You can also set a photo as your lock screen, open it in another app, or start a slideshow. In addition to cropping a photo, you can now rotate it or go into a full-blown editing mode, where you’ll find options for red-eye, lighting, color, and focus. Once you’ve taken a photo, the app provides some new editing options.
Jared Newman The Windows 8.1 Preview version of the Camera app has many new editing options. Camera options, including video stabilization and aspect ratio, have been moved to the Settings section on the charm bar. The app menu includes a “camera roll” button, exposure settings, and the timer. The interface is now a little less confusing, with quick-camera and video-capture buttons on the right side of the screen. If you enjoy taking photos with tablets, you’ll find lots of useful new features in the Windows 8.1 camera app. You can trim down an audio file, rename it, and delete it, but that’s it.Ĭamera Jared Newman The simplified Camera interface puts buttons on the right side of the screen. Just hit the microphone button and start recording. Just like the desktop Sound Recorder app, the new modern-style version is dead-simple. Sound Recorder Jared Newman Simple as ever, the Sound Recorder makes quick-if not sophisticated-work of grabbing audio. It’s especially useful when snapped side-by-side with the desktop, allowing you to calculate without messing around with individual window sizes. Jared Newman The calculator can switch to scientific mode and snap side-by-side with the desktop.Īlthough it isn’t the most exotic app around, this might be the one modern-style function that desktop users might fall in love with. With the unit converter, users can calculate volume, length, weight, temperature, energy, area, speed, time, power, and data. The basic math functions are still there, but users can also switch to a scientific calculator. In Windows 8.1, Microsoft has gone above and beyond the basic desktop calculator with this new modern-style app. Jared Newman Alarm options include repeat settings and a long selection of chimes. It’d be nice to see some more advanced functions, such as volume fade-in, wake to music, and a dimmer for using the app as a nighttime clock. The interface is slick, and the circular dial for setting times is cute. All the basic things you’d expect from an alarm app are intact, including a timer and a stopwatch, and the ability to set an alarm to repeat any given day of the week.