Which Django/Pinax app should I use? There are so many, and I just want the simplest one
I actually am approaching the same problem.
I find overriding the pinax profile app is enough. The profile section is what allows the upload of avatars and your info and allows you to also edit it.
I still haven't found a good way to override the native apps yet. Right now I am copying over the app. 
Thanks,
Ray
I want a "settings" page where the
user can submit his
hometown/biography/email settings and upload his avatar
We will be building a mobile app that uses HTTP Rest API to update the user's profile, so we must be able to do manual override of these apps.

That's it! I don't want anything else. I don't care about the friending or blogging or anything.
Which Django App should I use? Currently, I am using Pinax's basic_project.