So much time is lost when you’re constantly moving between spreadsheets and databases. When you must use one app to organize information and another to analyze it, things can get clunky and overly complicated.
Stackby is a unique app that combines the ease of a good spreadsheet with the analysis and sharing tools of a database. For a limited time, a lifetime subscription to the Stackby Personal Plan is also on sale for $69 (regularly $300).
FileMaker changed its name to Claris. That might sound familiar as it’s the name the company had when Apple founded it way back in 1986.
The move is part of expanding what it does, beyond making a relational database application.
FileMaker has announced it will discontinue Bento, its database client for Mac and iOS, on September 30. The company will increase focus on the FileMaker product line going forward, with the aim of creating “an even better experience for these customers.”
Yep, you heard it right. Home Inventory is the boringly-named Mac app that will let you create and manage an inventory of the items in your home, using your iOS device as a photo input device. Sounds cool, right? Well, ok, but it at least sounds interesting, yeah?
Keeping track of your stuff is pretty useful, especially if you have to fill out an insurance claim or police report in case of theft. Home Inventory will keep all of it in a database, easily accessible from your Mac or iOS device via a free standalone app, the equally cleverly named Home Inventory Mobile Backup.
The Bookcase is a three-dollar pocket database for your book collection, one that takes its role very seriously and might be best suited to people with a professional requirement to manage a large library.
A hacker has been found guilty of a massive security breach that exposed the emails of more than 114,000 iPad owners back in 2010. Andrew Auernheimer was one of two Goatse Security members who were arrested for exposing the major flaw in AT&T’s database, and he now faces two five-year charges.
Last week FileMaker launched a new campaign to encourage businesses to adopt the company’s flagship database product line as an app development platform for the iPhone and iPad. The move is unique and the idea of FileMaker as an enterprise development solution does have its appeal – creating FileMaker apps requires no software development knowledge or experience and it can deliver native performance and functionality that HTML 5 web apps can’t.
FileMaker has announced the availability of its FileMaker 12 Certification exam. As with other certifications for IT professionals, FileMaker’s certification illustrates to potential employers or consulting customers that you have the key skills to deliver a solid and complete solution using FileMaker Pro and related products like FileMaker Go for iPhone and iPad and FileMaker Server.
SeedCode has announced a new and very impressive template/add-on for FileMaker Pro 12 and FileMaker Go that let’s FileMaker developers build real-time instant message style chats into FileMaker database systems. The new template, dubbed FMChat is built entirely using FileMaker 12, which means that no additional backend system is needed to use it.
FMChat is particularly impressive in that it allows chat participants to interact with each other and with database content. It’s even designed with automation in mind. Chat sessions can be used to trigger scripts and automated actions. Potential actions appear as links in the chat transcript. The template can be used in a number of different ways but some examples include approving purchase orders, accepting event invitations, and closing help desk cases.
FileMaker is offering early registration pricing for developers and database professionals attending the company’s annual developer conference. The conference, known as FileMaker DevCon will be held July 16-19, 2012 in Miami. Special pricing for conference attendees extends for nearly three weeks until May 22. Special hotel rates for attendees will continue through the middle of next month.
FileMaker DevCon is a four day event that will feature “under-the-hood” sessions, an Exhibitor Showcase, and several opportunities to connect with FileMaker engineers, product managers, and the company’s tech support team. The event includes more than 70 sessions for creating, managing, and deploying FileMaker solutions. The sessions will cover the latest version of the FileMaker lineup including desktop, server, and mobile versions of the product.
I’ve always thought of FileMaker as “databases for the rest of us” – the software is easy to understand for even novice users, it has an immense focus on visual design that allows users to create impressive looking solutions quickly and easily, and it packs quite a bit of power. All of those traits get a boost in FileMaker 12, which was released this morning.
My first impression on using FileMaker 12 is that the company took all the things I’ve always like about FileMaker Pro and Server and turned them up to 11 – particularly when it comes to making mobile solutions.
Apple’s new iPad is the first of its iOS devices to offer super speedy 4G LTE connectivity, but it’s currently only available on AT&T and Verizon in the United States. According to Best Buy’s internal database, however, it could soon be available on Sprint, too.
The most secure way of password protecting your online life is to create a random strong password, one now one can ever guess. The problem, of course, is that you won’t be able to guess it, either. Or remember it. Luckily, we’ve found a nice solution to this problem: Password Gorilla, freeware that will help us all keep track of our passwords.
The iPhone 5’s rumored September release isn’t far away now, and as we enjoy a number of case leaks and photos of the device (purportedly) in the wild, carriers are beginning to prepare themselves for its launch. AT&T has reportedly begun communicating launch plans to its staff, but Korean carrier KT has even started listing the device in its system.
Here’s a good resource to take a look at if you plan on upgrading to OS X Lion this month. Roaringapps.com is a crowd sourced application compatibility database for OS X Lion. The site depends on user input about the compatibility of existing applications running on Snow Leopard or whether or not apps will need Rosetta.
Just seven days after Steve Jobs promised to fix the location tracking bugs in iOS, an update is available now for download through iTunes.
A free download, iOS 4.3.3 fixes three bugs related to location tracking:
The data isn’t encrypted, but Apple says that will be fixed in the next major update, likely iOS 5, which is expected at WWDC in early June.
The 4.3.3 update applies to the iPhone (4 and 3GS, but not the iPhone 3G); iPad (1 and 2); and iPod touch (3rd and 4th gen, but not 1st or 2nd gen).
There’s a separate 4.2.8 update for the Verizon iPhone 4 (the CDMA phone is still on a different fork of iOS).
Update or no, Apple is still expected to testify at a May 10 Congressional hearing about mobile tracking.
Our roundup of must-have iOS apps from this week includes Camera+ – quite possibly the best, and certainly the most popular, photography application for the iPhone. It’s so good that it has replaced Apple’s official Camera app on my iPhone’s home screen, and is now my go-to application for snapping all my photos
Also to feature is Readlines – an application that makes great use of your iOS device while it’s sat in its dock on your desk, and turns an otherwise boring blank screen in to a big, bold stream of random headlines from your Google Reader RSS feeds.
Tap Forms Database on your iPhone means you can forget sifting through every piece of paper in your home to find your insurance details when you need to make a claim, or panicking because you’ve forgotten your PIN at the ATM when you need some cash – it’s now with you wherever you go.
Find out more about the applications above and check out the rest of this week’s must-haves, including HubbleSite and Inception: App Edition, after the break!
Tap Forms Database – (Free) iPhone – Business
Forget sifting through every piece of paper in your home to find your insurance details when you need to make a claim, or panicking because you’ve forgotten your PIN at the ATM when you need some cash – it’s now with you wherever you go.
Today’s must-have app is Tap Forms Database, a fantastic way to carry a database of important information with you wherever you go, all stored securely on your iPhone. It’s never been so quick and easy to organize all of your data and have it at your fingertips whenever you need it. Effortlessly create your own database and use the 25 ready-made forms to store passport information, vehicle registration information, credit card numbers, bank account details, software serial numbers, online login information, and so much more.
Download Tap Forms Database today for free and you’ll soon wonder how you ever lived without it!
Here’s Devonthink To Go for iPad and iPhone, and it has a lot to offer.
For starters, there’s two-way sync between desktop and mobile databases. Documents that have been edited in other apps can be “opened back” in Devonthink, which will update its database accordingly. And plain text files can be edited inside Devonthink To Go itself.
