Today the Windows Team announced the availability of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview at a Microsoft event in Barcelona. The Windows 8 Consumer Preview availability, along with the opening of the Windows Store, will make exciting new apps available to everyone. Bing is part of excitement with three new apps now available in the Windows Store so the excitement is buzzing for us over here on the Bing team as well.

The Windows 8 Consumer Preview, ready for download, previews 3 Bing-powered apps: Finance, Weather, and Maps. Each Bing app was designed for touch devices and offers mouse and keyboard functionality. A key focus for us at Bing is helping people get things done more quickly and these visually organized, intuitive and dynamic apps do just that. Let’s take a closer look at each one:

The Weather app offers a visually beautiful preview of current weather conditions, helping you prepare for the latest conditions with hourly, daily and 10-day forecasts. Designed for Windows 8 and featuring rich, engaging weather images, the Weather app makes the content you care about available at your fingertips or via the click of the mouse.

The Finance app provides a quick overview of key market indices via a live tile and helps you stay on top of fast-changing market conditions, so you can make more informed financial decisions. Swipe or scroll through colorful charts for a quick read of the day’s events. Rich graphics also help you find the latest mortgage, auto and credit card rates.

The Maps app makes it easy to find the places you’re looking for and helps you get there faster. Quickly pinpoint the locations you care about, get directions, see traffic conditions and more— all with a few swipes or clicks.

We think these apps help showcase the endless new possibilities with Windows 8 and Bing. Give them a try and let us know what you think!

Brian MacDonald, Corporate Vice President, Bing Application Experiences Team