Ready to get your virtual trade on with virtual people in virtual villages? Minecraft's latest update for PC is here to enable that – the "1.3.1" patch – and it's got more than just value-less trading. It also has ... uh ... the Ender Chest? And writeable books?

Oh, right, it also combines single-player and multiplayer modes into one, unified mode. Well then! For a full list of patch notes

+ Single-player now runs a server internally
+ Publish the single-player instance to LAN
+ Automatically detect LAN worlds in multi-player screen
+ Added "cheats" option in single-player (enables commands)
+ Added "bonus chest" option to give players a quicker start in a new world
+ Added adventure mode (work in progress)
+ Added trading with villagers
+ Added emeralds, emerald blocks and emerald ore
+ Added cocoa beans to jungles
+ Added the Ender Chest
+ Added tripwires
+ Added new creative mode inventory with search functionality
+ Made it possible to gain enchantment orbs from mining ore and smelting
+ Added writeable books
+ Added "large biomes" world type
+ Added temples to jungles and deserts
+ Added chat settings
+ Added option to turn off and view snooper data
+ Added more information on the debug screen (F3)
+ New launcher with "Play Demo" button if not premium user
+ Added /seed command to see map seed
+ Added /defaultgamemode to set default game mode in a world (affects new players)
+ Added /debug command for profiling
+ Added SRV record lookup support
* Decreased max enchantment level from 50 to 30
* The /tp command can now send players to a specific coordinate
* Mobs can spawn on flat surfaces (such as up-side-down stairs)
* Updated language files
* Mobs are much less likely to glitch through blocks
* Server list can be reordered
* Nearby items in the world will auto-stack
* Stars are smaller and brighter
* Sky color in The End has been changed
* The "pick block" functionality has been improved
* Certain items that previously wasn't stackable can now be stacked
* Hill biomes are slightly taller
* Wooden log blocks can now be placed side-ways
* Wooden half-blocks now act as wood
* Water slowly drips through leaves during rain
* Minecarts and boats will be placed by dispensers, if possible
* Gravel texture has been modified
* Levers can be placed in the roof
* Creepers' explosions damage is now modified by difficulty
* Performance improvements
* Other bug fixes...
- Removed Herobrine

Posted: Aug 02, 2012 6:53 am

Source: http://www.joystiq.com/2012/08/01/psa-minecrafts-1-3-1-update-goes-live-go-get-your-trade-on/#continued