Car Starter gets updated, app buttons and more added to the mix

Car Starter is a Windows Phone 8 app that delivers dashboard styled access to key features of your Windows Phone. It reduces the amount of navigation needed to move around your phone while traveling, making it a little safer to access your phone.

Car Starter was update to version 1.2 and adds a few new features and fine tunes others.

For starters you now have three programmable app buttons that sit at the top of the screen to give you quick and easy access to a collection of Windows Phone apps.

Additional changes delivered with the version 1.2 update include:

• Shuffle button added to the music playback controls
• Added voice commands for playing music, playing Nokia Music Mix and playing a genre or playlist
• Help button added for voice command controls
• Ability to re-order and delete contacts in portrait view

With regards to Car Starter's app buttons, they are currently limited to a handful of apps such as Facebook, Nokia Music, Spotify, Viber and WhatsApp. Hopefully, this list will grow as more apps are suggested to the developer.  It would be nice to see apps such as Yelp!, Rad Now, Trapster and other travel oriented apps eventually added to the list.

Speaking of which, you also have integration with carstarter.uservoice.com which is an easy way to deliver feedback, update ideas and other suggestions to the developer.

All in all, the update improves upon the previous version of Car Starter and it remains a nice option if you're looking for a Windows Phone 8 dashboard app.

Car Starter is a free app with an NFC feature that will cost you $.99 via an in-app purchase. You can find Car Starter here in the Windows Phone Store.