Pocketnow Weekly 058: YouTube app wars, a WP8 HTC One, & the future of phone customization

Published: Aug. 21, 2013, 5:30 p.m.

When companies fight, customers (usually) lose - but podcasters win, big time. On this episode of the Pocketnow Weekly, we'll be reaping some of the few benefits of the great Google-vs-Microsoft battle of 2013: namely, the ability to piss and moan and armchair-quarterback. Fortunately, we've got plenty of ammunition for the discussion, as we're also fresh from customizing our own Moto X devices, re-reviewing the Surface RT, and observing the initial, wobbly launch efforts behind the ATIV S Neo - not to mention wildly speculating about the almost-certainly-fictitious HTC One (Windows Phone 8 edition). If that sounds like the kind of podcast you're into, and you're also a fan of extended bouts of listener mail ranging from headphone-jack talk to wireless-charging discussion to speculation on just why retail electronics stores suck so bad, well, you've found the right place. So unwrap your candies and lozenges: the curtain's about to rise on the three-man tech team of Taylor, Stephen, and Michael for yet another installment of the Pocketnow Weekly mobile-technology podcast. Send feedback, questions, and requests to podcast [AT] pocketnow [DOT] com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Google Plus to stay apprised of the latest episodes. Tell your friends about the show so we don't have to do a telethon to stay on the air. Join our forums to offer topic suggestions and more. And thanks for listening!Pocketnow Weekly Episode 058 Recording Date 08/21/2013 Hosts Michael Fisher Stephen Schenck Taylor Martin Topic List Thought Thread (00:05:27) Our custom Moto X phones just came in - and boy are they sweet. But is customization really the future? Android (00:27:59) Moto X custom engraving hits a snag HTC Zara leaked render tries to anticipate upcoming phone, specs YouTube for Android updated with new UI, in-app multitasking iOS (00:41:20) iOS YouTube app gets updated as well Windows Phone (00:43:13) Microsoft and Google: grow up! Windows Phone HTC One hardware seems largely unchanged Making a Nokia Windows RT tablet is a bad idea Surface RT After The Buzz Sprint botching ATIV S Neo launch? Listener Mail (01:21:26) Minh Nguyen complains about the Windows Phone retail experience. Aaron Linson asks us to speculate on Android 4.3 for the Moto X. Roy Hartanto wonders if Windows Phone should be ditched in favor of Windows RT (!). Jack Bolton asks why we're still putting up with the tired old 3.5mm headphone jack. Cheewii Blue solicits our opinions on navigation buttons. And Kenneth Meadows II incites a wonderful discussion about wireless charging: why you should care about it, and what the future holds for the technology. • Thanks for listening! Tune in next week for more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.