Windows 9 to include interactive Live Tiles as Microsoft aims to revamp the desktop

Microsoft is still busy readying its upcoming technology preview of Windows 9, but details continue to emerge about the company's plans for the future of Windows. WinBetareports that Windows 9 will include interactive Live Tiles and a notification center. Microsoft has previously experimented with interactive Live Tiles as part of a research effort earlier this year, and The Verge understands it's planning to include this work in Windows 9, currently codenamed Threshold. The Live Tile work, which is surfaced on the new mini Start Menu, coincides with additional changes to the desktop UI that Microsoft is currently testing. A notification center will also be present, similar to the implementation in Windows Phone 8.1 recently.

Both of these features are expected to ship in the final version of Windows Threshold, expected to be named Windows 9, but they will not be included in the Technology Preview that's due to be distributed late next month. Sources familiar with Microsoft's plans tell The Verge that the company will be updating the Technology Preview once or twice a month to add new features for testers, and the notification center and interactive Live Tiles will come later in testing.

An example of interactive Live Tiles from earlier this year

Microsoft is currently aiming to hold a press event to introduce Windows 9 on September 30th. This date may change, but a Technology Preview of the operating system will be distributed to developers and enterprise users in late September or early October. The early Technology Preview will provide a first look at the new mini Start Menu, the removal of the Charms bar feature, and several UI changes to the way the desktop operates with Windows 8-style applications. Future versions are expected to include a version of Cortana, alongside other new features that Microsoft is working to complete ready for release in spring next year.

source