This week’s home screen features Bradley Chambers (Twitter)(Website). In addition to his guest appearances on the Mac Power Users, Bradley also co-hosts the Out of School podcast with Fraser Speirs (Home screen). Bradley is a wicked smart geek. Bradley is also the first person (of many) to share a six row iPhone 6 home screen. So Bradley, show us your home screen.

What are some of your favorite apps?

My favorite app is probably Evernote. It’s my external brain. I struggled for years on what to use Evernote for, but Fraser Speirs finally showed me the light. A perfect example of something I store in Evernote are photos of crafts that my oldest son makes at school. I don’t really want to store the hard copy of everything that he makes forever, but I would like to have a record of it. 

Omnifocus is really well done on the iPhone. I tried to move away from the ecosystem last year (for simplicity), but when Omnifocus 2 was released on the Mac, I came back. Where Evernote is my “hard drive”, Omnifocus is my “RAM”. It allows me to only focus on what I need to focus on at any given time. If it’s not in Omnifocus, it won’t get done.

1Password is also one of those apps that I couldn’t live without. Everything from password logins, secure notes, and credit card information is stored in it. With iOS 8 extensions, 1Password on iOS will become much more powerful.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

It’s definitely Overcast. I’ve been a podcast fan since the first Revenge of the Screen Savers episode was released. I’ve used just about every podcast app on the market, and Overcast is fantastic. I also really like Castro, but the audio smart speed and voice boost features keep me using Overcast. 

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

It’s the camera. The very fact that I can capture almost anything that happens with a device that fits in my pocket is just incredible. I’ll be able to go back and look at so many more memories of my kids lives than any other generation before.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I’m really looking forward to seeing how developers take advantage of extensions to give me less of a reason to use my Mac. I’m a big “iOS first” proponent and want to continue to see the platform develop into a first class productivity machine.

Thanks Bradley.

A few weeks ago I linked to a TextExpander tutorial Mike Schmitz (Twitter) did over at Asian Efficiency. Since then, Mike and I have been corresponding via email and I’ve determined he’s a swell guy. So Mike, show us your home screen.

What are some of favorite apps?

OmniFocus – my digital brain.

I tried just about every task management app out there before settling on OmniFocus, and now it would take a lot to get me out of it because I am seriously invested. OmniFocus 2 for iPhone is so great for quick capturing, and I love the ability to add things via Siri.

Dispatch – my email client of choice

(and I’ve tried almost all of them). 

I really like the TextExpander support and the ability to send emails to OmniFocus, kind of like an iOS version of the Clip-o-Tron (I like this better than the mail drop, but I know that works too). It would be hard for me to go back to an email app that didn’t have that integration with my task management system now.

Drafts

I got hooked on Drafts after hearing about it on Mac Power Users. It took awhile for me to get into it, but now I can’t imagine not having it on my phone. Unless I’m adding tasks via Siri to OmniFocus, I tend to use this as my central inbox and then process from here and incorporating via some custom export actions (i.e. sending to nvALT via Dropbox sync). I use it to record things I want to remember from podcasts and audiobooks, lunch orders, phone numbers, etc. It took awhile to train myself to use it this way, but it really is an integral part of my workflow now.

1Password

This app really needs no introduction. I use this more than Safari because I need passwords for a lot of the websites I frequent, and 1Password makes the login process so easy. I really wish I could make this my default browser. Alas, maybe in iOS 9…

Scanbot

I love Scanbot! I used to use Scan+ for scanning receipts for my paperless workflow, but Scanbot is just much easier for me to use. I also like the auto-upload to Evernote feature (which is where I store everything). The fact that Scanbot didn’t have OCR until recently wasn’t a big deal to me because Evernote does an amazing job OCRing whatever I upload.

Overcast

Like task managers, I’ve also tried just about every podcast app and I really like Overcast because of the Smart Speed feature. Basically it analyzes the podcast track and eliminates the silences, effectively shortening the podcast file without varying the playback speed. Pretty crazy stuff, but it works well. Because I tend to listen to podcasts only on my iPhone, the fact that there’s no Mac or iPad app doesn’t really bother me.

Launch Center Pro

This took me a while to get into also, but this is seriously a phenomenal application. It’s so much more than just a quick launcher. You can actually use URL schemes to do specific actions, and even x-callback URLs to link actions together and bring you back to your original app. As an example of what you can do with Launch Center Pro, check out this personal reflection action I created (it launches a series of questions via LCP and then pastes the answers into a Markdown table in a DayOne entry). This is just the tip of the iceberg though, and if you’re interested there’s a great guide for getting started with Launch Center Pro over at MacStories.

Mextures

A friend of mine tipped me off to this app when it was in beta. It’s basically a photo editing app that allows you to add textures, light leaks, etc. to your photos. You can do some really cool stuff with this app as you add different layers of effects. Think of it kind of like Instagram filters, but actually good.

iReal Pro

iReal Pro is kind of like the old “Band-in-a-Box” app. You can select a progression (or create your own), set a tempo, choose your lead and rhythm instruments, and start jamming! Because it uses the Nashville numbering system, you can actually even change the key on the fly. This is a phenomenal practice tool, and you can even use it with Audiobus to record via something like AmpKit.

Capo

This is a great little app that just got a refresh. Basically you load up your iTunes track, and Capo will analyze it for you and return information on the song like tempo, key, etc. and even determine what chords are used throughout the song. It’s not perfect, but surprisingly accurate and allows you to change pitch/tempo of songs which makes them much easier to learn (i.e. slowing down a guitar solo so you can play along with it).

Hum

I write songs on occasion, and Hum is a tool I started using to capture inspiration instead of voice memos because of the ability to include lyrics, key information, etc.

Logos

One of the many hats I wear is Bible College teacher, and the Logos application is invaluable for the type of in-depth study I need to do. Using this app, I can actually prep for a class completely on my iOS device. I also use this app for my own personal daily Bible reading.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

There are a couple of iOS games that I would call guilty pleasures just because I tend to spend too time in them. The first one is a game you recommended awhile back called Hoplite. It’s incredibly fun and insanely frustrating at the same time, as one wrong move in the later levels and you’re done. I also really enjoy Threes, and the iOS version of Carcassonne is amazing. It’s expensive, but if you like the board game it’s worth every penny.

What is the app you are still missing?

I can’t think of an app I’m missing, but having 1Password and TextExpander touch on my iPhone and not being able to use them system-wide still just feels wrong. I’m really excited to see what happens with extensions in iOS 8, as a TextExpander keyboard would be really cool and I’ve seen some awesome stuff coming from AgileBits incorporating the TouchID sensor, so fingers crossed.

Also, I have a tendency to follow things that are shiny, so I’m sure I’ll find an app soon that will fill a need I didn’t even know I had.

How many times a day do you use your iPhone/iPad?

I listen to podcasts (via Overcast) and audiobooks (via Audible) whenever I’m traveling in the car, out for a run or at the gym. I also use the iPhone as my primary digital camera, and do my journaling in Day On
e. So while I use my iPhone quite a bit, I have developed boundaries for myself (i.e. no fiddling when I’m home and the kids are up), and I definitely try to respect those and limit my use when at home.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

The camera on the 5S is by far my favorite feature. It’s amazing, and as they say “the best camera is the one you always have with you”. I’m not really a great photographer, but I love capturing the funny stuff my kids do and the 5S is great for that. My kids also really get a kick out of the slow-mo video option – lots of fun has been had with that.

If you were in charge at Apple, what would you add or change?

I would fix Apple Maps (I still can’t trust it in my area) and now that Apple owns Beats I’d make Beats Music part of the annual iTunes Match fee, even if the price goes up considerably. Adding a streaming music service to the mix really would allow me to centralize iTunes as my media hub, and Beats Music is already pretty solid. I would also figure out an Apple-like solution for photo management, as right now photo management can really be a pain (although looks like they are well on their way in iOS 8 and Yosemite).

What’s your wallpaper and why?

I usually leave the stock wallpaper, but my lock screen I change all the time with different family pictures I take with my 5S. This is my current favorite. It’s great because every time I pull out my phone I’m reminded of what’s really important to me, and it’s not the Twitter update I was going to post or the email from the office. I don’t want my kids to remember me as the guy who was always playing with his phone.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I really think we’re on the verge of something huge with iOS. I’m really excited to see what developers do with app extensions in iOS 8, and I think we’re going to get some really innovative connections that will revolutionize the way we use our iOS devices. It’s already amazing to think of what you can do with an iPhone, but I think we’re about to see it go to a whole new level. It’s an exciting time to be an Apple Fanboi.

Also, thanks for having me! Love Mac Power Users, love the Field Guides – keep up the great work!

Thanks Mike.

Michael T. Rose (Twitter) is a longtime editor and contributor at The Unofficial Apple Weblog, AOL Tech’s site for all things Apple and app-related. He’s the co-host (with Kelly Guimont), of The Aftershow a new podcast that picks up where TUAW’s long-running weekly Talkcast left off. When he’s not blogging or podcasting, Mike’s day job is with Salesforce.com as a senior sales engineer. Mike lives in Brooklyn with his family and has a personal blog at geekparent.com. So Mike, show us your home screen.

What are some of your favorite apps?

As a New York City denizen, I depend on the city’s public transit system every day to get where I’m going. NextStop is a wonderful transit information app, delivering scheduled (and in the case of a few subway lines, real-time) train arrival information. Citymapper, HopStop, and Embark NYC provide savvy transit routing information that takes repairs, diversions and other schedule changes into account. (Embark was bought by Apple last year, so chances are that app’s capabilities will eventually show up in the iOS Maps app.) But the best app for emulating a New York subway rider is Exit Strategy; it helps you figure out where to stand on the subway platform so that you line up just right to exit at your eventual destination.

I live and die by 1Password, of course, and I use Things to manage my to-do list. MobileDay makes it easy to dial into conference calls with a single tap, and JotNot Pro is my go-to “Paperless enabler” app for capturing receipts and other paper documents. Tweetbot is my Twitter client of choice, and for all my day job connections with my Salesforce colleagues, there’s the powerful and simple Salesforce1 app.  

On my second home screen you’ll find a few more frequent flyers: Tripit, RoadAhead, Overcast, Spotify and the indispensable Sleep Cycle. 

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

I’ve got to go with Timehop, the personal time capsule for social media. My kids are young enough, and I’ve been on Twitter and Facebook long enough, that a look back at “this day in history” is often a reminder of what they were saying and doing when they were small. It’s adorkable. 

What is the app you are still missing?

One of the biggest things I’m missing isn’t an app per se, but a feature that’s promised for iOS 8 and Yosemite: tethered mirroring of iOS devices. I do software demos as a major part of my job, including on iOS, and often as not via a remote meeting solution like GoToMeeting or WebEx. Current-gen mirroring tools like Reflector and AirServer do a pretty good job, but they’re only as good as the local WiFi network; mid-demo is not the time you want to have a wireless hiccup interfering with your presentation flow. When I can connect a Lightning cable and show my iPhone screen seamlessly and reliably on my Mac, that’ll be a happy day. 

How many times a day do you use your iPhone/iPad?

The iPad, maybe 10–20 times – usually for note-taking or reading, or sometimes mobile mindmapping with MindNode. The iPhone? Pretty constantly, although since I got a [Pebble]https://getpebble.com) a few weeks ago I notice that I’m not doing as much “take the phone out of the pocket to see what that buzzing is about” since my notifications are visible right on my wrist.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

Push notifications. Apps like Dark Sky and MobileDay let me know what I need to know, before I need to know it.

If you were in charge at Apple, what would you add or change?

I’d allow pa
id upgrades, trials and beta testing on the App Store. The changes in iOS 8 are going to be great, but they still don’t address one of the economic challenges of app development; there’s no good way to capture revenue from the effort of developing a powerful new version of an app, unless it’s positioned as an entirely new app. Which in turn puts original purchasers in a bad mood. 

What’s your wallpaper and why?

This wallpaper is Apple’s very basic gradient with the parallax turned off, as it was giving me some dizziness. Since I took this screenshot, I’ve been experimenting with turning it back on and having a zoomable/slideable background. We’ll see how it goes. Meanwhile, my lock screen includes “if found please contact” information; I should add some “in case of emergency” detail as well.  

Thanks Mike.

Awhile back, I featured Casey Liss’s (Website) (Twitter) iPhone home screen. Then we had him on the Mac Power Users earlier this week and had so much fun that I asked Casey to come back and show off his iPad home screen. So Casey, show us your home screen.

Background

As with most Apple products, I swore off the iPad as being silly and useless before I actually used one. Once I tried one, I had to have one.

My current iPad is my third. I started with the original (WiFi only), then got a 3rd generation (WiFi only). This time I got an iPad Mini with Retina Display, 32 GB, equipped with cellular and purchased with a Verizon SIM. Shortly after buying it, I got a second, T-Mobile SIM which gives me 200 MB of data free every month. Generally speaking, it’s that SIM that’s in the device. In my normal usage, 200 MB is more than enough for a month.

This month, however, I’m fresh off a trip to the beach, where T-Mobile had no coverage. I paid for one month of service on Verizon, hence the “Verizon” in the upper left of the screen.

Favorite Apps

Not too dissimilar from my iPhone, my favorite apps tend to be the ones I use the most. That means Tweetbot for browsing Twitter, Reeder for reading RSS, as well as Check the Weather, 1Password, and Day One. I also use Status Board to keep up with ATPdownload numbers and Twitter feedback.

I’ve been using Day One casually for a while, but now that my wife is pregnant with our first child, I’ve been using Day One to chronicle her pregnancy and our preparation for the arrival of “Sprout”.

Finally, what with the iPad’s larger screen, I use it for watching video quite a bit more than the iPhone. That usually means Plex, SlingPlayer, or during college football season (Go Hokies!), Watch ESPN is open.

Guilty Pleasure

Probably YouTube. Though I don’t use it too often, it is far and away the easiest and quickest way to get to funny videos and music videos — even obscure ones.

What App Is Missing

I’m not sure that there’s an app I’m missing, but there are definitely updates I’m missing.

A Tweetbot update for iOS 7 and a 1Password update for iOS 8, once that’s out.

I’m confident the Tapbots folks are working hard on the Tweetbot update, and I’m trying very hard to be very patient.

We’ve seen videos of 1Password using iOS 8 extensions for both third party apps and Safari. Further, since I have an iPhone 5S, I’m excited for TouchID integration. Genuinely, the thing I’m most excited about for iOS 8 is what it enables 1Password to do.

How Many Times

I use my iPad predominantly at night, at home. If my nose isn’t in a book, then my face is probably being illuminated by my iPad.

I also hate bringing my MacBook Pro to meetings at work, so I usually bring my iPad. I don’t usually need it, but it helps to have a larger interface than my phone for quickly looking things up, sceheduling meetings, etc.

Favorite Feature

Since I’m still grandfathered on the AT&T unlimited data plan, I can’t tether to my phone. As mentioned above, this iPad is my first with LTE, and I’m so glad I made that choice. While I don’t use the cellular features of my iPad that terribly often, it’s wonderful to have the ability to. I love not having to worry about whether or not I’ll be at a WiFi hotspot when I take my iPad somewhere.

Plus, the Mini is portable enough that I don’t mind taking it out with me, when the need arises. The combination of the small size and cellular connectivity makes me able to, for example, look up product reviews while we’re at the store registering for our baby shower.

It also makes being a passenger on car rides much more enjoyable.

What would I change?

Definitely a stronger magnet
for the Smart Cover — on both sides. I feel like it slides just enough when closed for me to hear the unlock noise often, when I shouldn’t. Additionally, the magnet that keeps the smart cover held to the back is way too weak.

Additionally, I’d love to have TouchID on the iPad. I’m sure it’s coming this fall, but I do miss it every time I pick up my iPad.

Wallpaper

Trio Electric by Marc Edwards.

I first met Larry Port (Twitter)(Website) at the American Bar Association TechShow. Larry is deep into technology and good design. So much so that he has been taking on (successfully) the most slow-to-change industry on the planet, the legal profession, with his revolutionary Rocket Matter service. So Larry, show us your home screen.

What are some of your favorite apps?

Camera 

I know it sounds weird to chose Camera.  I love taking pictures and video with my iPhone.  I was a photojournalist before I got into software, and I can’t get over the quality of the photographs the native iPhone camera affords.  Also, I recently edited our first home movies using exclusively iPhone video content.  The representation of my family life as depicted through these videos is so much richer and accurate than the videos created with a dedicated camcorder, since the iPhones are constantly in hand.  The camera is my favorite app period.

Evernote

Typically I view my iPhone and my iPad as consumption devices, not tools for the creation of data or information.  However, my usage of Evernote’s mobile tool is more creation the consumption oriented.  I record audio notes, take pictures, and constantly capture information.  When I get to my computer, this information is already there, ready to go and synched.  Occasionally I look something up I’ve saved on mobile Evernote, but more often I look things up on my MacBook Air, where Evernote is open all day long.

Pandora

I love both Pandora and Spotify.  Very little of my music consumption takes place via my iTunes music collection anymore.  Who has time for synching?  I prefer Pandora to Spotify because I am too lazy and musically uninspired to build playlists and discover new artists.  I love how Pandora plays stuff I just like, whether I know the song or artist or not.

Starbucks

A small cup of Starbucks coffee contains 250mg of caffeine.  For a frame of reference, espresso tops out at about 75mg.  Let’s face it:  Starbucks sells a drug I am addicted to.  And their app allows me to pay for my addiction easily and rewards me with a free vial – I mean cup – of coffee every so often.  I also get free apps on the iTunes app store.  

Audible

I try to listen to a dozen business books a year.  I listen to them instead of reading because I don’t find reading business books any fun at all, but find listening to them very stimulating.   I queue up Audible for my car ride to and from the office, knocking off about 30 minutes of “reading” a day.  Right now I’m “rereading” Good to Great, Jim Collins’ classic.  Audible is vastly improved in recent years if you haven’t tried it lately.

GoToMeeting

Rocket Matter is a distributed company with workers in different locations.  We synch up regularly to stay in alignment with daily stand ups, weekly management meetings, and monthly reviews.  We’re always using GoToMeeting to communicate.  It’s important to see faces as well as hear voices when you’re remote.   Even though I’m in our HQ most of the time, I travel frequently and meet with clients so I don’t want to miss an important meeting when I’m out.

Rocket Matter

We manage our business through the software we created.  Rocket Matter, while in reality a legal practice management solution, is actually a very good project management program as well.  I use the app to keep track of my current projects (which are really matters), view my calendar, and track my expenses.  In the software business, using your own product is often referred to as “eating one’s own dog food.”  I prefer the more elegant “drinking one’s own wine.”

Google Maps, TripIt, Yelp, and Uber form my traveling swiss army knife. Google Maps stays on my home screen because, in addition to travel usage, I use it locally as well. It’s how I look up local telephone numbers.  I don’t LOVE this app, but then again, I don’t love the phone book either.  It’s just a utility that works amazingly well that I use frequently.

Netflix

Netflix, believe it or not, is critical to me staying in shape.  I am able to survive the boredom of 30-minute elliptical workouts by binge watching TV shows.  Right now I’m going through season one of Star Trek – the original series.  I haven’t used Netflix on my iPhone in any other context.  I don’t have a bus or train commute and can’t think of another instance where I would want to stare at a small screen for video.

Marketplace

I am very selective about what news I consume, especially when it’s push, not pull oriented.  Marketplace, which is broadcast on my local NPR station, makes the cut.  The show is somehow able to make business and economic news highly entertaining.  No one is rude, no one interrupts one another, and no one is brash or stupid.  Instead, you get thoughtful, nuanced, and clever reporting.  Since I’m rarely in my car at the right time to listen, their podcast app keeps me tuned in and informed.

Lose It!

When I track what I eat, I maintain my correct weight.  It’s that simple.  Lose It! is an incredible tracking app, which ties into my primitive human urge to set and track my progress toward goals.  The UI is terrific, as is the web interface.  I keep it on my home screen to remind me to enter my consumption and physical activity and shame me when I haven’t been tracking.  Plus, I’m a sucker for cool icons, and they have more cute little icons for different foods and forms of exercise than I could wish for in my wildest fantasies.

Remote

We have an Apple TV which we use constantly.  We lose the tiny little remote it came with once a day.  The Remote app mitigates this problem by allowing us to control the Apple TV from anyone’s iPhone, iPad, or iTouch.  It’s also much more helpful for searches, since you can type with a keyboard instead of selecting letters one at a time.  I never thought I would appreciate the iPhone’s keyboard, but compared to spelling things out character by character with the native Apple TV remote, the app is a breeze.

Analytiks

We are total data heads at Rocket Matter.  We’re always analyzing numbers critical for our business.  One of the most important drivers is the health of our web traffic, so I use Analytiks, which has a beautiful interface for Google Analytics.  Analytiks allows me to quickly see how the traffic is doing for our Rocket Matter and Legal Productivity sites.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

StubHub

The cool thing about StubHub is not just that you can get decently priced last-minute tickets to events, but when you travel you can get your pulse on everything that’s going on in the city.  In Nashville for work?  Wanna see if you can catch a Titans game or see one of the zillion of concerts going on in the city?  StubHub.

What is the app you are still missing?

I wish I had an app that automatically doubles your battery life.  How awesome would it be to have an app that has a button that says “boost battery” and automatically gives you a full charge?  Also, if my Starbucks app actually refilled my coffee cup, THAT would be impressive.

How many times a day do you use your iPhone?

The phone is with me constantly when I’m out of the house, whether I’m at the office or the gym. I’m always using it, except when I’m driving.  Even then I’m really using it as I’m listening to an audiobook or podcast but I don’t have it in hand. When I return from work and I’m at home, I keep it away in my pocket and try not to use it so my children do not remember me staring at a screen for the duration of their formative years.  At home I try to limit use to answering texts and using the camera.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone?

My life is qualitatively better when I’m on the go because of my iPhone.  I love how I can launch the Kindle app and pick up my book where I left off the night before.  I can FaceTime my family.  I have access to any document I might need because of the cloud apps I use.  I keep my travel documents neatly organized.  I can navigate a new city on foot, order an Uber car, find an awesome restaurant, and get tickets to a ballgame.  The iPhone makes traveling for work so much more enjoyable.

If you were in charge at Apple, what would you add or change?

They really need to resolve the issue with the short battery life. My iPhone cannot survive a day without my Mophie case, which extends battery life by 100%.  If I use the iPhone the way I use it, for audiobooks, phone calls, web surfing and maps, the internal battery will be exhausted before 2pm.

I would like a button that says “no notifications, ever, in any shape or form” instead of having to wade through so many configurations for them, which never seem to work.

I would also like to add home screen buttons that call contacts without having to jailbreak the phone, run a third party app, or do some sort of convoluted solution.

I would like the back of the phone to blow out little streams of air so that it could glide across a table like an air hockey puck.

What’s your wallpaper and why?

Currently my lock screen is a picture of Marty Feldman.  This is an unusual situation, because my son and I have been on a big Young Frankenstein kick and he reset the lock screen when I wasn’t looking.  I thought it was hilarious so I’m leaving it that way for a while.  Normally I try to use photographs that I’ve taken from nature with the phone’s amazing camera.  Every one in a while I download a stunning image from the Subreddit “Earth Porn”, which has really beautiful and mind-blowing stuff.

Anything else you’d like to share? 

I use a Mophie case to extend battery life.  Also, as much as I love my iPhone, I need to disconnect from it.  I love being connected, but I hate being over-connected. I deleted Facebook and Twitter from my iPhone because I found that I was compulsively checking them and it was more annoying than fun.

Thanks Larry.

Recently, I’ve been corresponding with listener and reader Captain Airshack (Twitter) (“AirShack” on Instagram), a pilot on a major airline and a geek who must remain anonymous. Anyway, the more I talk to Captain Airshack, the more I get interested in how he is getting things done. How does someone that spends a great deal of time in the air and on the road organize his iPad and iPhone? Captain Airshack was kind enough to explain. So Captain, show us your home screen.

Since I travel around three days a week, I’m interested in apps which keep me connected, informed, and entertained. You never know when the next thunderstorm is going to roll in and create another two hour delay before takeoff. I must always be prepared for the unexpected in this business. 

As far as packing goes, I get one standard roller-bag to pack for a three or four day trip. As you can imagine, I don’t want to carry: books, exercise DVDs, flight publications, notepads, a journal, newspapers, magazines, coursework, lesson plans, etc. 

Gone are the days when I had to decide which form of entertainment I’ll pack. These days I have everything I need for cognitive stimulation stored in my iPad. It’s amazing really. Once, back in Desert Storm, I packed all the items listed above plus a short wave radio. Now it’s all on my iPad/iPhone!. Technology has clearly liberated me!

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE APPS?

Flipboard has replaced newspapers for me. I use it at home as well. When mated with Pocket I’m able to build a daily newspaper and upload the stories to Pocket for reading while I’m waiting at the airport or commuting to my next assignment. Most often I read in the back of the aircraft or hotel van. IMPORTANT NOTE: I do not use Pocket to read while flying. Please keep me in good standing with the FAA by presenting this fact.

I use Audible to listen to audio books during daily workouts or whenever I’m too tired to read. Listening to music bores me on long runs. I prefer audio books as I feel I’m exercising my mind as well as my body. Slipping on a Bose noise canceling headset and firing up an audio book is one guilty pleasure after a long day of piloting. I’ve been an Audible listener since 2007.

1Password helps me keep in touch with all of my online activity. Back home I’ve dispensed of the multiple post-it-note password security system. It’s always nice to know I have access to banking and finances on the road. In case I experience a lost or stolen wallet, I have all of my credit card and membership information stored in this handy virtual wallet. 

lynda.com is my virtual classroom. The Lynda iPad and iPhone apps work to provide me with a chance to educate myself anywhere I can find an internet connection. Nothing against Midland, Texas; but lynda.com has transformed the experience of spending twenty hours of any day in Midland.

Kindle keeps me from carrying magazines, books and newspapers. Last year after the Superbowl, I downloaded the major newspapers from both Seattle and Denver. The two takes on the game provided solid entertainment. This technique can be used for any major world event. How great is it to have access to so many books and all the world’s newspapers? I travel with a virtual library. What a luxury to read whatever I want, whenever I want. This is probably the most valued app on my iPad. I find the iPhone screen too small for enjoyable reading.

Hey Captain, what about iBooks? I know there are a few good books exlusively in there. -D

Overcast is a new podcast player. I prefer it to the others because of its clever Voice Boost feature. I’m often listening to podcasts along with conditions producing lots of background noise: aircraft cabin noise, loud music and televisions in gyms, city traffic sounds during runs. This Voice Boost feature helps me hear the podcasts clearly in noisy environments.

8tracks is my go-to music streaming app because it’s free and I love discovering new music. To me, unless it’s The Beatles, it gets stale quickly. This app is my modern era version of that buddy whom makes me mix tapes for whatever mood I’m in. Legal mix-tapes! With this app one can become an amateur DJ and share mixes. IMHO 8tracks is strong on social and discovery.

Tweetbot is what I prefer for twitter. 

DayOne is my favorite journal app. It’s simple and fast which makes it more likely for me to use. Also, this app constantly nags me to write in my journal which is, in this case, a welcome annoyance. Whenever I have emergencies (not often) or deviations due to weather or mechanical issues, I journal the details for future review. It’s just so handy as a note taking app. Also, I like how I can easily incorporate my photos into my journal. 

MyCloud is a Western Digital app that actually doesn’t suck. On the road I have access to all of my stored movies, documents, etc; via my own virtual secure cloudspace. MyCloud talks to my WD 4TB Personal Cloud Storage -NAS. Guess what? It actually works well with Macs as well as with my Xbox 360. I can stream movies at home or on the road effortlessly.

Pages is my default word processing app because I’m not interested in a subscription model.

Fantastical is easier and prettier than iCal. Easy and Pretty are good.

Eye-Fi is an app to wirelessly download photos from my aged Nikon camera’s Mobe Eye-Fi SD card. This card transfers files to my Macbook as well. It’s ingenious really. A wireless router inside an SD card! This is completely independent of wifi so I can use it to transfer photos from my camera to the iPad/Macbook – for editing – wherever I happen to be.

Flickr Studio is simply the best way to manage and enjoy your Flickr account on an iPad. Much has been made of the latest Flickr app which, to me, seems like an instagram clone. Flickr Studio has a powerful all-inclusive feature set. 

ink Cards is an app to transform digital photo images into super high quality postcards. I’ve used many of the competitors apps (sorry Bill Atkinson), and I always come back to ink Cards. Why buy postcards at the airport? With this app you can send a fabulous custom postcard for a reasonable fee. This is a great way to stay in touch of those you’re thinking about while traveling.

Jepp-FD Pro replaces a hefty lawyer-sized briefcase full of instrument approach plates and manuals. Pilots love the zoom
feature which makes these documents more readable under nighttime lighting conditions. I’m now able to hook a cooler full of nutritious food to my roller bag in place of the old “pubs kit.” This helps improve my quality of life on the road. 

FlightTrack PRO was my favorite flight tracking app but I’ve recently discovered the new UI is unpopular with many users. I’ll stick with the outdated version as it suites my needs. 

MyRadar is the best app to figure out if you’re going to have a bumpy flight. I use this app to brief my flight attendants and passengers on expected conditions. This MyRadar application provides real-time turbulence reports and associated warnings with a few in-app purchases. 

YouNeedAMap Trust me! Get this for your iPad and fire it up on your next flight. You’ll never fly over another unknown: US city, river, lake, village, road, point of interest such as Indian lands, buildings, county lines, state borders, road names, etc; without knowing EXACTLY what it is your looking at. This way you can let the commuting pilot, in that seat next to you sleep for a change. Everyone should download this GPS enabled app before boarding an aircraft!

WHAT APP ARE YOU STILL MISSING?

The iPhone/iPad app which tells the wifi searching feature of OS X to stop looking for wifi stations if I’m above 10,000ft and forgot to turn my phone off! This has resulted in many a careless aircrews (even passengers) phones to arrive at their destinations dead. 

How many time a day do you use….?

Pilots and Flight Attendants are out of touch with the world during flights. We’re not permitted to use the wifi as our passengers are. Therefor, we activate our cell service on our phones in between flights for mostly: email, finances, Facebook, and much texting. Of course, we pilots are using the iPads in the cockpit constantly for route navigation – GPS/no wifi. Many of our manuals are available on the iPad as well. Also, during commutes -in the back- we manage our flight schedules via our iPhones and iPads. Trip trading is a popular activity amongst the aircrew to enhance quality of life.

What’s your Favorite Feature?

When I began my aviation career in 1987 people used calling cards at phone booths to communicate with their wives and children. Now we keep up constantly with: FaceTime, Facebook, Skype, Instagram, and Twitter; to name a few sources. Thankfully, my two daughters find it necessary to document their lives using social media. The ability to check-up on my family before crashing to sleep in a hotel at 2am is my favorite feature. It’s nice to have the technology keep us close while I’m away. 

If you were in charge at Apple, what would you change?

I’d defer to Tim Cook. This company does so much right. Back in 1982, I left my Apple ][+’s modem plugged into a power outlet. I lived in Texas which is the home of the giant thunderstorm. Of course, over time a thunderstorm hit a transformer near my home which created a modem killing zap! Kill my modem it did. 

I boxed the modem up and wrote a note to Apple stating that I failed to follow the users guide directions which clearly stated I should remove the modem from the wall outlet between uses. Additionally, I told them I couldn’t afford to buy a new modem since I was in college – the truth. I asked them if they would fix it for me. Two weeks after sending Apple my modem with attached pathetic plea, a package arrived. Inside the box was a brand new Apple modem. Customer and loyalist for life. 

What’s your wallpaper and why?

I usually have a relaxing seasonal photograph as my background wallpaper. Right now it’s a nice water/beach shot. 

My lock screen wallpaper is more functional. Before each pairing (a series of flights I’m assigned over a multi-day period) I’ll take a screenshot of my schedule and set that as my lock screen wallpaper. That way I always have quick access to my schedule with a flick of my iPhone’s power button. 

Anything else you’d like to share?

That last Apple story is one I haven’t told in a while. Their generosity saved me countless drives to the computer lab which was 30 minutes from my home. 

Oh Yes! One last thing… I have a secret dream to someday produce a podcast of my own.

Thanks Captain.

This week’s home screen features Hardik Pandya from the Netherlands. Hardik was featured here once before when he was still a student. Now he runs a company. Okay Hardik, show us your home screen.

Who are you? What do you do?

I’m Hardik Pandya, I am a developer, hobby photographer and a writer. I run a company with a friend of mine at Octal which is a automation systems and product design studio. I write most of my articles at my own website, connect with people on Twitter and share photos on my VSCO Grid.

I use an iPhone 5S 16GB model in Gold color. That awesome wallpaper is here.

What apps do you use the most and why?

Not a lot has changed from when I showed my homescreen the previous time. Currently I have a few of the basic Apple stock apps and a few of the best replacements I could find out from our good folks on the Internet.

Calendars 5: I love and prefer this over Fantastical because of its better Week, Day and Month views. I use calendar on my iPhone mostly to check sports schedule and plan my travels. I do not prefer using it to schedule appointments and meetings because that’s what I use another app I will discuss in a while.

Instagram / Over / Vine / VSCO Cam: I am a photographer at heart. I edit photos I take on my phone and for that I use VSCO Cam and its large array of filters. It’s a great great app. Over is an app that I use to put typography on my photos that looks great sometimes (not always, but a good app to have). Vine is an app I mostly use to share some visual bugs that we encounter while product development with my colleagues. It’s a great use-case but of course not much useful with the social nuance of Vine.

Pocket Casts: The Sweet Setup guys called it! I was using it since even before their iOS 7 redesign and I loved it even back then. Just the best podcatcher out there before you finally try Marco’s Overcast.

Simplenote: I have always loved a simple text catching app that is always handy and just a click away. Its speed and reliability in sync has always prevented me to look at other options. I long-ditched Evernote for its bulky and overblown premises. I use Simplenote for starting blogpost ideas and at times building lists.

Day One: The most used and the most priced possession on my phone. It contains so many life-long memories I could just pay Paul Mayne a yearly fees just as a mark of appreciation for building this gem.

Telegram (www.telegram.org): WhatsApp got acquired and I decided to move on for Instant Messaging needs. Telegram is cross-platform, free (will always be) and even has desktop/Mac apps and web-apps. Perfect for chatting from the laptop whenever you feel typing on the phone makes you mad.

Reeder / Interesting / Pushpin / Zite: My news-reading begins in Reeder and Interesting (from Mike Rundle) and good and long articles end up in Pinboard (the best bookmarking service that recently completed 5 years of existence). Pinboard is link-saving nirvana.

1Password & Tweetbot: Well, no surprises here.

LiveScore: A free and awesome app for following your favorite sport. Football World Cup is going on and I use this app to stay up-to-date with all the matches and schedules. It supports Football, Cricket and a lot of other sports. I really cannot live without it for the sake of the FOMO.

Todoist: Todoist is my task-manager of choice. I love OmniFocus too. But OmniFocus is not exactly for teams nor does it have a web component. I have my own company and we have a team. We use Todoist and it’s great for sharing projects and tasks and delegating tasks without much of a deep hierarchy or a learning curve. It’s pretty straight-forward and easy to get up and running with.

Slack: Our tool of choice for inter-company communication. It’s great for chatting with colleagues, sharing files and troubleshooting with code snippets. It has web, native and mobile components and is even free to start with.

So these are the tools I use to get my daily work, social communication and entertainment done. There’s been a lot that evolved since my last iOS 6 screen covered here on MacSparky but that’s the nature of this industry!

What’s your favorite feature of the iPhone?

Control Center. I can’t imagine going to the Photography folder to pull out the camera without missing a moment. Control Center makes switching to Camera, Torch and Music much faster. Indispensable.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

Threes. Ruzzle and Monster Dash too. But mostly Threes. I even played 2 games in the middle of writing this article. It’s so addictive I need psychological help.

Thanks Hardik.

This week’s home screen post features Ian O’Flaherty (Twitter) (Website). Ian is the developer of Trial Pad (App Store) and Transcript Pad (App Store). Both of these apps are essential to me in the day job and I’ve met Ian several times at various technology conferences where I’ve observed him obsessing over making some of the best legal software out there. So Ian, show us your home screen.

What are some of favorite apps?

Besides the obvious bias towards my own apps, TrialPad and TranscriptPad,Keynote is a favorite. It can assist anyone to create great looking presentations. I use Keynote not only for presentations, but also to create fully functional mock-ups of new app ideas, or to see how a new user interface element might look within one of my existing apps. I thinkGoodNotes is one of the better note taking apps, and is ideal for my needs. Besides note taking, I use it to bring in screen shots of apps to draw on and sketch various user interface changes or ideas, especially with its shape recognition mode. My RSS reader of choice is Mr. Reader as I like the way you can organize and skim through your feeds, and I’ve recently started usingPocket to save interesting articles to read later when I have more time. I have tried various podcast apps but keep coming back to Apple’s own Podcasts to listen to great podcasts, such as Mac Power Users 😉

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

I’m not a fan of social media because I constantly see it used in an unintended spirit in legal proceedings. Everything you say (i.e. type) on any social media can, and will, be used against you if you ever find yourself in a courtroom. Having said that, I do use, and have a twinge of guilt, every time I open Instagram. I like the simplicity of just sharing a photo and comment with my family which is strewn around the world. And my teenage daughter has taught me that crafting the perfect caption is just as important as composing the perfect photo if you want to get the right number of “Likes”.

What is the app you are still missing?

A calendar app! That may sound strange considering how many beautifully designed calendar apps are available. I’ve bought most of them, and each has certain strengths, but I keep reverting back to Apple’s Calendar app. I feel all the calendar apps could offer more, such as the ability to hide certain hours in the day or week views (e.g. midnight to 5:00AM) unless I have an appointment during that time. Maybe there’s one out there that I just haven’t found yet, or maybe a calendar has such a personal requirements that no one calendar app is going to satisfy all users.

How many times a day do you use your iPhone/iPad?

My iPhone is always with me, and my iPad isn’t far behind. I always have my wallet and phone with me, but if I forget one as I leave the house I’d have to turn back for my iPhone. I can buy a coffee at Starbucks with my iPhone, but I can’t call anyone, check my email, or get driving directions with my wallet.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

I can’t pin it down to just one feature. I believe the ability to access your data or work, while being mobile, gives me a better work/life balance. I can zip through a dozen emails while in the waiting room at the pediatrician. The iCloud integration that’s permeated so many apps that I use every day has been key to being able to get things done. Starting something on my Mac, and having it available to read, add to, or edit on my iPad or iPhone is invaluable. This is only going to get better with the new handoff feature coming in iOS 8 and Yosemite which will take it to another level. And Siri, in combination with the Reminders app, is another favorite feature. Just being able to tell Siri to “Remind me to…when I get home/leave the office/at a certain time” is such a convenience.

If you were in charge at Apple, what would you add or change?

Being at WWDC again this year and meeting so many smart and talented Apple engineers, designers, and segment managers, makes you realize that anything you’d want to add or change has already been thought of and already is in the works, or has been dismissed for reasons you didn’t even know you should have considered. However, I’d like it if Apple allowed developers to charge upgrade pricing (not for minor updates or bug fixes) as opposed to forcing us to coming out with a new version of an app or utilize in app purchases in order to have a recurring revenue stream. This is particularly important in specialized apps meant for very narrow verticals. The fact is that there’s a growing professional app space, and niche professional apps don’t have the massive audience of game apps, maybe a Professional category for truly professional apps?

What’s your wallpaper and why?

My lock screen changes constantly to feature my wife or children when they have a birthday or special event, but the wallpaper on my home screen is plain old black. I like the way the text for the app names pops, and the icons are shown with a negative background so I can quickly find what I’m looking for. You may have noticed that my apps are all in alphabetical order because I like to have a logical reason for their placement. I only have two screens on my iPad, so if an app doesn’t make it into the twenty on my home screen it’s placed into organized folders on the second screen. I’m not a swiper.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Having owned a Mac since 1989 (a Macintosh IIcx), and having spent a brief stint on the dark side (Windows), it’s great to see the innovation coming out of this iconic American company. Also, my family tries to make Sunday a “no tech day” so that we don’t turn into that family you see at a restaurant who are together physically, but engrossed in their iPhones, seemingly finding better company and conversation elsewhere.

Thanks Ian.

This week features my pal Tim Stringer (Website)(Twitter). Tim is a productivity consultant at Technically Simple and just launched his own website on teaching OmniFocus called, appropriately Learn OmniFocus. Okay Tim, show us your home screen.

What are some of your favorite apps?

OmniFocus 2

OmniFocus 2 has a proud place on my dock. I find it’s an elegant and convenient app for referencing and updating my projects and actions on the go.

Drafts

I’m also a big fan of Drafts. It’s my go-to app when I need to capture something and don’t have time to worry about where it belongs.

Fantastical 2

I’ve evaluated other calendar apps and keep coming back to Fantastical. It strikes a near perfect balance between style and functionality.

Soulver

Another gem is Soulver. I use it regularly for quick calculations on both my Macs and iOS devices and like how my data is seamlessly synced between my devices via iCloud.

Day One

Day One is the georgeous app that has helped motivate me to journal on a regular basis. I sometimes write Day One entries on my iPad and Macs and appreciate the convenience of accessing my virtual journal from anywhere.

Habit List

Habit List is another beautifully crafted app. I’ve been using it regularly since January 1, 2013 and this app has been instrumental in helping me cultivate some constructive new habits.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

Instacast

I admitted to being a bit of a podcast junkie when I shared my home screens a couple of years back. Not much has changed on that front, except that Instacast is now my podcast app of choice. I was drawn to the visual design of this app as well as its ability to sync with Instacast for Mac.

What is the app you are still missing?

I’m still waiting for an app that lets me point my iPhone’s camera at something, such as a tree or an exotic sports car I see parked on the street, and get detailed information on whatever it is that’s grabbing my attention. Though, I’d just rather that this app not be tied to a database of people. I like to get to know folks the old fashioned way.

How many times a day do you use your iPhone?

It really depends on my circumstances. I tend to refer to my iPhone quite frequently when I’m out and about here in Vancouver or traveling the world, but my treasured device often lies relatively dormant when I’m at home, where I tend to favor my Macs and iPad.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone?

I appreciate having a good quality camera in my pocket. I’m planning to upgrade my iPhone 5 when Apple releases the next generation of iPhones and can only imagine what improvements Apple will make to the camera.

If you were in charge at Apple, what would you add or change?

I would add the option to store dictation libraries on iOS devices, to allow people to dictate text even when they’re not connected to the Internet. While I’m at it, I would have words appear on screen as they’re spoken. I’ve gotten use to having these features in Mac OS 10.9 “Mavericks” and know many people who would gladly give up some storage space on their iOS devices for this functionality.

What’s your wallpaper and why?

I use a simple, grey grid pattern for my wallpaper. This graphic matches my iPhone 5’s black frame nicely and keeps the focus on the beautiful app icons that designers worked hard to create.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I have a total of three home screens. The first contains the apps that I use most frequently and consists of 12 apps right on the home screen and four folders: “News/Read”, “On the Move”, “Social” and “More…”. The contents of these folders varies somewhat depending on my circumstances. For example, if I were jetting across the Great White North, I might have the “Air Canada” or “WestJet” apps in my “On the Move” folder and if I were enjoying some time at Macworld/iWorld I would temporarily add the “Macworld/iWorld” event app to my “More…” folder for easy access. The second home screen contains my less frequently used apps grouped into folders, that I most often launch the iOS search feature, and the third home screen houses the App Store app as well as any apps that I’m currently evaluating.

Thanks Tim.

Last year, while attending the World Domination Summit, I met Darrin Carlson. (Twitter). Darrin is a swell guy that has decided to dent the universe by teaching men to learn how to cook at his site The Guy Can Cook, when he’s not too busy trying to learn how to surf the San Diego waves. Okay Darrin, show us your home screen.

What are some of your favorite apps?

Everything on my home screen is an MVP for one reason or the other, but these are the real cornerstones that I can’t live without.

Omnifocus

The older I get, the less I’m able to just go with the flow in life and still manage to get everything done. Like most of my favorite apps, Omnifocus acts like an upgrade to my brain. As long as I make capturing actions, creating projects, and doing regular reviews a regular part of my life, this task manager ensures I don’t forget about anything important and pushes me to take the actions necessary to meet my goals.

Day One

The social network for introverts. I’m a recent convert to journaling, and Day One is my app of choice, because it is cross platform and supports Markdown. Using TextExpander snippets, I do daily and weekly reviews that allow me to more naturally be proactive and analytical with my day-to-day life. Using the app on my iPhone, I can also easily capture any ideas or take any photos throughout the day that I think might be useful as well.

Byword

I write a lot, and though I prefer doing so on my Mac, there are plenty of times where I just want to squeeze in five minutes here and there. Using my phone in landscape orientation and typing with my thumbs has been a lot easier than I’d thought, and I really like Byword for its simple presentation, Markdown support, and TextExpander support.

Evernote

Evernote seems to be a love-it-or-hate-it app, but I put myself in the former category for a couple of reasons. I love its web clipper feature, which I use to create a “personalized search engine” of stuff I think I might want to reference in the future. I like being able to create notebooks that include all types of files that I’d like to keep in the same spot when I’m working on a project. And since I love to cook, I’ve used Evernote as a cookbook where I’ll store iterations of recipes I’m developing, as well as any other reference material. And it’s the perfect place to keep my grocery list.

Duolingo

I really enjoy learning new languages. It allows you to meet new people, learn about different cultures, and exercise your brain in a fun and challenging way. While I think that talking with native speakers is the most important element, learning the nitty gritty of vocabulary and grammar will help supplement this. Duolingo is a highly-addictive system to learn languages that does the job as well (if not better) than other products out there that cost hundreds of dollars or more.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

Facebook

Yeah, yeah. It’s boring and unoriginal. But Facebook is definitely my guilty pleasure app. I check it more often than I probably should, and spend more time reading other people’s posts than writing my own. But at this point I’ve got friends and family all over the world, and it’s nice to take the occasional 15-second break to see what’s up with them. Plus, the ability to remove the updates from your more, er, dramatic friends makes it fairly easy to eliminate some of the more obnoxious aspects of Facebook.

What is the app you are still missing?

I can’t think of any specific app that’s still missing for me. My biggest desire would be to make my main apps work together as well as possible.

I’ve been playing around a lot with Drafts recently, and this seems to fitting the bill quite nicely, but it would be great if Siri had improved functionality so I can make more happen with audio notes as well.

How many times a day do you use your iPhone/iPad?

Countless.

I use it to capture quick notes, observations, to-dos, and cash transactions in Evernote, Day One, Omnifocus, and Mint, respectively.

If I have a spare minute, I’ll check Twitter on Tweetbot, Facebook, and text messages. (And if I come across a good long read, I’ll throw it into Pocket for later.)

If I have a little more time to kill, I’ll brush up on my Portuguese in Duolingo.

And if I’m driving somewhere new, you can surely bet I’ll be using Waze for navigating there!

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

I understand that things are getting creepier with technology allowing others to track us, but GPS (and location-awareness in general) was a godsend for me, and probably the best feature of the iPhone.

For one thing, I probably spent at least an hour each week lost in my car before I had my iPhone. I just have a terrible sense of direction.

But furthermore, I’ve realized the power of having location-awareness for things like Omnifocus (which is handy for location-based contexts), Mint (for logging cash transactions), and Yelp (for finding new places to grab lunch).

If you were in charge at Apple, what would you add or change?

Better photo management.

I’m a proud owner of a MacBook Air, but all my photos and videos have turned it into a bloated whale.

And since photos are one thing that everyone hates to delete, it’s been a struggle for me for a long time to get all these photos somewhere safe and get them off my hard drive.

I just purchased Bradley Chambers’s book “Learning to Love Photo Management” after his recent guest hosting gig on MPU, and look forward to implementing what I learn.

But what I really want is something akin to iTunes Match, where I can just pay an annual fee to upload all my photos to the cloud so I can get them off my hard drive with as little brainpower expended on my part as possible.

What’s your wallpaper and why?

I use one of the standard wallpapers. It’s simple, non-distracting, and reminds me of what the sky looks like when the sun’s rising. And since I’m a morning person, who knows? Maybe it will make me more productive!

Thanks Darrin.