Details have emerged over possible updates for built-in apps in the free Windows 8.1 update. A reworked interface for Xbox Music, a redesigned Windows Store, and the reintroduction of apps seen in previous incarnations of the desktop operating system are shown in images, ahead of the update's preview release later this month.
Screenshots on the BAVo Twitter account, spotted by The Verge, shows the new updates, which includes touch-enabled versions of the Calculator, Sound Recorder, and Scan apps that users of earlier versions of Windows will have seen in some form or another. A Help & Tips app will offer Windows 8.1 tutorials to new users, and Reading List keeps track of bits of clipboard data copied from other applications.
Xbox Music will offer a two-panel interface, and will apparently help in track discovery and for quicker locating and playback of stored tracks. The simplified layout adds a search box, support for playing songs outside of Xbox Music's range, and the ability to play music stored on memory cards.
Windows 8.1, set to be released in preview on June 26th and expected to be out as a full release later this year, adds in a number of improvements to the operating system. Updates to the lock screen, overhauled search, and an updated Snap View are included, along with the return of the Start button.
