Today is the first anniversary of the 70 Decibels Network, which hosts some of my favorite podcasts. In honor of this celebration, this week I’m featuring Myke Hurley’s home screen. Myke (Twitter) is the co-founder of 70 Decibels, the host of CMD+Space, and an all around swell guy.

So Myke, show us your home screen.

What are some of favorite apps?

I consider Tweebot to be the best app ever created on iOS. I use it multiple times a day, basically living inside the app when I’m away from home. Even when at home I use Tweetbot on my iPad as my main client. I basically have my iPad set up as a second screen at home. Day One has also become a new favourite of mine, it’s easily one of the most beautfiully designed apps I’ve used and the recent addition of being able to add photos has made the it important enough to replace the phone app in my dock! I’m also a massive fan of Instacast. In my opinion it’s the only way people should listen to Podcasts on iOS. And trust me, I’ve tried every app available.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

I think Instagram has become a guilty pleasure of mine. It has recently made it’s way to my homescreen as I have been using it more and more every day. I enjoy posting silly pictures of not very important things and I like to see similar updates from my friends.

Other guilty pleasures of mine are games. I have a folder on another screen full of games like Jetpack Joyride, Peggle and Angry Birds (among others). I am always on the lookout for other games to add to this list.

What is the app you are still missing?

I am a Podcaster in my free time, and I’m still on the lookout for an app that will allow me to record, edit, add shownotes and post by FTP to a podcast host—all in one. Garageband can do some of this stuff, but not all of it. Basically, the only person that would be able to create an app like this would be a Podcast producer, as they’ll know exactly all of the steps needed. But it’s such a niche market, that I doubt I’ll ever see it.

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

I think I could easily lose count with my iPhone. At my day job I have to use a Windows PC and I have very limited access to what I can install. So my iPhone remains as my connection to the online world. It’s where I’ll check twitter, listen to music or podcasts, read RSS and check email. All day, every day. I dont use my iPad as much as I tend to leave it at home, but it will be in constant use during the evening.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

The apps available for iOS are what stops me thinking about switching to a competing platform (for any of the reasons there may be). The developers on the iOS platform churn out absolutely top quality apps, that are lovingly designed and often solve problems I didn’t even know I had

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

I think I would extend the background capabilities of third-party apps. It would be great if I could have Reeder update itself, or Instacast download all my new shows, without me needing to prompt it. I think it’s about time Apple gave a little more capability to devs and trust that they will implement these features efficiently, practically and transparently.

Anything else you’d like to share?

In case anyone is interested, my background image is from the colour edition of the comic Scott Pilgrim vs the World. The image is of the character Ramona Flowers

Thanks Myke.

Photo by Chris Glass

Today’s home screen post features the Internet’s very own Communicatrix, Colleen Wainwright. Colleen was our guest on the Mac Power Users episode 72. In addition to her amazing Internet accomplishments, Colleen is also my favorite person to eat tacos with. So Colleen, show us your home screens.

What are some of Your Favorite Apps?

First, a word about my outrageously crowded home screen: before I caved and upgraded to the 4S earlier this summer, I had far fewer apps on the home screen, and hardly any folders. With the retina display, suddenly those itty-bitty icons in the folders were legible, and, as with my actual, 3D living space (which is papered with sticky notes and index cards), I found a measure of relief from anxiety in being able to see all my stuff right there. There’s a lot more empty space on the next few screens, which I rarely find myself flipping over to. (The exception being the “social media” folder, which I moved very deliberately to the second screen, and should probably banish to fourth-screen Siberia.) 

Next, I am as susceptible to crushes on apps as I am to crushes on everything else—books, shows, art, people—so whimsy may have taken me elsewhere by the time this wings its way from my Mac to your (wonderful) website.

Finally, if it is not already abundantly evident, I am highly neurotic, so my stock response to this kind of question is usually, “I don’t know—what are yours? Should I get those? Are they better than mine? AM I DOING IT WRONG?!” As the man said, that way madness lies.

So with these disclaimers, my current-favorites:

Evernote had long been my go-to, desktop repository for information I might or might not use at a later date–a kind of cosmic, computer-based junk drawer. But this past year was one of heavy travel, and I came to appreciate what a great system it is on the iPhone for keeping handy copies of documents and information. It’s flexible, it syncs across all my devices, and with a little foresight, you can keep copies that are available offline.

Due is “just” a timer and reminder app, but it does these two things really well, plus it has a PIERCING alarm that’s audible from the deepest reverie, two rooms away. I currently have reminders set up for my weekly Internet sabbatical and estrogen-patch change (sexy!), and I have scads of timers set up. It may seem silly—how long can it take to set up a timer? But if you time a lot of different things, it’s helpful to have them pre-set, especially for Dreaded Tasks. Anything to reduce friction, right?

1-Bit Camera is great, simple fun. I’ve been playing with taking photos since I began working with  a photography association client, so I use all my photo apps a lot more. But when the image is stripped down to masses of black and white, I learn things about composition that take me longer to see with detailed color images. Or at least, I like to think I do.

GroceryIQ kind of sucks. But it’s best shopping app I’ve found to date, and it really helps avoid those repeat trips to the stores. Because of my Crohn’s disease and because I’m a cheapskate, I don’t dine out much, but I do a lot of grocery shopping. So, yeah. Janky-butt GroceryIQ.

I also use the native Mail and Music apps a lot, but I guess I’m kind of jaded about it, as I don’t even think of them as favorites. Poor, neglected, native apps–they never get any love!

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

I’m not much for games or drawing and music apps, but I am addicted to Facebook. This is why I keep it on the second screen, in a folder. In fact, I just took this opportunity to move it to the fourth (and last) screen. Take that, stupid Facebook!

What is the app you are still missing?

I would love something that tracked my car mileage automatically. I believe in some circles, this is called a “chauffeur”, and it also drives your car around for you, which would be awesome here in Los Angeles. But yeah, I’m horrible about writing down my mileage. It seems like such a pain in the moment, and then at tax time, I’m pulling my hair out (which is hard to do these days).

Also, I would love a great shopping list app without all the ads and crufty stuff, that would also act as a price book.

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

I use my iPhone dozens of times per day, both at home and out & about. At home, more for phone/messaging, and away, more for podcasts and photos, but that thing gets a workout.

For someone who waited until HD to get her iPad, I’m surprised by how rarely I use it. It is great for practicing guitar. Evernote holds my songs, Guitar Tuner keeps things in tune, and I’m starting to use Virtuoso to learn my scales, and a kind of rudimentary understanding of music theory. 

I also love the hell out of Netflix on the iPad, or just lolling about on the bed and farting around on the web. At heart, I am a truly lazy being.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

I cannot get over how portable they are. These are miracles we dreamed of back in the 1960s, come to life better than we could have imagined. To tell the truth, I’m still a little in awe of both of them. 

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

Nothing. Which is but one of many reasons why I will never be in charge at Apple.

Anything else you’d like to share?

As much as I suspect that show-me-yer-rig features like these feed my predilection for fiddling, I also find them incredibly helpful, both for discovering new apps and uncovering better workflows. So I’m delighted to have been asked to participate, and I hope that some little something I’ve shared has been useful, or entertaining, or both. Thanks, David!

Thanks Colleen.

Fraser Speirs (Website) (Twitter) is one of the foremost authorities
on using Apple technologies in education. Moreover, Fraser is really smart. (Fraser’s Future Shock Post is one of the best things I’ve ever read about technology.) Fraser was nice enough to share his home screen.

What are some of your favourite apps?

Evernote is rapidly becoming the hub of my workflow and information storage system. Early iterations of the iOS clients were quite weak compared to the Mac client but recent updates have dramatically improved it. Evernote is the destination for all my travel documents, my scanned receipts (Canon P-150 scanners rock!).
I’ve also recently started using Pocket as my “read later” service after being an Instapaper user for many years. Pocket can also send pages to Evernote for safekeeping.
I’m a huge fan of Flipboard, which has totally replaced traditional RSS readers for me. I just love its relaxed playfulness. It didn’t click for my workflow, though, until they released the iPhone version.

I’m also a fairly recent convert to Tweetbot; again since they released their iPad version. I was a Twitterrific die-hard for years because of its unified timeline design but Tweetbot won me over firstly by integrating push notifications and, more recently, various powerful options for muting people, clients and keywords.

For my truly ‘core’ apps, I want them on the iPhone and the iPad.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

Kindle. It’s way too easy to spend money on ebooks! I was an early enthusiast for electronic books – I bought the international version of the Kindle 2 on the first day it was available (and I miss being able to buy ebooks in US Dollars!).

Recently, I have moved entirely to ebooks and will only buy paper if the title is not available electronically. Even then, I find myself dissatisfied with paper books because I can’t get my highlights into Evernote. I guess I could photograph the pages!

What is the app you are still missing?

A phone version of every app I care about that’s iPad-only. Apple has shown the way with their own apps. Think about it: iWork and iLife ON A PHONE! They’re not just toys either – they’re full working versions and I spend more time between Keynote on my iPhone and iPad than I do in Keynote for Mac these days.

I would also really like to see a version of iBooks Author for iOS. Two years ago, I was constantly wishing for a version of Apple Remote Desktop for iOS to administer my school Macs from my iPad. Today, two years into being a 1:1 iPad school, administering the Macs is such a small part of my life that I hardly think about it any more.

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

Both are constant companions and my primary computing devices for my teaching and consulting work. I would not be surprised if I unlock my phone a hundred times every day.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

The touch keyboard is taken for granted today but it is still a fantastic piece of technology. I think my favourite feature of the device itself is GPS. Having things (photos, Evernote notes) geotagged without any effort at all is fantastic

My favourite iPad accessory in school is AppleTV. I’ve been talking about the massive potential of AirPlay in the classroom for 18 months or so and people are starting to really get it. So exciting and important.

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

As I remarked recently on Twitter: “If you can’t imagine what Apple might add to iOS 6, you don’t spend enough time on iOS”. Most broadly speaking, I think there’s a serious need for a mechanism to round-trip a piece of data from one app to another and back. For example, if I have a PDF attachment in Evernote and I want to mark it up using PDF Expert I have to: copy it out of Evernote into PDF Expert, mark it up there, get it back into Evernote and then delete the duplicate copy in PDF Expert. I’m a massive fan of the abstracted filesystem in iOS but there needs to be much stronger generalised data interchange between apps. For an example of how this might work, look at the way Tweetbot and Camera+ integrate to capture photos and edit them.

A corollary to that first feature request is that Mobile Safari really needs to be able to download files from the web and, more importantly, upload files to the web. This is a real showstopper in some education settings. Often, I find that the only reason I’m cracking open my laptop is because I need to upload a file to the web.

There is a serious and ongoing problem with passwords on the web. The only thing that keeps me sane is 1Password but, on iOS, it’s not as easy to use as it is on the desktop. The AgileBits team have done a stellar job getting the app as useful as it is on iOS but I’d like to see Apple add limited support for extensions into Mobile Safari – just so I can get 1Password working in there.

iOS needs some kind of generalised “wrist protection” APIs so that all the handwriting and drawing apps can implement this in a consistent fashion that doesn’t interact badly with the multitasking gestures on iPad. I’m not a big fan of a stylus but I see kids in school trying to do a quick sketch of something and getting a bit flummoxed.

Some low-hanging fruit that’s annoyed me recently:

I would add support for video to iCloud Photo Stream
The ability to sync album structures in the Photos app between devices.

Add the ability to set a system-wide quiet time for notifications

FaceTime over cellular – we’re paying for every byte we transmit over these networks now, let me choose how to use them.

Stop the iPad home screen icons reflowing from a 4×5 grid into a 5×4 grid when you rotate.

Add a few high-level system control widgets to the Notification Center: Bluetooth, WiFi, Cellular Data Roaming, Personal Hotspot, AirPlay and A/V controls.

We have deep Twitter integration in the OS and the rumours are that we’re going to get similar for Facebook. I would really like Evernote to be the 3rd service but now I’m just asking for the moon on a stick!

Finally, I would use my leverage to negotiate lower international roaming rates for iPhone users. For heavy smartphone users, people who depend on their offline brain, being connected isn’t just a matter of fun or even productivity. It can be a matter of safety. When you’re abroad, you need fast and easy information in your own language more than ever.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I was a very early advocate of iOS and the iPad. When we decided to deploy it 1:1 in our school, we made a bet that the platform would succeed and grow. I’m writing this on the day that The Omni Group just shipped their final iOS port of their Mac apps – OmniPlan for iPad. It is remarkable and astonishing the extent to which the platform has grown in capability in that short time. I have never been more excited for the future.

Thanks Fraser.

For more home screens clicky here.

I’ve had a few speaking gigs in the last year that gave me the chance to get to know Jeff Carlson (Twitter) (Web), a technology writer with many fantastic books from Peachpit Press and other publishers. Most recently, Jeff wrote The iPad for Photographers and The iPad Pocket Guide, Third Edition. Jeff is also a senior editor at TidBITS, a columnist for The Seattle Times, and a frequent contributor to Macworld and Photoshop Elements Techniques. Okay Jeff, show us your home screen.

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

Dozens, at least. Both devices are almost always with me. I use the iPad more for reading than the iPhone, but the iPhone gets plenty of use getting caught up on Twitter and email.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

For the iPhone, it’s the general capability of having so much access and processing power in such a small device. I can’t imagine buying a phone now that does nothing but phone calls.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

My iPhone’s home screen is a little deceiving: The order here hides the chaos of the rest of the home screens. Part of that is having lots of apps, but mostly it’s because I can’t convince myself to organize everything on my iPhone. It would take too long — which is funny, because my iPad is neat and tidy.

So here’s a brief rundown of my main home screen:

I’m a little surprised that I still have many of the default apps visible, but they’re tools I use regularly. I’ve tried replacements for Calendar but find I prefer the original; it’s simple and works well.

The Comm folder holds a variety of communication tools, of which Messages is by far the most used. But it’s helpful to have Skype and Messenger to reach certain people.

I’ve flirted with other Camera apps (lord knows I own too many of them), but keep coming back to the built in Camera app because it starts up quickly. I find myself using it most often these days from the lock screen, where you can swipe up to get directly to the camera. (From David, me too.)

The App Store is still here because it’s the gateway to app updates.

I use Remote with my Apple TV often enough to keep it handy on the first screen. The same goes for the Sonos app, which I use to play music on a Sonos Play5 I recently bought for our living room.

PlainText is currently my text editor of choice, which I also have on my iPad. It’s great for storing notes, writing short articles (like this one, actually), and all of its documents get stored on Dropbox, so I can open them using BBEdit on my Mac easily.

Clear is a recent addition, my millionth attempt to bring order to my life. I wish it could sync to other sources, but I respect that it’s trying to be simple. I keep a few to-do lists there, but mostly use it for trying to figure out what to do today, and knock things off the list.

My Dock is standard-issue except for Twitterrific, my Twitter app of choice. I use Twitterrific on the iPad and Mac, too, because it supports the TweetMarker service: no matter which client I view, a marker keeps track of the last tweet I read, making it easy to get caught up.

The Utilities folder is a mishmash of things I like to have close at hand: Boxcar for presenting alerts (whenever I get a direct message in Twitter, an email from apple.com, or email from my editor at the Seattle Times); 1Password, because it’s essential; PCalc Lite, because I’m a stereotypical writer/English major who too often needs help with calculations; and Flashlight to turn on the iPhone’s flash when I head for bed late at night.

Not included on the Home screen are two apps that I use often, which are stored on the second screen. In fact, I’ve grown so accustomed to their placement—leftmost icon in the third and fourth rows—that a recent icon shuffle threw me off until I could reposition them. I use OneBusAway to track bus times in Seattle, and Lose It to count calories while I’m dieting (like now).

Thanks Jeff

For more home screens clicky here.

Not so long ago, I linked the video The Omni Group produced about Tim Stringer (Twitter) and his journey with technology. Since then, I’ve got to know Tim a bit and he’s agreed to share his home screen.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

The iPad is a marvellous learning tool. I use the DK HumanBody app to learn more about my inner workings and Star Walk to help find my place in the universe.

What is your favorite app?

If I had to pick one I’d choose OmniFocus. Having mobile access to my projects and tasks helps me keep my GTD system current and my mind clear. Honourable mentions go to Tweetbot, one of the most thoughtfully designed apps I’ve ever used, to Due for faithfully reminding me of time-sensitive events (and helping ensure my tea isn’t over-steeped) and to my favourite writing app, Byword, that comes complete with iCloud, TextExpander and Markdown support.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

I admit to being a bit of a podcast junkie. I recently started using Downcast to listen to audio podcasts on my iPhone and to watch video podcasts on my iPad. I appreciate the flexibility this app provides, most notably the highly customizable Playlists feature. For example, I have a Playlist called “Favourites” that automatically lists unheard episodes from my favourite podcasts, including Mac Power Users.

What is the app you are still missing?

I’m still waiting for the ultimate visual search app. For example, I’d like to be able to point my iPhone’s camera at the leaf of a tree and be provided with details on the tree in question. The possibilities are endless.

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

This varies dramatically depending on my current situation. My iPhone and iPad tend to get used more heavily when I’m out and about and serve quite different purposes. My iPhone fits easily in my pocket and gives me quick and convenient access to everything from bus schedules to weather information. My iPad becomes my primary computer when I’m on vacation and takes the place of a physical notebook when I’m travelling on business. Most of my reading is done on the iPad these days and the outstanding battery life it provides allows for an entertaining diversion on even the longest of trips.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

I’ve always been rather picky when it comes to displays, and I appreciate the gorgeous Retina displays on my iPhone 4 and my new iPad.

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

I would add an background update feature to iOS that would allow users to give specific apps permission to update their data in the background. For example, OmniFocus could automatically sync and Instapaper could pull down the latest batch of articles without it being necessary to manually launch each app. To address power consumption concerns, there would be an option to disable background updates when the iOS device isn’t plugged in.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Both the iPhone and iPad have the potential to be a major source of distraction. I make a point of going through the Notifications options in Settings with a fine tooth comb, fine-tuning the settings so that I’m not, for example, pulled away from reading an interesting book each time someone references me in a tweet.

When I received my new iPad last month I decided to start from scratch — installing apps on an as-needed basis and eliminating any past cruft in the process. I put general-purpose apps, such as Camera and Calendar on the Home screen and Dock and all other apps were placed in folders based on their related activity. When I have time set aside for reading I open the “Reading” folder and all the other apps fade into the background. Similarly, when I’m in work mode I open up my “Productivity” folder, bringing the focus to my productivity apps.

Thanks Tim.

For more home screens clicky here.

This week’s home screen features Robert Lloyd Lewis (Twitter), producer of Dexter, the most loveable serial killer in the history of television. Robert, among many talents, produces a popular television show, builds apps, and loves his Apple technology. So Robert, show us your home screen.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

Air Dictate, which let’s me use Siri to dictate to my Mac. Unfortunately Apple yanked it, but I’ve still got it! I also love FaceDialer, which allows me to create one-touch-dial apps with a photo as the icon. I also like YouMail, which emails me my voicemails.

What is your favorite app?

OmniFocus. Yes, it has a learning curve (and thanks David for your invaluable screencasts), but my life would be chaos without it. It also has the most reliable cloud syncing of anything out there, including iCloud. OF’s cloud syncing…just works.

On my iPad:

I love Pear Note, which records audio while I’m taking notes and associates the two. That way I can easily find any part of the audio by clicking on the text I was typing at that moment.

I also can’t live without iAnnotate, which is better than Good Reader. I’ve got all my Dexter scripts with annotated notes, highlights and scribbles on it.

My browser of choice is ‘Grazing Web Browser’. Much better than Safari.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

My own app, of course! Vowel Movement is a word game in the vein of Scramble and Scrabble. Shameless plug!

What is the app you are still missing?

A reliable way to add todo’s into Omnifocus through voice/transcription. The OF workaround is unreliable. So, my most useful app is not an app at all. It’s on my home screen as ‘Quick Entry’. It’s a trick that opens a text-ready inbox todo in OmniFocus with one touch. Find it here.

I still haven’t found the perfect headset. I’ve tried tons. My current fave is the Jabra Stone 2.

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

Whenever I’m not by my Mac, my iPhone/iPad batteries are draining.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

My iPhone let’s me carry my whole world on my hip. Since it’s always with me, I have every piece of data I ever need at my finger tips. Also, a good idea never slips into the ether since I have a place to store it quickly.

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

I would add a drop down with which I could easily toggle on/off bluetooth, location services, airplane mode, and wifi all in one page without drilling down endlessly. (I think Android has this feature). I also wish I could restrict Siri to the iPhone mic. It connects to my car’s built-in bluetooth mic and doesn’t understand a word I say. Frustrating!

Anything else you’d like to share?

Thanks David, for your awesome blog, and keep those screencasts coming!

Thanks Robert.

For more home screens clicky here.

Mike Vardy (Website) (Twitter) is humorist that writes and talks about productivity. I met Mike at Macworld this year and can report he is a pretty swell guy. So Mike, show us your home screen.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

Buddha Machine, without a doubt. When I want some ambient music in the background while I’m either working on my book or doing any other type of writing, it hits just the right spot.

What is your favorite app?

My favorite app is Reeder – both on my iPhone and iPad – because it allows me to read, share, track and enjoy all of my RSS feeds in one fell swoop. It’s just really well-executed and a pleasure to use.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

I didn’t have one until recently, as I got rid of any games I’d installed. But then Paper by Fifty-Three came along for the iPad and I’ve been having a blast with it. I had no need for a stylus before it, but since I downloaded it (and subsequently bought the in-app writing/drawing instruments), I’ve got Studio Neat’s Cosmonaut headed my way.

What is the app you are still missing?

A proper mobile app for Asana, my task management app of choice. It’s not quite as robust as it needs to be, so I’m anxiously awaiting an update so that I can have a more full-featured Asana experience in my pocket.

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

I have both of them at the ready every day, several times a day. I shift gears to my iPad when my MacBook air battery runs low, and my iPhone is my work phone. I read all of my RSS feeds and my Instapaper queue on my iPad or iPhone, and podcasts on Instacast are synced between the two devices as well. And let’s not forget Tweetbot. Both my iPad and iPhone get used numerous times per day, and each of them has use cases they’re better suited for based on form factor.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

Both the iPhone and iPad give me the power to create and interact with others that are miles away regardless of where I might be. That kind of power and flexibility is something that I enjoy having at my disposal.

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

I’d make sure that the inability to delete native apps from iOS devices was no longer an issue. I mean, if iDevices are supposed to be so personal, surely I should be able to remove the apps that aren’t a factor in my life…right?

Anything else you’d like to share?

The best part about both the iPad and iPhone is that they can do so much and take up so little space. They can be used to consume or create. They can play music or they can make music. They can display words or they can allow you to take words and display them almost anywhere. They can play movies and they can make movies. When you think about all they can do, that’s pretty phenomenal.

Thanks Mike.

For more home screens, clicky here.

Several years ago, I met a very nice fellow at Macworld who told me about his website dedicated to scanning and paperless workflows. Little did I know what an institution Brooks Duncan (Twitter) and his DocumentSnap.com website would become. Alright Brooks, show us your home screen.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

Based on the amount that I use them, I would say Sparrow and Pocket Casts.

Sparrow is an e-mail client that has replaced iOS’s Mail app for me. I am not bothered by the lack of Push Notifications because I prefer to check my e-mail rather than have it notify me. Even if it had Push I would probably turn it off. I did my time in Blackberry blinking-red-light hell for too many years.

Pocket Casts is a podcatcher. I know that Instacast seems to be the big favorite, and I have it too, but for some reason I keep coming back to Pocket Casts. Maybe because it is the one I tried first and I became used to it.

Either way, I could never go back to stock podcast management and syncing through iTunes like an animal.

Honorable mentions should go to YNAB, which is the iPhone client for You Need A Budget. I use that to track my spending. I use Notesy, for my general Dropbox-synced text geekiness.

What is your favorite app?

Definitely OmniFocus. I hemmed and hawed about moving to OmniFocus for almost two years, but I finally pulled the trigger after Macworld|iWorld this year. I am angry at everyone on the Internet for allowing me to wait this long. I don’t understand how I got anything done without it.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

Right now, probably the Kindle app because I have become sucked into George R.R. Martin’s A Song Of Ice And Fire series. Any moment that I am not working or playing with my kids, and some moments when I probably should be, I am reading A Dance With Dragons.

I love how I can start reading on my iPad, switch to the Kindle 4, and then seamlessly move to the iPhone when I am in a grocery line lineup.

What is the app you are still missing?

I have yet to find a great document scanning app that will also OCR documents well. It is not something I need to do often, but it would be cool when I need it.

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

I would say “a lot”. My wife would say “way too much”. My kids would say “what do you mean YOUR iPad, it’s ours!”

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

How well it all works now. iCloud is really starting to be the glue that pulls it all together. I love buying an app, a song, or a book, and having it just be there on all my devices without me thinking about it.

Thanks to your screencast, I have started using the iCloud functionality in Byword on iOS and the Mac, and that is just magical.

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

The recently-killed ability for Launch Center to directly access prefs URLs was fantastic. I wish Apple would find a way to bring something like this back. Other platforms have iOS beat on this. It should not be so hard to turn Bluetooth on and off.

Speaking of Apple killing great functionality, I really wish there was a way to export or print an e-mail to PDF on the device. That would be great for GTD-style “if it takes a minute, just do it” e-mail processing. Prior to iOS 5, apps could register themselves as an AirPrint destination for this, but that is sadly gone.

Anything else you’d like to share?*

Despite my OCR whining above, it is amazing what a great document scanner the iPhone makes. Both the camera and the apps have become so good that it is a really viable on-the-go or one-off scanner.

Thanks Brooks.

For more home screens, clicky here.

This week I’m heading to Chicago for the ABA TechShow. TechShow is the best collection of attorneys on the planet. It is lots of great technology talk without the ego nonsense that usually comes with a big group of lawyers. The chair of this year’s TechShow is my friend, Reid Trautz (Twitter), who tirelessly works to make this show happen. So Reid, show us your home screen.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

Zite is my favorite news magazine reader. iHome+Sleep is my new morning alarm clock when dropped into my bedside recharger/speaker bar. Of course, the just-released ABA TECHSHOW app made my home screen!

What is your favorite app?

I really think Notability has quickly become a productive must-have app. It does the work of several others I now rarely use.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

Scrabble. I know Words with Friends is far more popular, but I grew up playing Scrabble.

What is the app you are still missing?

I’d like a dictation app that is truly integrated into email and my calendar. It might exist, I just haven’t found it.

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

I use my iPad 10 times a day when away from the office especially when on the road, but I use my iPhone far more day in and day out.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

The form factor. I think Apple and Steve Jobs got the size, weight, shape just right. I’ve read more books in the past year than the previous four without a iPad; also, kicking back in a comfortable chair with the iPad makes late-night work less of a chore than with my laptop.

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

I’ve been a MacBook user for at least 5 years, but use a PC at my office. I really miss having both the Backspace and Delete keys on my Mac.

Anything else you’d like to share?

One thing. Buy David’s iPad@Work book. I learned a great deal!

Thanks Reid.

For more home screens clicky here.

Aaron Mahnke (twitter) is exactly the kind of creative junky that I dig. He does frelance graphic design by day at Wet Frog Studios and writes books by night. In his spare time Aaron also curates the Read & Trust Network. So Aaron, show us your home screen.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

My home screen is honestly just filled with the basics. I have replaced the calculator with Calcbot because I prefer the design and features. Plus it’s just darn sexy, right? And Weather has been replaced by Shine. But most other apps that came with the device are still on my home screen.

Other exceptions:

I use PlainText for writing on my iPhone instead of Notes. The app syncs with Dropbox (and nvALT on my Macs), and can even be connected to Scrivener. That’s helpful if you do a lot of writing in Scrivener, and I do.

I quickly removed the iPod app from the dock (it’s easy to reach with a double-tap and a swipe) and placed OmniFocus in its place. That app is the core of my work life, and I capture everything in there. I don’t get fancy with OmniFocus, instead just depending on it as a place to file away tasks, assigning them due dates, a context and a project, and then I work from that database each night when I hand-write my paper to-do list for the next morning.

Oh, and Instacast has found a place on my home screen as well. I have a few regular podcasts that I enjoy, and also love to see my own artwork in the app (I design most of the cover art for the shows on the 70 Decibels network).

What is your favorite app?

Hands-down, my favorite app is Tweetbot. I’m a freelance designer, working from home by myself, so it’s very easy for me to look for connection through the community on Twitter. Tweetbot allows me to manage that “relationship” in ways that helps me stay productive. I can mute hashtags, twitter clients and even users. I want to stay caught up and find the quality content, but Tweetbot shines in helping me avoid the stuff that gets in the way.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

If I’m not taking care of email or browsing webpages, my guilty pleasure is the Kindle app. I’m a writer and a reader, and sell all of my books through the Kindle store because of how easy it is to use and interact with. And so when it comes to spare time, I run right to the Kindle app on my iPhone.

What is the app you are still missing?

As an author and publisher, I frequently interact with Kindle’s KDP dashboard, where my book sales are updated live. I would love an app for KDP stats. I realize that it would probably appeal to a small market, but it would be infinitely more useful than using Safari on the iPhone.

How many times a day do you use your iPhone?

I have my iPhone on and docked beside my keyboard all day while I’m at my desk. But it gets the most use in the morning before work and in the last couple hours of my day.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone?

I’m easy to please for the most part. I’m in love with the Notification Center. Sure, there are issues and things I’d fix (like those darn little “x” and “clear” buttons…ARGH!), but for the most part it has made using my iPhone so much more convenient.

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

I would love to have the ability to move specific Notification Center widgets (such as Stocks or Weather) to the iPhone’s lock screen, so that I don’t have to press the home button, slide to unlock, and then drag the NC open. That would be my top request for a future update to iOS.

Anything else you’d like to share?

As a little kid in the 80’s, I used a magnifying glass to burn a small piece of scrap wood from my dad’s workshop. I burned a drawing into the wood. A drawing of a screen, buttons and nobs and switches. I really believes that someday we would be carrying our computers in our pockets.

The ten-year old me loves living in the future.

Thanks Aaron.

For more home screens clicky here.