Nokia bundled an app with its Lumia hardware which would kick into action when the smartphone was NFC paired with the CR-200 wireless charging car unit (see our review). Unfortunately, those who didn't own the car charger by Nokia, but still wanted to enjoy the enhanced driving experienced, were left in the dark. That is until today. Nokia has released a new Car app for Lumia Windows Phones, which works without the optional accessory.
The app itself works in an identical manner to the experience loaded when paired with the car charger, but Nokia Car now makes it possible to use this friendly interface whenever and wherever. Loading up the app will bring the user to a familiar (or not so familiar) splash screen with some information and three app shortcuts. The detailed information can be swiped to show battery status, current weather readings and the time and date.
From here the display won't turn off, but will be dimmed after some time while displaying this screen. It's perfect for driving since there are shortcuts to configured apps that remove the time consuming task of moving through menus and other screens. Everything is displayed and accessible with minimal input from the driver.
What's interesting about this new app is the ability to configure exactly what apps are listed in the shortcuts menu. By default, users have HERE Drive, Nokia MixRadio and Quick call, but it's possible to select anything from the installed apps list. Weather can also be altered to show a certain location (default uses GPS) and display readings in either Celsius or Fahrenheit. Nokia Car is a simple, yet effective app to help reduce distraction while in control of a vehicle.
You can download Nokia Car from the Nokia Collection on the Windows Phone Store.
via: Windowsteca; cheers, Guy, for the tip!
