Pocketnow Weekly 178: Bumpy batteries and Star Wars Droids

Published: Dec. 12, 2015, 10:17 p.m.

An Android tablet that doesn't quite belong. HTC news on both sides of the good/bad divide. An ugly-as-sin Apple accessory. And a Droid Turbo 2 that looks like Star Wars' own BB-8! Where are you going to find talk like this anywhere else on the internet? If you answered "anywhere I look," you're right indeed ... but you ended up here so welcome to the party. All of the above – plus your listener mail – awaits on episode 178 of the Pocketnow Weekly! Watch the video broadcast from 1:30pm Eastern on December 11 (click here for your local time), or check out the high-quality audio version. And don't forget to shoot your listener mail to podcast [AT] pocketnow [DOT] com for a shot at getting your question read aloud on the air!Pocketnow Weekly 178 Recording Date December 11, 2015 Hosts Michael Fisher Stephen Schenck Jaime Rivera Producer Jules Wang Podcast Rundown  Sponsor Today's episode of the Pocketnow Weekly podcast is made possible by: Did you know that with just a few lines of code you can send text messages that include alerts, reminders, order updates, SMS marketing campaigns, and instructions for app downloads? It’s true! With TeleCommunication Systems, Inc.’s Cloud Messaging Center developers can easily integrate text messaging into their own mobile application, backend or website. As a company, TCS handles up to 670 billion messages per year. That’s an average of 1.8 billion messages per day! Their CMC REST API allows you to send messages for alerts, reminders, and order updates. You can also use it to send SMS marketing campaigns to drive app downloads or to increase user engagement. The REST API allows you to perform messaging functions such as: sending, receiving and scheduling messages, securing delivery receipts, and creating groups and contacts. TCS offers inter-carrier messaging across all US wireless carriers. The pricing is flexible and based on quantity of messages needed, featuring pay as you go monthly plans. Go to cloudmessaging.guru to sign up for the Cloud Messaging Center REST API, and start integrating this messaging solution today!Double Priv-away! (00:05:03) We're giving away a pair of Blackberry Privs, thanks in part to AT&T and in celebration of 5,000 videos on our YouTube channel!News (00:09:21) Pixel C now at Google Store starting at $499 | evidence suggests Android was an afterthought Google confirms Android split screen in the works, possibly for Android N Verizon Droid Turbo 2 Star Wars designs come to Moto Maker today Could the first Snapdragon 820-powered Windows Phone be this HP Falcon? Windows 10 Mobile Insiders getting free hardware to test Continuum HTC explains Vive delays | enjoys revenue rebound HTC Perfume allegedly en route with Android 6.1 ASUS and LG poke fun at "bumpy" iPhone battery case / Tim Cook defends it Listener Mail (01:02:07) E-mailed submissions from R S, Chris from Buffalo, and Ian • See you next time! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.