The app is available now from the Windows Store, and can be used by both Windows 8 and Windows RT users, meaning it can be used on both a Windows 8 PC and a tablet. For those who don’t require the full expanse of Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Express is a free alternative that offers a variety of photo-editing tools, such as the basics like cropping and red-eye correction, as well as color-adjustment tools and “Looks” photo filters.

Back on January 25, the company rolled out an update to its Express app for iPad, adding support for Retina displays, as well as some other needed features, such as multi-tasking and using the on-board camera. That last feature is now available across the latest version of the software for all devices, including PCs with an attached or integrated webcam.

In case you missed it, earlier this month Adobe rolled out Photoshop CC with integrated collaboration, Behance instant sharing, and more. Such is part of their Creative Cloud online storage, which is a subscription-based service for Adobe users available at a monthly fee. Tools, syncing, and more are offered.

It was also revealed earlier this month that Adobe is working on a Lightroom app for iOS users, an offering that will provide support for editing RAW images. This app will appeal more to the professional market, as well as those who currently use Lightroom. While not exactly the same, the app will be similar to the desktop version of the software, and will allow users to transfer their work to a computer for finalization.

SOURCE: Windows

With this update, OneNote users will see an addition to the radial menu called “Draw,” which opens up a new round of options, including multiple pens of different colors (black, blue, green, and red), as well as an eraser and an Undo tool. The pens can be customized with, for example, different thicknesses. And a welcomed feature is that you can save a customized pen as a favorite.

In addition, those using it on a device that does not have a touch screen can still use the feature via a mouse or USB drawing tablet, although Microsoft advises that users will best experience the feature when using a pen. Those who want to update can do so by heading into the Windows Store and then tapping “Updates” located on the right.

For those unfamiliar, OneNote allows users to take notes and have them synced with the cloud for extra security. Microsoft says that it has “reimagined” OneNote for Windows 8 and RT devices, making it easier to use in conjunction with touch controls, such as swiping. Users can toggle between different paper types for various notes, snap them to the side of the screen for use alongside a browser for research or other activities, and more.

[via OneNote]

The app brings with it a variety of features, including the ability to view live videos in high-definition and having access to archives of full game videos. There’s both home and away broadcasts, depending on your location, and DVR functionality for live games: pause, play, fast-forward, and rewind. Depending on location, some users will also have access to closed-captioning.

In addition, users can use MLB.TV to listen to both live and archived radio broadcasts of games, as well as viewing daily Major League Baseball scoreboards and 2013 team schedules. There’s “Favorite Team Support,” as well as full-screen video functionality, making viewing more comfortable, especially when outputting it to a large monitor or television set.

Finally, as far as features go, users can also use Snap view to pop the live game over to the side of the monitor and have the game states up and running on the main desktop. While you have to be a premium MLB.TV subscriber for some of these features, those without a subscription aren’t completely out of luck. Free users can watch the free Game of the Day via the Major League Baseball app.

[via TechNet]

The only game announced that has a price tag associated with it so far is BeJeweled from PopCap, which is priced at $4.99, and is the addictive game that many mobile gamers are already familiar with. There are several titles that haven’t had their prices announced yet, so whether they turn out to be free like a few announced is yet to be seen.

Among the free games is the cute Samurai vs. Zombies from Glu, which is pretty self-explanatory. You play as a samurai, recruit warriors and farmers and such, and you battle against zombies. There’s also Emily’s True Love from GameHouse and ShuffleParty from Microsoft Game Studios, which is a 3D shuffleboard bowling game that is said to be a hit.

And finally, currently filed away under “Coming Soon” in terms of pricing information is The Harvest, a sci-fi RPG, as well as Doritos Crash Course: Go!, which, as you might have guessed, will leave you with a strange hankering for cheesy corn chip snacks. Then there’s Endless Skater, a skateboarding game, and Field & Stream’s Fishing game, where you can relax and reel in some virtual fish. Speaking of fishing, there’s also Fishdom 3, which is a virtual fish tank, and last but not least is Ty the Tasmanian Tiger.

[via Windows]

Starting with the Mail app, users who download the update will see the ability to filter messages by unread-only, as well as a new feature for creating and tweaking folders directly from within the app, making it easier to sort things and keep them organized. Flagging from within the Mail app has also been aded, appearing in both the “Flagged” folder and the inbox. There’s smart contact suggestions, improvements to inserting hyperlinks in messages, and more.

The Calendar app also enjoys its fair share of features and improvements, including a visual update so that it is easier to take in the sum total of all your items and menu options. A “Work Week” view has been added alongside Day, Week, and Month, and support for Microsoft Exchange users’ business account scheduling assistant has been included.

And finally, there’s the People app update. With this update, Microsoft promises that it’ll be easier to “touch, manage, and connect” with friends and other indiviuals across multiple accounts, such as Facebook, Twitter, and the company’s own Outlook.com. App commands can be pulled up via a right-click/top-to-bottom swipe, and navigation has been added for easily toggling between profiles and statuses. Users can now directly post to Facebook walls, and Twitters and other such notifications are now shown under “What’s New”.

[via Windows Blog]

App development for Windows 8 hit its peak in November, with an average of 468 new apps being developed daily. The number dropped down to 412 apps developed daily in December, plummeted to 174 apps in January, and fell even further to 142 apps in February. The new surge in app development is possibly due to Microsoft’s new cash incentive for developers to create apps for its ecosystem.

Microsoft is offering developers $100 per app they develop for Windows 8 or Windows Phone 8. They are allowed to develop up to 10 apps per OS for a grand total of $2000. The contest began on March 8th, and is set to end on June 30th. There will only be 10,000 apps accepted. While $100 per app may not be too enticing to developers, Microsoft is also offering developers a 80% split for revenue generated by their apps. That’s 10% more than what Apple and Android offers.

The statistics account for apps for both Windows 8 PCs as well as Windows RT tablets. So saying that Windows 8 has surpassed the Mac’s available 14,000 apps would be a lie. If you take into account the 370,000+ apps the iPad currently has, the Windows Store is still miles behind in development. Nonetheless, 50,000 apps in 4 months is an impressive milestone, and as more people adapt to Windows 8 and Windows tablets, we should see some great advancements for the OS in the future.

[via MetroStore Scanner]

As expected, the Twitter app has features that are created to take advantage of Windows 8 and RT, the most obvious one of which is a Live Tile. Via the Live Tile, users will see notifications, such as a reply to a tweet, from the Start screen, making it a convenient way to keep updated on your social network happenings without firing up the browser.

The app features the familiar Home, Connect, Discover, and Me tabs along the left side, as well as a Share charm for simplified sharing between different apps. Microsoft offers an example of this feature, pointing out that an Amazon listing was easily shared by swiping the Amazon app and selecting the Share charm, sending it off to Twitter.

Another Windows 8/Windows RT specific feature is a Search charm for finding accounts and tweets via a hashtag search. There’s horizontal swiping to view several photos. And last but not least is one of the more convenient features – the ability to pin the app to the side of your desktop screen so that you can do something else while keeping track of what’s going on in Twitter.

[via Windows]

The keyboard is available for free in the Windows Store and it features abilities such as switching back and forth between swiping and typing modes, and the ability to split the keyboard into to sections — something that the default keyboard does offer. This allows users to easily type with their thumbs like they would on a smartphone.

The keyboard also comes with Swype-like typing, meaning that you can type out words by just sliding your finger across the keyboard, going to each letter to spell out a word without lifting your finger at all. It’s a form of typing that’s all the rage nowadays, and Windows 8 users can now join in on the fun.

Previously, the Windows 8 version did experience some hiccups with installation, but since the app is now available through official means (a.k.a. Windows Store), users shouldn’t have a problem getting the keyboard up and running on their Windows touch-enabled device. The app works on all Windows 8 touchscreen tablets and any x86 based Windows 8 computer.

Microsoft says that with introducing PEGI 18 games in the Windows Store, the company reinforces two principles that are fundamental to the Windows Store: “flexibility and confidence”. Microsoft says that users “have come to expect and appreciate rich gaming experiences on Windows and this includes games rated PEGI 18.”

Previously, the Windows Store guidelines stated that games and apps with a rating over PEGI 16 would not meet the store’s certification requirements, which would prevent them from being available on the Windows marketplace. However, today marks the first day that PEGI 18 games can be submitted to the store, and Microsoft announced that The Witcher and Grand Theft Auto IV are coming to the platform soon.

This is certainly good news for Windows 8 gamers, as most popular games out on the market currently are rated as mature content. We’re glad to see that Microsoft is loosening their restrictions a bit, and while that will result in more mature content being released in the Windows Store, it certainly won’t lesson the amount of appropriate content available for the younger crowds.

First up is the Windows Phone Store, which has been expanded to 42 new markets. New locations include the UAE, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Haiti, Cameroon, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Kenya, Pakistan, Niger, Congo, Armenia, Uganda, and many more. This brings the total number of markets with Windows Phone Store to 113.

In addition, new rating requirements have been implemented for games available in Russia and Taiwan. Games published in Russia are required to have a PEGI (Pan European Game Information) rating, as well as a rating certificate. Games published in Taiwan must have a CSSR (Computer Software Rating Regulation) rating. This is done via a self-rating system the game’s developer has to complete and submit via the Dev Center.

The new rating requirements are for new games and updated games. For Taiwan, the requirement goes into effect on January 1. In addition to those two changes, there’s now the added privacy policy URL, making it easier for users to access this information. Finally, the email addresses for beta testers can now be validated during the submission process.

[via Windows]

These Windows Store app labs are designed to provide a boost to the development process, whether a developer needs help bringing their ideas together to form the beginnings of an app or simply wants to test their app on a range of Windows 8 equipment. Each app lab will last for four hours and will be taking place in a variety of locations around the globe, including New York, London, Paris, and Shanghai.

This seems like it will become an ongoing thing, with several dates and times shown for a number of the locations on Microsoft’s list. Even better is that these app labs are free, and those who wish to attend are welcome to drop in on the day of to see if there are any open spots. If you like to plan ahead of time, you can also register to attend, which guarantees you a spot in the lab you’ve got your eye on.

“Whether you have an app in progress or a set of design ideas you want to advance, we designed our Windows Store App Labs to provide you with in-depth technical guidance and leading design assistance to get your app launched in the Windows Store,” Antoine Leblond wrote on the Windows Store Developers blog. It sounds like these labs are the perfect springboard if you want to get an app published on the Windows Store but don’t really know where to start. Are you planning on checking one out?

[via TechCrunch]

A dedicated Netflix app for Windows 8 is already available, and earlier we shared details on the beautiful ESPN app too. While on stage Microsoft took a minute to shout out multiple brands we’ll be seeing apps from in the coming weeks and months. As shown above some of those include the popular Dropbox, PayPal, OWN, Sports Illustrated, Wikipedia, TBS and many others. These will be more than just apps, they’ll be useful apps built to work great with everything Windows 8 has to offer.

Paypal will not only have their own app, but they’ll offer an API to developers on Windows 8 to use PayPal payments in their own apps right in the Windows Store, as well as any Windows Store app. Dropbox has an app coming soon, but they didn’t give many details on that — obviously wanting users to choose SkyDrive instead.

The link above showing off the all new ESPN app is just one of many, and a fine example of what all the API’s and options Windows 8 brings to app developers. Being able to have an impressive and beautiful score-center and more all working seamlessly in Windows 8 as an app should be exciting. I’m sure we’ll be hearing plenty more all week at build, as well as from these specific app developers themselves.