DockRunner Acts Like Droid Multimedia Dock… For Free
| by Rob Jackson on November 12th, 2009 |
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Do you really like the concept of the Multimedia Dock for the Motorola Droid but refuse to buy it because – heck – you’ve already got an alarm clock and can’t justify the $30 purchase? What if I told you that you could have the Multimedia Dock for FREE… just… not the hardware? DockRunner is an application on Android Market that, when entered, makes your Droid think it is in the Multimedia Dock and gives you all the goodies like live location-based weather, media player, alarm clock, image slideshow and a nice big digital clock.
Your Droid will remain in Multimedia Dock mode until you try to re-enter the application through the application launch icon. Personally I already purchased the Multimedia Dock and I rather like it, but this is a nice alternative. Unfortunately, without the dock, the MicroUSB plug gets in the way if you’re trying to finagle it onto your nightstand, dresser or whatever else to sit upright like the actual dock allows. A quick fix – if the developer is listening – would be to spoof the orientation of the phone and display the application upside down so that you can safely put your Droid on a flat surface, lean it against something and have the plug protrude out the top.
At the end of the video I mention how I just saved you $30 and you should PayPal me. I was joking, of course, but your gratitude should go towards the folks at ActiveFrequency.com who developed Dock Runner and provided it free to all of us. Plus some props to David who sent in this tip – great find! So yeah… you can PayPal them instead. Or me. Either way.
1. Tony Rivera wrote on November 12, 2009
hahahaha cool
2. lordhong wrote on November 12, 2009
thanks! saved me $30 ;)
3. Maj wrote on November 12, 2009
Rob, i can’t see your paypal address anywhere, give it to me
4. Paul Roberts wrote on November 12, 2009
bedside does all of those things except the weather and works in portrait mode too.
http://www.danvelazco.com/2009/03/bedside.html
5. Justin M. wrote on November 12, 2009
Haha, awesome. It’s also worth noting that this is the type of app that would NEVER make it to the iphone app store.
6. Ian wrote on November 12, 2009
Where did you already buy a dock? I can’t find them for sale anywhere…
7. ALok wrote on November 12, 2009
it would be nice if you posted thr qr code for apps posted here.
8. Michael wrote on November 12, 2009
Does anyone know how to get better alarm clock tones? They are all too obnoxious!
9. janus wrote on November 12, 2009
Hey where can I get this awesome Phandroid clock??
10. Jason wrote on November 12, 2009
Has anyone found this on the market? I searched for it and couldn’t find it. Searched for “dockrunner” and “doc runner” but neither returned any hits.
It doesn’t matter that I have a G1 does it? I believe that the Android Market is the same for everyone no matter what hardware you are searching it from.
11. gwlaw99 wrote on November 12, 2009
Click on the house on the top left and you can actually get landscape homescreen without keyboard open.
12. Eric wrote on November 12, 2009
Sweet Thanks
13. Kappy79 wrote on November 12, 2009
I can’t find the dock anywhere either. I’ll use the app in the mean time. Thanks for the tip Rob!
14. Joe V wrote on November 12, 2009
I want that Phandroid clock!
15. Chris wrote on November 12, 2009
“Personally I already purchased the Multimedia Dock and I rather like it, but this is a nice alternative.”
Rob Jackson, where were you able to purchase the multimedia dock? Are you talking about the one Motorola offers or some other one?
16. ZachP wrote on November 12, 2009
Why isn’t this a built in application like “Car Home” is on Android 2.0 devices? There should be a “Dock Home” app.
17. Yoni Samlan wrote on November 12, 2009
This is Yoni from Active Frequency. I wrote DockRunner – thanks for the great video and writeup!
re: your suggestion, I wish I could trick the phone into an “upside-down” orientation, but the Dock Mode seems to force that specific landscape setting, and I can’t really figure out a way around it. Personally, I’ve just MacGuyvered a micro-USB connector onto my bedside covered AC-adapter strip with some Gorilla Tape so I can drop it right onto it, but it is a decidedly unprofessional looking solution :)
As far as showing your support, if you want to express gratitude for the $30 you saved on DockRunner, besides PayPalling Rob :), just buy our $0.99 Market app RockOut Acoustic Pro — proper Droid/WVGA support coming this week!
18. Yoni Samlan wrote on November 12, 2009
@Jason: The app requires Android 2.0, so it won’t even show in the Market on a G1 running Android 1.6. But even if you could install it, your phone is missing the required Motorola clock application, so it wouldn’t work anyways — try Bedside instead.
19. Byron wrote on November 12, 2009
I had trouble finding a case for my Droid when I bought it so I used an old one I had laying around that just so happens to fit. The only bad thing is since the case closes by using a magnet to hold it shut sometimes the phone gets freaked out by that and goes into Dock Mode. Thats how I even found out about Dock Mode. I searched for an hour trying to figure out how to get back into that mode on purpose but couldn’t find anything until I came to this site. Thanks!
20. janus wrote on November 12, 2009
@Joe V
I second that!
21. David wrote on November 12, 2009
My verizon stores initial stock was 120 droids & 6 multimedia docks. Everyone wanted a dock but could not get one. They are still not on the Verizon accessories web page.
Major FAIL Verizon.
This app just saved me $60 we wanted one for work & home.
Lets see 100000 droids sold at least 50000 people wanted a media dock 50000 x $30 = 1.5 million dollars. Ouch.
I’m sure Verizon Execs will have a fuzzy feeling watching the download numbers for this app.
Add an ‘Alarms’ folder to your SD Card
Drop any MP3 in to it and they will show up in your alarm choices. Add the Phandroidpodcast
http://phandroid.com/podcasts/phandroidpodcast-13.mp3
That will wake you up in the morning………
22. M Leonard wrote on November 12, 2009
If I hold my Motorola Droid in landscape mode and place a magnet near the center of the back (use a piece of cloth between the magnet and the droid) it will think it is connected to a media dock. I found this out when I tried to use a holster with a magnetic closure.
23. daniel wrote on November 12, 2009
Bedside
http://www.danvelazco.com/2009/03/bedside.html
It does all that and more, the only thing missing is weather… which will be in there as well, very soon…. I’ve had this app on the market for a long time. On the Droid, if you have Bedside installed, and have the dock, it will ask you if you wish to open Bedside as the default action when connecting to the dock.
24. Chris wrote on November 12, 2009
first off only the droid runs this app and when u go to the market you type in dock runner. i got it right after i saw this post and it works fine. thanks for the tip on how 2 get it out off multi-media mode.
25. Lucas wrote on November 12, 2009
@michael: what you do to get better alarms is make a folder on your sd card called media, inside media make a folder called alarms, and inside this alarms folder you put whatever songs/noises you want to use for your alarms and they will show up when you go to select one. You can also add ringtones and notification sounds the same way.
26. jdog wrote on November 12, 2009
For the problem with the usb I’m sure we’ll be seeing some dock stands made out of Legos to fix that problem. ;)
27. Jason wrote on November 12, 2009
@Yoni Samlan
Thanks for the info! Great work on the app and hopefully I can convince my wife that I HAVE to have the Droid even though we have a year left on our t-mobile contract :)
28. DANdroid wrote on November 12, 2009
Thanks Yoni. I think it’s awesome when developers write in “our” comments section. It helps me believe they actually care about their product and aren’t just trying to make a quick buck.
29. DANdroid wrote on November 12, 2009
@ Michael
Download “Ringdroid” from the market. It will use your audio files and you can crop them to make your own ringtones. It’s simple and works perfectly! Just have to search for the right song. (Warning: Don’t pick a song you love or you’ll end up hating it sooner or later after a couple weeks if you’re not a morning person.)
30. Powderhound wrote on November 12, 2009
@ Michal “Does anyone know how to get better alarm clock tones? They are all too obnoxious”
Get the app called Ringdroid, you can create your own ringtones, alarms, and notifications with mp3’s on your sd card.
It’s amazingly simple, and best of all it’s free!
31. Darek wrote on November 12, 2009
BOSS! installed…
32. MicroNix wrote on November 12, 2009
For those asking where to buy the dock, you can go to the Verizon store and they can order it for you. I did so on Tuesday and it arrived at my house today. Free shipping to boot!
33. webby wrote on November 12, 2009
Thx Phandroid for the tip, and thanks to the developer! I kinda wanted the dock, but not bad enuf to lay out 30 clams for it (So verizon, don’t get your panties in a wad). I will make a dock with a slot for the cable in my workshop — you know some of us guys and our tools.
And Jason, I busted my T-Mobile G1 contract (1 year left also) to get the droid. I will tell you that the droid is so much faster than the G1 that it is flipping amazing, both in moving around in the OS, and on 3G, and even dialing and connecting phone numbers.
On 3G, I have run speed tests using the same speed test app from the same exact spot in my home on both the G1 on T-Mobile 3G, and the droid on Verizon 3G. The droid is a full 50% faster! I don’t know if it is because of the faster droid processor, or if VZ’s 3G is faster than T-Mo’s. I expect it may be a combination of both. But as Forrest Gump might say, “I don’t rightly noes what all they puts in this here gumbo, but it sure do go down gud!” Or in tech jargon, “Sick, dewd!”
34. duhdonutman wrote on November 13, 2009
gadgets galor. i just ordered the car mount from vzw online (use promo code acc20) and an OEM moto p513 for 8.95 on ebay (free ship). i was going to get the multimedia dock, but now i have to choose between bedside, dockrunner and $30 that would prob be better spent on a decent case/holster.
while i love my droid, i don’t know about ditching t-mobile mid contract just to get it. the htc hd2 is coming out next year (too bad no qwerty). it’s out in europe on tmobile and there’s not much reason to think that they won’t get it when it comes here. of course sprint looks eager for it too.
that said, let the droidum continue.
35. Naomi wrote on November 13, 2009
I want the Phandroid clock too (n__n )
36. Rocky wrote on November 13, 2009
Maybe I’m the only one here…
The multimedia dock is worth the price. I probably wouldn’t pay more than $35 for it. Granted, through my company I get 25% off all accessories, so I paid $22.50 for it. But, it’s a good looking piece of equipment, charges the phone when I plug it in, and takes up much less real estate on my nightstand than most alarm clocks.
If you want to go out to your garage and slap together something that achieves the same thing, I respect that. I doubt it will look or perform as nice though. And is the two hours you’ll spend on that really worth the $30 (or even $22.50) you saved?
37. janus wrote on November 14, 2009
@Rob Jackson
Could you post where we can find that awesome custom phandroid clock?
38. kyle wrote on November 14, 2009
Ive been propping it up on a stack of books on my night stand and it works fine. I just let it hange 1/3 of the way off the books so the wire can hang freely. I’ll prob be getting the dock soon, but it works for now!
I also suggest getting the ScreenMode Widget. Lets you switch between sleep/stay awake quickly.
39. Droidford wrote on November 17, 2009
Hey guys another cheap quick fix suggestion until or if you buy the dock later. Use a small “freestanding” picture frame. The larger ones are good for books too etc. too but I had one laying around the house and it’s a small one so it fits the Droid fine and they fold up. The are really cheap at a craft store or Wal-Mart might have them.
40. Phandroid Clock Widget On Android Market | Android Phone Fans wrote on November 20, 2009
[...] the DockRunner video, some of you noticed that my homescreen had a neat little custom clock widget that sported the [...]
41. Brian wrote on November 20, 2009
I just got the droid today. It might be a stupid question but how do I search for apps on the android market? I go to android.com/market and it only shows me the top rated stuff. It doesn’t appear to let me search for anything… Sorry, i’m a newby
42. kitze wrote on November 21, 2009
how about a lego dock? that would solve the issue with the usb cable?
43. justgotone wrote on November 27, 2009
just got a droid today and was wondering if anyone has found a case that you can use with the dock. I dont like the pouches that clip on your belt i like the cases that are always on the phone.
thanks for your help
44. Nicholas Barry wrote on November 28, 2009
It should really be common practice to display an app’s QR code (2-D barcode), or link to it, whenever talking about the app.
In the age of in-phone barcode scanners, leaving out the QR code is tantamount to talking about a website without remembering to link to it.
45. Ryan wrote on November 30, 2009
Here’s how I made a slick dock for 3 bucks. It lets me keep my case on and works like a champ. I have one at my home desk, in the bedroom and in my office at work. Spread the word! The only thing it doesn’t do is charge while on it but I would much rather have the case on it and I can charge it while I’m in the car.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA8-FyHeu88
46. Ryan wrote on November 30, 2009
Here is my 3 dollar dock. I just flip it over for a quick charge or to connect it (waiting for a way to flip dock runner)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NA8-FyHeu88
47. Dufus wrote on December 9, 2009
Where can I fine the DockRunner app. so that I can download in on to my Droid?
48. Calvin Hartwell wrote on February 24, 2010
Hey,
I’ve found a better way of docking the Droid for free:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgrTTWk9z3s&feature=player_embedded
No software required!