FileMaker's Bento 3 announced, available immediately

FileMaker has announced the release of Bento 3, the next version of its database program for the Mac, available for purchase immediately. The upgrade comes just a couple weeks shy of a year from the debut of Bento 2.

Changes in Bento 3 include:

iPhoto integration, allowing you to use your images directly from iPhoto without an export/import step
Share Bento libraries over a local area network (however, you can't share over the Internet)
Grid View, which allows you to see multiple images and forms all at once
Simple List field
Library folders
New security options including database passwords and encrypted fields
Group e-mailing
The ability to print blank forms
The ability to add an image box for static images

There are also additional tweaks to existing features, and 10 additional templates available for use.

Bento costs $49, but current users of Bento 1 and 2 qualify for a $20 rebate for a limited time. Customers who purchased Bento 2 between August 30 until October 14 can upgrade for free. A family pack of five licenses is $99. An upgrade to Bento for the iPhone and iPod touch [iTunes link] to resolve any compatibility issues with Bento 3 will be available soon.

Bento 3 requires OS X 10.5.7 or above, and can be run on G4 (867 MHz or faster), G5 and Intel processors. 512 MB of RAM and 1GB of available hard drive space is recommended. A 30-day trial version of Bento 3 is available.

FileMaker will host a Twebinar, described by the company as a combined Webinar and live Twitter session, at 11 a.m. PDT to discuss the new features in Bento 3.