Features

Pocketables Editor Spotlight: Calob Horton

Pocketables Editor Spotlight is a weekly series that shines the spotlight on each of our editors. Last week, we got up close and personal with our founder and editor at large, Jenn K. Lee, and today let’s get to know the managing editor of Pocketables, Calob Horton.

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I have lived my entire life with technology. Like my biography on our About page says, my father brought home a Sega Genesis one night and literally changed my life forever. Now, I can’t get enough of technology. Luckily, I’m here and get to play with all sorts of it all the time.

I started writing for Pocketables back in January of 2011, and the following June I became the site’s managing editor (in fact, it was my one year “anniversary” yesterday!). In August of last year I also started writing for StreakSmart. Today, I’m still the managing editor of Pocketables and I’m loving every single minute of it.

Being a writer for Pocketables has given me the chance to play with a lot of technology and, subsequently, fall in love with a lot of it, too. I’m partial to products from all companies; Apple, Google, and Microsoft products can hit my technological sweet tooth – and my wallet.

Anyway, because of this, I can freely pick the best devices for me without feeling any remorse for not buying another company’s products. I currently lug around with me three devices: a 2010 13-inch MacBook Pro, a 64GB Verizon new iPad, and a Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

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There are the homescreens for my three mobile devices. First is my Galaxy Nexus, then my iPad, then my MacBook. I’m not creative in terms of home screen design, but I don’t really try to be. Everything’s easily accessible for me like this and that’s the way I like it.

With my tech biography out of the way, let’s get to the questions that my fellow Pocketables editors asked me.

Jenn K. Lee: What’s an immediate gadget deal breaker for you?

Calob: This is kind of tough to answer. I don’t look at just one thing for my gadget purchases; the gadget is made up of a lot of parts, so I look at as many of those parts as I can, compare them to other devices, and make my judgement on that. One of those parts is price, so if one device is much more expensive than a comparable one that features the same specs, I’m going to go with the cheaper one. However, gadget prices depend on the type of device, so I have no problem shelling out the dough to pay for something expensive – provided that it’s a good deal compared to its rivals.

John Freml: What would your dream laptop look like in terms of design, specs, and features?

Calob: As you all know, I’m looking for a PC to replace my dying MacBook Pro. After looking through countless product spec pages, I pretty much know exactly what I want: a relatively slim and lightweight computer that can easily handle audio processing, gaming, and my productivity work. It also has to last a long time on its internal battery; I don’t want to have to buy a sheet battery to ensure that my laptop makes it through the day.

I’m really a fan of Sony and Samsung laptops. The designs for both of the companies’ products are very beautiful and rival that of Apple’s – but that may just be because Apple’s been using the same design since 2008. Still, the S Series from Sony and Series 7 from Samsung are among my favorites right now. If I had to choose right now it would most likely be between those two, although I’m going to try to hold out for Intel’s Haswell. I really doubt I’ll make it.

William Devereux: What’s your current favorite device?

Calob: Hands down, my favorite device is my iPad. When I bought it, I know I’d use it, but I didn’t think I’d use it as much as I do. Aside from my Galaxy Nexus, it’s the device I always make sure to grab. The screen is big and beautiful, making videos look fantastic. Plus, the enhanced graphics for the newest generation makes for some very high-quality games.

Bryan Faulkner: What is your favorite app for use for school? Why?

Calob: Surprisingly, I use Safari on my iPad the most for school. When I’m there, I can just fire Safari up and hop on whatever data connection I have available to me and do whatever I need to do. The iPad’s big screen lets me display a big amount of content at any given time, so I can either read something quickly or use the article to jot down notes. It’s been an invaluable tool for me.

Paul King: What do you think the biggest technology misinvestment is?

Calob: Personally, I don’t understand the big fuss about 3D phones. I have tried to use the HTC EVO 3D and some various other 3D-capable handsets, but they always look subpar to normal screens and I don’t get what the big deal about seeing 3D on a phone is. I’d rather have the price that I pay be because of faster internals or a high-quality display – not 3D technology.

Andreas Ødegård: What company currently annoys you the most?

Calob: Apple. I enjoy some of its products but I hate how many legal suits it has caused. I don’t like seeing the technology world filled with stories about legal issues; I just want to get back to reading and learning about new devices and not having to worry about them being taken off the shelves.

Aaron Orquia: What display do you spend the most time behind every day?

Calob: I love pocketable devices, but I can usually be found behind my two 23-inch monitors that are hooked up to my Mac mini server. It’s a great little machine that I use to do all of my Pocketables work when I’m at home.

But, since Pocketables is about pocketable technology, I’ll just say that when I’m not working, I’m on my iPad or my Galaxy Nexus. They see similar amounts of use throughout the day. I use the iPad for games and easier typing for email and I use my Galaxy Nexus to communicate with friends and family.

All of Calob’s posts can be found on his author page, so be sure to check it out! Next week, William Devereux takes the spotlight.

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Calob Horton

Calob Horton is an associate editor at Pocketables. He loves all technology, no matter which company it comes from. This unbiased view of the tech world allows him to choose the products that best fit his personal needs and tastes: a Microsoft Surface Pro, a Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and a third-gen iPad.Google+ | Twitter | More posts by Calob | Subscribe to Calob's posts

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