Home Screens – Heidi Alexander


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This week’s home screen features Heidi Alexander (Twitter). Heidi is a law practice advisor and a geek. Heidi blogs here and co-hosts the Legal Toolkit podcast, where she talks about tools to make the practice of law easier. So Heidi, show us your home screen.


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What are some of your favorite apps?

Some of my favorite apps include: WunderlistDraftsHootsuiteFeedlyTuneIn Radio1Password, and WordPress. I recently started using Wunderlist as my task list, and I absolutely love it. Drafts is also a newish addition, and I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of its functionality. I use TuneInRadio almost exclusively for listening to NPR on my morning commute and WordPress to post quickly to both my work and personal blogs. Although I haven’t listed it as one of my “favorite” apps, I do like the Google app that serves up informative and personal “Google now” swipe-away “cards”. Today’s card read: “Winter Storm Warning in Massachusetts” (yet again). Additionally, of course, with a child under the age of one, the iPhone’s Camera, Photos, and Facetime are absolutely essential. And, it goes without saying that as a regular listener of Mac Power Users, I must keep a Podcast app on my home screen!

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

My guilty pleasure is definitely the Amazon store app. I have Amazon Prime and love the ability to buy with just one click. To help avoid too many impulsive purchases, I moved the app to my second screen.

What is the app you are still missing?

With so many great apps available, I honestly believe that there is an app out there for every one of my needs. The fun for me is in testing new apps (I even have a folder on my second screen dedicated to the apps that I’m testing).

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

I use my iPhone often, but not excessively (although my spouse might disagree). I use it primarily to listen to podcasts and radio, make phone calls, take pictures, view my calendar, and to navigate to a destination. I do most of my drafting and reading on either my iPad Air or iPad Mini.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?

Folders, folders, and folders! I love the ability to group and organize apps. Folders comprise my entire second screen.

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

I’d make Siri more user friendly. I find that Siri often has trouble understanding me (maybe it is my Minnesotan-New England accent blend) and thus I haven’t really focused on learning to use Siri. If Siri could just read my mind, I would never ask Apple for anything again.

Anything else you’d like to share?

Am I the only home screen feature that is still using an iPhone 4S? That’s a bit embarrassing. I’m just a few weeks shy of my upgrade and cannot wait for a new iPhone 5S. Because I use my iPads as much, if not more than my iPhone, I’ve focused on upgrading my iPads over the past couple of years rather than my iPhone. I love my iPads, so it all works out.

Also, in case you were wondering, my home screen wallpaper displays my eight-month-old’s first art project. I’m a very proud parent!

Good for you. I’ve still got art like that on my wall and my daughter is 17.

Thanks Heidi.