Windows Phone 8.1 leak shows notification centre for first time

The first screenshots of the notification centre coming to Windows Phone 8.1 have leaked, thanks to a confidential email sent at Microsoft picked up by Winphollowers.

The screenshots show Microsoft will market its notification centre as "Action Center" when it launches with Windows Phone 8.1. Like found on Android and iOS, it appears Action Center's goal is to give users quick access to what they've missed and the ability to enable and disable connections like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane Mode, and Driving Mode.



Notifications are split up by application and there's the ability to "Clear All". There's also an "All Settings" function to configure which notifications come through the Action Center and "ghost notifications" so you aren't actively alerted on certain applications you choose. On a more minor level a battery icon and date are found.

The Action Center is believed to launch with Windows Phone 8.1 at Microsoft's Build Conference on 2 April in San Francisco. The update is also said to bring changes to multitasking and a Siri-like "Cortana" personal voice assistant.

We've contacted Microsoft to learn more about the leaked screenshots. WP Central adds some validity to the leak, saying they're accurate and indeed show the behaviour of Action Center.
Via: WP Central
Source: Winphollowers

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Will new Microsoft CEO Nadella sell the Xbox division?

Here's a question for you: will Satya Nadella, Microsoft's newly appointed chief executive, sell the Xbox division?

There have been some rumblings in the past that Microsoft could sell the Xbox division, but it's not been clear which companies would actually want to own the business. It also might make it a harder sell, since the company recently acquired the rights to the Gears of Warfranchise, and has continued to say that the Halo franchise will be an important part of its gaming strategy over the next several years.



Still, none of that bars Microsoft from making a move with Xbox. In fact, having those two franchises in place might make the sale even more lucrative for the company.

The reason I ask such a question is simple: Nadella is by no means a “gaming” guy at heart. After joining Microsoft in 1992, he played a crucial role in the company's enterprise team, and went on to be the brains behind the software giant's move into the cloud. Even in his email to employees last week, Nadella made no indication that he had a desire to focus on gaming and consumers. Instead, he talked about getting products to the market more quickly and realizing the value of mobile and cloud services.

All of that has me wondering whether Nadella wants to make Microsoft a more agile company. After all, the software giant is, well, giant. And making decisions quickly and getting products to the market swiftly isn't always easy for a company of that size and magnitude.

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