Home Screens – Chris Foresman

Every year I yammer on about the Macworld friends that I only get to see once a year. One of those people is Chris Foresman. Chris is a really smart guy that covers the Apple beat for Ars Technica (Twitter). So Chris, show us your home screen.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?
That’s a tough question. I’d say for the most part my home screen apps are pretty pedestrian‹I chose them for maximum utility. However, I’m really liking Tweetbot; I recently added it to replace the official Twitter client, which is frankly getting to be a pain to use.

I also keep a lot of various photo-related apps in a folder because I’m a consummate iPhone snapper. Lately I’ve been getting into Snapseed, Pano, Diptic, and IncrediBooth.

*What is your favorite app?(
Another hard one. I’m inclined to say Buster, since I use it to navigate Chicago’s CTA busses and trains. Plus, I had a small hand in steering some of its UI conventions. On the other hand, I use Instagram almost daily. Love me some Instagram.

Apps I really like off the home screen: Netflix, iBooks, Kindle,
GarageBand, PNC Virtual Wallet, and Taxi Magic.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?
Probably Ticket To Ride Pocket. I’ve been playing it non-stop since it was released, even though it lacks the various maps and add-ons of the iPad version. Really liking the Game Center turn-by-turn integration, though it
has a few quirks. Just wish I knew more people that wanted to play!

What is the app you are still missing?
I guess Siri, since I still have an iPhone 4. 😉

How many times a day do you use your iPhone and iPad?
I tend to use my iPhone all day long, making calls, staying in touch with friends via Facebook and Twitter, and playing games whenever I have to wait on something. I’m also always taking pictures and posting them via Instagram.

My iPad largely sits idle by the bed, for the occasion I want to do some reading, play some iPad-only games, or do the occasional iPad review. I do like to take the iPad on trips though, if I can avoid taking my laptop.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?
Seamless syncing of important data. When Jobs said “iCloud was the future of Apple for the next decade,” I really hope he means it. I want ALL my data accessible from any of my devices. It will take some time to get there, but looks like Mountain Lion is making some strides in that
direction.

Thanks Chris.

For more home screens clicky here.