Apple launches iLife '11

iLife
New iLife will feature an improved iPhoto app

Apple has used its Back to the Mac media event in San Francisco to unleash a new version of the iLife software.

iLife '11 features a new and improved version of the iPhoto app, which includes full-screen view and the ability to share photos on Facebook and Flickr from within the app.

iPhoto can also pull in photos directly from your Facebook and Flickr feeds, which will live within the interface. There's also the new Places functionality which highlights geotagged photos on a map.

The UI, which also includes a new slideshow feature has also been overhauled to look a little more like an iOS 4 app than in previous versions.

iMovie '11 also outed

Also part of iLife '11 is a new version of iMovie. The big news here is the inclusion of face detection technology which makes it easier to find movie frames featuring certain people from within your footage.

Apple is also touting 15 new movie trailer pre-sets to allow amateur auteurs to compose the best possible advert for their new blockbuster.

iMovie '11 also boasts a better audio editing experience to allow easier adjustments to audio levels and new "one-click" sound effects. (The example shown on stage was lowering the tone of a kid's voice to sound like Darth Vader.

Garage Band

As you'd expect Garage Band has also undergone a facelift, with a cool feature called "groove time" which brings all of the other instruments into time with the "star instruments", so if the guitars are out of time with the drums, you can fix that in one click.

The new "How am I playing" feature will allow users to play along with real orchestras and receive feedback from Garage Band on their instrumental performance - kind of like a Guitar Hero for Garage Band.

iLife '11 is free with all new Macs and will be a $49 upgrade for all existing owners.

TOPICS
Chris Smith

A technology journalist, writer and videographer of many magazines and websites including T3, Gadget Magazine and TechRadar.com. He specializes in applications for smartphones, tablets and handheld devices, with bylines also at The Guardian, WIRED, Trusted Reviews and Wareable. Chris is also the podcast host for The Liverpool Way. As well as tech and football, Chris is a pop-punk fan and enjoys the art of wrasslin'.

Latest in Tech
The Apple MacBook Air next to the Dyson Supersonic R and new AMD GPU
ICYMI: the week's 7 biggest tech stories from the best tech at MWC to Apple's new iPads and MacBooks
The best tech of MWC 2025 examples, including the Nothing Phone 3a Pro, the Nubia Flip 2, and the Lenovo Solar PC
Best of MWC 2025: the 10 top tech launches we tried on the show floor
Toy Fair 2025 Primal Hatch
The 7 best toys we saw at Toy Fair 2025, from a Lego boat to a hatching, robotic dinosaur
ICYMI
ICYMI: the 7 biggest tech stories of the week, from a next-gen Alexa to the new iPhone 16e
A triptych image featuring the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2, iPhone 16e and Amazon Echo Show 21.
5 hottest tech reviews of the week: the gorgeous, affordable iPhone 16e and Amazon's epic 21-inch Echo Show
Apple Airtag four pack on orange background with lowest price sign
The Apple AirTags are now even cheaper than Black Friday thanks to a surprise price cut at Amazon
Latest in News
A collage of Ellie and Joel in The Last of Us season 2
The Last of Us season 2's new trailer teases a huge showdown between Bella Ramsey's Ellie and Pedro Pascal's Joel, but the big moment I'm waiting for is still being held back
Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max REVIEW
New iPhone 17 Air leak may have revealed some key specs – and how it compares to the iPhone 17 Pro Max
Gaming with AI
I asked Gemini to play a text-based adventure game with me and the AI whisked me away to a word-based fantasy
Apple iPhone 16 Review
Three iPhone 17 model dummy units appear in a hands-on video leak
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on display the January 22, 2025 Galaxy Unpacked event.
New Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge may have revealed some key details – including its price
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Monday, March 10 (game #1141)