No plans to release CarWings app for Windows Phone 7

[KeithFrechette]

I just got done chatting with Nissan customer support about how soon we can expect a CarWings app for Windows Phone 7. Unfortunately, the answer was not "Nothing has been announced", as I had anticipated; but rather, it was the much gloomier, "As of right now we have no plans on making it available on the windows phone."

I was reasonably confident that with the Android and BlackBerry releases so close together, that something must be in the works for Windows Phone 7. As a Microsoftie and Windows Phone 7 developer, I strongly expect it to be a relatively trivial undertaking: just a little bit of GUI magic wrapped around some calls to their web service.

The CS rep at least gave me a point of escalation: [email protected]. So I'll see if I can learn the real story, and certainly offer whatever assistance I can provide. :ugeek:

 

[bigtlb]

Let us know what you find out!

I had been wondering if I should call and offer my services as well (or see if they objected to developers using their web services in third party apps).

But I really won't have skin in the game until December when my LEAF arrives.

 

[TickTock]

If you have a web browser, you don't need the app. You can do everything (and more) with the carwings web interface.

 

[jcobb]

I just got done chatting with Nissan customer support about how soon we can expect a CarWings app for Windows Phone 7. Unfortunately, the answer was not "Nothing has been announced", as I had anticipated; but rather, it was the much gloomier, "As of right now we have no plans on making it available on the windows phone."

I was reasonably confident that with the Android and BlackBerry releases so close together, that something must be in the works for Windows Phone 7. As a Microsoftie and Windows Phone 7 developer, I strongly expect it to be a relatively trivial undertaking: just a little bit of GUI magic wrapped around some calls to their web service.

The CS rep at least gave me a point of escalation: [email protected]. So I'll see if I can learn the real story, and certainly offer whatever assistance I can provide. :ugeek:

Keith,

How much pull do you have there at Microsoft. Try to get the marketing department involved as this could showcase Microsoft's environmental efforts. Considering the number of Charge Point they have installed on campus and the arrival of the leaf shuttle "99" it seems they could get some good press. Especially since there were numerousus articles about Google installing EVSE's on Campus but not a word about Microsoft's efforts. Start by providing Nissan with the development tool kit to assist iPhone and Android developers to port their applications. Give them a few Mango developer handsets to jump start the efforts. 5000 tablets were given out at the build conference back in September so they are not opposed to providing all the necessary tools to get developers on board.

Of course I say all this with the desire to have a Win 7 app myself. The web browser it is bit to slow and then there is that login thing you have to do every timetime.

 

[redLEAF]

If you have a web browser, you don't need the app. You can do everything (and more) with the carwings web interface.

This may be true but as noted above an actual app' takes advantage of the smart phones 'landscape' (screen resolution, fonts, navigation, auto login, etc., etc.) so a Win Phone 7 app' would still be welcome. On another note to 'KeithFrechette' we've just started getting the 7.5 Mango pushed out update for our Verizon HTC Trophy phones and it's a nice improvement over the initial OS -- it really will help our multi-language staff members who need to respond in other than English. We've had Windows Mobile 6.1 and higher phones for a few years and the whole change to 7 (along with upgrading all our desktops and laptops to Windows 7) has been a welcome improvement; we really like the better interface and navigation which is a significant improvement over Windows Mobile.

 

[KeithFrechette]

I personally think the usability of the phone web app is horrid.

1) Having to log in everytime, entering *both* the user ID and password (with no option to "remember" either of them).
2) Having to "refresh" after logging in to see the latest status (and then waiting 30 seconds or more to see the status).
3) Having to keep re-logging in because the app times out.
4) Having the ability to click multiple things (refresh, climate control on, etc) and have them all pending, but with only one actually completing.

Really, it's just a poor front end to a possibly-decent service.

@redLEAF, I'm glad to hear that Mango is working well for you!

@jcobb, shuttle 098 is a LEAF as well. So that's *two* LEAFs in our shuttle fleet. It's fun to see a company learning from its employees.

-- Keith

 

[davewill]

I personally think the usability of the phone web app is horrid.

1) Having to log in everytime, entering *both* the user ID and password (with no option to "remember" either of them).
2) Having to "refresh" after logging in to see the latest status (and then waiting 30 seconds or more to see the status).
3) Having to keep re-logging in because the app times out.
4) Having the ability to click multiple things (refresh, climate control on, etc) and have them all pending, but with only one actually completing.
...

The Windows Phone browser won't remember the login details? That seems underfeatured. as far as the rest, the app isn't any better, really. I found it a very small improvement over the mobile site, which I used successfully for months.