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Windows 8 .1 solves this by letting you scale each screen independently. To access this new

setting, right-click on the Windows desktop, select Screen Resolution from the dropdown menu and select "Make text and other items larger or smaller".

Windows 8.1 integrates cloud storage into the OS; a SkyDrive dropdown now appears in the navigation pane of every Explorer window. However, this isn't the basic syncing service.

When it comes to lightweight laptops and compact tablets, space is often at a premium. For this reason, Microsoft has chosen to downplay local storage in favour of SkyDrive, and your libraries are no longer shown by default in the navigation pane in Explorer windows.

However, the libraries are still there, and can be easily restored to their former place: all you need to do is right-click in the pane and tick Show Libraries to restore the familiar dropdowns.

If you want to get rid of the SkyDrive dropdown, things are trickier. One way is to turn off the feature entirely by going to the PC Settings app, selecting the SkyDrive pane and disabling the "Save documents to SkyDrive by default" setting.

Annoyingly, there's no officially supported way of hiding the dropdown from Explorer while keeping the service working, but it's possible via a Registry hack. It goes without saying that you shouldn't try this unless you're comfortable making technical tweaks, and you should back up your Registry first, in

case you make any mistakes.

If you're willing to take the plunge, open REGEDIT.EXE (from the search interface or a command window) and navigate to

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{8E74D236-7F35-4720-Bl 38-1 FEDOB85EA75}\Shel1Folder. In

order to edit the contents of this Registry location, you'll need to take ownership of it - right-click on

the ShellFolder icon, then select Permissions I Advanced I Change, enter your own username and click OK three times to close all the open requesters. Once you've done this, you'll be able to edit a DWORD value called Attributes. By default, its value should be set to f08004d; to hide SkyDrive, simply modify this to f09004d and restart your PC. The dropdown will no longer show up from your Explorer windows, but you still will be able to access SkyDrive via your user profile folder in C:\Users.

We wrote last month about the possibility of wirelessly connecting a TV to your PC. Windows 8.1 includes native support for this feature, as long as your system has a graphics chipset that's compatible with the Miracast standard (that includes Intel's WiDi, which is built into every Haswell Ultrabook). To connect, open the charms, then select Devices I Project I Find Display, and select your TV from the list that appears.

For systems administrators, Windows 8.1 introduces a major new release of PowerShell (which is also being made available for Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2 and 2012). The key new feature is a system called "Desired State Configuration", which lets you implement settings and installations across a network by simply pushing a script-style configuration file to the desired clients. For example, you might create a file declaring that certain server roles must be activated, certain Registry settings must be enforced, and specific applications must be installed. When the client PC receives these instructions, the PowerShell host checks the system state and quietly applies changes as needed. It's a terrific time-saver that can effectively turn major rollout projects into brief scripts.

Windows 8's dual personality encourages the use of a single device at home and in the office. Windows 8.1-in conjunction with Windows Server 2012 R2 - supports this with a feature called Workplace Join. This lets IT managers authorise personal devices to connect to selected network resources, such as shared folders and printers, without giving them free rein on the corporate LAN. It's partnered by the new Work Folders feature, which lets Windows 8.1 users automatically sync data back and forth across their user space on the workplace's LAN - even on devices that aren't connected to the domain while leaving personal files untouched. The administrator can also insist on security policies such as encryption and lockscreen passwords. IT managers can even remotely wipe the contents of work folders and company emails from users' personal devices without disrupting their personal data.

Windows 8.1 supports Wi-Fi Direct pairing, letting Windows devices connect directly to supported printers without requiring them to join the local wireless network or download and install clunky drivers. To search for a compatible printer, open the tablet-style PC Settings app, select "PC and devices", then click Devices I Add A Device. Businesses can also take advantage of NFC pairing, which lets you connect to a printer by tapping a Windows 8.1 Enterprise device against it. It seems this may work even with non-NFCequipped printers: Microsoft says it will be possible to retrofit older models with NFC tags, although it hasn't yet revealed how.

lnstantGo is Microsoft's new "connected standby" feature, which keeps data, apps and tiles on certified hardware in sync while the device is asleep - and promises wakeup times of less than 300ms. lnstantGocompatible laptops and tablets can also take advantage of Windows 8.l's full deviceencryption

feature, which is now available for all versions of Windows. This harnesses the security of the TPM to make it effectively impossible for a thief (or the lucky finder of a lost laptop) to access sensitive data without the user's credentials.

Windows 8 .1 introduces dozens of new features for developers of Modern apps. Programs that target the newest OS gain new file-handling capabilities, multimedia functions, in-app purchases and more than 20 new interface elements, including navigation bars and flyout menus. It's also now possible for apps to interface directly with USB and Bluetooth devices and talk to 3D printers. You can see full details of the developer enhancements in Windows 8.1 at library/windows/apps/Download. To take advantage of them, you'll need to download the Windows 8.1 SDK, plus the free Visual Studio Express 2013 package to help you assemble and deploy your apps. These can be downloaded from microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps.

Never mind Kinect, or the iffy Leap Motion Controller (web ID: 383632): Windows 8.1 introduces basic gesture controls using a regular webcam. Admittedly, they're not exactly sophisticated, and at present they work only in one very specific place - the new Food & Drink app. Anticipating that users

might not want to dab at their screens with wet or floury hands, the developers have built a hands-free mode that lets you turn the pages of a virtual recipe book by waving a hand left or right in front of your laptop or tablet's camera. At this stage, it's more a feature demo than a key OS function, but it works surprisingly well. Hopefully, it will open the door to more sophisticated applications of the idea