Lex Friedman and Dan Moran wrote a nice article for Macworld forecasting the Apple event in New York next week. Setting aside the idea of disrupting the text book publishing business, the idea that this is the venue for Apple to release iWork ‘12 hadn’t occurred to me. That would be fantastic news if true. While iCloud support is a given (and, frankly, overdue), better ePub tools would be nice. I hope they are right.

As Macworld | iWorld approaches, I’m struck by the value in the new iFan Pass. Now you can get into the conference for a fraction of the price it used to be. There are some really great tech talks at the conference this year, including a few of my own sessions. Because it is easier to get a conference pass now (currently just a hundred bucks), the rooms will be packed and the vibe will be great. In addition to getting access to all of the Tech Talks, iFan passholders also score free tickets for the music experiences (including nightly performances), film events, art showings, the iWorld Midway, and the Exhibit hall. While in the past, going to Macworld just for the Expo Hall and skipping the conference could make sense on a budget, at just $100, you really should go for the whole enchilada this year. The iFan pass price will go up to $125 at the event so if you are planning to attend, get your pass now.

A well-deserved accolade for Brett Terpstra and his excellent Markdown/MultiMarkdown preview app. If you spend any time in Markdown, you really should check out Marked.

The next time you are feeling an itchy trigger finger for some new Apple hardware, check out Mac Rumors’s Apple Buyer’s Guide where Arnold Kim and his legions track Apple product timelines and rumors.

I’m pretty sure that up until last month, the last time I used a mechanical pencil was 1987 as I switched majors from engineering to the arts. Since then, I’ve always used pens. Last month I purchased my first mechanical pencil in a very long time and began using it with my trusty Field Notes. There were a couple reasons for this move:

• As much as I like my Field Notes, sometimes ink bleeds through the paper and shows up on the opposite page.

• There is no need for permanency. On a daily basis, I clear out my Field Notes and put in the necessary information into my digital world. When I finish a book, I trash it and start a new one.

• I forgot how much I like erasers.

Anyway, I’ve been using this mechanical pencil with my Field Notes now for a month and I’m sticking with it. For the fetishists, the specific pencil I purchased was a Kuro Toga Auto Lead Rotation .5mm Mechanical Pencil. There is a mechanism inside that constantly rotates so the lead doesn’t flatten. While I agree paying $17 for a pencil is nuts, I appreciate this pencil every time I use it.

One of the nicest people in the Mac community is Tim Verpoorten, from Surfbits.com and the host for many years of the Mac Review Cast. When I first started dipping my toe into podcasting, it was on Tim’s show. Since then, Tim and I have shared laughs and hugs at Macworld and many conversations. Tim is battling cancer and today posted about how he’s fighting back (and winning). If you’ve got time, send a note, say a prayer, or just think positive thoughts for my friend, Tim.

Rob Trew’s OmniFocus Statistics app is at best useless and even perhaps counter-productive. Nevertheless, I couldn’t help myself. I’ve shown you mine. Now you show me yours.

via SimplicityIsBliss

Gabe Weatherhead is moving to BBEdit. This is a good thing for all mortals with any interest in the app since Gabe has already started applying his own special brand of geekery to it. If that is you, I suggest following Gabe. I’m sure there will be much more BBEdit goodness to come.

At HelpSpot we’re big supporters of open source software and simply couldn’t run our business without it. So, 6 years ago we created Open Source Help Desk List to assist companies looking for an open source help desk software solution. It’s success has been beyond our wildest expectations; serving as an invaluable tool for thousands of companies to find the solution they need. We hope it can help you as well.

If you’d prefer a professionally developed and supported help desk application, then give us a look: HelpSpot: Help Desk Software.

Thanks!

Ian Landsman
Founder, UserScape

P.S. Checkout the newest project we’re working on, the PHP framework Laravel

Just a few days ago Jean MacDonald wrote how she wanted an app to help her identify plants on nature walks. Turns out one exists. Leafsnap. According to the website, they are light on west coast flora and fauna but working on it.