https://careers.microsoft.com/jobdetails.aspx?jid=111551&pp=VR

The Technical Strategy incubation team is seeking an exceptional developer to build the user interface platform for next generation UI applications. Your responsibilities will include the design and implementation of core UI services such as composition, input, window management, and a controls framework for both native and HTML5 applications. All development is in M#, a C#-like language for writing asynchronous and parallel operating system components with strong guarantees of correctness.

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2013/05/xbox-one

The Xbox One simultaneously runs three separate operating systems. First comes the tiny Host OS, which boots the machine and then launches two other hard-partitioned systems: the Shared partition, an environment that runs any apps (Skype, Live TV, Netflix, etc.) and helps provide processing power for the Kinect sensor and its gesture and voice controls; and the Exclusive partition, which is where games run. Because of the way memory is apportioned in the Shared partition, you can switch between apps with little to no load times, and even snap them into another app or game to use both at the same time.

And its built by Dave Cutler, Hoi Vo, among others.

http://www.zdnet.com/microsofts-xbox-one-whats-windows-got-to-do-with-it-7000015684/

In an under-the-hood architecture panel following the Xbox One reveal, Boyd Multerer, Director of Development for Xbox, confirmed that the team started with Microsoft's Hyper-V hypervisor in building the Xbox One operating system. Multerer said the team stripped out all the general-purpose "goop" to create an OS that allowd two virtual machines to run in side-by-side partitions. One of the partitions runs apps; the other runs games. 

"David Cutler built the hypervisor that does the switching back and forth," Multerer confirmed.

I wonder if we can get more insights about this at BUILD, or if not, maybe Channel9 can do something ?

http://news.xbox.com/2013/05/qa

Q:    Will Xbox One allow players to trade in, purchase and play pre-owned games? 
A:    We are designing Xbox One to enable customers to trade in and resell games. We'll have more details to share later.

https://download-ssl.xbox.com/content/mgs/liveplayer/production/xblflow/amp-ch1/xblplayer/player.html?content=live1&playerId=XBLMedia

I've exported a 'diff' between Windows Blue 9385 vs. Windows 8 9200 WinRT APIs http://pastebin.com/nsbz9w6H

and apparently Justin Angel is writing an article about it too. https://twitter.com/JustinAngel

namespace WinStore.UI
{
    [Version(134217728u)]
    public struct Settings
    {
        public bool FilterLanguage;
        public bool FilterAccessibility;
        public bool AutoInstallUpdates;
        public bool AlwaysPromptOnPurchase;
    }
}

in Windows 8, it can only 'download' updates.

namespace WinStore.UI
{
    [Version(134217728u)]
    public struct Settings
    {
        public bool FilterLanguage;
        public bool FilterAccessibility;
        public bool AutoDownloadUpdates;
        public bool AlwaysPromptOnPurchase;
    }
}

An Analysis of the Effect of Code Ownership on Software Quality across Windows, Eclipse, and Firefox
https://research.microsoft.com/apps/pubs/default.aspx?id=140711

Don't Touch My Code! Examining the Effects of Ownership on Software Quality
https://research.microsoft.com/apps/pubs/default.aspx?id=150498

long story short, the conclusions are these:

In a 'traditional' team like WinDiv:

1, if a binary/component has more code commits from outside of the owning team, the quality is lower.

2, if a binary/component has less code commits from outside of the owning team, the quality is higher.

3, somehow this may not always be true in some OSS projects, and this may depends on what kind of 'development model' this OSS project actually uses. We are not sure why it would work, but at least it doesn't work here in WinDiv.

so, MSR gives some recommendations with regarding to the dev process control, by enforcing 'stronger' code ownership polices, to improve the code quality.

1, Changes made by minor contributors should be reviewed with more scrutiny.

2, Potential minor contributors should communicate desired changes to developers experienced with the respective binary.

3, Components with low ownership should be given priority by QA resources.

now its balanced, and nice.

its expected, but still interesting.

My guess: this is from someone young and fresh, landed in WinDiv recently and get frustrated somehow.

so, yes, the docked snap view is supported on 1024x768

and Windows Blue 9385 has a similar 'by most used' view mode in all apps view http://tinypic.com/r/2r3ulog/5

there is also a 'by date installed' view mode, to find recently installed apps.

other changes: newly installed apps doesn't show up in the start screen automatically, you have to pin them manually. and you can't move tiles around your start screen in the default view mode, you need to explicitly enter a 'customize' mode to do that.

So, you start screen is much more stable now.

I'm talking about build 9385 only, of course.

https://blogs.msdn.com/b/bharry/archive/2013/04/04/vs-tfs-2012-2-update-2-released-today.aspx

We've already begun working on Update 3.  I'd like to set your expectations a bit on it now.  Update 1 & 2 were both fairly substantial updates with a fair number of new features.  My expectation is that Update 3 will be VERY modest.  In all likelihood, we will primarily focus on bug fixes, upgrade issues and small refinements to the experience.  At this point we are pretty consumed in working on our next major update to TFS and, as such, can't manage to do 2 separate & significant things at the same time.

actually, Update 3 CTP is already released

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=38426

there is a visible button, to switch between start screen and all apps view.

there is a visible search box, in all apps view, or PC Settings.

so, if they come up with a visible button on the taskbar, for switching to the start screen, thats reasonable.

start menu is a thing of past, let it rest in peace please.