Windows 8 Built-in App Updates Now Available

Last week Microsoft’s Steven Sinofsky, posted on the Building Windows 8 blog that updates for the built-in Windows 8 apps were coming. And they’re starting to roll out now for RTM users to download. The built in apps are for the new touch enabled interface (modern / metro UI). These are the essential apps like Mail, News, Maps, and Photos.

In his article, Steven confirms that all of the Windows 8 built-in  apps will be updated before  general availability on October 26th. At the time of this writing, I found that these eight were available.

Here’s a look at one of the new features in the SkyDrive app. Previously when you launched it for the first time, you were bought straight into the folder structure. Now there’s a new first-run screen that shows a video explaining how SkyDrive works. This will be especially helpful to new users of the OS.

New Windows 8 App Features

Here’s a complete list of the new features in each app — via Building Windows 8 Blog:

SkyDrive

• Search within SkyDrive
• Rename and move folders and files
• New first-run experience
• Custom sort order

Mail, Calendar, People, and Messaging

• Conversation view of your inbox
• Complete IMAP account support
• Accepting and declining invitations in email
• Capturing and updating your account picture
• Improved search
• Search for a contact within the Messaging app

Photos

• Crop and rotate photos
• New auto-curated collage slideshows
• View photos and videos on network locations in your Pictures Library such as Windows Home Server, network shares, and HomeGroups
• Move through photos in your Pictures Library even when you open them from the desktop

Maps

• Bird’s eye view
• 3,000+ indoor venue maps
• Driving directions hints
• Improved navigation and layout
• Improved customization, including custom pushpins and roaming options
• Integration with Bing and Travel apps

Bing

• Richer search results for local content and images
• Bing rewards integration
• Use zoom on your search results to see related queries
• Use the file picker to select an image from Bing to use on your lock screen or in your other apps

Finance

• Additional news and magazine content
• More market exchanges enabled
• Finance videos

News

• Additional news content from partners such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal
• Enhanced article reader, including font customization, zoom, pagination, and more
• Improved offline reading experience
• News videos
• Slideshows

Sports

• Additional news and magazine content
• Sports videos
• Slideshows
• New soccer leagues, including MLS, J. League, and Brazilian League

Travel

• Additional news and magazine content
• Improved flight search and new flight progress indicator
• Improved hotel listing page
• Interactive 360-degree panoramas (gyroscope supported)

Weather

• Improved default location usability
• Hourly weather forecasts, up to 10 days
• Day & evening high/low temperatures

Video

• Purchasing in local currencies
• Closed captioning
• Search by actor or director

Music

• Expanded music services
• Rich “Now Playing” experience
• Discover more music with SmartDJ

Games

• Exciting new games
• In-game purchasing
• Invites and turn notifications