14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft will launch the final version of Windows 8.1 on October 18, with the company promising to bring several new features in the OS update before it reaches general availability.
The Verge is reporting that Microsoft is primarily focused on improving the built-in Bing apps, including the Food and Drink, Finance, Travel, and Sports tools.
The tech giant is reportedly planning to include more than 100,000 recipes with guides and videos in the Food and Drink app, while Bing Finance will receive options to allow users to connect to a portfolio and even make trades without leaving the app. Bing Travel will get content from Trover and Michelin, while Bing Sports will be updated with real-time live stats and 20 more international leagues.
Last but not least, Microsoft is working on a brand new feature called Photo Loop that would provide the same functionality as the Time Shift option included in BlackBerry 10. Basically, users will be allowed to capture photos in burst mode and choose the one they like the most, thus making sure that no one is caught blinking.
While this feature would clearly come in handy to many users, it appears that it might require advanced hardware, such as special cameras. Specifically aimed at tablet consumers, the so-called Photo Loop might already be available on the second-generation Surface that’ll go on sale four days after Windows 8.
According to the same reports, all updates will be officially rolled out on October 18, the same date when Windows 8.1 is projected to make its official debut across the world.
Microsoft hasn’t yet commented on these new features, but more details are obviously expected to be released in just a couple of weeks, as we get closer to the official debut of the new OS update.