Auto Witness, a Windows Phone 8 solution for documenting traffic accidents

Auto Witness

Car Witness is an interesting Windows Telephone 8 app that could come in handy should yous find yourself in a traffic blow. Auto Witness is a video recording app that sets up on a loop and saves your video automatically if a rapid acceleration or deceleration is detected. The app can also automatically salve the videos to your OneDrive account.

The Windows Phone viii app was called equally runner-up in the 2022 Nokia Create Contest (Freestyle Principal Category) and while it does a nice chore of recording your travels, in that location are a few downsides.

Machine Witness Layout

The layout for Machine Witness is straightforward with controls on your camera view to start recording, review previous recordings and admission the app'south settings.

Auto Witness Viewfinder

The idea is to have your Windows Phone securely in a dash or window mountain to allow you lot to record your travels every bit you drive down the road. Should a car run a run lite or otherwise cause you lot to exist in a traffic blow, you take a video recording of the incident. Every bit far every bit the view from the automobile mounts, I did detect that nuance mounted cradles provided a improve view of the route. The view from the windshield mounts was ofttimes partially obscured by the base of the mountain.

Auto Witness Settings

Settings for Auto Witness include.

Audio recording: For those who prefer silent movies to the talkies.
Sensitivity: This value sets the sensitivity for the auto-salve characteristic. If your Windows Phone senses an abrupt stop or rapid acceleration, Automobile Witness will automatically save the video footage.
Videos Resolution: If you need to conserve space on your Windows Phone or OneDrive, Auto Witness resolution settings tin can be as low as 160x120. Hd recording is supported.
Before Salve Duration: This is the maximum amount of video recording to save earlier an incident is detected.
Afterwards Save Duration: This setting dictates the amount of extra video recording to relieve afterwards an incident has been detected.
Sync: Here is where yous setup Machine Witnesses integration with OneDrive. It should be noted that the first iii videos saved to OneDrive are free. Afterwards that y'all'll need to upgrade to the Pro version that will cost $one.29 to allow unlimited uploads to OneDrive.

Auto Witness notes in the Windows Phone Store description that information technology has loop recording to save space on your Windows Phone. Nevertheless, it is non noted how long the loop time is.

Performance

For the virtually part, Car Witness performed as advertised. The on-screen layout is simple and the manual record push button is piece of cake to admission while moving downwards the road. Tapping anywhere on the screen will manually save the recording.

The auto save characteristic worked fine with both rapid acceleration and deceleration triggers. The only downside to the machine save feature (or manual salvage for that matter) is that while the video will resume recording after things are saved, there is about a four-second gap where recording is paused to let for the file to be saved. I'k non if there is a work effectually to this gap or not but yous can miss a lot in 4 seconds.

Overall Impression

Auto Witness does a prissy job of things simply it isn't without a few downsides. For starters, you accept the gap created when the video is saved. Next upward, to have advantage of Auto Witness it has to be running. This essentially locks up your Windows Phone while driving and prevents you from having access to your maps, telephone, etc. Having the video photographic camera running constantly will likely require you to have your Windows Phone connected to a power source.

Auto Witness Video Library and Upgrade Option

I like the concept of Car Witness and tin see it coming in handy during blitz hour commutes, while educational activity a kid how to drive (not bad for reviewing their functioning) or if yous are accident-prone and the insurance visitor has issues believing your story. I just don't know how practical Auto Witness will be to use every time you get behind the wheel.

I do non know if it is possible to run the video photographic camera in the groundwork, only that might make Auto Witness more applied for full-time use. The auto-save and auto-upload features could come up in handy if you are involved in a serious accident and physically are unable to get to your Windows Telephone.

All in all, Auto Witness has potential and I tin see it being a useful tool fore certain occasions. Auto Witness is a complimentary app (iii video upload limit) that is available for Windows Phone viii devices. To relish unlimited uploads, you will demand to make an in-app upgrade to the Pro version.

You tin notice Motorcar Witness here in the Windows Phone Store.

QR: Auto Witness