Windows Blue expected to release this summer
Like its namesake, the latest Microsoft update—Windows Blue—sounds cooler than a polar bears toenails. News has leaked that the new UI will be dubbed Windows Blue or Windows 8.1, and no one is really sure which it will be. What is known? Windows Blue has added necessary features for total connectivity, customization, and easy access to advanced user settings. We’ve got the rundown of the major improvements you can anticipate on Windows Blue (8.1?).
Customization
Microsoft has added new tools to personalize the Windows Blue UI, including:
- Custom colors and backgrounds
- Live tile size management – make your tiles bigger or smaller
- Quick access to most common settings, such as resolution and screen brightness
- New “Movie Moments” app lets you add captions to videos
Connectivity
Windows Blue has finally integrated SkyDrive to mirror the Windows Phone. Other features to look for are:
- Auto backup of your tablet to SkyDrive
- Auto import of your photos and videos
- Enhanced network, proxy, and home group settings
- New IE 11 features include 1-button sharing of screencaps
Advanced User Settings
There are plenty of needed updates included in Windows Blue, but the most important is the user-friendly access to enhanced setting options.
- Manage app alerts with “Quiet Time” setting
- View app sizes for easy content management
- Control how/when apps launch
- Quick access to projector settings
- New drag-and-drop “Snap View” lets you run up to 4 apps on a split screen layout
- Updated numeric keypad input for fast number plugging
Now, all we have to do is wait. Windows Blue 8.1 is expected to be released around August. With these options and potentially many more to surface after tech trials, it is sure to be a giant leap forward for the Microsoft user experience; we can’t wait to get our hands on it.