8 Secret Features Hidden Inside Windows 8.1 (MSFT)

With Windows 8.1, announced last month, Microsoft has fixed a lot of the things people hated about Windows 8.

But there's one thing that it hasn't fixed: the fact that this gesture-based operating system is not intuitive.

It can take quite a bit of poking around to figure out how to navigate or perform other tasks.

We've been playing with a Microsoft Surface Pro and the Acer Iconia W3 with 8.1, table for a few weeks and discovered a bunch of "hidden" tricks.

Even closing a Windows 8 window isn't obvious ...

Microsoft says that Windows 8.1 will automatically close apps if you haven't used them for a while, but we've never experienced that.

But it can be baffling to figure out how to close a modern app, since there's no little "x" in the Window anymore.

To close a window, with one finger swipe from the top of the screen to the bottom.

You can add multiple accounts.

Windows 8 relies on lots cloud services. So every user needs to sign into the device with his/her own Microsoft account to access Microsoft's cloud storage, email, and so on.

To add multiple accounts: From the Start screen swipe the right side of the screen. Tap Settings,  tap Change PC settings, tap Accounts. Choose Other Accounts. You can create a new Microsoft account from this screen using any email you have, even Gmail.

You'll also have an option to add a child account that lets you monitor/control your kid's Internet usage.

Here's how to manage your privacy.

If you don't like the idea of an advertiser tracking your online moves, you can decide how much information Microsoft shares.

Sign into the Windows 8 device using a Microsoft account. From the Start screen swipe the right side of the screen.

Tap Settings,  tap Change PC settings, then Privacy. Decide which apps can see your location,  control your Webcam and mic. Then click on "Manage my advertising privacy preferences" and choose how much data to share with online advertisers.