Droid Charge: all docked up?

[oOOOo]

Anybody figure out the external limits to the dock situation? "Car Cradle" is buried in the apps list (menu, settings, manage applications, all) but I can't figure out how to launch/install/invoke/use it. Dock settings is set to always. Do certain pins have to be shorted to trigger dock? What is up with these hidden apps?

Some of my chargers make the screen insensitive or something - either way lagged or some options unresponsive. Other of my chargers seem to have no effect.

I've searched the manual, googled and googled and googled. Not getting any smarter. Help?

Am considering installing a 3rd party dock app from the market mostly to stir the pot. Would prefer to have a grip on the general constraints before resorting to the stir...

 

[mrchnd]

On motorola phones, there's a magnet in the dock that the phone senses and that's it. Maybe try to wave a magnet behind the phone?

 

[oOOOo]

That's interesting. My old Blackberry used the magnet to recognize being holstered - by then turning the display off. I guess I'll go look for a magnet. Is any of this droid stuff documented? Or is it all ready fire aim?

 

[oOOOo]

Tried the magnet. No discernible effect on the charge. It does seem like that if I turn on bluetooth, and bluetooth connects to the car stereo and I add external power, I'll get a notification that the charge went into "Car Mode". Pulling down the notification screen provides an option to exit car mode.

 

[richs10]

I have both the OEM Desk Dock and the Car Dock. Fortunately, my phone recognizes each correctly and pulls up the right one when needed. The Desk Dock has an App you can activate manually in Applications section, but I could never find the Card Dock App. I see it in the "Manage Applications" when I follow the instructions in your post, but all it does is pull up the info page on it. Dumb that it's not accessible in the Applications section.

I've downloaded Alarm Clock Plus to override the stock Desk Dock App since the bedside mode was too dim for me to see and it apparently doesn't allow you to set the brightness (?). I'm not overly impressed with the Car Dock App either. I can't stand that it defaults to VZ Navigator and you can't pre-set Google Nav on the screen. If you find one you like, (or find a way to easily modify the stock app) please post it.

When I'm using the car dock, I find it easier to press and hold the Home button or use the pull down screen to manage my Apps like my battery manager, Slacker, radio apps and Google Nav. I usually make sure the apps I want to use are open before I start driving. It's certainly not perfect, but I get by with it. Apparently Verizon and Samsung are concerned we are not capable of setting up the screen with the apps we actually need and want to use while in the dock.

Rich

 

[bespinct]

I like Car Home Ultra. It gives you the ability create your own icons for the screen, gives speed and road info, and heading too.

Steve in CT

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk

 

[richs10]

I like Car Home Ultra. It gives you the ability create your own icons for the screen, gives speed and road info, and heading too.

Steve in CT

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk

Thanks for the suggestion. I took a look at that app. It looks pretty good for the car dock, but the description doesn't say much about the "Home" part. Does it control both the Car Dock and the Desk/Alarm Clock apps?

Thanks,
Rich

 

[bespinct]

Just the car dock. I've been using Gentle Alarm as my home dock... But I only use it in the dock at home as an alarm.

Steve in CT

Sent from my SCH-I510 using Tapatalk

 

[richs10]

A question for you Chargers and Chargettes who are using the Samsung Home/Media Dock with the app "Alarm Clock Plus". I have been using it for a while but when I recently tried to charge a spare battery while the phone was in the dock overnight, the spare battery was not charged in the morning. I tried it for two nights and made sure the spare was properly seated in the compartment. At first, I thought there was a defect in my Dock so I exchanged it for a new one but the same thing happened.....the spare battery was not charged in the morning.

So, I uninstalled the app, went back to the stock app that came with the phone and the problem disappeared. I suspect that something in the Alarm Clock Pro app is preventing the dock from switching to the spare battery after it has charged the phone.

Anyone else? Any ideas for a solution....I really like Alarm Clock Pro, but this is a problem.

I still can't believe Samsung didn't put a dimming option on the dock's sleep mode....why, I don't know. I'm not going to manually set and re-set the phone's brightness each night and morning.

Rich