This week’s Home Screen post features Timeline 3D developer Adam Behringer (twitter). Adam’s company, BeeDocs, makes the best timeline application available on any platform and I have used it to vex and harass opposing counsel many-a-time. I’ve been fortunate to get to know Adam over the years and in addition to his XCode prowess, Adam is a musician and very nice person.

So Adam, show us your iPad home screen.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

My iPad dock is a well considered space that I only put my most frequently used applications. Most of those are ones that I could have predicted before I purchased an iPad. However, I wouldn’t have expected that the IMDb app would end up there.
I’ve always liked the IMDb.com website, but I use it much more frequently and in a different way on the iPad. Specifically, I find myself using it a lot while I am watching movies in our home theater. My wife and I are always asking questions like “where have I seen that actor before?” and “this movie has a unique look, I wonder if this is the same cinematographer as …” Now we’ve got those answers at our fingertips.

What is your favorite app?

Reeder, for sure. For the past several years, I have checked my news feed reader as often as checking my e-mail on my Mac. However, the experience on the iPad is way better than a computer.
The fact that I can catch up with about 30 of my favorite websites in about 5 min before getting out of bed in the morning is great. I no longer read news feeds on my computer any more. I’d rather be sitting in my living room to read content than at my desk. If someone reading this interview doesn’t know how an good news reader application can improve their life, they should really try one out. There is no going back.

Twitterific, Instapaper, and Mail are all runner-up favorites for the similar reasons. All exhibit functionality that is a much better experience once it is no longer tied to a desk.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

Well, I love looking up classic Muppets clips with my kids on the YouTube app. Definitely check out the Robert De Nirro interview with Elmo.
What is the app you are still missing?

I think the MLB app looks pretty awesome, but I’m not a baseball fan. I wish there was something similar for college football. An app that supplements the experience of watching a game in person or listening to it on the radio would be awesome.

I’d also like to see more apps that connect me to charity and justice organizations in real-time. I think the age of generalized quarterly newsletters for donors are over. I want details!

Can you imagine a mashup between Kickstarter and Red Cross? Something like “here are some real-time photos of a specific building that was destroyed by an earthquake. It will cost $200,000 and 30 volunteers to rebuild it. Contribute your time and or your money by clicking a button. As soon as we reach our goal, you will get real time updates and photos of it being built along with a video interviews from locals.”

Everyone loved watching those Chilean minors being rescued this past year. Though it may be at a smaller scale, there is stuff like that happening all over the world every day and I want to be a part of it. Seems like the iPad / iPhone could facilitate these kinds of interactions both on the reporting end and the benefactor end.

Great idea Adam.

How many times a day do you use your iPad?

I sit in front of my PowerMac all day when I am working… But, I use my iPad first thing in the morning to check my mail and news. I use the iPad in the kitchen to listen to Pandora while I’m cooking. I take it with me (instead of a laptop) when I travel. I always have it on a side table when I am reading or watching movies.

It is basically my computer for everywhere other than my desk. I probably fire it up 20-30 times each day.

What is your favorite feature of the iPad?

Without question, the battery life is my favorite feature of the iPad. Also, the fact that it never heats up. Those two things really give it a feeling of a household object and let you forget that it is high technology.

Back in the day, I owned a Palm V that had a battery life that could make you feel like you never had to worry about it. The iPod shuffle too… I forget if I have -ever- charged it, it seems to so long ago.

To me, it is essential that a portable device has a ridiculously long battery life. If I pick it up and it won’t turn on, I’ll get annoyed and will eventually stop picking it up. Whenever an “iPad killer” is announced, I always look for the battery life specs first. If it doesn’t have 10 hours of battery life, then the software, the keyboard, the apps, and other factors just don’t matter in my opinion. It won’t be a better choice than the iPad if it isn’t ready to go every time you pick it up.

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

If I was in charge … I would try to figure out how to make the iPad more holdable. By that I mean holding it with one hand, using it while standing, and using it while laying down. It probably needs to weigh less, and be less slippery somehow. I am very tempted by the new Kindle just because it seems like a much easier to hold in those situations where you aren’t sitting in a chair.

I also can’t wait for a retina display on the iPad (but wouldn’t give up battery life for it). And, while I am dreaming, I would somehow make it so that fingerprints never show up on the glass.

Thanks Adam!

Full disclosure: Adam’s company, BeeDocs is the current sponsor of MacSparky.com. This fact, however, has nothing to do why Adam is featured here. Adam, like all other Home Screen posters, is featured here because he is awesome.

Brett Terpstra (twitter) is my kind of nerd. He is an ingenious programmer that makes useful stuff all day (like nvALT and InstapaperBeyond). In my mind, Brett is like some benevolent mad scientist who takes things I love (like TextExpander and Notational Velocity) and starts bolting on exgra limbs. Most recently Brett made a Web site, markdownrules, that looks at a URL and spits back a markdown file. I had the pleasure of making friends with Brett at Macworld this year and am happy to report that, in addition to his coding prowess, Brett is a stand up guy. If you haven’t already, keep an eye on Brett because you just never know what he’ll do next.

So Brett, show us your homescreen.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

• DuckDuckGo, the official app for the DuckDuckGo search engine, which is also brilliant, but I won’t go into that
• 1Password is essential to me (full disclosure: I work for Agile Web Solutions)
• PlaySafe is the simplest, best-looking touch controller for music, and I use it every time I’m in my car
• Camera Plus Pro is pretty spectacular so far. I just discovered it at Macworld this year, and I’m still breaking it in.

The apps on my iPhone’s home screen are, by and large, not my most exciting apps. They’re mostly workhorses. I’m going to stick with my iPhone for this chat, but I should mention that I’ve found that my iPhone and my iPad have very different apps on their home screen. Each device is better suited to certain environments and types of apps (I actually have games on the home screen of my iPad).

What gets an app onto your iPhone home screen?

It’s a pretty simple system. Apps on the home screen are ones that are either frequently used, or ones that I want fast access to. Shazam is an example of the latter. I don’t use it that often, but when I need it I usually don’t have time for a lot of tapping around. This is doubly true of the Dock, where QuickCal, Flashlight and Camera Plus Pro live. All three are useless if I miss an opportunity (or run into a door) while fumbling for them.

What is your favorite app?

It seems to change at least monthly. I’m fickle. Right now, I’m really loving Trunk Notes and Nebulous Notes (on both iPhone and iPad). Trunk Notes because it gives me a wiki that I can edit, search and browse on my iPhone, iPad and through any web browser, and because it syncs to Dropbox where I can edit in TextMate (and navigate using the Plain Text Wiki bundle), preview in Quick Look and search with Spotlight. Interoperability with my OS X workflow remains a major factor for me, though I’d love to someday be computing entirely on a more mobile platform. Anyway, Trunk Notes is also Markdown-based, and nothing in my geek world really makes me happier than Markdown.

Markdown is also the reason I like Nebulous. It doesn’t bill itself as a Markdown editor, but its ability to run user-defined Macros (including wrapping selected text) is perfect for that. Selecting text and pressing a button to have it wrapped in square brackets followed by a pair of parenthesis? Priceless.

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

Infinity Blade.

What is the app you are still missing?

I’m an obsessive collector of note-taking apps. To a fault. I’m still looking for the perfect capture tool that has it all in one, but I don’t really know what that would look like, or if I’d like it when I saw it. I like mind mapping, I like using text recognition in photos, and I love plain text notes. Honestly, though, I don’t think I’d love an app that did all of that at once. I just don’t see how it could be good at any of them if it tried to do all of them.

Answering this question actually makes me realize I have everything I want right now, albeit in separate apps. Good deal, though, I get to be surprised when some new and indispensable app drops into my life.

How many times a day do you use your iPhone?

It depends on the day. I use it every day, but some days it’s an alarm clock and an MP3 player (and a flashlight if I go to bed later than my wife). Some days it’s my GPS system, my note and task capture tool, my news, my leisure, my expense and time tracker and my connection to other people. On those days, I probably pull it out of my pocket a hundred times. But who’s counting?

Well, I guess my wife is, at least when we’re eating out with friends.

What is your favorite feature of the iPhone?

I think the feature that fascinates me the most is motion sensitivity with the accelerometer and gyroscope. It’s more because of the possibilities than because of any current implementation. It’s added an aspect to everyday app development that’s beginning to change the language of interface design. A few apps have made great use of it, even with the simplest of gestures (I fondly recall the first time I used it in Instapaper). Some apps make a mockery of it, but I think we’ll see more innovative (and appropriate) uses as time goes on. Can we quit with the shake-to-undo thing, though? It’s pretty asinine, even when it works properly.

Anything else you’d like to share?

You ask a dangerous question, my friend. I could probably talk an hour each about every app on my iPhone. For everybody’s sake, I’ll stop there.

Thanks Brett!

By far, the best dividends from my activity in the Apple community are the friendships I make. Last year, I became pals with Merlin Mann. (twitter) Merlin (a hotel-room-trashing caliber Internet rock star) is a busy guy and, as a result, doesn’t come off as exactly cuddly. The truth is, however, that Merlin is warm, fuzzy, and compassionate. Not only that, he’s on his own personal crusade to straighten out knowledge workers all around the world. Since Merlin is busy finishing his book, he just gave me his home screen shots and folders. So let’s tuck in.

Birdhouse,
Calvetica,
GoodReader,
Reeder,
Wikipanion Plus,
Instapaper,
Google Voice, and
Nebulous (which I covered here).

JotAgent,
Simplenote,
PlainText,
Elements,
Due, and
now do this.

Siri,
Outliner,
Markdown Mail,
Pro HDR,
iThoughts, and
Tumblr Me.

I normally limit these posts to just the home screen. However, I couldn’t help but also include Merlin’s last screen. Inbox Zero indeed.

Thanks Merlin.

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!