Microsoft details a slew of updates to native Windows 8 Metro apps

Part of moving to the app model in Windows 8 is that components should continue to improve even after the OS has shipped.

This is the case currently, with Microsoft announcing a number of improvements coming to the built-in apps in Windows 8.

The list include:

SkyDrive

• Search within SkyDrive
• Rename and move folders and files
• New first-run experience
• Custom sort order

Mail, Calendar, People, and Messaging

• Conversation view of your inbox
• Complete IMAP account support
• Accepting and declining invitations in email
• Capturing and updating your account picture
• Improved search
• Search for a contact within the Messaging app

Photos

• Crop and rotate photos
• New auto-curated collage slideshows
• View photos and videos on network locations in your Pictures Library such as Windows Home Server, network shares, and HomeGroups
• Move through photos in your Pictures Library even when you open them from the desktop

Maps

• Bird’s eye view
• 3,000+ indoor venue maps
• Driving directions hints
• Improved navigation and layout
• Improved customization, including custom pushpins and roaming options
• Integration with Bing and Travel apps

Bing

• Richer search results for local content and images
• Bing rewards integration
• Use zoom on your search results to see related queries
• Use the file picker to select an image from Bing to use on your lock screen or in your other apps

Finance

• Additional news and magazine content
• More market exchanges enabled
• Finance videos

News

• Additional news content from partners such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal
• Enhanced article reader, including font customization, zoom, pagination, and more
• Improved offline reading experience
• News videos
• Slideshows

Sports

• Additional news and magazine content
• Sports videos
• Slideshows
• New soccer leagues, including MLS, J. League, and Brazilian League

Travel

• Additional news and magazine content
• Improved flight search and new flight progress indicator
• Improved hotel listing page
• Interactive 360-degree panoramas (gyroscope supported)

Weather

• Improved default location usability
• Hourly weather forecasts, up to 10 days
• Day & evening high/low temperatures

Video

• Purchasing in local currencies
• Closed captioning
• Search by actor or director

Music

• Expanded music services
• Rich "Now Playing" experience
• Discover more music with SmartDJ

Games

• Exciting new games
• In-game purchasing
• Invites and turn notifications

The Bing update will be delivered tomorrow, and the rest before the 26th October. Updates will be delivered via the Windows Store.

Hopefully we will continue to see further tweaks to the OS well after the launch to continue to optimise the OS for touch and ease of use.

Via MSDN