Bento application now available for the iPhone
Posted on May 9th, 2009 | Filed under: Software
Personal Database from FileMaker has launched a new application called the Bento for iPhone. Designed specifically for the iPhone, the application allows users to easily organize all the details of their busy life in a single easy-to-use application.
The Bento app for iPhone offers 25 templates for keeping track of things like expenses, home inventory, events, recipes, time billings, vehicle maintenance, and exercise log. In addition to this, it includes digital media for keeping track of music and videos. This application integrates an Apple “Cover Flow” like interface which allows users to page through their databases which can be further sub-divided into “collections” as one would do it on the desktop app.
Additionally, users can also create database using the 15 field types such as texts, numbers, media, time, date, currency, address, phone number, email, URL and IM account. Moreover, the Bento app seamlessly integrates with the iPhone’s built-in features like Contacts, Calendars, Maps, Mail, Safari and camera. The app is designed keeping in mind the iTunes-style for instant sorting and offers faster searching as well.
In order to sync a Mac version of Bento with the iPhone version, customers will have to update their desktop app to version 2.0v4 which is available as a free download. The Bento for the iPhone is available at the App Store for $4.99.
May 9th, 2009 at 6:55 am
This new app works brilliantly with Bento. I’ve actually created a number of databases now that I can easily sync the two up.
Two words of caution: First, images take a LONG time to load from the iphone app. I was trying to show a client some of my work and it was taking over 12 seconds for each image to load. That’s just unacceptable.
Secondly, by default, the app loads your address book. I didn’t want the info in Bento, so I deleted the database, which in turn deleted my address book from my iPhone and my MacBook Pro. Fortunately, I was able to go to my Time Capsule and restore the previous day’s address book.
There is a way to tell Bento not to sync the address book under the File menu.