Marco.org

Thanks to Scrivener for sponsoring the Marco.org RSS feed this week:

Writing a book or research paper is about more than hammering away at the keys until it’s done. Research, shuffling index cards to find that elusive structure - most software is only fired up after much of the hard work is completed.

Enter Scrivener, a content-generation tool that lets you compose and structure long and difficult documents based on material from multiple sources. Adopted by novelists, screenwriters, journalists, lawyers and academics alike, the program allows users to split the editor and view documents, PDF files, multimedia and other research materials next to each other. A virtual corkboard and outliner help with structuring or providing an overview of the draft. Collate, read and edit related text without affecting its place in the whole using Scrivener’s Collections feature. Close out the world in Full Screen mode. And when you’re finished, export to e-readers or the most popular word processing programs for submission.

Available for Mac OS X and Windows at Literature and Latte.

Thanks to HelpSpot for sponsoring the Marco.org RSS feed this week:

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. Its 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. Check out the newest project we’re working on, the PHP framework Laravel.

Special thanks to Carnegie Mellon University for sponsoring the Marco.org RSS feed this week:

Carnegie Mellon University’s Master of Information Systems Management (MISM) degree with a Business Intelligence and Data Analytics (BIDA) concentration is developing an elite set of graduates cross-trained in business process analysis and skilled in predictive modeling, GIS mapping, analytical reporting, segmentation analysis, and data visualization.

Students in the MISM-BIDA program acquire the skills to integrate cutting edge information and analytic technology practices with applied business methods. The program features world-renowned faculty teaching a cohesive blend of data analytics, management, strategy, and IT courses. It is this unique mix that makes our graduates highly valued by corporate recruiters. Our MISM graduates have a ten-year track record of receiving highly competitive employment offers from financial service firms, consulting companies, technology agencies and start-up organizations.

Learn more at Carnegie Mellon Heinz College.

Thanks to OmniGraffle for sponsoring the Marco.org RSS feed this week:

Creating in OmniGraffle: a five-step introduction attempt in less than 140 words.

Desired outcome: a new mockup of WebsiteThing.

1. Start it up. Download OmniGraffle here. Choose “Blank” from the template window.
2. Frame it. Stencils→Software→Konigi Wireframes. Designing for an iPhone? Drag out the iPhone browser. Lock object in place with ⌘+L.
3. Build it. Check out what else the Konigi stencil offers: position placeholders, buttons, and forms on your canvas. Turn on Snap to Grid (Arrange→Grid→Snap to Grid) for quick alignment.
4. Fine-tune it. Replace Konigi elements with real copy or graphics if ready. Add labels for the benefit of others.
5. Share it. Email, show off to colleagues via AirPlay, and more.

It’s all possible on the iPad, too. If you’d like, explore a bit more.

Thanks to OmniFocus for sponsoring the Marco.org RSS feed this week:

We’re hoping you decided to check out the trial of OmniFocus after our sponsorship earlier this month. Here’s a quick 5-step jumpstart.

1. Capture everything. Take 15 minutes to move things out of your head and in to OmniFocus. Anything from long-term goals (earn pilots license) to quick errands (card for mother).
2. Define next actions. “Earn pilots license” deserves its own project. Move it to your library and decide what to do next.
3. Organize actions with contexts. “Research area flight schools” might be assigned to a Mac context for googling, “card for mother” to Walgreen’s.
4. Now we do stuff. If you’re at the office, focus on work projects to get stuff done!
5. Review mode. Take time to consider each active project. Does it need some work?

Find out more about OmniFocus here, and don’t hesitate to ask questions.

Thanks to OmniFocus for sponsoring the RSS feed this week.

You have goals — use OmniFocus to reconstruct fragments of ideas or projects into actionable steps to complete those goals.

Move the responsibility of remembering daily tasks from your brain to OmniFocus — gather everything into the Inbox for later review, and then organize those bits into folders, projects, actions, and contexts.

OmniFocus is as simple or advanced as you decide to make it, and available on Mac, iPad, and iPhone with free cloud sync. Move past mere task management and get things done with precision.

Read more about OmniFocus here.

Thanks to OmniGraffle for supporting the Marco.org RSS feed this week:

OmniGraffle is the easiest and most elegant way to create website wireframes, process flows, organization hierarchies, and, frankly, almost anything.

Rely on OmniGraffle to create beautifully simple documents to share with anyone. Even through an TV.

Created for both Mac and iPad, OmniGraffle’s smart shapes, stencils and contextual styling elements gracefully guide you from rough outline to pixel perfection.

For ages 5 to 105, and available here.

Thanks to StudioNeat for sponsoring the Marco.org RSS feed this week:

The iPhone 4S has an amazing camera. This is undisputed. What the iPhone lacks, however, is a tripod thread for mounting it to a tripod. Enter the Glif.

The Glif is a small and simple accessory for mounting your iPhone 4 or 4S to any standard tripod. It also acts as a little kickstand to prop your iPhone up for watching movies, using FaceTime, etc.

And now, we are offering Glif+, a deluxe Glif package. It comes with Ligature, a keychain loop for always keeping your Glif handy, and Serif, an additional attachment to keep your iPhone super secure in extreme situations. We are also offering the +Pack, for those of you that already own a Glif and just want the add-ons. Both are available for preorder now, and will ship in 1-2 weeks.

With the holidays fast approaching, the Glif makes a great stocking stuffer. Available now at StudioNeat.

Thanks to CaptureNotes for sponsoring the Marco.org RSS feed this week:

CaptureNotes 2 is more than just a note-taking app for the iPad. It lets you record audio while you type.

While there might be other apps that let you take notes and record, CaptureNotes 2 brings an entirely new feature to the experience: Flags.

Flags are intelligent bookmarks, allowing you to place specific marks in time during a recording to follow up on in later review. For example, if you were using CaptureNotes in a class, you could mark things like test questions, text references, follow-up requests, or even make your own custom flag set. In a meeting at work, you could mark action items to follow up on.

When it comes time to study for your test or compile your to-do list, you can sort notes by flag type, taking you back to that specific piece of audio recording and notes.

Note-taking is also available on imported PDFs and email sessions. CaptureNotes lets you store your binders and notebooks on Dropbox.

CaptureNotes 2 was recently selected as app of the week at TiPB, and is sale to celebrate. Capture everything at school, work, or home with CaptureNotes 2.

Thanks to Textastic for sponsoring the RSS feed this week:

Who says the iPad is only for consumption? Textastic brings the power of a desktop text, code, and markup editor to the iPad.

Textastic supports syntax highlighting of more than 80 languages, and if that’s not enough, you can extend it with TextMate-compatible syntax definitions and themes.

The visual find and replace feature and the list of function and class names let you quickly navigate documents. A cursor navigation wheel simplifies text selection and the extra row of keys above the keyboard makes it easy to type common programming characters.

As you create, you can preview HTML and Markdown files locally. Once you’re done, connect to (S)FTP and WebDAV servers as well as Dropbox. It even includes a built-in WebDAV server that allows you to quickly transfer files to your iPad wirelessly from your Mac or PC.

Textastic for iPad is just $9.99 and is available on the App Store.

Thanks to Koombea for sponsoring the RSS feed this week:

Koombea is a full service design and development shop that specializes in making web and mobile apps. For the past 4 years, we’ve been using agile methodologies to build lean startups. Recently, we’ve taken our same process to public companies to keep them fast and efficient. We’re on the hunt for great new clients looking to build amazing products.

Over the past 18 months we’ve seen our clients raise a combined $50M+ in early stage funding. We’ve seen an even larger figure in acquisitions and other exits. Right now, we’re working with some amazing companies in elite tech incubators such as Y Combinator, TechStars and AngelPad, just to name a few.

We’re Data Driven, Transparent and we have serious Experience building companies and shipping products. We’ve been reading Marco for a while and getting to know his audience. If we don’t know you yet, reach out and let’s talk!

Thanks to Billings Pro for sponsoring the RSS feed this week.

Billings Pro is a multi-user time tracking and invoicing solution for the Mac and iPhone, that includes a Web app for timekeepers.

With Marketcircle Cloud you get the Mac and iPhone experience with the convenience of the Web. Let us worry about all the setup, hosting, and backup of your data, while you focus on your business.

We host it, you access it – from anywhere, anytime.