Up close and personal with iLife '09 photos

The new iPhoto interface. Images are arranged mainly by event.

Faces is one of the new features you'll find in iPhoto '09.

Click a name button at the bottom of the window and boxes will pop up around faces in the image. You can then input a name for each.

Going to the Faces area will show you snapshots of everyone who has been named. iPhoto will use these to try to match names with the same faces throughout the program.

Places is another new feature in iPhoto '09.

For each image--or batch of images--you may click on the info button in the corner and edit the location where the photo was shot.

Then, when you enter the Places area, iPhoto will mark all the locations of your photos with thumbnails on an Google map.

This version of iPhoto also offers an integrated Facebook option that lets you upload your photos to the social network with one click (after an initial setup).

Initial testing found that this process is effortless, and any Faces names you've applied get transferred as tags in Facebook.

The new iPhoto also includes advanced photo-editing features: smart saturation, definition, enhance, automatic red-eye removal, highlights and shadows, and improved retouching.

Initial testing found that smart saturation and sharpening worked a treat.

Automatic red-eye removal also comes in handy and works as advertised.

Another feature: slide-show themes. There are six to choose from, and they are transferable to your iPod or iPhone.

The final new feature of note in iPhoto is the travel book, which will add a map based on Places tags.

Next up is iMovie, which has added several new features of note, including the animated travel maps shown here. You can choose from various types.

Other features of note: advanced drag and drop, precision editor, video stabilization, more titles/transitions/effects, the ability to edit to music, and dynamic themes (shown). In other words, a lot of the advanced stuff that was taken out of '08.

GarageBand has also added several enhancements. Most notable is probably the Learn to Play feature.

You can choose from basic lessons, which are free, or go into a purchase area where you may buy digital lessons (priced at $4.99) given by the artist who made the song. As a bonus with these, you get the back story of the track.

Then there's Magic Garage Band Jam, which lets you rock out with a virtual band. (It's simpler this time around.)

The creation interface has been tweaked, as well.

iWeb has added drag-and-drop Widgets, Facebook notifications, and integrated FTP publishing.