14 DAY TRIAL // Start8 (reviewed here), the app that adds the Start button to Windows 8, has been updated to version 1.12. This is not a major release and includes only a small batch of modifications, mostly repairs.
New in this build is support for start buttons in BMP format that has alpha channels. Other than this, the release log for the application announces only bug fixes.
The developer removed the cause for a possible crash that would occur during the search operation. Also repaired is the issue with the list of frequently used applications that would fail to filter out the entries that have already been pinned to Windows taskbar.
These two are the only fixes disclosed by the developer as being more significant, but the modifications in this release include unspecified improvements and additional, smaller repairs.
Another application from Stardock that was designed to increase functionality and usability in Windows 8 is ModernMix (reviewed here), which can launch any modern UI app in its own interface.