I’m not sure exactly when it happened but Ben Brooks (twitter) and his blog have wormed their way into my RSS feed and I’m quite pleased about it. Ben is prolific at the Brooks Review where he writes about his interests, often including insightful opinion pieces about technology in general and Apple products in particular. If you haven’t already, go check it out. Ben was nice enough to share his home screen and write about his favorite applications. So Ben, show us your home screen.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

Dialvetica and Birdhouse. Dialvetica is a great dialing app that orders your contacts for you based on who you call the most and has a persistent keyboard that searches as you type. I do a terrible job picking who is in my favorites list on the iPhone, Dialvetica though does an absolutely awesome job at it. The searching is great too because the first time you call a contact from the app it records your preferred number for contacting that person. That way I just hit the name and it calls that person, no second screen to select which number to use.
Birdhouse is another great app, but a really odd duck. It allows you to pre-compose tweets that you can send to Twitter later. Considering Twitter was originally thought up to share what is currently going on, Birdhouse is kind of an odd app. I don’t know why I like it so much, but I do like it, even if I don’t tweet from it very often.

What is your favorite app?

By virtue of being the most used app it would be Twitter, but as for the app I just love everything about, that would have to be Reeder. Either app is fantastic. I use Twitter constantly and other than the icon, I really don’t have any complaints about the way it works at all. 

Reeder though takes apps to the next level, it is a beautifully designed app in and out. From the app all the way to the different menus that it uses I really love it. Reeder truly makes RSS reading on the iPhone a joy for me and is the best app for killing time while I am waiting places.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

That would be Ego, it is a stat checking app. There is no reason I need to check stats as often as I do, other than the fact that Ego makes it ridiculously easy to do. If I needed more room on my iPhone it could be easily removed without changing my workflow at all. In fact I may actually gain a few minutes each day.

It is like a nervous habit for me to check Ego, which considering all the other nervous ticks one could have, I’ll take it.

What is the app you are still missing?

A blogging app for WordPress that is robust enough to allow me to actually blog on the go. Basically I need MarsEdit for iOS. Actually that is exactly what I need. The lack of custom fields really stops me dead in my tracks. I mostly just use the web interface, which is really just a bear to use on the iPhone.

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

I use my iPhone constantly, it is basically another appendage that I only stop using when I sleep. I really had to train myself to not use it while driving so that I can live a bit longer. Though I will confess that I do check it when I stop at a red light. I have become pretty good at not using it while driving though – baby steps.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

The camera is the best iPhone 4 feature if you ask me (and you did). Past iPhones had pretty crappy cameras and so I was left having to carry around a Canon G9, now though with the iPhone 4 the camera has gotten to a point where the difference between the G9 and the iPhone is so close that I stopped carrying the G9. I really love the iPhone camera, I only wish it loaded a bit faster and took a rapid series of pictures (though I realize there are apps that do this). 

If you were Steve Jobs, what would you add or change?

I would add the ability to use the iPhone as a WiFi hotspot for sharing the 3G connection. That would be killer and if seamlessly integrated with your Mac, to the point where you Mac could activate it on your iPhone when it needs Internet access – well that would just make computing all that much better. The last bit I would love to have is faster Internet access on the iPhone, technologies like 4G are so close – most apps on the iPhone would be substantially more enjoyable if you could get faster Internet connections for them.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I decided to talk about the iPhone here and not the iPad because I think the iPhone has changed my life is a far more substantial way than the iPad has. That may change with time, and the iPad certainly is a killer device, but it is not the iPhone. My iPhone is always with me.

Thanks Ben!

I’ve always admired Fletcher Penney and the work he did developing MultiMarkdown. Recently, I convinced Fletcher to join us on the Mac Power Users Markdown/MultiMarkdown episode and was delighted to find what a nice person Fletcher is. Anyway, Fletcher loves his iPad and agreed to share his home screen.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

I tend to reserve my home screen on the iPhone or iPad for those apps I like
to find in a hurry. Then there are a couple of apps that get left on there out
of sheer laziness when a new install puts them on the home screen. I guess the
most “interesting” app is probably Flipboard —- the only app that actually
got me to pay attention to Facebook for a couple of weeks. It somehow turned a
ridiculous stream of mostly irrelevant information into something that seemed
worth a few minutes to flip through. The interface really takes advantage of
the touch screen, and it much more visually appealing than the Facebook web
site.

What is your favorite app?

Not sure how to choose a single favorite. I guess if I were to choose based on
time that I use it, then I would have to choose the Kindle app. I received a
Kindle last year for Christmas, and was a bit uncertain how it was going to
affect my reading habits. Being able to read at night before going to bed, and
then picking up the same “book” on my iPhone, right where I left off, the next
day while waiting at the dentist’s office was pretty incredible. When I got
the iPad, I actually found myself reading on the iPad instead of the Kindle
device. The main advantage the Kindle device has now is in sunlight.
Otherwise, the iPad has become my reading medium of choice.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

Strategery. Aside from the name (who couldn’t love an app whose name describes
the game, and manages to make fun at the same time), it’s a visually appealing
game that is easy to pick up and put down. I’m a big fan of games that are
very “episodic” in nature; I don’t tend to play games that take hours and
hours to work through.

What is the app you are still missing?

A MultiMarkdown app?  🙂

I think I’m getting to where I have most of the apps I need, or can at least
accomplish what I need with a couple of apps.

I guess I do find myself daydreaming about a git-compatible app that would
allow for some software development and version control. Or OmniOutliner for
iPad —- I’ve been waiting for that one since day one, as I think it could be
quite useful for longer document creation if I can figure out a way to export
to MultiMarkdown like you can with the desktop app.

I also think there is still room for some high quality, intellectually
stimulating games. There are a few games for the iPad that are well done, but
it seems that most of them are just video games. There hasn’t been as much
ground-breaking development in this area as I thought there would be.

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

Too many.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

I like that it doesn’t seem as intrusive as firing up a laptop.

If you were Steve Jobs, what would you add or change?

I was disappointed that the iPhone 4 technical specs were so much better than
the iPad. Within a month or two of buying the iPad, I was ready for an upgrade
since the iPhone 4 started to spoil me.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I tried the iPad on day 1 and left the store wondering why I would need one.
It seemed like a big iPhone. After thinking about it a bit, and trying some of
the apps that actually mattered to me, I realized that it wasn’t just a bigger
iPhone, but that it was actually a completely different device. Those extra
pixels and inches actually make a magical difference in how you are able to
use it. It’s not quite at the point where I can give up a “real” Macintosh,
but I haven’t traveled with a laptop since I got the iPad. I can easily go a
week away from home and accomplish everything I need to on the iPad.

Thanks Fletcher!

I’ve always enjoyed Dave Caolo’s (Twitter) writing at TUAW. When Dave started his own site, 52Tiger, it immediately went in my RSS feed. I particularly like the way Dave puts out the occasional long form piece. In addition to writing about the Mac, Dave loves his iPad and agreed to share his home screen here.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

Among those shown above, I find Flipboard and NPR to be the most interesting. The idea of a customized digital magazine is compelling and perfect for the iPad. In fact, Flipboard has become my preferred way to interact with Facebook. With just a few clicks, the content I’m interested in looks like it’s been published in a high-end design magazine. It has become one of the apps I use to show off the iPad.

NPR is a cross between an app for reading and an app for listening. Scroll vertically across three categories — news, music and arts & life — to find a sotry you’re interested it. From there you can read the story, listen to the NPR interview, create a custom playlist and share the article with friends via Twitter, Facebook or email. It’s easy to browse the other stories within a category as well. It’s so well done that it’s become a part of my evening routine.

I should note that those apps — the ones I’ve deemed “most interesting” — aren’t the apps I use most often. That list would be Instapaper, Twitterrific, Flipboard, Colloquy and OmniFocus.

What is your favorite app?

My answer to this question changes often. Lately I’ve been enjoying Netflix for streaming movies and Gourmet Live for reading. I’m very interested in the development of Gourmet Live, as its unique among Condé Nast titles: the only title that exists as an iOS app only. I know that the team behind it is totally dedicated and I’ve loved every update issued so far. The idea to let readers “unlock” certain content by reading is a lot of fun and something I haven’t seen outside of games.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

Angry Birds, of course, and Yahtzee HD. My entire extended family are rabid Yahtzee fans and I use the iPad app to “stay sharp” for our next get-together. Plus the game’s adventure mode is fun.

How many screens have you filled?

I’m at four screens with 6 apps in the dock.

What is the app you are still missing?

Carcassonne! This was easily my unofficial iOS app of summer, 2010. I just can’t stop playing it and while it doesn’t look too bad when pixel-doubled on the iPad, I’m more than ready for an optimized version.

How many times a day do you use your iPad?

Honestly I couldn’t count. Both have become important parts of my workday. I use Colloquy all day to say in touch with my co-workers at TUAW. OmniFocus keeps me on top of things. Twitterrific lets me chat with colleagues and friends. The iPhone makes all of this incredibly convenient buy putting all of these apps and services in my pocket.

The iPad is simply my favorite computer. In fact, I’m composing this post with it. I can accomplish nearly anything I want with this thin, comfortable slab of metal and glass. I still marvel at how futuristic it seems; it’s like something out of a Ray Bradbury novel.

What is your favorite feature of the iPad?

The App Store. With a few clicks and a few bucks, the iPhone and iPad can become whatever I want them to be. Weather station, GPS receiver, magazine, cookbook, novel, game…anything. The iPhone and iPad’s killer app is the potential. Apple has handed a clean slate to thousands of gifted developers and said, “Here. Make something awesome.” That have and continue to do so. Their work is inspiring, satisfying and a huge part of the device’s incredible bottom line.

If you were Steve Jobs, what would you add to the iPhone?

That’s so difficult to answer because I don’t believe anyone else thinks like Steve. I can tell you that I’d add more RAM to the iPad in a second, but I’m not sure how I’d alter the iPhone if I were Steve. Part of the fun of using Apple’s products is being delighted by unforeseen niceties.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I’d like to thank you for the opportunity to complete this interview. I appreciate it tremendously, and hope your readers found something here interesting.

Thanks Dave!

I’m not sure when it happened, but at some point in the last several months Eddie Smith’s (Twitter) Practically Efficient blog became required reading for me. I’ve had the pleasure of corresponding with Eddie and he is a charming person in addition to a rising star. Eddie is one of the many Verizon iPhone hold outs but loves his iPad. So Eddie, show us your home screen.

How do you primarily use your iPad?

The iPad has become my favorite device for reading books, reading RSS feeds, and using social media. I also use apps like Dropbox and GoodReader for “real work.” The iPad has proven itself as a great travel companion too. It’s more portable than a laptop, has a great battery, and can keep you entertained with games.

Why isn’t your home screen full?

Honestly, I’m just odd. Moreover, I’m a big believer in minimizing clutter in workspaces. I leave nothing on my Mac desktop for more than a few minutes. I’ve basically carried this same philosophy to the iPad, which I see as more computer than phone.

My home screen only shows apps that I get into just about every day. It also doesn’t include apps that show “unread” counts (e.g. Mail, App Store). These seem to emanate an attention-grabbing gravity that I don’t want on my home screen.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

Soulver is probably the most unique.

It’s basically a mash-up of a note app and a calculator, but it also has the qualities of a word processor and spreadsheet. You can write in natural language and intersperse math expressions. It’s ideal for taking notes when numbers are involved. Soulver does all the math for you and shows the result in a side bar.

What is your favorite app?

I can narrow it down to two: Kindle and Simplenote. Together, they form a very cool duality that, to me, is the true essence of the iPad’s magic. Kindle is pure consumption while Simplenote is pure creation. Kindle is a deep well of all that has been; Simplenote is a canvas for all that can be. The iPad is like a scale that balances these, although it definitely tips more toward consumption most days.

The Kindle app’s interface is very clean and uncluttered. I can focus solely on the current page. Even a paper book is more cluttered than the Kindle app because, in Kindle, the page numbers are hidden — a simple nuance of e-reading I’ve come to appreciate.

As for Simplenote, I really can’t get over how well it syncs text. The fact that I can write blog posts, articles, and notes in Notational Velocity on my Mac and have them instantly available in Simplenote on my iPad is stuff not of the world I occupied just a year ago. It makes the physical location of your words irrelevant.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

Definitely StumbleUpon. I discovered StumbleUpon in the last year, and I initially had it on my desktop browsers. Productivity fail. It has been exiled to my iPad along with most of my other social media things.

How many screens have you filled?

Five. I’m actually amazed that I’ve occupied that many. I like experimenting and trying apps, but I also try to get rid of ones that I don’t think I’ll ever use again.

What is the app you are still missing?

I can’t wait for OmniOutliner to arrive on the iPad. I would also love to see a quality, standalone personal finance app that isn’t 100% cloud-based. I think the iPad provides an enormous opportunity for making the chores of money management easier.

How many times a day do you use your iPad?

On a typical day, my iPad gets used a lot. In the morning, it’s a radio while I’m getting ready for work (mostly Pandora). Almost every evening, it becomes a newspaper (Reeder and Instapaper), a book (Kindle), and a social media hub (Osfoora HD and Tumbleroo). It also comes out regularly at odd times when I want to jot something down.

What is your favorite feature of the iPad?

Definitely its instant-on nature. I suppose it’s a simple aspect of the iPad, but I think it’s revolutionary. I think the instant-on-ness of the iPad is slowly waking up mainstream consumers to the idea that a large screen device need not take minutes to come on. (Those of us with Macs already knew that, but most folks don’t.)

If you were Steve Jobs, what would you add to the iPad?

Flash. Kidding — I’m quite content without it.

I would add two things. Now that we’ve been shown the magic of FaceTime, I would love to see a camera added. With a camera, I think the iPad could connect family and friends like never before. Christmas mornings would change forever.

More technically, I would like Apple to make sharing services (e.g. Twitter) more “global” in the OS. It’s one of the few things I like about Android over iOS — being able to share pretty much anything in any app regardless of whether the app developer added sharing services.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Of course. I could talk about the iPad for hours, but I’ve said too much already!

Thanks Eddie!

One of the best new friendships I made at this year’s ABA TechShow, was Ernie Svenson (Twitter), a.k.a. Ernie the Attorney. Ernie is a New Orleans-based attorney as well as an established technology blogger and podcaster. Ernie is also a very charming guy and jazz aficionado.

So Ernie, what is on your home screen?

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

I like the Foodspotting app, which is in my ‘food’ folder. People take pictures of dishes at local restaurants and upload them to Foodspotting, so with the GPS ability of the iPhone you can find nearby eats based on delectable pictures. In New Orleans I find this to very helpful because there are so many great places to eat.

What is your favorite app?

I LOVE the Siri app. It is the perfect example of advanced technology being indistinguishable from magic. I can’t believe how easy it is to find local businesses and then call them. Dragon Dictation and Shazam are probably on equal footing in the same way.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

Words with Friends, no doubt. I don’t like to play games, but this is Scrabble in a way that enhances social connections.  No one seems to have time to play a real game of Scrabble but almost everyone I know has been playing Words with Friends and loves it.  

How many screens have you filled?

Before the folders feature arrived it was 9 screens, but now I’ve got it down to a manageable 4 screens.  I’m a sucker for the promise of a new app, but I find that there are only about 15 apps that I rely on regularly.

What is the app you are still missing?

I really don’t think I’m missing anything.  I’m amazed at the apps that I would never even have thought were possible. I used to have a guitar tuner, but I found an app that does the same thing and just as well as a dedicated tuner. So I got rid of that. I also no longer have a point-and-shoot camera. 

How many times a day do you use your iPhone?

I use it constantly for things like checking the weather, reading Twitter posts, searching for information, monitoring tasks, text messaging and of course phone calls.
 

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone?

I don’t use it every day, but I love the feature that lets me hold down the home button and then tell my phone to call someone or to play one of my iTunes playlists. Once again: total magic.
 

If you were Steve Jobs, what would you add to the iPhone?

A light saber laser for carving holiday turkeys.  

Anything else you’d like to share?

Just that, if folks don’t know about my friend Jeff Richardson’s excellent blog iPhoneJD.com, that they should check it out. Jeff does an outstanding job of covering useful apps for the iPhone.  The focus is on things that help lawyers, but most of what he talks about would be useful for anyone. 

Thanks Ernie!

At Macworld I had the pleasure of meeting one of my favorite Mac writers, Ted Landau (twitter). Ted is prolific with a regular stream of articles for Macworld, the Mac Observer, and several other journals. He also has a blog. The next time you see Ted at Macworld, make sure to say, “hello.”

So Ted, what’s on your homescreen?

What is your favorite app?

I don’t have a single favorite app. If I consider what app I use the most — beyond the basics of Safari, Mail, Phone and Twitter — it would have to be Maps. It serves so many purposes — from getting directions to finding nearby stores to getting phone numbers — and more.

I am still wowed by the best of the new crop of apps designed specifically for the iPad — such as ABC News, NPR, Pulse News and Flipboard. They showcase how the iPad can be so much more than merely a large iPhone or a laptop alternative.

But when it comes time to show off my iPhone or iPad to someone who doesn’t yet own either, I typically start with Google or Dragon Dictation. The ability to speak into the iPhone and have Google display your requested search results — or to have Dictation convert your speech into text — it’s like Star Trek come to life.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

I don’t feel guilty about any the apps that I use. Maybe if Steve Jobs allowed pornographic iPhone apps, I’d have something to feel guilty about. As it is, no.

However, there are several games apps that I regularly play that blur the line between having fun and wasting time. I especially like games that I can quickly pick up, play for a few minutes, and then quit if needed. That’s one reason that Angry Birds has long been one of my favorites. In contrast, I have never been able to get into role-playing or similar “long-term” games.

How many screens have you filled?

On my iPhone, seven. But that’s with several folders containing multiple apps. With folders, I would easily be in the double digits.

On my iPad, it’s six. I’m more selective about what I put on the iPad. With very few exceptions, I don’t install any apps that have not been optimized for the iPad’s larger screen.

What is the app you are still missing?

If you mean what app is currently in the App Store that I don’t yet own but would like to own — the answer is none. At least none that I am aware of. If it exists, and I know about it and want it, I get it. This is made easy by the fact that most apps that I want are either free or very low cost.

If you are asking what potential app that does not yet exist would I most like to see, I would have to say a great text editor for the iPad — one that would allow me to write articles without causing me to gnash my teeth while doing so. Nothing I have tried, from Pages to Documents to Go, fills the bill here.

It may be that such an app will have to wait for further refinements of the iOS itself. In that regard, I can think of many improvements I would like. At or near the top of the list would be a split-screen option, so that I can have, for example, Safari and another app viewable at the same time.

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

Dozens. For many routine tasks, from checking weather to looking up movie times, I prefer these devices (especially iPad) to my Mac.

If you were Steve Jobs, what would you add to the iPhone/iPad?

If I were me, with my own agenda, and I had the power of Steve Jobs, I would give up trying to block jailbreaking. Even better, I would formerly set up a separate “advanced” mode for the iOS that would allow open access to the device — at the user’s own risk. As it is, the more popular iOS becomes, and the more it appears to be dominating Apple’s future plans, the more concerned I get that iOS only permits installation of apps approved by Apple.

On the other hand, if I were Steve Jobs, with what I perceive to be his agenda, I’d be doing pretty much what he is already doing. It’s hard to argue with the level of success Apple has had since 2000. Still, I’d be concerned about Android — in the rear view mirror but catching up fast. I’d be working on what Apple needs to do to maintain its lead. I’m sure he is.

Thanks Ted!

One of the best parts about attending Macworld is making new friends. This year I was lucky to finally meet Jeff Gamet (twitter). Jeff is the Managing Editor at The Mac Observer. In addition to being very insightful on all things Apple, Jeff is a talented artist and all around swell guy. So Jeff, tell us about your home screen.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

I find the types of apps on my iPhone’s home screen more interesting than the specific apps, and I think they say a lot about how I spend my time most every day. I have two primary app categories on my home screen: Information and communication.

My information-related apps include Instapaper, Reeder, 1Password, Pastebot, OmniFocus, Weather and Maps. My communication apps include Twitter, Mail, Messages, Brightkite and AIM Free. My iPhone is my office in my pocket, so I guess the types of apps I packed into my home screen shouldn’t come as a big surprise.

Not bad. We’re on the first question, and I’ve already managed to fail to reply to what you actually asked.

What is your favorite app?

My favorite app tends to change depending on what my current task is. That said, I always gravitate back to Instapaper and Reeder because I spend so much time researching on the Internet. And TextExpander touch because I love being able to use the same snippets I rely on when I’m working at my Mac. Having the same snippets on my iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Mac? You have no idea how much time that saves me every day.

The bottom line is that any app that makes my life easier can be my favorite, even if it’s only for a moment.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

Plants vs. Zombies. Hands down. I don’t even have to stop to think about that one. Braaaiiinzzzz!

How many screens have you filled?

I’m trimming down the number of screens that are filled thanks to iOS 4’s folders feature. I currently have two screens completely full, and another five partially filled.

None of my folders live on my home screen because that’s where all of my use-it-right-now apps live. Extra taps and swipes mean wasted time to me, and any app that I need to use all the time should always be one tap away.

What is the app you are still missing?

Actually, I’m missing two critical apps, but they’re for my iPad: OmniOutliner and MarsEdit. Both are must-have applications on my Mac, and I desperately miss them on my iPad.

How many times a day do you use your iPhone?

I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count that high. My iPhone is essentially an extension of my hand, and to a large degree, so is my iPad. I’m always communicating with other people in some way, looking something up, or making notes about something.

OK, I interact with people in real life, too, but having my iPhone with me means I can walk away from my desk for meat-space time.

What is your favorite iPhone feature?

I absolutely love the iPhone’s portability. Being able to walk around with a digital Swiss Army knife in my pocket turned out to be a surprisingly liberating experience. Prior to owning an iPhone, I worried when I wasn’t at my desk that I’d miss an important message or email, and I always have my important data — like contacts, calendars and tasks — with me since I can sync data between all my devices.

Technology is all about making my life easier, and my iPhone plays a big part in that. I can take a break and walk away from my desk, travel, or go out and play for a while knowing that my iPhone will let me handle most anything that might come up.

I should probably throw “empowering” in here somewhere, too.

If you were Steve Jobs, what would you add to the iPhone?

First, I’d add back the keyboard prediction algorithm used up through iPhone OS 2. You know, back when you could pretty much two-thumb type without looking at the iPhone’s screen.

After that, I’d add RFID chips into the iPhone, along with the rest of Apple’s product line up so any time I got two devices close together automated actions could kick in. I’m not talking about things like movie transfers. I’m thinking of things like waking up my Mac when I walk into my office, or launching the Remote app on my iPod touch and waking up my Apple TV whenever I walk into my living room.

Also, I want Warp drive, but I’m betting that’s just a little beyond Apple’s reach right now.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I just love that we’re living in the future. Computers in our pockets, always on wireless Internet, touch interface tablets, and so many other technologies that used to seem possible only on Star Trek. Of course, I’m still waiting for my personal droid, jet car and hover board, but I can’t complain.

Thanks Jeff!

This home screen post features my friend and podcasting colleague, Victor Cajiao. Victor (twitter) produces the Typical Mac User and Typical Shutter Bug podcasts. In addition to being a huge Apple geek, Victor is a great human. So Victor, what is on your home screen?

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

To me I live and use the Flickr app all the time. I check out other peoples pictures, I look to see if people comment on my pictures and I discover new photographers. I look at this app at least twice per day.

What is your favorite app?

News Rack: I was a Net Newswire user but after finding NewsRack (because of the iPad), I really love the implementation of this app. It’s clean, does what it needs to and gets out of the way. I have about 55 feeds that I read religiously and this application organizes all of those well. It also provides syncing with my feeds on Google. What can I say it just works and after all that is how I measure all good things these days.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

Twitter for sure on my home screen. A few screens over I have Plants Vs Zombies and I play that while I’m in line or just wasting time.

How many screens have you filled?

I have eight screens worth of apps. I use about two screens worth. Also my iPhone usage has gone down by 80% or more after I got the iPad.

What is the app you are still missing?

Screen recording for iPhone. Would love to do some back screencasts of my iPhone apps. Specifically my photo apps which I use a lot and would love to show my Typical Shutterbug Audience how I exploit these when using the iPhone’s camera.

How many times a day do you use your device?

Forty eight? Lets just say , I use my phone a lot.

What is your favorite feature?

I love the camera. Love to shoot random shots and then use applications like Photogene, AutoStich and Best Camera to manipulate them and then use Twitter to show them off.

If you were Steve Jobs, what would you add?

I’d make sure that the use experience of the devices no matter what carrier was the same and more “Apple like”

Anything else you’d like to share?

Bazinga (you get it, if you get it)

Thanks Victor. What a boring interview … Bazinga!

Today’s home screen post features Patrick Rhone, a very nice fellow and the curator of Minimal Mac, one of my very favorite Mac sites. Patrick is on twitter and you can learn more about his projects here.

Patrick summarizes the minimal Mac brilliantly.

I believe the most minimal computer is the one that is optimized for you. How you work. The menubar items you need. The dock items you need. The applications you need. The system you need. The peripherals you need. The tools you need to get the job done.

Patrick is the first guest to share his iPad home screen.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

The one that is not quite released yet ;-).

What is your favorite app?

Too hard to choose between Instapaper and Simplenote.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

Ego. I like to pretend that I don’t care about my numbers and that I have it mainly because it is the easiest way to log into multiple Tumblr accounts. But I really do check the numbers and care about them too.

How many screens have you filled?

Only two filled. Three icons on the third one. That said, most everything outside of the home screen are either things I am waiting for iPad versions of or apps for my two year old daughter and my wife. I rarely use anything not on the home screen.

What is the app you are still missing?

A decent Tumblr client. An iPad version of Reeder (which is so good that I’m using the iPad version on my iPad).

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

I use both pretty much most of the day. Combined, they make up about 80% of my overall computer usage.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

My fingers.

If you were Steve Jobs, what would you add to the iPhone/iPad?

They are both pretty perfect for my needs. Can’t think of anything I would improve. Perhaps a return of the aluminum back to the iPhone but that is an aesthetic thing.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Yes. You don’t need as much as you think you do.

Thanks Patrick!

At this year’s ABA Tech Show, I had the pleasure of meeting one of my favorite bloggers, Jeff Richardson, who publishes iPhoneJD. Never mind the legal focus, Jeff’s blog is excellent for all power iPhone users. In addition to his insightful commentary, Jeff is an all around swell guy. You can follow him on Twitter, @jeffrichardson. So Jeff, lets see your home screen.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

LogMeIn Ignition is particularly interesting because it allows me to control a computer from my iPhone, which is almost like running a full desktop program (such as Outlook or my document management software) directly on the iPhone.  Because of the size of the iPhone screen, you don’t want to do anything that is very time intensive, but for things that don’t take much time it gives the iPhone the power of a full Mac or PC.

What is your favorite app?

It is impossible for me to pick one favorite app.  The third party apps that I probably use the most right now are Twitterific, NetNewsWire, Facebook, Quickoffice, Documents to Go, MoxtionX GPS Drive, NotifyMe, Dragon Dictation and LogMeIn Ignition.  But even to designate one of these as my favorite isn’t accurate.  For example, I don’t use Skype very often, but when I do have a need for it, it is a must-have app. 

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

Probably word games.  I used to be addicted to Wurdle and 2 Across, but lately I’ve been playing Scrabble more.  But again, this changes over time.  I remember a period when I was addicted to Peggle.

How many screens have you filled?

The iPhone has 11 screens and I always have them all filled with quite a few on the “12th” screen, which means I can only get to those apps by doing a search for the app name.  I cannot wait for the next iPhone OS which will allow for folders and thousands of apps.  Yes, I suppose that makes me an appoholic, but there are so many useful apps that do so many useful things.

How many times a day do you use your iPhone?

I use my iPhone throughout the day and night.  How many “times” are there in a 24 hour period?  That’s approximately how many times I use my iPhone in a day.

If you were Steve Jobs, what would you add to the iPhone?

We all have a sense of what is coming in the next iPhone thanks to Gizmodo incident that has been all over the news lately.  One of the rumored new features is a better camera, and I would appreciate that.  I love taking pictures, and for “real” pictures I use my Nikon D50, but SLR cameras are too big to have with you all the time.  I frequently take pictures or video with my iPhone just because that is what is with me, and even though the camera on the 3GS is an improvement over the 3G, I would love to see an even better, crisper, higher-definition camera that takes better pictures and video.  I realize that there is a limit to what you can do with a device as small as an iPhone, but that doesn’t stop my from wishing for it.  Additionally, I would love to see voice commands integrated throughout the iPhone, and with Apple’s recent purchase of the fantastic Siri app, perhaps we will see this soon.

Thanks Jeff!