Joe Caiati’s sweet iPhone setup
Every week we post a new interview with someone about what software they use on their Mac, iPhone, or iPad. We do these interviews because not only are they fun, but a glimpse into what tools someone uses and how they use those tools can spark our imagination and give us an idea or insight into how we can do things better.
New setup interviews are posted every Monday; follow us on RSS or Twitter to stay up to date.
Who are you and what do you do?
I’m Joe Caiati. By day I troubleshoot and repair Apple products, from iPhone displays all the way to main logic boards in the new Mac Pro.
I spend the remainder of my time posting interesting things to my blog, writing articles when inspiration strikes, and keeping up with all things technology via Twitter and podcasts.
What iPhone do you have?
I am a proud owner of a 32 GB iPhone 5c in white. I could just leave it at that, but I feel compelled to explain my decision on choosing this iPhone. Prior, I used an iPhone 4s. When both the 5s and 5c were announced, it was almost a certainty, not only in my mind, but in my colleagues’ minds that I would be upgrading to the most “forward thinking” iPhone.
Then came the launch. I knew I’d be upgrading about a month after their release, but I wanted to see the phones in person on launch day. After immediately ogling the 5s, I decided to pick up the 5c. It was that point when things changed for me. It’s weight, solid build, and aesthetically pleasing appearance caught my attention. The way it felt in-hand was a lot better than I expected, almost leaving me with the remnant feeling of my first iPhone, the 3GS. I knew that this phone would be vying for a spot in my pocket. To make a long story short, I thought about what I wanted in a phone and what I mainly use my current iPhone for and so I chose the iPhone 5c. It’s fast, reliable, has great battery life, and gets the job done. I did suffer through months of “Why didn’t you get the 5s?” questions, but I’ve survived and almost a year later stand by my decision.
You can snag my awesome wallpaper here.
What apps do you use the most, and why?
Tweetbot and Instapaper are a deadly combination for me. I could not have one without the other.
Being a Twitter user since 2009, I’ve carefully crafted a timeline consisting of journalists, news media, celebrities, internet famous celebrities, and friends. I use Twitter mostly to consume content, but I love being able to connect with people who I’d never thought I would ever have the chance to talk to.
I like to keep up with all things tech with some pop culture and breaking news mixed in between. Tweetbot effortlessly syncs my timeline between my iPhone and iPad so that I never miss a tweet. I’m a completist when it comes to my timeline. I never file for timeline bankruptcy. Even if I’m not reading every single tweet, I like to have the option.
This is also where Instapaper comes into play. Throughout the day, there is so much great content being posted that I don’t have time to read the articles or view videos when I’m scrolling through my feed. Tweetbot lets me easily send whatever links that I may want to visit later to Instapaper. Then, at another time, I’m able to digest all of the day’s news and even find great stuff to post to my blog. Instapaper is minimal and elegant and I love what the Betaworks team did with its redesign.
Pocket Casts is also used every day for my commute to work. I love podcasts and this app has great features for power listeners. Push notifications for new episodes, automatic downloads in the background, per episode settings, playlists, and more.
1Password is the best investment anyone could make in an app. I’m almost ashamed I haven’t used it sooner than I did. The tipping point came about a year and half ago when my PayPal and two other cards were compromised within a week from each other. 1Password has not only given me peace of mind, but has a great interface on all platforms, makes it easier for me to access the 20+ passwords stored, and gets things like paying bills done faster. It is used daily.
Which app could you not live without?
I’ve decided to interpret this question as which stock app could I not live without because to choose a third-party app for me would be like asking a parent to choose a favorite child.
Safari lives in my dock for a reason. It’s naturally the default hub for all links. iCloud tabs, the Omni Bar, and its fast speed is why I couldn’t live without it. I look forward to iOS 8’s custom action menus that will make Safari even more invaluable in the future.
There are more Sweet Setup interviews right here.