bound inventor
Yet another hint that Project Titan is for real.

Though Apple remains tight-lipped on any potential automotive project, its hiring patterns indicate that it's preparing to develop its own car. Figuring out just who's going where, however, has proven challenging for investigative journalists, but a comparison of some of its recent hires with their past experience gives us some clue as to what the tech giant might be up to.

The latest development surrounds one Kurt Adelberger, an astrophysicist who recently left Google for Apple. Interesting, though we're sure that sort of thing happens all the time. What catches our attention is what Adelberger was working on right before leaving Mountain View for Cupertino.

According to a recent patent application caught by Apple Car Fans, Adelberger had invented a kind of smart charger for electric vehicles. The mediator device would interface between the vehicle and the charging station, connecting remotely to a server that would feed it information such as the driver's habits and fluctuating electricity prices over the course of the day in order to determine when and how much to charge the vehicle.

The patent is likely to remain in Google's hands, whether it ultimately puts it into production or not. But the inventor's departure for Apple provides food for thought as to what the company responsible for the iPhone and Macintosh computer may be up to – and the sort of talents it's bringing on board in order to bring those plans, reportedly named Project Titan, to fruition.