Q&A with Peter Rojas

Currently I'm VP of Strategy for the AOL Brand Group, where I do a mix of product and content strategy, product development, and M&A. I'm probably best-known – in as much as anyone might know who I am – as the creator of Gizmodo, Engadget, Joystiq, RCRD LBL and gdgt.

Tools

Right now my main phone is an HTC One, but I just ordered a Moto X, so will probably be using that by the time this is published, and I also have an iPhone 5s for work, since part of my job involves coming up with new stuff for mobile, and I usually also have a Retina iPad mini with me. At work I have a 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, at home I use a 13-inch MacBook Air, and I also have an 11-inch Samsung Chromebook which I bought a few months ago because I found it on sale for cheap and couldn't resist. For podcasting I use a Blue Yeti USB microphone, though these days I don't podcast as much as I should.

Software

Nothing too crazy! On my Mac I rely very heavily on Google Docs for docs and spreadsheets and use Keynote for presentations. I use SimpleNote for keeping my to-do list and basic notes, TweetDeck for Twitter, and ReadKit for keeping up with RSS feeds (I use Feedbin for sync).

On the phone I use Gmail constantly, as well as Tweedle for Twitter, Press for RSS feeds, PocketCasts for podcasts, and Pocket for saving stuff for reading later.

Dream setup

I'd love a simple room without very much in it except one of Stir's Kinetic standing desks. I am constantly at war with clutter, so I'm always trying to minimize the amount of stuff that's around me.

Inspiration

What I've always found interesting about technology is how it changes our understanding of ourselves and the world we live in, like how a new product like Google Glass can challenge our notions of public and private space. Which is why one of my other big obsessions is ancient history. I'm fascinated by how over the course of thousands of years our understanding of ourselves and the world around us has changed and continues to change.