Bing Search, Camera and other apps to receive big updates for Windows 8.1

Windows 8.1 reached RTM status earlier in August and a few weeks later developers had the chance to download and start testing their applications with it. But Windows 8.1 isn’t done. Microsoft initially wanted to not even let developers download the bits until October 18th (public release).

So what else are they working on before the public get to play with Windows 8.1?

Over at The Verge, they had the chance to sit down with Microsoft at the Surface 2 event in NYC. Microsoft is making changes to the built-in Bing search, Bing apps, and Camera app. Here’s what’s changing and being added.

• Bing search will include more categories for hotels and restaurants
• Bing Food and Drink will include instructional videos and 100,000s of new recipes
• Bing Finance will connect directly to a portfolio and allow users to make trades within the app
• Bing Travel gaining user generated photos from Trover and Michellin
• Bing Sports will support even more real-time events and add over 20 more international leagues
• Camera app gains “Photo Loop”, which allows the camera to take many shots and the user to select the best photo within a given set. It will require new hardware, so your current Windows machine won’t work with it, but your Surface 2 will.

All updates go live when Windows 8.1 comes out for consumers on October 18th. The days before general availability will see Microsoft update its services to support these new features.

Which of the above changes are you most looking forward to? I really dig the Windows 8 version of SigFig to track my portfolio, but it would be nice to see the updates to Bing Finance. Trades within the app? Count me in.

Source: The Verge