A number of features from Microsoft's upcoming operating system, Windows 9, have been leaked online. These include Cortana, Microsoft's personal assistant, as well as virtual desktops.
German website WinFuture has clearly gotten ahold of an early build of Windows 9 and has been responsible for a number of leaks. Here are a number of features that we know about so far.
Cortana
Cortana is essentially Microsoft's answer to Apple's Siri, and it being featured on Windows 9 is not much of a surprise. Microsoft is increasingly trying to bring Windows Phone features to Windows. Cortana on Windows 9 is reportedly a simple windowed app with a simple circle inside. Users can type in questions or using speech recognition.
The addition makes sense for the way operating systems are going. Google has introduced Google Now to Chrome and Chrome OS, and while Siri has not yet made an appearance on Apple's OS X, Apple has filed a patent for it. In a year's time, personal assistants could be an integral part of all three major computer operating systems.
The addition of Cortana to the operating system also means that it would be beneficial for customers to constantly be connected to the Internet, perhaps why Microsoft is also bringing Wi-Fi Sense to Windows 9.
Wi-Fi Sense
Wi-Fi Sense is a feature in Windows Phone 8 that essentially stores user information to help users get online as quickly as possible. In the event of a public hotspot, the system can store information such as the users name, phone number and email address. It can also share this information with Outlook, Skype and so on so that these services can access the Internet without the user's passwords.
While Wi-Fi Sense is shown in the leak from WinFuture, the app does not seem to be present in more recent builds of the operating system.
Notifications Center
The company is also bringing the notifications center to the upcoming operating system, which collects application and system alerts as well as alerts from Microsoft apps such as Skype.
Storage Sense
Storage Sense essentially lists installed apps in order of size and easily allows users to uninstall multiple apps at once. This is very handy for users on Windows, which previously did not handle the installation and uninstallation of apps in a manner that was easy to use.
Virtual Desktops
Last of all, Microsoft will be bringing virtual desktops to Windows 9, something that has long been a part of Apple's OS X. This will allow users to keep apps in full screen mode and easily switch between them.
Conclusion
While leaks, as always, should be taken with a grain of salt, none so far are hard to believe. Despite this, between now and the official release of Windows 9 sometime in 2015, Microsoft could very easily decide to make changes.
