CarSpotter: the new app from Veloce Publishing

For most of us, long car journeys were a theme of childhood holidays. Trips to distant relatives, museums, wildlife parks … all were highly anticipated during the summer holidays, with adventure almost guaranteed (and not only at our destinations). I-Spy and other spotting games provided friendly (mostly) competition, and we were almost guaranteed to see something suitably eye-catching to keep us intently (and quietly) peering out of the car's rear passenger windows.

When car spotting, that sense of excitement for the rarest, oldest, or newest car still kicks-in today – an excitement that we know to be true for many auto buffs. And that's where our latest app comes in …

Veloce CarSpotter is the iOS app you wish you had had on those long childhood car rides. If mobiles had been around back then. It lets you keep a record of the cars you see on your travels, saving the location, and up to three photos for each car, along with notes on each of your 'Spots.' You can even group your Spots together using your own custom Tags. Oh, and it's COMPLETELY FREE! No in-app purchases, no 'bolt-ons,' and no hidden charges.

With a database of over 68,000 cars, encompassing rare, vintage, unusual, and interesting models, as well as 'standard' vehicles, and spanning over 100 years of motoring history, the cars aren't limited to certain countries or era, so the app can be used to spot cars anywhere.

The cars are curated into themed lists: cars from the 70s and 80s, or from film and TV, for example. We also have Veloce Selects lists that relate to some of our own books and series; now you can see how many of those Classic Fiats or Rally Giants you come across on your travels.

The app comes with ten lists, including six Veloce Selects lists:

• Veloce Selects: 2019 Line-up (Cars from our 2019 programme)
• Veloce Selects: Essential Buyer's Guides
• Film Cars: James Bond
• Veloce Selects: Car-tastrophes
• Veloce Selects: Great Cars
• TV Cars: ’70s & ’80s
• TV Cars: '90s & 2000s
• Film Cars: General
• Veloce Selects: Great Small Fiats
• Veloce Selects: Rally Giants

We'll also be making new lists available as we create them, to keep your app fresh … also FREE! So, if you have an idea, and want us to make a list for the app, let us know and we'll see what we can do!

Now, if you're hankering for some of that 'old school' competition, our app awards you points for each of your Spots … Lotus Europa? That's 250 points added to your profile! Each new Spot means more points to help you level-up. How many points you get depends on what you spot, with points awarded as follows:

• Base score – 100 points, for any Spot.
• Photo bonus – 50 points if the Spot has a photo saved with it.
• New make bonus – 25 points the first time you spot a car from a manufacturer you haven’t seen before.
• New model bonus – 25 points the first time you spot a model that you haven’t seen before.
• Marque score – A variable bonus based on the car maker: the rarer the marque, the bigger the bonus!
• Age score – A variable bonus based on the car's age. The older the car, the bigger the bonus – EXCEPT if it’s brand new, in which case you also get a bonus.

You'll also receive extra points if the Spot is on one of our lists:

• List spot – Additional points if the car is on any of our themed lists (generally 250 points).
• List completion – A BIG points bonus if a Spot completes a themed list (from 500 to 5000 points, depending on the size of the list).

As you collect more Spots, your profile summarises your progress, showing your points total, your current 'Level,' how many cars you've spotted, and over what period. It also shows you interesting stats such as the average age of the cars you've spotted, the oldest and newest cars, and how you're progressing through the lists.

For all the Twitter users among you, there is an option to share your Spots via tweet. The app will add the hashtag #CarSpotter, the model, and the year (if available).

If you find a car that isn't in the app, or one that you don't recognise, the app lets you tweet with the hashtag #CarSpotterID, so you can ask the Twitterati for an identification.

We will be following both hashtags, so do post your Spots and your ID requests. Tweet your score and Level using the #CarSpotter or #CarSpotterID hashstags, and you could also find yourself getting a little 'real-life' bonus from Veloce!

Veloce CarSpotter app is available now; head to our website or direct to the App store and get spotting today!

• Track your spots using a database of over 68,000 cars from 350+ manufacturers
• Save images, location information, and supplemental notes on each spot
• Create custom tags for spots to group them together however you want
• Work through themed lists of over 240 curated cars
• Earn points and level up with older and more prestigious spots, or spotting cars on supplied lists
• Entirely free! No in-app purchases or upfront costs. Just download and get spotting

CarSpotter also lets you choose a colour theme to match your mood.

Veloce CarSpotter is currently only available for iOS devices, and you can find out more over on our website: take a look at Veloce CarSpotter … and start your car spotting adventure today!

Find out more at Veloce: http://bit.ly/VeloceCarSpotter

Get it direct from the App store: https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/veloce-carspotter/id1500594777

Thinking outside the (Glass)boxx

We’ve always looked at ways to get our books known to as many enthusiasts and automotive fans as we can, which is why we began a programme of converting our printed titles into digital formats nearly ten years ago, and have been quietly converting and updating our catalogue ever since. 

With a big catalogue of almost 1000 books to assess, it's no surprise that we're still working away to improve and increase our digital offerings, and that's not limited to the books themselves.

If you're new to eBooks and digital publications, take a look at our eBook FAQs page, which answers the most common questions, including what you need to access ebooks and apps, and how to buy.

The big names in the eBook world – Apple, Amazon, and Google – unsurprisingly have the lion’s share of the market. But, in this age of big data, marketing algorithms, and digital footpritnts, some people prefer to avoid the big names, where possible.

Say hello to Glassboxx

With that in mind, we've added Glassboxx to our list of eBook vendors. Glassboxx, from the clever people at Firsty, provides a great new channel for all readers looking to avoid the 'Big Three,' or hoping to encourage a more diverse consumer environment.

Glassboxx is your one-stop app for eBooks and audio books, and is available – for FREE, of course – for iOS and Android devices. Plus, Glassboxx will soon have a Desktop reader available, so you can read your purchases on your laptop or PC.

Just like other vendors, Glassboxx lets us serve you digital content with built-in copy protection, so your purchases can only be read by you, and are safe and secure in the cloud and on your devices.

Buying with Glassboxx

Buying with Glassboxx is easy. Click the Glassboxx link on any product page, make a purchase, and you'll be directed to the app store for your device, so you can downloaded the reader app: enter the email you used when you bought your book, and you’ll have access to all your Glassboxx purchases!

You can find links to eBook versions (if available)
 beneath the book's specifications.

The app clearly labels publications to show the format, and, because all your books are stored in the cloud, once you've downloaded a book to a device, to quote Glassboxx:

Your books can be enjoyed to your heart’s content in the remotest, furthest-flung corners of the earth, where internet penetration is a mere pipe-dream

… or Dorset, as we call it. It doesn't matter if you change your e-reader: you can read your eBooks on any device and platform with the Glassboxx app installed.

Discover all of our eBooks directly from
within the Glassboxx app …

The app is super-easy to use, and fully featured, allowing you to make full text searches, bookmark pages, change the font size, use a dyslexic-friendly font, and change background colours for easier reading. There's also a fully featured audio player for when you'd rather listen than read.

Adjust your view for easier reading.

If you like getting your Veloce fix in bytes and bandwidth, rather than paper and ink, check out Glassboxx!