Best Touch Shortcuts for Windows 8

Windows 8 lets you get around your workspace in myriad ways — via keyboard, mouse, and now through the touchscreen. With a touch-capable, Intel-inspired Ultrabook? like the Sony Vaio Duo 11 Convertible, navigating Windows is easier than ever. Get the most out of your Ultrabook and Windows by learning these shortcuts to some of Windows' most useful functions and features.
Open an App with Options
At the Start screen, you probably know well that tapping on a tile will open the related app immediately. But if you want to run that app with special options — similar to right-clicking on an app in Windows 7 — you can simply tap and hold the tile until the options menu pops up.

Get to System Settings Fast

No need to go hunting for the control panel when you want to make changes to your system. Just swipe from the right edge of the screen toward the middle to bring up the Windows 8 Charms menu, where you'll find the most common computer management options, including the Settings menu, which lets you tweak the way your computer works and looks.

Split the Screen
Want to get two apps on the screen at once so you can more easily multitask? Swipe in from the right or the left side of the screen, slowly. (If you want the new app to appear on the left, swipe from the left, and vice versa.) If you can't get a handle on the speed of this swipe, another shortcut to do this is swiping down from the top of the screen, then right or left, in an "L" shape.

Pin Apps to the Start Screen
Adding your own apps to the Start screen is simple, just browse to the app (or find it through the search system) and tap and hold on its icon or tile. Then, flick your finger down and a menu will pop up. Select "Pin to Start" to attach it to the Start screen. You can even pin websites you frequently visit by tapping "Pin site" from within Internet Explorer and selecting "Pin to Start." Tiles can be rearranged by tapping on them and dragging them to other positions on the Start screen.

Close an App
Not all apps have that familiar "X" button hovering at the top right of the screen — but that doesn't mean you can't close it. Close these apps by tapping and holding somewhere within the app, then dragging down toward the bottom of the screen.

Create Custom Flicks

Flicks are an easy way to get around Windows, and you can create your own flicks to help automate frequently used actions. They work much the same way as keyboard shortcuts. Open the full Control Panel and browse to the Pen and Touch menu. Tap the Flicks tab, then select the option "Use flicks to perform common actions quickly and easily." Tap "Navigational flicks and editing flicks" and tap “Customize” to create your own custom flicks.

Get Extra Options in Internet Explorer
In full-screen mode, Internet Explorer runs without visible menus or toolbars. So where do you find options like refreshing the page or finding text on the screen? Simply flick down from the top of the screen to reveal these options and more in a hidden menu.

Xbox Music Windows 8 app gets a slick redesign

Not much has been said about Microsoft’s Xbox Music, especially with all the attention being given to Apple’s newly unveiled iTunes Radio and Google’s Google Play All Access subscription.

Xbox Music is one part digital music store and one part streaming service. Windows or Xbox users can buy individual tracks or albums like on iTunes, and additionally it can also sign up for a premium subscription that gives them on-demand streaming music that’s similar to Spotify.

Well yesterday, the company leaked screenshots of a Xbox Music Windows 8 app update that should be released along with a handful of other Windows 8.1 apps like Calculator, Scan, Reading List, Movie Moments, and Sound Recorder.

As for the Xbox Music app, the interface now has a two-column design that’s kind of similar to Google Music (except obviously, black because that’s the way Xbox Music rolls). The sidebar/first column contains all the navigation for your music collection, Xbox Radio, and an Explore tab for you to discover new music. Below that there’s an option to view all your playlists or import playlists from elsewhere. The second, main column shows off album artwork, lists of artists, songs, etc. Overall the interface is very clean and seems easier on the eyes.

Microsoft first debuted Xbox Music last year as a replacement to its now dead Zune brand. The Xbox Music service/Store appeared with the release of the Windows 8 operating system.

Check out some screenshots below and let us know what you think in the comments section.

Windows 8 tablets to go smaller

Top gadget makers will soon roll out smaller tablets running on Microsoft's Windows 8 operating system, hoping that the cheaper devices will appeal to buyers who have so far not shown much interest in the larger, expensive 10-inch versions.

The 7-inch segment, which accounts for a bulk of tablet sales in the country, is currently dominated by devices that run on Google's Android. Companies such as Acer, Asus, Dell and HP are expected to launch their versions of the 7-inch Windows tablets in India over the next few weeks.

"The key question is whether Microsoft can convince large organisations to take a look at these tablets," said Faisal Kawoosa, analyst at market research firm Cyber Media Research. "Now, that would be a game-changer."

Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft launched Windows 8 last October after realising that traditional PC users — a segment that it monopolises — were increasingly shifting to touch-based portable devices like smartphones and tablets. However, the new operating system has made little headway in the Indian tablet market, where over 70 per cent of the devices sold in 2012 were based on Android. About 2.6 million tablets were shipped within India last year, with South Korean firm Samsung and home-grown company Micromax leading the market, according to IDC.

Among operating systems, Apple's iOS had about a 12 per cent market share, while Windows 8 and Blackberry had close to 2 per cent. Smaller devices from Acer, Asus and HP are expected to be priced in the range of Rs 10,000 - Rs 20,000, compared with 10-inch tablets that typically sell at between Rs 35,000 and Rs 50,000. Low-cost 7-inch tablets made up for close to 78 per cent of total tablets shipments in the final quarter of 2012, IDC data showed.

Though Windows 8 comes with a common touch-based interface designed for tablets, smartphones and laptops, the software has so far seen low penetration in the Indian tablet market. Analysts blamed the high price of Windows-based tablets, compared with those that run on Android and iOS for lacklustre sales. Acer India's marketing head S Rajendran said the company will soon launch the world's first small-sized tablet based on Windows 8 in India. Asus, Dell and HP declined to comment.

Last month Microsoft's chief operating officer Kevin Turner said his company was working on a new range of devices at lower price points. IDC analyst Manasi Yadav said Microsoft may seek new partnerships with Karbonn and Micromax—who price tablets more competitively. "So far,Windows 8 tablets are priced above Rs 30,000, which is a negative in a India, where the starting price of tablets is about Rs 5,000."