There are so many ways to customize FileMaker these days. Ways in which developers can take the program well beyond what we could just a few years ago. To demonstrate this point, I created a demo database, I call shoot!.

shoot! is similar to Apple's fun little application, Photo Booth, which uses your Mac's iSight (or a USB attached) camera to take quick and easy photos of whatever is in front of the camera. Usually, that means your face. shoot! builds a library, or database, of the snapshots it takes, so you can refer to them later, or export them out for use in other applications.

We developed the technique of using a built-in camera for a client who was looking for a way to combat 'buddy punching' in their company's timekeeping system. Buddy punching is where your co-worker punches you in, or out, when you aren't at work (the alarm didn't go off, yeah, right).

So, feel free to try shoot! on your Mac, and let me know what you think. If you are a FileMaker developer, and would like an unlocked copy, use the feedback link within shoot!, and I'll be sure to send you one.

Download shoot! now:

Use this link, if you have FileMaker 9 or 10 installed (824kb)

Use this link, if you DON'T have FileMaker. Downloads the Runtime version (36mb)

360works has done it again with SafetyNet!

SafetyNet makes it easy to set up remote backup routines for FileMaker Server administrators. Files are stored on Amazon’s cloud-based file storage service, which runs on the same reliable and fast infrastructure that Amazon uses to run its own global network of web sites. A remote backup of your database insures that your data won’t be lost, even if something were to happen to your entire on-site computer system.

And, talk about reasonably priced? The server plugin is free. Plus, based on the price estimator, if you to back up 1GB of FileMaker data every night, the monthly cost would be just $15.56! For more information, check out the 360works web site, or ask me about the implementation on your server.

Today, FileMaker posted maintenance updates to the FileMaker 10 product line. The updates include:

FileMaker Pro 10.0v3

FileMaker Pro 10.0v3 Advanced

FileMaker Server 10.0v2

FileMaker Server 10.0v2 Advanced

The Windows and Mac OS updates can be downloaded by visiting FileMaker's download page

Main features:

• Get a client on phone with a click
• Answer a client’s call with a click
• Find calling client’s info instantly
• Log incoming, outgoing, and missed calls

How it works:

24U Phone Companion allows FileMaker solutions to interact directly with supported PBX (telephone switches). This plug-in allows you (your solution) to do all the following things without even touching your phone:

• Dial a phone number from your phone
• Accept an incoming phone call
• Hang up a call in progress
• Run a script when an incoming call is transfered to your phone
• Instantly lookup the caller's record in your contacts database
• Run a script when a call is accepted/missed/hang up
• Check the current status of your phone line

24U Phone Companion uses 24U Phone Companion Server (ilink TeamCall Lite) as its middleware to talk to your PBX. Thanks to TeamCall Lite, all the following PBX brands are currently supported by 24U Phone Companion:

• Aastra DeTeWe
• Alcatel
• Auerswald
• Avaya
• Cisco
• Deutsche Telekom
• Ericsson
• NEC
• Panasonic
• Siemens

For information about making the 24U Phone Companion work in our office, drop us a line, or visit the 24U software Web site.