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When it comes to our phones, they’re extremely personal devices. Jo Harlow has hers set up a certain way, Dean Pattrick his, and after seeing many others, it’s now my turn. Here’s my Windows Phone 8 Start screen.

I’ve only had my Nokia Lumia 620 for a week, so I’m still going through a process of alteration and on the look out for new apps or games. As for the colour of my theme, I’ve opted for lime as it matches the phone’s shell.

But for now, my Start screen has settled as so:

AF_Start-screen-1

Which apps have you prioritised?

For me, as a typical Brit, I love to know about the weather. If it’s cold, sunny, or even slightly drizzling outside, I want to know about it without having to stick my head out of the window or putting on the TV for a weather update. Weather Flow sits at the top of my Start screen with one large Live tile that updates itself throughout the day.

Just beneath that, I have what I call my communication panel. In the centre, I’ve got a medium sized Me tile that gives me quick access to Facebook or Twitter updates, as well as notifications from these services. Flanking that are four small tiles; phone, messaging, personal email, and work emails.

The people sitting in my People Hub are important, too. They sit on the first half of my Start screen.

I’ve also set up a Room for us writers/editors of Conversations so we can all keep in contact with relative ease.

AF_Start-screen-2

What apps do you use to pass the time?

At the moment, the number one app I use is Cinemagraph – I just love it. There’s loads of fun to be had just by messing about, capturing what can often to be fairly mundane situations. Freezing the frame and animating only one section can often be artistic, or even hilarious.

Second to that, I pop into the Games section fairly regularly. Not to play any game in particular, I’ve got a few in there that I dip into when I’ve got a spare moment.

What is the last app you paid for, and what does it do?

It was the Weather Flow app that I mentioned earlier and cost me £1.49. In regards to what it does, it essentially keeps me updated on the weather. However, it’s the way it delivers it to me that convinced me to part with my cash.

The Live tile is simple, yet descriptive. It uses simple language that leaves me with no doubt what the weather is like outside. It displays the temperature, along with a chance of rain percentage, which is very useful here in the UK.

I also love the way it takes over the Lock screen of my phone. The image changes depending on the weather and the same weather details are placed right on the Lock screen.

Which app(s) is your guilty pleasure?

It’s got to be Draw Something. I’m currently on 120-turn run that I desperately don’t want to ruin. There have been a few occasions where either my own, or my opponent’s drawing, have lead to me to believe that it’s game over. Thankfully, it’s still going, though. But for how long…?