You might have noticed the Xbox Music app was updated on Friday for users running the Developer preview after quite a few complaints about performance and other issues.

http://xboxmusic.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/354620-announcement-windows-phone-8-1-update-now-availa

As much as I like Windows Phone, the Music app is a weak point which also crosses over into Windows 8.  Something like this should be top-notch, but I really don't know why their whole music system is like this.

They seem to be addressing though with another update coming soon.

This update:

• Numerous stability fixes, including many of the reported black screens
• Full Cortana integration including playing Playlists by name
• UI Polish to improve animations and transitions between UI views
• Improved messaging for encountered errors, such as unplayable content in collections

What's coming:

• Continued focus on Stability and Performance improvements
• Background initial sync of local and cloud content (Note:  This had been targeted for the last store update, but we pushed it out one more release to do some additional testing)
• Fast Forward/Rewind by sliding progress bar in a song
• UX layouts on buttons and metadata in now playing to better utilize space and make for better interaction
• Support for large play queue(including playlist) greater than 100 songs
• Improved load times for long lists through better list virtualization
• Swipe Gesture to Advance on Now Playing
• Live Tile and Transparent Tile support
• Design & Layout improvements to get you to your content faster
• Kids Corner support
• UX improvements (Search result grouping, creating new Radio Stations, improved Network status messages, Blue UI language alignment, and more)

I believe you can get it if you change your phone's region to US. 

http://www.wpcentral.com/want-cortana-outside-us-heres-how

WARNING

However there may be other issues with your phone and/or apps related to switching that so you should not do that until you've looked into what exactly those other potential side-effects might be!

It would probably be available to me then, but I understand changing a phone's region is not as straight forward as changing the OS region of a PC.  The question was asked of my provider when someone wanted to get the Black update sooner than the official release here, and he was told that there may be connectivity issues should he proceed and was advised against it.

How correct that information is I don't know, but either way I am not in that much of a hurry to get Cortana.  I can wait until it is released here officially.

Reading List for Windows Phone 8.1 was released by Microsoft.  This is a useful app for keeping links to articles for later reading, and if you have the Windows 8 version of the app installed on your PC or tablet, it will also sync with that.

Reading List

Thanks for this ID. I hadn't investigated this app before now, so had no idea what it is for or what it does.  Now I do and think it is going to be a very useful accessory indeed.  There are times when I'm unable to read an article in full, or there is a link within one that I do not have the time to read there and then while I'm waiting at the doctors, so Reading List will be fantastic when I want to relocate those items of interest.

In fact, because this thread has been fantastic for opening my eyes to new and/or useful apps... must haves, even, I propose it be made into a 'sticky' in the personal computing section so it is easier for everyone to find.  Yes, there is the subscribe to this post feature, and if someone has posted here before, but a sticky thread would enable old and new members alike to find it for the first time.  There probably are other Windows Phone users who would agree with this, so is it a good idea or what?

Not only that, it might help to upgrade to a decent unit and get off those confounded Android/Apple phones.

Looks like Windows Phone is getting a file manager too.

http://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-confirms-file-manager-coming-to-windows-phone-81-in-late-may

I did install Pocket File Manager a little while back and found it useful, but to have one built into the OS by default is a step forward, IMHO.

I still can't get over how many IOS/Android users are still whining about the "lack of apps".  True, those platforms may have more apps - many of them duplicated over and over by different devs - but the app list for WP8 is growing all the time, with some significant additions [of which some have been posted here] in recent weeks.

I have always been happy with my Lumia 820 and have always loved its ease of use, but things just keep getting better and better, particularly since the 'marriage' of MS and Nokia.  I don't care what the 'other' fanboys say, great things are coming with the Windows Phone platform.

You can grab a Lumia 920 on Amazon for just $44.99.  It's a flash sale, so limited numbers.

Link

If you are using the developer preview, be sure to check for updates because they released a new one to address some issues including the battery.

http://blogs.windows.com/windows_phone/b/windowsphone/archive/2014/05/14/update-to-windows-phone-8-1-preview-for-developers.aspx

Microsoft released the Files app to manage files on your Windows Phone.

http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/files/762e837f-461d-4847-8399-3526f54fc25e

   Thanks for the heads-up ID! 

For those of us running the Windows Phone 8.1 Dev Preview just a heads up!  

There is an update (fairly small) bringing the current build to (8.10.12393.890)

Pinterest Beta is now available to download on Windows Phone.  I've been waiting for this one.

http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/pinterest-beta/e94f00d8-ff2d-4844-9cae-de1e420dc337

Well I scored me a second Lumia 820 over the weekend - Shaunna updated to a Samsung Galaxy Note S5 for a bigger screen - and I got her old Nokia to use.  I got it unlocked as it was out of contract and switched provider from Vodaphone to Telstra, which is my home phone and internet provider, and now I can access all my account details and etc while I'm out and about using apps and the phone service pages.

Anyway, I've updated with the Developer preview and am in the process of installing the subsequent updates before re-adding my apps since I reset the phone to delete Shaunna's apps, data and details to add my own.  I'm loving this developer preview right now, I no sooner finish adding one update and it is automatically searching for, downloading and preparing to install the next.  I don't recall my other phone doing that prior to the 8.1 preview.

Got one Windows 8.1 update to do and then I'm off to the Store to add my apps to this phone, which will likely become my primary phone because it is linked across the network to my other telco accounts.

Personally, I wouldn't have gone with the Samsung Galaxy for a bigger screen.... being an Android device.  My choice would have been the Nokia Lumia 1520.

The Facebook Beta got a big update today with a much improved user experience.

http://www.windowsphone.com/en-us/store/app/facebook-beta/93da5d29-daf0-4783-9ed5-a87b33247ec6