Aperture 2.1 is out today, with new open plugin architecture

Question

See press below. Sounds really great.
08:30 28Mar08 PRN-Apple Releases Aperture 2.1 with Powerful Image Editing Plug-In Architecture
CUPERTINO, Calif., March 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Apple(R) today
released Aperture(TM) 2.1, which introduces an open plug-in architecture that
makes it easy for photographers to use specialized third party imaging
software right from within Aperture. Available today as a free software
update, Aperture 2.1 includes the Apple-developed plug-in, Dodge & Burn, which
adds brush-based tools for dodge (lighten), burn (darken), contrast,
saturation, sharpen and blur. Over the coming months, third party software
developers will deliver image editing plug-ins for localized editing, filters
and effects, noise analysis and reduction, fisheye lens correction and more.
"The image quality in Aperture 2 has won over the most demanding
photographers," said Rob Schoeben, Apple's vice president of Applications
Product Marketing. "Now, thanks to our open plug-in architecture, users can
access an entire industry's worth of imaging expertise without ever leaving
Aperture."
"To date, maybe two percent of my photographs needed to be touched up
outside Aperture," said John Stanmeyer, founding member of the VII Photo
Agency and contributing photographer for Time and National Geographic
magazines. "Now that I can dodge and burn right within Aperture's new plug-in,
I can't imagine when I'll have to open any other application to tone my
images."
By clicking on one or more images within Aperture, users can choose from a
menu of installed plug-ins and apply specialized imaging operations to either
TIFF or RAW images. Apple is working closely with key developers to bring the
most requested plug-ins to Aperture such as:
-- Nik Software's Viveza plug-in, powered by U Point technology, which
provides a powerful, precise and easy way for photographers to
selectively control and adjust color and light in their digital images;
-- PictureCode's Noise Ninja plug-in that delivers advanced high ISO noise
analysis and reduction;
-- Digital Film Tools' Power Stroke plug-in that features a simple,
stroke-based interface to quickly mask and intuitively perform targeted
adjustments;
-- The Tiffen Company's Dfx plug-in that provides an expansive suite of
creative filters and effects;
-- dvGarage's dpMatte plug-in, which is a high performance chroma key tool
for creating seamless composites, and the HDRtoner plug-in that enables
the selection of multiple photos to create a single high dynamic range
(HDR) image; and
-- Image Trends' plug-ins that include Fisheye-Hemi to quickly and
effortlessly correct fisheye lens distortion, ShineOff which
automatically removes shine from faces and PearlyWhites that
automatically whitens and brightens teeth.
Pricing & Availability
Aperture 2.1 is available immediately as a free software update to current
Aperture 2.0 users. Full system requirements and more information on Aperture
can be found at http://www.apple.com/aperture. Information and availability
for third party imaging plug-ins can be found on
http://www.apple.com/aperture/resources, http://www.apple.com/downloads and at
the Aperture community site http://www.aperturepluggedin.com.

Answer 1

more info on 2.1
+Aperture 2.1 updates various features of the application and addresses issues related to performance and overall stability. The updates include the following:+
+Dodge & Burn Plug-in. A sample plug-in is pre-installed, taking advantage of the Edit API introduced in Aperture 2.0. The plug-in adds brush-based tools for Dodge (Lighten), Burn (Darken), Contrast, Saturation, Sharpen and Blur.+
+Customize Default Adjustment Set. You can now specify which adjustments appear by default in the Adjustments Inspector/HUD.+
+Updated Crop Tool. A simplified UI makes it easier to preserve an image's original aspect ratio, match the aspect ratio of your display, or use one of the standard preset aspect ratios.+
+Sorting in All Projects View. A contextual menu allows you to sort the All Projects view in ascending or descending date order.+
+Show on Map. A contextual menu allows you to choose the Show on Map by right-clicking (or Control-clicking) on an image that contains GPS data.+
+Access to Toolbar on Second Display. When using multiple displays in Full Screen mode, the Full Screen toolbar is now accessible on a second display.+
+"Snapshots" book theme. This additional theme includes new "photo border" frames in which to place images.+
+Flip Images. You can now flip images horizontally or vertically within Aperture.+
+Vignette. The range of gamma and exposure settings available has been expanded.+
+Save Books as JPEG or TIFF images. Automator actions have been added to Save as PDF pop-up menu in the Print Book window to automatically generate JPEG or TIFF images from book pages.+
+Update EXIF from Master. This command allows Aperture to reread EXIF from a master images after they have been imported.+
+Extended AppleScript support. The "Reveal" verb in the AppleScript dictionary has been extended to include containers such as projects and albums.+
+The update includes fixes that impact the a number of areas, including:+
+Image import+
+Image migration+
+Erasing memory cards after import+
+Quick Preview+
+Batch Change+
Auto-stacking
+All Projects view+
Tooltips
+Smart Albums+
Tethering
+Adjustments inspector+
Viewer
Loupe
+White Balance+
Definition
+Lift & Stamp+
+Handling of externally edited images+
+Reconnecting referenced files+
+Keyboard customization+
+Deleting images+
+Metadata presets+
+Book themes+
+Borderless printing+
+Web Page/Web Journal export+
+Exporting versions+
+Export Plug-in support+
+AppleScript support+
+For further information about this update, see Late-Breaking News About Aperture 2, available at http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/Aperture2.0_lbnz.pdf+
+The Aperture 2.1 Update is recommended for all Aperture 2 users.+
they really listened to the users on this ... many of the requested, and oft griped about, features are now included ... keep 'em coming ...