Unofficial Waze app hits the homebrew scene for Windows Phone
Although we have Navigon, INRIX, Garmin and a host of other navigation/traffic apps out there, Waze is still one of those that many are waiting for to hit Windows Phone. For those who forgot, Waze is a combo GPS, social-network and traffic app that relies on use-interaction for live, up to date traffic data. With 4.5 million users, especially on the iPhone, it's become quite the app to have for those who do the daily commute.
The bad news is, don't expect an official client anytime soon, an odd omission considering that Microsoft has invested in the company. But as least way back in December, Waze was not on board with WP7 (perhpas they've changed their mind though).The good news is there is an unofficial version built off of their public APIs, meaning you can basically enjoy the benefits of Waze without their support.
But we'll be honest, while this is a noble attempt, it is a bit rough to use with some rough scrolling and controls that are a bit awkward. In fact, there is quite the list of known issues and limitations. Still, if you have a developer unlocked device and want to give it a shot, simply download the latest XAP file and give it a go and we should give the developer, Meir Tsvi, some slack as he's doing this on his own time (and it is Mango-ready). Perhaps we'll revisit this after a few more builds to see how it has progressed? Oh and don't let the above screen shots fool you, it works in English.
Go here for more info and to grab the XAP. Thanks, Amir, for the heads up!
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Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.