Live Keynote News & Comments!

iPhoto with “face detection”? Your reporter may actually have to start using iPhoto, after all.

What else are they going to offer us in iPhoto today? For one thing, “Places.” If you use a camera with geotagging, iPhoto creates a Google map that shows where all your shots were taken. Color me skeptical: I know where all my shots were taken already… but that’s not the point, is it? What this does is create new ways of sorting images and organizing photos. Apparently Facebook and Flickr uploads are built into iPhoto now as well, and the Flickr feature will let people see immediately where you took your picture. Just the way to ruin the wilderness, no thanks! This app isn’t grabbing me, but your mileage may differ.

iMovie 09 sounds like an improvement (it had better be). Evidently the main thrust is on “precision editing.” Built-in video stabilization, too. Okay, I’m in. Yes, this one sounds worth the price (not yet announced). I’m waiting for definitive word on how to export iMovie creations to YouTube so they don’t look like garbage, but so far no word on that.

Garageband! There’s a “learn to play” feature that guitar instructors will hate, even shows a fretboard and the chords on screen. There’s a similar feature for keyboards. Yes, Garageband has now become a music instruction app, among other things. Free lessons are included, but you have to buy the others at $4.99 a pop. Famous musicians are featured as instructors, like John Fogarty and Sting. I call this big news, if it catches on.

Okay folks, iLife 09 is a $79 upgrade and ships with all new Macs, of course. I’d say this is worth the tariff…

– JHF

And don’t forget: as always, when the keynote is over, all the latest Apple press releases with full details on anything discussed above will be available right here!