Over the next few weeks we’ll be giving you the lowdown on the crew that helps keep Today’s iPhone running smoothly. The site has been active now since January 2010, launched by PhoneDog around the same time the original iPad was unveiled. We felt it right to introduce ourselves so that you feel you know us a little, and aren’t just reading posts from some faceless bloggers. This week it’s the turn of Assistant Editor, Jake Rosati.

Introduction

This is what I look like.

Name: Jake Rosati
Position: Assistant Editor
Twitter: @TiP_Jake

Live, Work, Play

Location: New York City, USA
Family: I’ve got two parents, a little sister and a dog
When you’re not working: I’m really into TV, movies and books. One day I hope to write books and/or work on a television show, so all the time I spend reading and watching is, ya know, research…
Role: During the week, I help Cam keep up-to-date with all the news in the world of Apple. I’m also in charge of videos for the site, which includes my weekly ‘This Week on TiP’ video as well as Daniel’s quick tips and Matt’s Jailbreak Tuesday videos.

Fanboy?

I admit that, before I started working for TiP, I was a full-blown Apple fanboy. There’s no doubt about it. I longed for anything with an Apple logo on it and, honestly, it’s the reason I pursued this job in the first place. And while it may seem a bit strange that my fanboyism subsided only after I started working for an Apple-centric site, it actually kind of makes sense. Because of my constant exposure to everything Apple, I bear witness to a lot of the good Apple stuff, but just as much of the bad as well. I’m not going to tell you I hate Apple devices (I’m a proud owner of an iPhone, iPad and MacBook Pro), but I’m also not going to sit here and tell you another device sucks just because it wasn’t “designed in Cupertino.” I personally prefer Apple’s hardware, software and environment, but I can totally understand why someone would not – the company is by no means perfect.

Which device first got you hooked on mobile phones?

I’ve been enamored with mobile phones for as long as I can remember. I don’t know exactly when I learned of their existence, but since that moment I’ve coveted them over all other electronics. To me, a cellphone was a little bit spy-gadget, a little bit magical and a lot awesome. I convinced my parents to get me a cellphone when I was in fifth grade. It was a cheap, Sprint flip phone that didn’t even have a color screen and I had to share it with my sister, but coming home from school and seeing it charging in the kitchen may have been one of the happiest moments of my life.

I didn’t really get hooked on the mobile phone industry until I was 15 years old. Browsing the web, I came across a shady picture of a black phone with a slide-out qwerty keyboard and I fell in love. From that moment on, I read every scrap of information I could find about that phone. It was called the LG Rumor and it was one of the first phones on Sprint with a decent qwerty keyboard. Researching that phone really got me to where I am today – it helped me discover just how much I loved the tech (and mobile phone) industry, and it was also the first time I was introduced to sites like CNET, Engadget and, most importantly, Phonedog! The rest is history.

How long have you been with Today’s iPhone?

I officially became a member of the TiP crew in July 2010, but I was sorta kinda involved for a few months before that. Being an avid Phonedog follower at the time, I jumped at the chance to be a part of the new, as-yet-unnamed iPhone site. I submitted a written app review and a link to a video review I had done of the LG Rumor (it all comes back to the Rumor…). They didn’t hire me. However I was given the opportunity to have my vids featured in the (no longer existent) “community videos” section of the site. Basically anyone could email TiP founder Adriana a link to a video and she’d embed it in a post in that section of the website. It was a cool concept, and even though I knew it wasn’t a real position, I was thrilled.

I did that for a few months, and I really don’t know why Adriana kept responding to my emails… the videos I submitted were pretty horrible. As time went on, though, I guess they got better. In the midst of the whole antennae-gate thing, I made a video of myself calling the FaceTime hotline and asking Apple employees what the deal was with the antennae (it has since been pulled from YouTube). Adriana really liked it and offered me a job later that day! My first official TiP video went live on July 10, 2010.

A few months later I began writing a weekly article for the site in addition to my weekly video. That’s the way it stayed until Adriana left the site. Cam moved up to the top job, someone needed to fill the space he vacated, and I was lucky enough to get it! So I started out as a contributor to the “community vids” section and ended up Assistant Editor for the site. To quote the great Cam Bunton, “start low, and prove your availability and reliability. If you’re consistent and work hard, you’ll get there.”

What is your favorite Apple product of your time?

2008 Jake with his 3G

Definitely the iPhone 3G. I was hesitant to embrace the original iPhone and, in fact, was totally against it when it first came out. Only being offered in four and eight-gigabyte models, I thought there was no way that was enough room for all my pictures, videos, music and contacts. But by the time the 3G arrived on the scene, my biggest issues with the iPhone had been resolved, and I found myself in line for five hours at my Apple store on launch day.

If Apple could do one thing better, what would it be?

If I could change one thing about the way Apple operates, I would make the company a bit more open to software customization. I totally understand wanting to keep a standard look and feature-set and I’m not suggesting that iOS goes totally open source, I just wish there was a happy medium. I mean, the fact that there are no additional Notifications Center widgets is infuriating. It took Apple years to allow us to change our home screen wallpaper, for cryin’ out loud! Seriously, a few more choices would be nice. That being said, I am well aware that there’s literally next to no chance this request will ever be granted.

Out of all 5 iPhones launched so far, which do/did you prefer?

I think I’d have to say the iPhone 4. Sure, the 3G got me started with the iPhone, but the 4 took it to a new level. It’s also important to note that I upgraded from an iPhone 3G running iOS 4, which was possibly most painfully slow hardware/software combination of all time. The moment I set my 3G aside and turned on the 4, I was jubilant. The screen was incredible, the form factor was sleek and thin and it was sooooo fast. I’ve been rockin’ an iPhone 4 since the day it came out, and I’ve loved every minute of it.

If you haven’t gotten sick of me yet or if there’s anything else your dying to know, definitely feel free to follow me on twitter!