Type of Article: MacMinute Web Site

MacSurfer notes a story in The Birmingham Business Journal which reports that Apple plans to open a retail outlet in the city in the next few months — date and location not confirmed. Apple stores are also expected to open in Memphis, New York City, Dallas, Atlanta and Louisville.

As expected, version 5.5 of the venerable database solution FileMaker was released today. FileMaker Pro 5.5 is carbonized for Mac OS X and offers a slew of new features. FileMaker Pro users can upgrade for US$149 — $249 for the full release.

Mac developers are preparing to meet in San Jose next week for Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference. eWeek takes a look at the conference sessions, which mainly focus on OS X. Other sessions include AppleScript and game development.

Writing for ZD Interactive, Larry Dignan feels that Apple’s retail strategy is actually targeting the tourist. “Yeah you, the poor schmuck who’s browsing through boutiques with your wife in Soho … the gadget head who is lost in one of the largest malls in America … Apple wants you to visit its hip retail stores.”

Following the U.S. economic slowdown, research firm Dataquest is predicting semiconductor sales in the Asia-Pacific region — excluding Japan — will drop 10 percent this year to $51.4 billion. Global sales are expected to drop 16.7 percent.