FileMaker has announced the release the latest version of its database program for the Mac, Bento 3. Bento 3 is available for purchase immediately. You can buy Bento 3 from Filemaker here.

What you can do with Bento 3:

* Organize contacts, track projects, plan events and more
* Links directly to your Address Book and iCal information–store important details about each person, event or task, including related files, photos, and emails
* Link your photos to contacts, projects, and events stored in Bento
* Easily share your contact lists, project plans, event details, and other information with up to five Bento users on your local network
* Choose from 35 pre-designed templates, download and import templates from others, or design your own custom forms
* See multiple images and forms all at once with Grid View
* New security options including database passwords and encrypted fields
* Group e-mailing
* The ability to print blank forms

Here’s a video of Bento 3 :

You can buy Bento 3 from Filemaker here.

OurLittleLife has shows this cool collection of Macs (4 monitors in all, including 30 inch Apple Cinema Displays).

See you in a few weeks for the next Mac Setup!

If you got hold of Mac OS X Snow Leopard, (or you’re planning to get it), then this month’s MacObsession Book Pick for you. We’re choosing Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard Pocket Guide by Jeff Carlson.

This pocket-sized, handy guide is packed with bite-sized chunks of practical information for people who want to jump in and master Snow Leopard, the fastest and most powerful Mac OS X to date. This essential companion features snappy writing, eye-catching graphics, and a fresh design that walks readers through the most common Snow Leopard tasks. Since Snow Leopard is only $30, this book is priced right — you can pick it up at just over $10.

Get more Apple and Mac related books from Amazon.

Get your own Mac here

penningtonj has a pretty powerful setup with :
- Mac Pro
- three (count ‘em, three) 24 inch Dell G2410 Monitors
- Bose Companion 2 Speakers
- Logitech Quickcam Pro

See you soon for the next installment of Mac Setup!

Highlights of Mac OS X Snow Leopard:

* Snow Leopard is built on a rock-solid, time-tested UNIX foundation that provides unparalleled stability as well as industry-leading support for Internet standards
* Improvements include a more responsive Finder, new look and features for Exposé and Stacks, quicker Time Machine backup, faster common tasks and installation, and a smaller install footprint
* New core technologies unleash the power of today’s advanced hardware technology and prepare Mac OS X for future innovation: 64-bit computing, multicore-optimization, OpenCL, QuickTime X
* Includes built-in support for the latest version of Microsoft Exchange Server, so you can use Mail, iCal, and Address Book at home and at work

I’m sure you’ve heard of the massive amount of money made by iPhone developers. If you want to learn how to program for the Mac (and the iPhone), then get this book. This month’s MacObsession Book Pick is Learn Objective–C on the Mac by Mark Dalrymple and Scott Knaster.

What you’ll learn from this book:

* Beginning Objective–C programming, the gateway to programming your Mac or iPhone.
* Write applications for the Mac OS X interface, the cleanest user–interface around.
* Understand variables and how to design your own data structures.
* Work with the file system.
* Connect to data sources and the Internet

Get more Apple and Mac related books from Amazon.

Get your own Mac here.

ameriplumb has a Mac mini and a 20 inch Apple Cinema Display.

Catch us next Sunday for the next Mac Setup!

While we wait for Snow Leopard to drop, Apple has released an update to the current Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard. The 10.5.8 Update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Leopard and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac.

This large update addresses :

* compatibility and reliability issues when joining AirPort networks.
* an issue that could cause some monitor resolutions to no longer appear in Displays System Preferences.
* issues that may affect Bluetooth reliability.

The Safari web browser is also updated, to version 4.0.2. You can check for 10.5.8 from Software Update from your Mac, or download the combo update (which includes all updates for 10.5). The Combo Update is huge, though — 759MB.