Microsoft Releases Windows 8.1 Update

The long awaited Windows 8.1 upgrade is available for download starting today, October 14th. The update is free for current owners of Windows 8. Users will just need to go to Windows Store app to find it.

Here are the cosmetic changes on Windows 8.1:

• Start Button is back on the desktop mode. Now users can click or tap tiles to open programs. Pressing the start button continuously will launch the Control Panel. 
• Users can now boot directly to desktop mode.
• The onscreen keyboard now includes the ability to type punctuation marks or numbers by swiping up or away from certain keys on the standard QWERTY keyboard layout. 
• Users can now use gesture enabled app to get response. You can wave your hands in front of a web camera to get a response or to flip a page on a hands free mode of an ebook. 
• Users can now to quickly organize tiles. You can tap and hold Windows tiles with your finger to move them. Another couple taps will allow you to resize them in one of four sizes.
• Finding all your apps takes just a swipe up on your start screen, as long as you don't do it from beyond the bottom edge.
• Now app updates will run on the background. It will no longer reminding users to go to the Windows Store.
• Home screen will now fit on the portrait mode on smaller tablet.
• Users can now answer Skype or take photos from a locked screen without having to login.
• In Windows 8.1, users can now run up to 4 apps at once side by side.
• Multiple search result can now be accessed while typing on the tile-based start screen.
• Hotmail or Outlook.com users now have the capability to have folders on the left hand side for updates from social network sites like Facebook, messages from favorite contacts and newsletters.
• Users is no longer limited to 10 open tabs in tile version of Internet Explorer.

How to Resize VirtualBox Disk Image in Windows

The procedure to resize or expand VirtualBox disk image (VDI) in Windows will take the following steps:

1. Backup your VDI disk image
2. Run elevated privilege Command Prompt
3. Change the directory to where your VirtualBox is installed. It usually located on C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\
4. Run this command, VboxManage.exe modifyhd "YOUR_HARD_DISK.vdi" --resize SIZE_IN_MB

Example: C:\Program Files\Oracle\VirtualBox\VboxManage.exe modifyhd "C:\Users\Vootwerk\VirtualBox VMs\Windows 8 Enterprise\Windows 8 Enterprise.vdi" --resize 40960

5. Once VDI disk image is resize, you will then need to extend the partition on your Windows VM to use the newly unallocated disk space.

Windows 8.1 Gets Its Start Button

Microsoft is bringing back the Start button to Windows 8.1 in the left-hand corner of the operating system. The update will be freely available for current Windows 8 users beginning June 26, 2013 via the Windows Store. The Metro style Start screen will remain the same and now it offers greater customization. Users can now select multiple apps all at once, re-size them, uninstall them, or rearrange them.

The following are new features introduce with Windows 8.1 update:

1. Tiles - the new Start screen will feature a variety of tile sizes similar to the current version of Windows phone.

2. Windows Store - the new store will offer details free apps, new releases, and top picks on the homepage.

3. Split Screen - no users can view 2 different apps side by side and re-size the app to any size, share the screen between two apps, or have up to 3 different apps. If users have multiple display, it can have different Windows Store apps on all the display screens.

4. Internet Explorer 11 - new version of Internet Explorer will offer better touch performance, faster loading time, and adjust the appearance to show the address bar. Now, it can have as many as tabs just like the previous IE 10.

5. SkyDrive - now the Sky Drive app gives users the ability to access their files that are on the device or in the cloud while offline. It also offers the ability to back up the entire device to SkyDrive.

6. Control Panel - the updated Windows 8.1 will give users to access all the settings without having to go to Control Panel on the Desktop.

7. Search - the Search feature will provide global search powered by Bing. If users are offline, the search query  will display the local result.

8. Sync - it offers better synchronization and sharing among the users' devices.

9. New Apps - new Sound Recorder, Calculator, and Alarm apps are provided.

10. Kiosk Mode - it features a lock down mode for users' devices that will prevent to be accessible when surfing the Internet.

11. Pictures Frame and Camera - for tablet users, it can turn the Windows 8.1 into picture frame and it can access the camera when the screen is locked.