The Freedom Sleeve case for iPhone 4/4S promises blazing broadband speeds.

(Credit:
FreedomPop)

Back in February, wireless upstart FreedomPop made some bold promises about free mobile broadband service. Now it appears the company is getting ready to make good on at least one of them.

As reported this morning by Apple news site TUAW, FreedomPop is now taking pre-orders for the Freedom Sleeve, a $99 iPhone 4/4S case that provides “free” 4G wireless service — among other benefits.

Exciting stuff, right? Before you pull out your credit card, check the fine print. For starters, FreedomPop’s WiMax-powered 4G broadband isn’t available everywhere — like here in metro Detroit, where I live. You’ll need to complete the “check availability” form to see if there’s coverage in your area.

Second, and of greater concern, I can find no mention of what FreedomPop plans to charge for service once you exhaust your free allotment of data. According to the pre-order page, you’ll get “up to 1GB free broadband,” but TUAW’s unat… [Read more]

(Credit:
FileMaker)

FileMaker Pro users can download the latest iOS version of the program for free starting today.

FileMaker Go 12 lets iOS users access databases created by the full desktop edition of FileMaker Pro 12. Dedicated versions are available for the iPhone /iPod Touch and the iPad.

The new iOS apps coincide with new editions for the PC and Mac. Customers who want to try before they buy can download trial versions for both desktop platforms.

The latest iOS upgrade offers a variety of enhancements.

You can now multitask FileMaker Pro with other apps, letting you pick up where you left off. You can record video or audio from your iPhone or iPad and play it back through the app. You can also export your data from FileMaker into different formats, including Excel, CSV (comma-separated values), Tab (a delimited text file), and HTML.

And organizations that store their databases on FileMaker Server 12 can stream movies and music directly to an iOS device. Databases can be accessed on the iOS app by copying or e-mailing them from a PC or by connecting to them on FileMaker Server.

But it’s the “free” part that’s likely to prove the most appe… [Read more]

The free Peel app's new interactive polling feature will debut with American Idol this week (click to enlarge).

(Credit:
Peel)

Last year Peel set out to redefine the remote-control space with a $99 fruit-shaped device that allowed you use your iPhone as a remote for changing channels and discovering TV shows. The Silicon-Valley based company got a lot of attention but the device didn’t exactly set the market on fire. So Peel’s shifting gears, adding a new interactive polling feature to its free app that will debut with this week’s “American Idol.”

The idea is pretty simple. As contestants perform, users will be able “cheer” or “boo” during performances by clicking on corresponding virtual buttons on their iPhones. You can also react to judges’ comments.

The app will tally “results” in real time and provide a leaderboard for the evening’s performances. Whether the app will be able to predict who gets voted off the show is anybody’s guess, but Peel hopes to have thousands–or even hundreds of thousands–of users “voting” bef… [Read more]