Andy Sjostrom
10-05-2003, 11:25 AM
<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.syware.com/prodlib/download.htm#fonedb' target='_blank'>http://www.syware.com/prodlib/download.htm#fonedb</a><br /><br /></div>Syware recently released a free expense tracking application for Smartphones. The application is developed using Syware's FoneDB, their forms and database development environment for Smartphones.<br /><br />"FoneDB Expense Tracker provides individuals with the ability to track expenses, such as food, travel, and lodging, then e-mail the information to other Smartphone devices or to a desktop computer. Using check boxes, dropdown lists, date categories, and notes, information can be entered with a minimum of typing. A summary of expenses can be automatically e-mailed to other phones or to a desktop computer. Using the associated ODBC driver, FoneDB data can be easily imported into other applications such as Microsoft Access, Excel, or Goldmine. Expense data can also be viewed and edited directly on a desktop computer."<br /><br />Syware's announcement regarding FoneDB Expense Tracker contains two interesting aspects, apart from the actual product itself:<br /><br /><i>1. Syware does not seem to like locked Smartphones or Mobile2Market, and are probably not alone with that:</i><br />"In addition to FoneDB's intuitive development environment, individual applications developed with FoneDB do not have to be digitally signed before they can be run on a Smartphone. This means that the costly and time consuming task of securing a digital signature is not needed before a FoneDB application can be deployed on a Smartphone."<br /><br /><i>2. It can get quite expensive to use FoneDB as a development environment due to licensing costs:</i><br />"FoneDB is available for immediate purchase from the SYWARE online store at <a href="http://www.syware.com">http://www.syware.com</a>. It is priced at $399 and includes one license to create and modify the structure of a FoneDB database, one FoneDB ODBC driver license, and run-time licenses for 10 individuals. Additional licenses are available as follows: 10-pack run-times for $50, 100-pack run-times for $300, 1000-pack run-times for $1000."