It’s only a few short weeks until we expect to get our hands on the first range of Nokia Windows Phones and to whet your appetite, each day we’ve been taking a close look at the many great features that Windows Phone 7.5 brings you. Today we’ve been testing out the fantastic Local Scout tool.
Windows Phone 7.5 Mango update launches
Local Scout is a location-aware guide that lets you find fun things to do, wherever you go. Using your Nokia Windows Phones to track your location, it detects where you are at any time and then suggests a wide range of great restaurants, bars shops and neighbourhood sights within a 25-mile radius.
To start using Local Scout on your Nokia Windows Phone, all you have to do is press the Search button at the bottom of the handset’s fascia to open Bing Search, and then press the onscreen Local Scout icon. Straight away your smartphone will locate you on the map and start suggesting things to do
Local Scout is divided into four easy to navigate sections. The first section is titled Eat+Drink and offers you a list of recommended bars and restaurants nearby. The list is organised by which establishment is closest to you and their locations are displayed on a compact map at the top of the screen.
To make the map fill the screen, you can tap on it to get a more detailed look at where you need to go. And for more information on a bar or restaurant, you just tap it to see the address, directions, phone number and website; each of which can be clicked to guide you there or contact them to make a booking.
Swiping to the right then takes you to the See+Do section, which gives you a choice of local sights and events. Rather than a list, this section is arranged as a series of tiles, but as before you can tap them to see more information, view the location on the map and access and use relevant contact details.
The sights and events in the See+Do section of Local Scout range from the expected, such as local parks to museums, to the more obscure, such as the location of local celebrity deaths, but you’ll never be short of things to do as long as you always have your Nokia Windows Phone close to hand.
Swiping to the right once more brings you to the Shop section of Local Scout, which offers a list of the closest shops and makes it easy to find the nearest place to buy a paper, get a book or go clothes shopping. Again the scrollable list is easy to navigate and puts all the details you need within easy reach.
Finally, one more swipe to the right gets you to the Highlights section of Local Scout, where you can see the most recommended things to do near you. This was the only section we found to be a little less location specific, as the third entry on the list was for a bookstore almost an hour and a half away, by train.
As well as giving you great ideas for things to do, you can also use Local Scout on a Nokia Windows Phone to let your friends know about things you think they might like. On any page of Local Scout, you can easily send the details of any place or event to your contacts, with the touch of a button.
You can even add suggestions of your own, if you find something interesting nearby and want to share it with others. And if you find something you really love in Local Scout, then you can pin it to the Windows Start screen with one click, for easy access next time you’re back in the neighbourhood.
Windows Phone 7.5 Mango: Top 10 must have features
Offering a fantastic way to explore the local sights and sounds wherever your travels may take you, Windows Phone 7.5 Mango’s Local Scout features is sure to be huge hit on the new range of Nokia Windows Phones when they arrive. And with the release date getting closer by the day, you’ll be able to try it out for yourself soon.
We’ll be bringing you daily news on all the Windows Phone features that matter the most in the run up to the release of the first Nokia Windows Phones, so stay tuned.