Microsoft has released the "August Update" for Windows 8.1 which will be part of a new monthly release cycle that will bring minor enhancements to the OS. For those of you who do not want to wait for the update to be delivered via the Windows Update feature built into the platform, we have posted the direct download link at the bottom of this post.
Microsoft has said that the following updates will be included for Windows 8.1 users:
- Precision touchpad improvements – three new end-user settings have been added: Leave touch pad on when a mouse is connected; allow right-clicks on the touchpad; double-tap and drag.
- Miracast Receive – exposes a set of Wi-Fi direct APIs for Independent Hardware Vendor (IHV) drivers or OEM drivers to develop Windows 32-bit applications that run on all supported x86-based or x64-based versions of Windows 8.1, enabling the computer as a Miracast receiver.
- Minimizing login prompts for SharePoint Online – reduces the number of prompts with federated use in accessing SharePoint Online sites. If you select the “Keep me signed in” check box when you log on for the first time, you will not see prompts for successive access to that SharePoint Online site.
While this update may not be all the large in terms of new features, if the company does keep to its promise and deliver updates on a regularly monthly schedule, much like the Xbox team, then these incremental updates will eventually turn into a sizeable improvement over the coming months.