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Bing News for Windows 8 updated with custom RSS feeds, Bing Maps gets local search feature

Bing News for Windows 8 updated with custom RSS feeds, Bing Maps gets local search feature

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Windows 8 logo stock
Windows 8 logo stock

Microsoft is releasing fresh Windows 8 app updates this week. News, Maps, Travel, Sport, and Finance are all being updated with new features. The News app now includes a customize option that lets users add their own RSS feeds to the top stories section of the app. A pin option is also included to place custom feeds on the Start Screen. Custom feeds are displayed in a similar format to other curated feeds within the app, but unoptimized feeds will open in a browser.

The Windows 8 Maps app, powered by Bing, has been updated to include an improved local search option. Categories, including restaurants, hotels, and hospitals, are all displayed as local search options when you search within the app. Options to track location automatically and show the bird's eye view automatically have also made their way into the settings for Maps. Microsoft has also updated its Finance app with a new tools section. A mortgage calculator, retirement planner, and currency converter are all available as quick options to manage money. Travel and Sport have also been updated, but they only appear to include bug fixes rather than feature updates.