Smoking Apples. The Team.

I won’t start at the beginning. To me, ‘right now’ is more important than what happened back then. Smoking Apples is headed by Milind Alvares (me) and Preshit Deorukhkar, its two co-founders. It’s powered by iXyr Media, a parent company that intends to cover technology in our own perspective. Milind is the Editor and Designer, while Preshit takes care of everything from administration, to making sure the site works at any given time.

But SA—that’s what we like to call it—would be nothing without its brilliant team of writers. Brandon Pittman is one of the most aggressive, critical, not to forget funny writers SA has ever seen. His writings have a rabid fan following almost independent of the site. I get to read his reviews before they get published, and cutting out all the swears is great fun! Then there’s Ankur Gupta. He’s a brand new Mac user, but understands technology, which is what’s important. He’s been covering iPhone apps so far, each of his articles being objective, thorough, and I would take his word for it. Phil Olin, usually likes to review hardware, that is, when he can find the time off from his busy life as a veterinarian. At this point of time Avner is pretty much boiling with anger thinking I've forgotten about him. While he doesn’t write reviews, he does a brilliant job handling the PR and advertising; in fact he’s my primary source of news.

SA has had many different writers over the years, without whom we probably wouldn’t have been here right now. Aayush Arya (former editor, now writes for Macworld), Andy Bewernick, Ashwin Ravindhran (Co-Founder), Chris Zehm, Jonas Wisser (now writes Malum Elegans), and so many of the other independent contributors who’ve written great articles—some of whom continue to do so every so often.

And I know this sounds cheesy, but I say the readers (you) are a huge part of the team, too. You have done a thorough job in keeping us on the right track, correcting us when we fumble, and giving us those oh-so-needed words of encouragement. It puts such a wide smile on our faces when we get an email from ‘an SA fan’ (your words not mine), which is what drives us to bring you more content.

We hope you like our work, and should there be any query or comment, don't hesitate in shooting us an email. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an article to finish. Thanks! - Milind Alvares, 28/02/2010.

Milind Alvares Co-Founder / Editor

In addition to having the highest number of articles, with no immediate competition, Milind makes sure there’s enough of work to go around for everybody, keeps an eye on any visible pixels, and provides constant entertainment for his cat. He should be respected, and revered.

Preshit Co-Founder / Head of Operations

If SA's the Camera and Milind's the cameraman, Preshit is the tripod. Usually working behind the scenes, he's the reason everything works(!) most of the time. When not overseeing the operations of iXyr Media, Preshit contributes his in-depth articles to the site. Often called an 'Email whore', he's also a firm believer of #goobimamaisgod.

Brandon Pittman Writer

The funniest American in Japan, Brandon is the comedic muscle of Smoking Apples. His biting commentaries and dick jokes are sources of gut-busting laughter and fanboy rage for all who stumble upon his posts. He loves clean UIs and support for only the web services he uses; anything beyond that is just clutter. Also, his hatred of John Gruber, Leo Laporte, and Scott Bourne knows no bounds.

Ankur Gupta Writer

Although kept busy by AppleCare, Ankur finds just enough time to dump a few articles on Smoking Apples. He is an Apple certified iMac unboxing genius respected for his adroit finesse with iPhone games. Keep the bass high and you're bound to catch his attention.

Phil Olin Writer

Being the extremely tall gives Phil certain advantages—most of which are not known at this point. Perhaps it helps him in his veterinary work, or maybe when that's how he gets better shots in photography. When bored, Phil reviews hardware for SA.

Avner Kern Public Relations

Joining the team when SA was slowly gaining popularity, Avner's been a great asset and a face of communication for iXyr Media. With an unofficial Ph.D in email communications, Avner single-handedly manages the Advertising for the network and firmly believes that Twitterrific is still the best twitter client out there.