For Google, the timing couldn’t be worse to announce Picasa for MAC. Not that the software isn’t great or, more importantly FREE, but because iPhoto 09’s awesome list of features (including both facial recognition search and map search based on Google Maps) will surely Mac every machead reach for their Visa’s as they rush to Amazon to buy it. But so what? Did I mention that Picasa is FREE? That means it’s sure to attract some who will want play with it. And Picasa is a great photo management application that would’ve rivaled iPhoto last year to be sure. Let’s take a look at the features:

Advanced sharing and synching tools which will automatically update photo versions online, non-destructive editing, automatic location and importing of new pictures, web albums, and cool things like video slide shows and photo collages. And there’s also a text feature which allows for creating cool titles and even retouching tools. All for free. At $79 for the entire iLife suite, Macheads won’t be forgoing iPhoto 09 for Picasa (even though it’s FREE), but it still represents a brilliant application for those on a budget (then again, those on a budget can rarely afford a Mac, right?).

For more information on Picasa 3, check out this video on youtube.

Hat Tip – Google Blog