November 21, 2010

Review of Dock Apps

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Previously, I reviewed the hardware options for a multimedia dock and covered how your phone operates in dock mode. Now, lets take a look at apps. There are a few apps out there that can provide some additional features to your phone while it is in the multimedia dock. I'm all about the goodness of free stuff, so I'm just going to review the free apps.


Just a quick note - A lot of these apps put your phone in airplane mode. Airplane mode turns off all of the wireless functions such as wifi, bluetooth, 3G, and the phone network.  While in airplane mode, you cannot make or receive calls, text messages, and email, but you can still play games, listen to music, etc.


Shut The Dock Up! (free)
This app prevents your phone from making any noise from incoming calls or notifications such as email and text messages. When the app is in "silent mode", the ringer is turned off and airplane mode is turned on when the phone is placed in the dock. You will still be able to play music and hear the alarm clock though. Remove the phone from the dock and the airplane mode will be turned off and the ringer will turn back on to the previous setting. 


To set up the app, just select "Shut The Dock Up!" from your list of apps in the app tray. The one and only screen for this app will open giving you the choice between "normal mode" and "silent mode". Just touch the red arrow in the middle to switch between the two modes. 




Uses:

  • Keeps phone quiet while in dock.
  • Prevents phone from receiving phone calls, text messages, and email.
Likes:
  • Easy to use.
Dislikes:
  • There are no settings to adjust the operation of this app.


QR Code for Shut The Dock Up!


Dock Nothingness (free)
This app prevents your phone from going into dock mode when you place it in either a multimedia dock or a car dock. There is no setup involved with this app. When you place the phone in the dock, a screen opens that gives you two choices - “dock home” or “dock nothingness”. If you choose “dock home”, the phone goes into the regular dock mode. If you choose “dock nothingness”, the phone continues to display your homescreen.

Uses:
  • Let's you put your phone in a multimedia or car dock without having the phone switch to dock mode.
Likes:
  • Easy to use.
  • Let's you choose which mode every time you place the phone in the dock.
Dislikes:
  • None
QR Code for Dock Nothingness



Bedside Buddy (free)
This app, like Shut The Dock Up!, prevents your phone from making any noise from incoming calls or notifications such as email and text messages when in the dock, but still lets you hear the alarm clock and listen to music. However, it has a bunch of settings that let you customize it's operation.  


When you select the app, you are provided three initial settings:  "Action", "Trigger", and "Condition". 

The "Action" screen lets you pick what you want the phone to do when it is put in the dock. Your choices are: "toggle airplane mode", "toggle data sync", and "do nothing". "Toggle data sync" will prevent applications on your phone like Twitter, Weather, and push email from going out and getting information and updating. Choose "toggle data sync" if you still want to get phone calls and text messages.


The "Trigger" screen lets you pick whether the phone goes into silent mode either when it is put in the dock or when it is connected to the A/C power cord.


The "Condition" screen lets you choose a start and stop time for when your phone is in silent mode. This setting is a great feature since you can set it up so that the phone is only silent while in the dock at night and not during the day. Unfortunately, you cannot change the times for each day.






Uses:
  • Lets you choose when to silence your phone when in the dock or connected to the A/C power cord.
Likes:
  • Works with either the dock or an A/C power cord.
  • Let's you schedule what time to start and stop silent mode.
  • Let's you silence everything with airplane mode or just email and apps.
Dislikes:
  • Can't set up a different schedule for each day.
QR Code for Bedside Buddy


Dock Simulator (free)
This app will put your phone into dock mode without actually physically having to be in the dock.  It works for both a home dock and a car dock. Dock Simulator does not work correctly on a Droid 2. When you start this app, you are given three choices - "home dock", "car dock", and "undock".



Selecting "home dock" is supposed to put the phone into dock mode, but this would not work on the Droid 2. Choosing "car dock" puts the phone into the car dock mode. To undock the phone, pull down the status bar at the top, select the Dock Simulator notification, and then select "undock".

Car dock mode


Uses:
  • Lets you put your phone in dock mode without having a dock.
Likes:
  • Can choose either the dock mode for the multimedia dock or the car dock.
Dislikes:
  • Home dock does not work for the Droid 2.
QR Code for Dock Simulator


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