Microsoft still won't officially use Windows and the number eight in the same sentence, but several Microsoft enthusiast sites have posted what appear to be some early details on the next version of Microsoft's flagship operating system.

On his Microsoft Journal Web site, Francisco Martin Garcia posted several slides stamped "Microsoft Confidential" that discuss key features of the still hush-hush operating system, including a focus on facial recognition as a means of authentication as well as improving boot-up times. The goal, according to the information, is that slates and laptops would be able to resume from sleep in less than a second.

The slides also suggest that the new operating system will support features such as 3D displays, wireless connection to televisions, as well as for things like USB 3.0 and Bluetooth 3.0. CNET has not yet been able to independently confirm the authenticity of the slides, but key points, such as the use of internal Microsoft jargon, lend weight to their legitimacy.

Full story: c|net