Windows 8.1 Pro Preview build 9374 makes it easier to customize apps on your Start Screen

With the recent leak of Windows 8.1 Pro Preview build 9374, we got to play with the upcoming update to Windows 8. The leaked build featured a few new features that were not seen in other leaked builds. One of the new features is the dimming of app tiles when you customize the Start Screen.
As you can see from the screenshot above, users will see all apps dimmed when they press the customize button on the Start Screen. In the past, users would simply see a checkmark on the app they right-clicked on. Microsoft has evolved this feature to make it a little bit easier to do all your Start Screen customizing.

In this leaked build, as soon as you right-click on the Start Screen, you can select a button called "Customize" from the app bar. Once you select this button, the entire Start Screen will dim, allowing users to easily select which app they want to customize. A selected app will no longer be dimmed, which is great because you can easily differentiate what app you are working on and what apps are dimmed.

You can also easily edit the name group of your app tiles, as well as adjust the tile sizes to your desired specs (either large, standard, wide, or small).
This feature is present in the leaked build of 9374 and hopefully it makes it to the final build. Microsoft is known to add features in certain builds and then remove them in subsequent builds. Do you like this feature?

You can check out a video walk through of the leaked build. In this build, we get our first glimpse of Kiosk mode too!

Source: winbeta.org

Windows 8.1 Pro Preview build 9374 leaks onto the web

Another leak! We have another leak! This time it's Windows 8.1 build 9374, our first leak which actually calls itself Windows 8.1. So far, it is unknown what changes this build includes, but we do know it dubs itself as the Windows 8.1 Pro Preview.

The leak comes from the same guys who leaked build 9369, the only difference this time is that this leak is a newer build and is a 32bit ISO. We are yet to confirm this leak as real, but many who are already testing the build are saying that the leak is indeed legitimate. As per usual, we will not be linking to any download links. Posting download links in the comments is also strictly prohibited.
Again, it is unknown what new features this build includes, if any. There isn't a huge jump between 9369 and 9374, so it's possible that this build won't see anything astonishingly new, keep your fingers crossed though!

Check back at The World Of Techs for more on this new leak!

Windows 8.1 Kiosk mode lets you automatically launch an app on login

Windows 8.1 Pro Preview Build 9374 leaked today and it seemed to be similar to the previous leak of build 9369, except for one big noticeable difference. Build 9374 contains a new feature called Kiosk mode. So what exactly does this feature do?

As you can see from the screenshot above, Kiosk mode is available under the Users setting, in the Lockdown category. Kiosk mode allows for the system to be locked down to a single immersive app. Users can set this app to launch automatically when the system logs on. The operating system can also be locked down to specific features. This feature is not yet fully complete in this build.
Recently, we learned about the possibility of Microsoft creating an option to allow users to bypass the Start Screen and boot directly to the desktop. That rumor also indicated that we would see a boot-to-desktop feature via a 'Kiosk mode.' While Microsoft may be working on a boot-to-desktop feature for future builds, as of this new leaked build, it is not present. Nor does the Kiosk mode allow for a boot-to-desktop feature in this leaked build.

You can check out the video highlighting the leaked build here. In the video, you will see how Kiosk mode is set up. Unfortunately, the feature is still buggy and not yet complete.

Source: winbeta.org