Windows 8: Modern Reader, Aero Auto-Colorization, Get it on Windows 7

Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott has discovered a new feature in Windows 8Aero Auto-Colorization. Microsoft Windows 7 users must have seen the new Personalization interface, which allows users to customize their desktops as they wished to. In Windows 8, the software giant has gone a few steps further by letting users customize the Aero elements to the fullest. Rafael and Paul found out that Windows 8 has a new ability to automatically configure the color of Aero elements, like the Start Menu, Windows Explorer windows, and the taskbar based on the desktop wallpaper which is set.

What this means is that whenever the desktop wallpaper changes, the Aero elements change their color to match it. This is a great feature as users will now see different colors as soon as the desktop wallpaper changes thus removing the monotonic look of only one color for the Aero elements all the time.

The ability to automatically color Aero based on the underlying wallpaper.

The ability to automatically color Aero based on the underlying wallpaper.

To make this change in Windows 8, users have to visit the Personalization interface, which basically is unchanged since Windows 7, and then click on Window Color. As you can see in the screenshot below, there’s a new option in the grid of window color swatches: Automatic. Click on this swatch and then click on the Save changes button.

Now, as soon as you rotate through different wallpapers, the window color will automatically change to match the color of the wallpaper (but do keep in mind that this effect only occurs in Aero mode only).

See some examples below (images credit: Rafael Rivera and Paul Thurrott)

windows8-1

windows8

Before this, they also revealed that Windows 8 will apparently be including its own PDF reader to be known as Modern Reader and the app utilizes the new AppX application package type.

modern reader - side by side

modern reader - side by side

Now, before concluding this article, here’s something that Windows 7 users will love! A tiny app called Aura is available that lets Windows 7 users get Windows 8’s featured adaptive Aero colorization (Aero Auto-Colorization).

aura

When the program is run, it sits in the system tray and automatically adjusts your Aero window borders to compliment your wallpaper.

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