FileMaker announced the immediate availability of a public preview version of Bento, a new database application geared towards personal and small business use, on Tuesday. Bento ties in with data thatis already on your Mac, including Address Book and iCal information, lets users build sophisticated database solutions with drag-and-drop objects, and was designed to let users create solutions without having to learn new skills.

Bento

Bento includes over 20 pre-designed templates, imports spreadsheets and CSV files via drag-and-drop, offers an iTunes-like search feature, lets users link or embed documents, and more. Content in a Bento database can be synced with .Mac for Web sharing, and since it links to iCal and Address Book, can also sync with other devices including the iPhone and iPod touch.

The public preview of Bento requires Mac OS X 10.5 or higher, and is available as a free download from the FileMaker Web site, and will expire on February 14, 2008. The completed version is scheduled to ship in January 2008, and will be priced at US$49.