FileMaker Pro 11 and FileMaker Pro Advanced 11

UI improvements

The most obvious changes to the user interface in FileMaker Pro 11 are found in Table View, where you see fields as columns and records as rows, much like you would in a spreadsheet. Table View is now the default view for new databases. As soon as you name a new database, you start defining fields right in Table View. And since you are actually working in browse mode, you can start entering data at the same time. (ProVue’s Panorama database has had this for a long time.)
As a data-modeling fanatic and notorious killjoy, I worry that FileMaker Pro 11 may have made things easier here than they should be. You can’t create a new table or define a relationship working this way. I will bet a plate of barbecued pork ribs that somebody is going to make a mess of a new database using this new user interface, since it really doesn’t require much thought. On the other hand, careful do-it-yourselfers building flat-file databases (i.e. fairly simple lists) will surely be grateful for the running start that the new interface provides. Experienced developers will probably continue to do things the old-fashioned way, using the Manage Database dialog.
Another neat enhancement to Table View: You can now quickly show or hide fields without having to edit the underlying layout, which wasn’t possible before.

 

The greatly improved table view in FileMaker Pro 11 is the default view when you create a new database, allowing you to create new fields by simply clicking a + button (shown here to the right of the Zip field). In this shot, the user has created some fields, added some data, then created a new field (“#”), moved it into place as the first column, and the user is now changing the type of this field from text to number. Note also that the user has previous defined a Quick Report that groups and counts records by City.

 

FileMaker Pro 11 expands upon dynamic subsummaries, which were introduced in FileMaker Pro 10. With dynamic subsummaries you can total sorted groups of records while you continue to edit data. To set up a dynamic subsummary in FileMaker Pro 10, you had to define the summary calculation (say, count of records by state) in the Manage Database Dialog, then you had to switch into Layout Mode and use a couple of dialogs to set up the subsummary display. In FileMaker Pro 11, you can do all of this on the fly (so to speak) without leaving browse mode. You tell FileMaker Pro what you want to summarize and how (count by state, average by total sales, etc.) and FileMaker does the rest for you: creates the summary field and the subsummary layout part, and displays the results immediately. However, there is one potential gotcha—if you create a subsummary total this way, you won’t be able to format the result, so you might see “7.333334” when you would prefer to see “7.3.” For experienced developers, these changes are not a big deal, but for ordinary do-it-yourself users, they represent a real step forward.

The new Quick Find search field in the Status Toolbar looks like your Web browser’s search field or the quick search fields in many other Mac OS X apps. It simply does a quick search for records that have your find criterion in any of the fields on the current layout. When you need precision, you simply switch into Find mode and enter your find criterion in the right field, as you’ve always done in FileMaker.
Although FileMaker Pro 11 tries to make it unnecessary for you to go under the hood, you will end up in Layout Mode sooner or later. When you do, you’ll notice the new Inspector, which provides quick access to various property palettes that used to be hidden in a variety of modal dialogs. And the Manage Layouts dialog now allows you to organize layouts in folders.

Charts

Perhaps the most exciting new feature (and the top reason to upgrade) is the ability to make charts. This isn’t an entirely new capability for FileMaker Pro; earlier versions could create charts with the help of third-party plug-ins or through the use of ingenious but very complicated calculation techniques. But now charting is available to everybody and is easy to use. It took me only a couple of minutes to create and format my first chart (a bar chart) and then change it into pie chart.

 

FileMaker now provides a variety of chart options allowing you to visualize your data quickly. Here, the user has analyzed 2009 expenses in a pie chart. This chart took less than 2 minutes to set up and format.

Sharing data

Two nifty features in FileMaker Pro 11 relate to the exchange or sharing of data.
The new Snapshot Link saves the precise found set, layout and sort order of your current view in a FileMaker Pro Snapshot Link (.fpsl) file. You can send this little file to another user (who must have FileMaker Pro 11 and access to the database) who can open it and instantly see exactly what you were looking at.
The Snapshot Link file isn’t a true snapshot, as if you made a screen capture; nor does it save the find criteria you might have used to get the records you are looking at. It simply saves the record IDs of the records in your found set. A Snapshot Link won’t reflect records that have been added or deleted after the Snapshot Link has been created. If something has changed in a record, the record will be displayed with the new data. For these reasons, Snapshot Link seems most useful when you’re dealing with relatively stable data and you want to save customized record sets that would be hard to recover otherwise.

Snapshot Link is also a neat way to save your own found set. Say you’re planning a wedding and trying to sort out the guest list. You could create a Snapshot Link to save your mother’s preferred list, and another Snapshot Link to save your own preferred list. Here again, this functionality has been within the reach of experienced developers for a long time, but saving and retrieving found sets involved marking records or capturing record IDs and saving them in the database itself, and in either case required a little intermediate-level scripting. Snapshot Link, on the other hand, is quick and easy.

The new Recurring Imports feature was something that could be done in FileMaker Pro 10 with a little scripting, but FileMaker 11 will write the script for you in response to a couple simple questions. A Recurring Import is simply an import that occurs over and over again. You might use it, for example, to update mortgage rates daily.

For serious developers only

The emphasis in FileMaker 11 seems to be on making things easier for normal, do-it-yourself users who are not experienced developers. Nevertheless, there are a few things in FileMaker Pro 11 for experienced developers to get excited about.

The new Portal Filters option makes it fairly easy to design a portal—a list showing related “child” records. For example, if you’re looking at a record in the CLASSES table, a portal might be used to show the students enrolled in a particular class. Portal filtering allows you to filter that list of related records so that, using our example, you see only students whose current grade in the class is below a certain number.
Now this, too, is something pro developers have been doing for a long time using calc fields and/or scripts. FileMaker Pro 11 makes it easier than ever before, but it stills requires some setup and the writing of a calculation formula, and I suspect it’s still a bit beyond the reach of the average FileMaker user. Experienced developers will be most grateful for this new feature, since it eliminates much of the work they used to have to do to achieve the same result.
Other improvements found exclusively in FileMaker Pro Advanced include a modest simplification of the Custom Menus dialogs and the ability to copy/paste and/or import custom functions.
Perhaps the best news for developers in FileMaker Pro 11 is that the database file format remains .fp7, the format introduced years ago with version 7. In other words, FileMaker Pro 11 does not require you to upgrade all of your existing databases if you don’t want to do so immediately.

Macworld’s buying advice

FileMaker Pro 11 is a solid upgrade with one really exciting new feature (charts) and a whole slew of more modest but nonetheless welcome improvements. If your database needs are very simple indeed, you should consider FileMaker Inc’s consumer database product, Bento (). If you need to share a database, if you are building a relational database, or if you simply need the more advanced scripting and other features found in FileMaker Pro or FileMaker Pro Advanced, then this new version of FileMaker Pro offers Mac (and Windows) users the best combination of power and ease of use you’ll find anywhere. And if you’ve been using spreadsheets to list data because you found the spreadsheet user interface easier to understand or because you needed to chart your data, well, you really ought to take a look at FileMaker Pro 11. You might never launch a spreadsheet again.

Apple Launches iPad and iBookStore

The much awaited January 27 event finally arrived and as much anticipated, Steve Jobs took the state to demonstrate Apple’s latest device - The iPad. It is a tablet computer which can be simply described as visually being a ‘large iPod Touch’. Apple iPad will be initially available for sale only in the USA, and is expected to be available in the rest of the world in the early summer.

The iPad will be available as a Wi-Fi and a 3G/WI-Fi model, with a 16GB, 32GB or 64GB Flash storage version for each. Apart from that, the device is powered by a new 1Ghz Apple A4 processor and is loaded with Wi-Fi 802.11n and v2.1 Bluetooth, plus the usual Apple software including iTunes and the App Store, Mail, Calendar and Safari.

The event also marked the launch of Apple iBookStore where you can buy eBooks for use with the iPad. Moreover, the current iPhone app developers will be creating new apps especially for the iPad, in order to take advantage of the new screen size.

Apple iPad: Features

- The Apple iPad weighs 1.5 pounds and measures 7.47 inches in width by 9.56 inches in length by 0.5 inch in thickness.

- The screen used in the iPad is a glass-covered, oleophobic, LED-backlit, 9.7-inch capacitive touch screen. It uses IPS (in-plane switching) technology for above-average viewing angles. The maximum screen resolution is 1,024x768 pixels.

- Video output is available using a dock adapter; however, HDMI is not supported, and output resolution is constrained to 480p. Below the screen you will find a home button that looks and functions exactly like the button found on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

- The iPad is wrapped around the backs and sides with Matte aluminum, tightening a bit around the edges. However, unlike the glossy plastic of the iPhone or the polished chrome of the iPod, the iPad is least expected to show fingerprints and wear.

- If you are an iPhone owner, you will find the buttons, switches, and ports around the edges of the iPad very familiar. Besides a 30-pin dock connector at the bottom, there is a small integrated speaker; a volume rocker button and mute switch sit on the right side; along with a screen lock, a headphone jack, and a pinhole microphone sit up top.

- The Apple iPad comes with a 1GHz A4 processor (Apple brand) under the hood. It comes along with 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 and a compass.

- Battery life is rated at 10 hours, and the iPad has three storage capacities available -16GB ($499), 32GB ($599), and 64GB ($699).

- Apple iPads with 3G wireless data support (microSIM) is due to be released in May with the same capacity range. However, it will cost $130 extra for each respective model (i.e., $629, $729, and $829). Again if you go the 3G route, you have to pay for an additional data plan (currently provided by AT&T with no contract), setting you back $14.99 a month for 250MB of data, or $29 for "unlimited" usage.

Apple iPad: Limitations

In the first instance, as you go through the data plans they seem to be pretty reasonable; however, they are attached to the iPad and cannot be shared with your phone or other Internet-capable devices.

Apart from that, despite its lovely design, beefier core apps, and new e-book features and store, the iPad is hampered by a well-documented string of missing features like a camera, 16:9 support, Flash support, multitasking, SD card slot, HDMI or high-resolution video output support, USB ports, GPS, to mention a few. Not to mentions its exclusivity to the AT&T network.

Apple iPad: Pricing

The pricing scheme is overly complex, and while I'm not sure it's genuinely overpriced, it's nevertheless expensive, and you can't imagine the price going much lower without crashing into the 64GB iPod Touch and making the iPad look a lot like a sucker's buy.

The Apple iPad can be concluded as a product ahead of its time. You cannot term it as a failure; at the same time, it is something in the like of a concept product - a proof of concept. If you have decided on buying yourself an Apple iPad, you have to own it along with its inevitable first-generation bugs, fulfillment problems, and buyer's remorse over added features and price drops – altogether a heartbreak waiting to ensue

eBay Made $400 Million This Year From Its Free iPhone App

According to eBay CEO John Donahoe, shoppers have already spent about $400 million on the popular commerce site using the company’s free iPhone application.

The number pales in comparison with eBay’s total sales figure ($59.7 billion last year), but it’s fairly significant considering the fact that the iPhone has a relatively small market share – about 15% of the smartphone segment – and mobile payment transactions are still new to many. Who would have predicted around half a billion dollar in sales a year would be recorded through the eBay iPhone app when it debuted on the App Store last year?

According to this report by the Financial Times, some wealthy people have used the mobile app to buy a Lamborghini, a Bentley and a $150,000 boat. And if Mobile Marketer heard Donahoe right when he talked numbers at a summit in Las Vegas, the Lamborghini went for $350,000. Talk about being at ease with making purchases from mobile devices.

Most likely, these are the high-profile exceptions to the rule and most people use the app to buy books, clothing and electronics much like regular eBay shoppers do. In total, approximately 4.6 million iPhone owners have downloaded and installed the app to date.

Apple Drops VoIP-over-3G Restrictions on the iPhone

Apple has some more good news to share with you post the iPad launch. In a recent company announcement, Apple has revealed that it has done away with the restrictions that earlier prevented VoIP iPhone applications from working over 3G. iPhone enthusiasts are elated as this will unleash newer opportunities for VoIP applications, which until now have only worked over Wi-Fi.

This was one of the much awaited news from Apple since October 2009, since AT&T announced that it would allow VoIP apps over 3G.Quite a few popular VoIP application developers like the iCall and Fring have already announced their support for VoIP. This is in fact a priority as allowing VoIP over 3G will set the stage for increased innovation in the VoIP arena, and also more experimentation with video chatting.

The Edge VoIP can Give to the iPhone

The reaction of the VoIP developers is understandable considering the fact that an update to the iPhone SDK will finally allows application developers to build this capability into their programs. Effectively, this will allow iPhone users like you to drop their unlimited voice plans and opt for a combination of data and voice for calls. Most users are elated as they can now find a way to save big on their monthly cell phone bill using VoIP calling.

iCall - the first app to use this capability (now available in the iPhone’s App Store) reveals that with this new announcement with the iPhone, it will not only let you make VoIP calls, but also offer a way to switch cellular calls to VoIP. The free app allows you set free five-minute telephone calls to the United States and Canada. For $10 per month, users can get unlimited calling to those countries and pay-as-you-go international rates.

VoIP calls over 3G would use no voice minutes, only data. So, when you sign up for the monthly plan, users will get a new phone number in the area code of their choice. However, they might still show their existing number on caller ID.

Sharing this sentiment, web communication aggregator Fring reveals that users can now video chat over 3G as well. As experts believe, video chatting is going to become more and more significant in mobile devices over the next few years and Apple for sure will be taking that into account by dropping 3G restrictions.

Limitation: The only limitation is that since VoIP services are not allowed to use the iPhone’s dialer and calling system, incoming VoIP calls appear as push notifications (as if you got a text message), rather than a full-blown ring. With iCall however, you can also switch incoming voice calls over to VoIP after you’ve answered the phone. These methods will certainly allow people to cut down on voice minutes in exchange for a cheap VoIP plan

Adobe Gets Aggressive With iPhone Flash Failure Message

Adobe's Flash supports a large portion of the internet's rich content. And it will soon be coming to almost all smart phones, opening a world of internet possibilities. All the smart phones, that is, except one of the most popular smart phones on the market -- Apple's iPhone.

Apple remains cold and aloof about the topic of Flash. While the iPhone could easily support hardware-accelerated Flash, CEO Steve Jobs has stated in interviews that Flash is irrelevant and not something that iPhone customers have demanded. He insists the iPhone is the perfect internet phone -- even if it can't run Flash.

Adobe seems to be hoping to push Apple's customers to demand the feature with a new humorously passive aggressive browser failure message.

On the iPhone customers trying to use Flash now get a message stating:

Apple restricts the use of technologies required by products like Flash Player. Until Apple eliminates these restrictions, Adobe cannot provide Flash Player for the iPhone or iPod Touch.

Before the message merely read:

To view this content upgrade your browser and flash plug-in.

Will the new message inspire users to complain to Apple, or will it merely annoy iPhone users, making Adobe look bad? It should be interesting to see how Apple's customers react to the new, more pointed error message.

Apple Drops VoIP-over-3G Restrictions on the iPhone

Apple has some more good news to share with you post the iPad launch. In a recent company announcement, Apple has revealed that it has done away with the restrictions that earlier prevented VoIP iPhone applications from working over 3G. iPhone enthusiasts are elated as this will unleash newer opportunities for VoIP applications, which until now have only worked over Wi-Fi.

This was one of the much awaited news from Apple since October 2009, since AT&T announced that it would allow VoIP apps over 3G.Quite a few popular VoIP application developers like the iCall and Fring have already announced their support for VoIP. This is in fact a priority as allowing VoIP over 3G will set the stage for increased innovation in the VoIP arena, and also more experimentation with video chatting.

The Edge VoIP can Give to the iPhone

The reaction of the VoIP developers is understandable considering the fact that an update to the iPhone SDK will finally allows application developers to build this capability into their programs. Effectively, this will allow iPhone users like you to drop their unlimited voice plans and opt for a combination of data and voice for calls. Most users are elated as they can now find a way to save big on their monthly cell phone bill using VoIP calling.

iCall - the first app to use this capability (now available in the iPhone’s App Store) reveals that with this new announcement with the iPhone, it will not only let you make VoIP calls, but also offer a way to switch cellular calls to VoIP. The free app allows you set free five-minute telephone calls to the United States and Canada. For $10 per month, users can get unlimited calling to those countries and pay-as-you-go international rates.

VoIP calls over 3G would use no voice minutes, only data. So, when you sign up for the monthly plan, users will get a new phone number in the area code of their choice. However, they might still show their existing number on caller ID.

Sharing this sentiment, web communication aggregator Fring reveals that users can now video chat over 3G as well. As experts believe, video chatting is going to become more and more significant in mobile devices over the next few years and Apple for sure will be taking that into account by dropping 3G restrictions.

Limitation: The only limitation is that since VoIP services are not allowed to use the iPhone’s dialer and calling system, incoming VoIP calls appear as push notifications (as if you got a text message), rather than a full-blown ring. With iCall however, you can also switch incoming voice calls over to VoIP after you’ve answered the phone. These methods will certainly allow people to cut down on voice minutes in exchange for a cheap VoIP plan

Streaming NBA Games Available For iPhone, Android Phones

The National Basketball Association is now offering mobile phone owners the ability to watch entire live games for $40 per year.

Just a few games into the 2009-2010 NBA season, this is the first time entire games are available for streaming -- only game highlights were previously available through an official service.

There are now three methods to watch complete games in the NBA: via TV, PC, or now using a mobile phone. Initial estimates report 59M mobile phone owners have the ability to watch streaming NBA games using their mobile phones.

The coverage is available through AT&T and T-Mobile, with Verizon Wireless beginning service on November 6. Apple iPhone and Google Android phone owners have access to the streaming feature now, but RIM BlackBerry owners are expected to have streaming NBA coverage at some point in the near future.

Mobile subscribers can watch 40 live games each week while accessing game statistics and game replays. In addition, it's possible to record 30-second video clips that can be watched up to 48 hours after the game ends.

Coming Soon: Skype iPhone App for 3G

Finally the much in-demand version of Skype for iPhone which supports 3G calling is soon to be released. In a latest blog post, the company has divulged that this update has been done of the SDK (Software Development Kit) which Apple provides to developers like Skype for the iPad.

With the release of the iPhone OS 3.2 for the iPad, restrictions on calling over a 3G network have been removed, paving the way for Skype to integrate the much requested feature into their app. This will allow iPhone users to now make calls in wideband audio, giving you greater clarity and fidelity – because that’s what is expected from Skype.

Here is a video announcing Skype's new update:

What took so long to introduce Skype calling over 3G…..

Earlier, 3G calling over VoIP has been banned because of an agreement between AT&T and Apple, with AT&T’s network unable to support the heavy data traffic. Then, iPhone users have only been able to make VoIP calls over WiFi. However, it will no longer be the case now.

Further, the Skype team optimistically reveals that they might soon come up with Skype for iPad, as they have already started reviewing the device and its specs.

Video-chat facility for Skype on iPhone – next in line?

Video-chat facility for Skype on iPhone is another expected feature amongst iPhone users. Peter Parkes, the social media communications lead at Skype, has until now not given any specific on any time-line or assurances regarding video chat.

However, he has hinted that Skype will look to develop video-capable apps wherever devices can support video calls. Parkes stressed on the fact that the main focus for Skype will be on a great user experience.

Make Cheap iPhone Skype Calls Over the 3G Network

Want to use Skype to make calls when you’re out of WiFi hotspots? Imagine if you could use Skype ANYTIME, ANYWHERE by using your Rogers/Fido data plan! You can do so by following the steps below…

1. Jailbreak your iPhone (follow our guide here). If you’re on an iPhone 3GS, I’d highly suggest purchasing 3G Unrestrictor to allow Skype to work over 3G.

If you’re using an iPhone 3G, just install VoIPOver3G via Cydia, and it will automatically hack Skype to work over 3G.

2. Turn off WiFi to test the 3G capability. Launch Skype, login. Now, go try to make a call and voila! Skype over the Rogers/Fido 3G network on your iPhone! The sound quality is amazing! Listen for yourself with the Skype Test Call.

3. Now with calling over 3G, you can subscribe to Skype and pay $3 for unlimited calling to Canada/USA! AND get Caller ID for Skype!

Enjoy making calls over 3G. Don’t worry, it won’t use up your 6GB data plan unless you’re talking for 24 hours straight non-stop. Skype has been one of my favourite apps now because of this little hack. Let me know how this works for you!

Jailbroken iPhones Not Compatible to iPhone 3.1.3 OS Update

Seems it’s the season for iPhone updates! It has been quite a while since the iPhone OS has been updated and following closely the release of the iPad and announcements of VoIP for 3G and Skype update comes the news of the iPhone OS newest version, the iPhone OS 3.1.3.

The iPhone 3.1.3 OS is available for all iPhone versions and is also compatible with all iPod Touch versions. Although there isn’t much concrete content to go with this new update, Apple assures that it will definitely look into fixing the occasional bugs and errors that accompanies every single update – and might come along with iPhone 3.1.3 OS too.

Apple also stated that the updated iPhone 3.1.3 OS will offer enhanced accuracy for battery level reports on the iPhone 3GS and repair problems that some Third Party Apps have had launching. It also fixes a problem that has been going on with the iPhone not working properly with the Japanese Kana keyboard

Apple Removes 1000+ iPhone Apps from App Store Following Ratings Scam

Has it ever happened to you that you are so impressed with an iPhone app after reading through its reviews only to find after purchasing it that your own experience with the app is not even close to what the reviewers said?

Folks at the iPhoneography blog have now unearthed an iPhone ratings scam that has wiped off close to 1% of the entire App Store.

The reviews and ratings scam comes to light after one of the readers of the iPhoneography blog revealed that a relatively less popular iPhone app, 'NightCam Pro' had nearly 44 reviews with 5 star ratings. What's more, each of these reviewers had posted all their reviews on iPhone apps released by just a single app developer - China based Molinker Inc. The issue which was brought to the notice of Phil Schiller from Apple resulted in an immediate removal of all the 1011 iPhone apps developed by the company from the App Store.

While the removal of 1000+ apps should come as a bolt out of the blue, not many should find the scam itself surprising. Most iPhone users would have come across reviews that appear shady at least once in a while. How does this actually happen? In this particular case, it is possible that the app developer made use of the 50 promo codes that Apple offers to the developers for every approved app to create these ghost reviewers. Ironically, one of Molinker's apps, ColorMagic which had nearly 203 fake reviews was till recently on the iPhone apps front page as an App Store 'Staff Favorite'.

Rumor: Price Slash for Apple iPad inevitable?

One of the most prominent grievances most Apple enthusiasts have with the iPad is its exorbitant pricing. However, here is good news for you all!

Analysts believe that Apple might soon cut down price of its much-hyped tablet. This has been concluded on the basis of Apple’s earlier trend of dropping the price of iPhone, if sales figures do not meet Apple's expectations.

Although analysts expect that Apple will be able to sell between one million and five million iPads in its first year, they have also engaged in making pricing predictions at the same time. Now, the big question is that will this deliberate debate analyzing a price cut deter the opening demand for the pricey tablet computer

UPDATE: Dev Team Releases Pwnage Tool 3.1.5 for iPhone OS 3.1.3

If you own a jailbroken phone and have been caught in a dilemma for the last few days since the iPhone OS 3.1.3 update has been released; here’s good news for you all.

Keeping alive the spirit of the cat-and-mouse game between the iPhone Dev Team and Apple Inc. the dev team confirms in a blog post about the jailbreaking being made possible for iPhone OS 3.1.3.

The iphone dev team has stated that iPhone OS 3.1.3 IPSWs can be jailbroken by the group’s redsn0w jailbreak tool. Supported devices presently include the iPhone 2G (first-generation iPhones), iPhone 3G, and iPod touch 2G (second-generation iPod touch).

Free iPhone Game Everyday Till Christmas World

Every day from december 1th until december 22th there will be one iPhone game free

for 24 hours worldwide. December 23th and 24th 2010 there will be no free games but

you will find other great surprises here. Stay tuned

Developer’s Indicate Thumbs-up for Apple iPad

The Apple iPad finally seems to be showing its shine. Thanks to Apple developer’s interest in developing mobile apps with the introduction of the iPad in January; it has almost become tri-fold.

According to Flurry Analytics, more than 1,600 new apps were initiated post-iPad launch in comparison with less than 600 in December 2009. It is indeed heartening to learn about the growing interest of developers towards iPad and related applications who are viewing the iPad as an opportunity.

This news comes in sharp contrast to earlier reports when the iPad was criticized for its limitations like absence of a camera and was also cited as too costly for its class. However, now more positive reviews have been noted about iPad and its prospects from people who have used it, and also from the developers who are all ready to cash in on the opportunity.

BBC iPhone App for News and Sports Announced!

The BIG news trickling out of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona is that BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) is launching a trio of apps: an iPlayer app, BBC News iPhone app and a Sports results app. The announcement was made during a keynote speech by the BBC internet head Erik Huggers, who announced that BBC will offer iPhone applications for its news and sport content from April this year.

This is a free application and has been widely appreciated by iPhone users and analysts. BBC has also chalk out a clear vision for its iPhone app - web equals mobile; mobile equals web.

BBC iPhone App: What to expect

- The BBC News iPhone app will use carousels for categories of news that will include - Top Stories, World, Business, etc,

- It will also come accompanied with a breaking news ticker at the top, along with options and a button to stream BBC News live.

- News posts are very similar to the desktop version; the only difference is that here, videos should run via the BBC News iPhone app.

- You can now access more categories in a horizontal row with the landscape mode; besides leads appearing as you move across the headline/image tiles.

- BBC has also revealed that it is also considering releasing apps later this year for its popular iPlayer service. The on-demand video and audio player serves up 20 million requests for TV and radio programmes every week.

- The iPhone app will combine content from the BBC Sport website and 5 Live radio, including live commentary and scores, and will allow fans to watch sports matches live on their phone. There are also plans to update the apps later in the year to include more content, including Formula 1.

- A different version of the apps is also in the offing for international audiences, supported by advertising.

BBC News iPhone app’s ambitious plans

Erik Huggers also announced future plans for BBC News iPhone app at the MWC. He revealed that the iPhone is the first smartphone for BBC to take their plunge into the mobile phone market. It will soon be followed by version for the BlackBerry, Google Android, Symbian, Windows Mobile, Flash, Palm, Samsung, etc.

The BBC news app, to be released in April, will offer content from the BBC News website. This will include - correspondent blogs, written stories, besides audio and video. The app will also encourage a lot of user involvement - users will also be able to send comments and pictures directly to the BBC newsroom. Moreover, there are plans of the sports app to be released during the Football World Cup, which starts in June, and will initially focus on football.

BBC News iPhone app might create tension in the Mobile world

While the new BBC News iPhone app has be offered as a free app (as Sky and the Daily Telegraph), some other iPhone apps in this category however are paid such as The Guardian (£2.39). Analysts are apprehensive that the apps might add to tension between publishers of paid-for content and those dependent on other revenue.

Although. BBC’s strategy to foray into a highly saturated and competitive news and sports app market is understandable; it definitely can destabilize the market to a certain extent. Many have not taken BBC’s free app service lightly – mainly those who are looking out to market news content. However, BBC maintains that it is simply providing users with digital content they have already paid for – just only in a way which suits them.

Free iPhone Calls, Free iPhone SMS: Google Voice now on the iPhone Calls

Google has released an entirely Web-based version of its service that works on the iPhone as well as Palm’s Pre and Pixi handsets.

Apple may still officially be “pondering” whether it should approve Google’s Google Voice app for iPhone, but there’s finally good news: Google has released an entirely Web-based version of the service (at m .google.com/voice). It works on the iPhone as well as Palm’s Pre and Pixi handsets, and brings a large chunk of the functionality of the native Voice apps for Android and BlackBerry to your phone’s browser.

This new version, like mobile Gmail, is among the most app-like browser services I’ve ever seen, period, letting you dial from your Google contacts list or a keypad, read and listen to messages, send text messages, and configure the app right within mobile Safari. When you make calls using it, the person who answers sees your Google Voice number, not the “real” one associated with your phone: Google makes an outgoing call from the iPhone, then reroutes it over a line of its own.

There’s only so far that a Web-based telephony app can go. On Android and BlackBerry, Google Voice can insert itself as your default phone interface, and it gets access to the contacts stored on your phone. On the iPhone, it stays a secondary interface and can’t see your local contacts. (You can, however, use Google Sync to sync your phone’s contacts with your Google Account.) When you make an outgoing call, your iPhone confirms you want to do so and shows Google’s routing number rather than the one you’re really calling–kind of confusing. And while the interface for wrangling messages is a vast improvement on the rudimentary one in the old Web-based Google Voice, it still send you out of Safari and into QuickTime when you want to listen to a message.

Apple iPhone, iPad Triggering Memory Shortage

The latest buzz to have hit the iPhone world is about the probability of iPhone causing memory supply crunch in 2010. This assumption has been fuelled courtesy Apple's iPhone plans this year – where the average iPhone to carry over 35GB of storage after capacity upgrades across the line, or more than the 32GB maximum available today.

Analysts at iSuppli have indicted Apple of creating an industry-wide shortage of NAND flash memory; which is used to store music, video and apps on its Iphone and Ipod. On the other hand Apple would like to increase the iPhone’s storage capacity to 64GB.

The study further reiterates that collectively with an approximate growth of nearly 32 percent in iPhone shipments that is an estimated 33 million, Apple's sheer dominance of NAND flash memory could lead to a major crunch in the rest of 2010

Google Acquires reMail iPhone App, Removed from App Store

Apple Inc. did not let Goodle Voice happen for the App Store. In a latest development, Google acquired reMail from the AppStore on February 17, 2010 and removed it from the iTunes Store. As anticipated, the reMail – considered to be one of the best apps for the iPhone; could soon make its way to Android.

The reMail website already reads "Copyright 2009 Google"; however, not all of the links to the ‘presently unoccupied’ spot on the iTunes Store have been removed. As of now, reMail is active and continues to work for iPhone users who had purchased the application before its removal, was meant to be an alternative to the iPhone's built-in mail client

Apple ‘Finally’ Launches iPhone SDK 3.2 Beta 3

Apple released an update for the iPhone SDK for the iPad - iPhone SDK 3.2 beta 3 in the midst of much adulation; however retracted the same quickly without explanation. The short-lived update followed the second iPhone OS and SDK 3.2 beta for the Apple iPad, launched several weeks ago.

Latest reports indicate that the version of the iPhone Software Development kit (SDK), including iPad tools which was temporarily pulled back for unknown reasons, has once again been made available on the development site. However, this incident has raised quite a few eyebrows as to what led to this flip-flop from the otherwise ‘strategically accurate’ Apple Inc