imoviemacWhile Apple updated iMovie for Mac on March 9 with Photos integration and noted it in the "What's New" section, Apple did not mention it also gained additional support for the new Force Touch Trackpad. The new feature was first found by freelance film editor Alex Gollner (via Wired) and is described in an Apple support document.

When dragging a video clip to its maximum length, you’ll get feedback letting you know you’ve hit the end of the clip. Add a title and you’ll get feedback as the title snaps into position at the beginning or end of a clip. Subtle feedback is also provided with the alignment guides that appear in the Viewer when cropping clips.

Gollner notes that the new feature allowed him to "feel" his way around iMovie's user interface, which means that he could do certain tasks without looking at the screen. He goes on to say that the new feature feels like a sign of the future for Apple devices, with users being able to feel their way through UI elements that he calls "bumpy pixels".

iMovie for Mac [Direct Link] comes free with every new Mac, and this new version of the software is available as a free update for existing owners of the app. iMovie for Mac is otherwise available in the Mac App Store for $14.99.

Tag: iMovie

Top Rated Comments

joshdammit Avatar
137 months ago
This is certainly not a new concept.
Why do people still point out that Apple's new releases aren't new concepts? Apple never really invented anything, nor do they claim to. Even USB-C, which supposedly Apple had a hand in designing, they didn't even go taking credit for.

What Apple does take credit for, is putting technology together in a novel, easy-to-use approach.

Bringing up some obscure piece of tech that nobody ever used, saw or heard about doesn't prove any point besides the company in question (Logitech, in this case) failed at creating and marketing a useful product. No, I'm not going to buy a mouse that I have to configure with every app I use to product haptic feedback. If I have to configure your product to function properly, I should be getting a share of the profits.

PS. Apple didn't invent the smartphone, the tablet computer, the laptop or the GUI either. I know! Mind blown, right?!
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
surfingarbo Avatar
137 months ago
This will...*force*...everyone to upgrade their Macs.

Your joke is 5% funny; but man I really like your sarcastic email signature. That, my good sir, is 100% funny. Well done.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
gmcalpin Avatar
137 months ago
This is certainly not a new concept. Does anyone remember the Logitech "iFeel" mouse? It basically did this. There was a little haptic engine inside that could be configured to create different sensations when the user moved over certain user interface elements.
"Basically" doesn't count. "Basically," game controllers had haptic feedback for years before that, too.

Except that this is haptic feedback in a trackpad, directly built into an application (not "configured" by the user), and (likely, eventually, if it isn't already) a native part of the operating system.

So this is actually new. Not shockingly revolutionary by any means. But still new.

The internet is not a race to be the first to piss all over something.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ArtOfWarfare Avatar
137 months ago
Like the rumble strips along a highway. Lets you drive by feel instead of looking.

(I'm kidding, of course. Please, for the love of all that is good, do not actually attempt that.)
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JCrz Avatar
137 months ago
This will...*force*...everyone to upgrade their Macs.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jakewilk Avatar
137 months ago
I actually really like this. Anything to make technology more intimate and alive is good because computers as they are are quite dead masses of circuits. A Mac that touches you back seems to me like a good way to subtly make the Mac experience more enjoyable. I think this technology is greatly under valued, and so far (as is natural) greatly under utilized. Not because it's the next frontier of computing, but because it makes personal computers more personal
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 3 4ths Perspective Aluminum Camera Module 1

New iPhone 17 Pro Details: Brighter Display, Best Battery Life, and More

Wednesday September 3, 2025 5:33 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models will feature a number of significant display, thermal, and battery improvements, according to new late-stage rumors. According to the Weibo leaker known as "Instant Digital," the iPhone 17 Pro models will feature displays with higher brightness, making it more suitable for use in direct sunlight for prolonged periods. The iPhone 16 Pro and...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 Pro Clear Case Leak Reveals Three Key Changes

Sunday August 31, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface. The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas. Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

iPhone 17 Pro: 5 Reasons Not to Upgrade This Year

Monday September 1, 2025 4:35 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series this month, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming to...
iPhone 17 Pro Iridescent Feature 2

iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Prices Estimated Ahead of Apple Event Next Week

Tuesday September 2, 2025 1:50 pm PDT by
Just one week before Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series, an analyst has shared new price estimates for the devices. Here are J.P. Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee's price estimates for the iPhone 17 series in the United States, according to 9to5Mac: Model Starting Price Model Starting Price Change iPhone 16 $799 iPhone 17 ...
iPhone 17 Pro Dark Blue and Orange

iPhone 17 Release Date, Pre-Orders, and What to Expect

Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall. At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
iOS 18 on iPhone Arrow Down

Apple Preparing iOS 18.7 for iPhones as iOS 26 Release Date Nears

Sunday August 31, 2025 4:35 pm PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs. We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else. iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR,...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Centered 1

Survey: Nearly 70% of Users Plan to Upgrade to iPhone 17

Monday September 1, 2025 8:24 am PDT by
A new survey has found that nearly seven in ten iPhone owners in the United States plan to upgrade to an iPhone 17 model, signaling strong demand ahead of Apple's expected unveiling of the devices at its September 9 keynote. Smartphone price comparison platform SellCell surveyed over 2,000 U.S.-based iPhone users in August to assess upgrade interest and brand loyalty before Apple's event....