SmileDrive App Launched By Volkswagen

You know, it makes perfect sense to keep your eyes peeled on the road whenever you are behind the wheel, and the use of smartphones while driving can be dangerous – not only to yourself, but to other motorists on the road. After all, it takes a few seconds of carelessness for disaster to happen – and even worse, one might end up in a potentially fatal situation. Having said that, Volkswagen has just introduced the SmileDrive app that intends to make make driving a more fun experience. This is an Android app, and the good news is, you do not need to own a Volkswagen to make use of this app, although it is essential that your smartphone and car are able to “communicate” via Bluetooth connectivity.

Upon a successful connection between your ride and SmileDrive, the app will run in the background throughout the entire duration of your commute. Upon arriving at your destination, you will be able to check out a list of your on-road achievements, stickers and “punches”. The punches are reminiscent of an old grade school game “Slug Bug” (or as VW has named it “Punch Dub”), where each time you pass a VW Beetle on the road, you end up with a “punch”. The achievements list is a long one, and at least getting stuck in traffic would not make you lose any of the proverbial points, so to speak.

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  • SmileDrive App Launched By Volkswagen original content from Ubergizmo.

        

    Volkswagen and Google launch SmileDrive Android app: it makes insufferable commutes sufferable (video)

    Volkswagen and Google launch SmileDrive Android app to make insufferable commutes sufferable video

    It surely isn’t the first time we’ve seen a quirky automaker look to the smartphone in order to add a bit of pizazz to the morning drive — Mini owners far and wide have plenty of inside jokes when it comes to the Mini Connected app. That being said, SmileDrive might just have the market cornered when it comes to all-out joviality. The free app, which was launched today by Volkswagen of America and Google, is presently only available for Android devices. (And yes, it’s a result of Google’s Art, Copy & Code project.) In a nutshell, it connects to any vehicle via Bluetooth (yes, Fiats and Ferraris as well) and runs in the background while a drive is ongoing. Once the wheels have stopped and the ignition has been switched off, it uses factors like location, distance, time and weather to deliver users their Smile Score and awards them with stickers — think of ’em as Foursquare badges for motorists.

    On a longer road trip, SmileDrive offers the ability to create a Smilecast: a dynamic travelogue filled with the captured photos, maps of the trip, status updates, as well as other memories that are collected on a single URL. It all sounds pretty fantastic, if we’re honest, but allow us to offer up a tip: make sure you phone’s plugged into a charger. Wouldn’t want that background action to drain too much of your battery, now would you?

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    Via: The Verge

    Source: Volkswagen, Google Play Store