When the Droid was first released, a couple of interesting accessories from Motorola followed suit. I was dismayed to find hefty, $29.99, prices for things like the Car Dock and the Droid Multimedia Station.

There's no reason that some sort of magnetic, plastic dock should cost so much. And for what? The docks are nice, but hardly a necessity. In fact, if you want to mimic the Car Dock's features, just press the Car Home app in Android 2.0.x. But until now, users haven't been able to mimic the Multimedia dock feature.

I was simply browsing the top app list in the Market, when I found an unassuming app called DockRunner. DockRunner is a FREE download and mimics the Droid Multimedia Dock (shown above on the left). The time, weather, music, pictures, etc. are all displayed and the phone thinks it's in the dock!

Save yourself $30 and just download this simple app. Desperately want a cheesy, clunky, plastic "dock"? May I suggest making your own? Stay tuned for a DIY dock later this December!

After a several month hiatus from the Android market, version 3.0 has just been released. Fans of augmented reality have already been calling it the "Killer App of the Day." Don't be fooled, Layar Reality Browser is just another method of greater consumerism and hardly a reasonable information source.

Let's say you're in a mid-sized college town like I am. Here in Fort Collins, I turn on the Wikipedia Layer in the browser. My camera proceeds to turn on and show me an on screen radar and grid. I'm supposed to be immersed into the augmented reality. Instead of actually seeing the world, I see yet another screen -- it's mildly depressing. And if I thought the browser was going to truly change my perspective I ought to think twice. For instance, the only Wikipedia blip that results is Colorado State's nearby stadium, "Hughes."

Switching to businesses, I see a mildly larger population, with reviews, and a basic description of the food, service, etc. All the while, I reminded that I'm looking in a little box less than 4 inches, and the camera continues to shutter along while I comically lift my phone to face to look at a building or direction. I look like an imbecile. Perhaps this is the future of technology with these savvy technological devices, but count me out of this one.

Heck, if I want to look at review, location, and the type of food I'll be receiving at a restaurant I use Google's local search and/or a Google voice search with my Droid. Google has a highly developed voice recognition system that easily trumps Apple's iPhone. Command your phone by pressing the mic, and simply say something like "pizza." Google's search is off to the rescue, cataloging the closest pizza places to your location, offering numbers, and addresses. And all the while, I don't look like such an idiot.

Augmented reality is comparable to walking around with a metal detector. Interesting hobby, and I bet it produces a number of 43 cent finds, but is it really the future? I'd advise you to delete Layar Reality Browser after trying it out for yourself.

Leave a comment below, I'd love to hear what you think about augmented reality and Layar Reality Browser!

Facebook iPhone update: 3.03 with bug fixes coming soon, and 3.1 with push notifications to follow.

From Joe Hewitt on Twitter.

One source close to the thinking of AT&T executives said the company has been deliberating the decision for weeks and that top executives have said they were close to accepting voice over Internet services on all AT&T phones, including the iPhone. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity because a decision hadn't been officially announced. Skype currently operates on the iPhone through WiFi access, but not on AT&T's 3G mobile network. (SOURCE)

Stay tuned for more details. News like this isn't surprising as the recently inked deal between Google and Verizon may be pressuring Apple and AT&T to think about the ramifications of open source applications.

Update: Looks like AT&T just approved VOIP apps to be on the 3G network. Now the question is how long it takes for apps to update. Hopefully google voice will also be included in the new rules.