2.0.0.0-dev41
* All-new look & feel of backend UI -- "Magento 2 backend" theme
  * This theme includes "Magento User Interface Library" -- a set of reusable CSS-classes, icons and fonts
* Theme editing features (in backend UI):
  * Ability to view static resources, such as CSS and JavaScript files, which are inherited by virtual themes from physical themes and application, and library
  * Ability to upload and edit custom CSS/JavaScript code assigned to a particular virtual theme
  * Ability to manage image and font assets for virtual themes
  * The uploaded or edited theme resources are used in page generation
  * Ability to rename virtual themes
  * Physical themes are read-only
* Visual design editor:
  * Ability to enter a "Design Mode" directly from the list of "My Customizations" in "Design Gallery"
  * Updated styling of theme selector and VDE toolbars
* Added functional limitations (managed through configuration files):
  * Ability to limit maximum number of store views in the system
  * Ability to limit maximum number of admin user records in the system
* Introduced mechanism of early discovery of memory leaks in integration tests:
  * Added ability to integration testing framework to detect usage of memory and estimate memory leaks using OS tools outside of PHP process
  * Also ability to set memory usage threshold which would deliberately trigger error, if integration tests reach it
* Refactoring in integration tests:
  * Broke down `Magento_Test_Bootstrap` into smaller testable classes
  * Minimized amount of logic in `bootstrap.php` of integration tests
  * Factored out memory utility functions from memory integration tests into a separate helper
  * Removed hard-coding of the default setting values from `Magento_Test_Bootstrap` in favor of requiring some crucial settings
  * Fixed integration tests dependency on `app/etc/local.xml`, changes in which were involved into the sandbox hash calculation `dev/tests/integration/tmp/sandbox-<db_vendor>-<hash>`
* Improvements in JavaScript widget "Suggest" (`pub/lib/mage/backend/suggest.js`):
  * Added ability to set callback for "item selection"
  * Added ability to provide a template in widget options
  * Implemented "multiple suggestions" ability directly in this widget and removed the "multisuggest" widget
* Converted several grids in backend from PHP implementation to declarations in layout
* Other various improvements:
  * Factored out logic of handling theme images from `Mage_Core_Model_Theme` into `Mage_Core_Model_Theme_Image`
  * Ability to filter file extensions in uploader component
  * Publication of resources linked in CSS-files will only log error instead of crashing page generation process
* Bug fixes:
  * Fixed several memory leaks in different places, related with dispatching controller actions multiple times in integration tests and with excessive reference to `Mage_Core_Model_App` object
  * Fixed integration test in `Mage_Install` module that verifies encryption key length
  * Fixed DHL shipping carrier declaration in config that caused inability to use it with shopping cart price rules
  * Fixed issues in generating of configurable product variations when the button "Generate" is invoked second time
  * Fixed an error that caused inability to create a theme in Windows environment in developer mode
  * Fixed various errors in JavaScript tests for visual design editor
  * Fixed broken "Edit" link on backend product management page
2.0.0.0-dev42
* Application initialization improvements:
  * Removed application initialization responsibility from `Mage` class
  * Introduces entry points, which are responsible for different types of requests processing: HTTP, media, cron, indexing, console installing, etc.
  * New configuration classes are introduced and each of them is responsible for specific section of configuration
  * Class rewrites functionality removed from `Mage_Core_Model_Config` model. DI configuration should be used for rewriting classes
* Added ability to configure object manager with array in addition to object and scalar values
* VDE improvements:
  * Theme CSS files viewing and uploading/downloading of custom CSS file
  * Updated styling of VDE Tools panel
* Refactored various components to an analogous jQuery widget:
  * Refactored components:
    * Category navigation
    * Products management and gallery
    * Send to friend
    * Sales components, including orders and returns
    * Retrieve shipping rates and add/remove coupon in shopping cart
    * Customer address and address book
    * Customer wishlist
    * "Contact Us" form
    * CAPTCHA
    * Weee
  * New tabs widget is used instead of `Varien.Tabs`
  * Refactored `Varien.dateRangeDate` and `Varien.FileElement`
  * Replaced `$.mage.constants` with jQuery UI `$.ui.keyCode` for keyboard key codes
* Refactored configurable attribute, category parent and attribute set selectors to use suggest widget
* Bug fixes:
  * Improvements and bug fixes in new backend theme
  * Image, categories attributes and virtual/downloadable fields are displayed on Update Attributes page, where they shouldn't be present
  * Undefined config property in `reloadOptionLabels()` function in `configurable.js` (Chrome)
  * Impossible to edit existing customer/product tax class
  * Incorrect format of customer's "Date of Birth"
  * Theme preview images are absent in VDE
  * Search by backslash doesn't work for Categories field on product creation page
  * Impossible to assign a category to a product, if category name contains HTML tag
  * Incorrect URL generated for logo image
2.0.0.0-dev43
* Implemented functional limitation that restricts max number of catalog products in the system
* Implemented cache backend library model for MongoDB
* Converted some more grids in backend from PHP implementation to declarations in layout
* Removed `app/etc/local.xml.additional` sample file, moved detailed description of possible configuration options to documentation
* Refactored `Mage_Core_Model_EntryPointAbstract` to emphasize method `processRequest()` as abstract
* Moved declaration of functional limitations to the nodes `limitations/store` and `limitations/admin_account`
* Bug fixes:
  * Fixed JavaScript and markup issues on product editing page in backend that caused erroneous sending of AJAX-queries and not rendering validation messages
  * Fixed issues of application initialization in cases when `var` directory doesn't have writable permissions. Writable directories are validated at an early stage of initialization
  * Fixed array sorting issues in test `Magento_Filesystem_Adapter_LocalTest::testGetNestedKeys()` that caused occasional failures
2.0.0.0-dev44
* Product creating & editing:
  * Added ability to control base text styling without WYSIWYG when editing description fields
  * Added validation for price and quantity fields
  * Removed category suggest limit
* Product template management:
  * Automatically update Product Template when modifying structure in Create Product flow
  * Improvements to change attribute set functionality
* Refactored JavaScript to use JQuery library:
  * Refactored the following pages: catalog tags, one page checkout, multishipping checkout, gift options, gift messages (across the board)
  * Converted jQuery popupwindow.js plugin to a jQuery widget
  * Replaced Prototype code for Switch/Maestro and Solo credit card with jQuery widget
  * Replaced Prototype Validation with jQuery validation plugin
  * Converted credit card payment tool tip to jQuery in all themes
  * Removed legacy JS files from all themes
* Various improvements in look & feel of backend UI:
  * Styling of components: catalog, sales, customers, reports, CMS, newsletter
  * Generic styling: grids, popup windows
  * Changes to support IE browser
* Enhancements in "suggest" JavaScript widget:
  * Ability to delete selected item using keyboard
  * Ability to display all available search items, if "recent items" is empty
  * Fixes of behavior of currently selected elements and "spinner"
  * Display "No Records" message in suggest widget if all items already selected
  * Fixed suggest widget to no longer show deleted items
* Improved `Magento_Test_Helper_ObjectManager` in unit tests to discover types of constructor arguments
* Removed workaround of unsetting objects referenced in `tearDown()` of integration tests
* Updated Menu and Navigation layout, including redesigned backend menu item System -> My Account
* Made store address format consistent with format of shipping origin address
* Added ability to navigate directly to a section in backend system configuration, with corresponding accordion expanded
* Removed some of unnecessary coupling between several modules
* General improvements to unit and integration test code coverage, as well as compliance with coding standards
* Application framework:
  * Implemented ability to compress/decompress data in a cache backend
  * Verified ability to disable in configuration triggering of system upgrade
  * Abolished code pools and the mechanism of overriding files using include\_path (without alternative)
  * Implemented segmentation of cache by types -- ability to assign separate cache configuration per type. Reviewed and verified possibility to isolate configuration cache segment
  * Segregated application configuration into several layers. Primary configuration is used by the object manager and loaded before application is initialized
  * Instead of `Zend\Di`, implemented `Magento\ObjectManager` library that has less features and suits Magento application needs better in terms of performance
  * Introduced "context" object as dependencies for super-classes (`Mage_Core_Model_Abstract`, `Mage_Core_Block_Abstract`, etc) to reduce complexity of their constructors' API
  * Implemented tools for pre-populating all auto-generated proxy and factory classes, used by dependency injection framework
  * Replaced "developer" mode with general "mode", that has 3 states: developer, default, production
  * In "production" mode, the application will not invoke fallback for static view files (images, CSS-files, JavaScript). Instead, it will assume that they are already placed in a fully qualified location. Added tools for populating static view files from `app` directory into `pub/static`
  * Introduced support for Twig templating
    * template rendering, including phtml, was abstracted into a 'Template Engine' to make support for other template engines easier
    * included Magento-specific Twig functions and filters
    * phtml templates can now only access public methods of the corresponding Block class
    * ability to define dependencies on data provided by a service that is then made available to the templates -- eliminates some of the code in Blocks
  * Introduced support for webhooks and callbacks: outbound HTTP requests for notifications and real-time integrations
  * Added ability to define options for System Configuration select fields in XML: static options are defined inline, dynamic options can reuse data provided by a service
* Moved product business logic found in blocks into `Mage_Catalog_Service_Product` to consolidate logic into a single structure that both controllers and web services can invoke
* Converted product view page to demonstrate use of Twig templates and services
* Updated shipping carrier `collectRates` logic to support remote callbacks and converted the FedEx shipping carrier to comply with the same interface
* Added webhook support for the following topics: `customer/created`, `customer/updated`, `customer/deleted`, and `order/created`
* Visual design editor:
  * Ability to view all CSS-files of a theme
  * Ported numerous features of visual design editor from Magento Go 1.x to Magento Core 2.x: style editing, managing catalog images
  * Various improvements in UI
  * Improved image sizing functionality
  * Improved test coverage
  * Ability to launch physical themes, including workflow preview mode and workflow design mode
  * Ability to duplicate existing themes for customization
* GitHub requests
  * [#162](https://github.com/magento/magento2/pull/162) -- classmap needs to be prepended to autoloader stack to have any effect
  * [#179](https://github.com/magento/magento2/pull/179) -- fix that makes `Mage_Install` compatible with the new version of SimpleXml
  * [#180](https://github.com/magento/magento2/pull/180) -- fixed `getBaseUrl()` when type was injected via setter
  * [#203](https://github.com/magento/magento2/pull/203) -- fixed problem with login in to backend area on php 5.4
  * [#216](https://github.com/magento/magento2/pull/216) -- explicit nullification of `$_store` in `Mage_Core_Model_Sore_Storage_Db->_initStores()`
  * [#220](https://github.com/magento/magento2/pull/220) -- make topmenu HTML editable by an event
  * [#221](https://github.com/magento/magento2/pull/221) -- changed minimum required PHP version from PHP 5.2.3 to 5.3.3
* Bug fixes:
  * Restored missing Paypal configuration options
  * Fixed numerous display issues on the following pages: admin login, product management, category management, CMS poll, VDE, tax, shipping
  * Fixed XSS vulnerability related to customer data & bundle options
  * Fixed "Preview Theme" functionality
  * Fixed JS File upload problem with Internet Explorer
  * Replaced `truncateOptions` function in `varien/js.js` with inline widget
  * Fixed broken XPaths in `SystemConfiguration.yml`
  * Fixed jQuery metadata plugin's data attribute scanning for validation
  * Synchronized default value of `quantity_and_stock_status` with Stock Availability control
  * Fixed display of G.T. Purchased column in Order grid when order in non-default currency
  * Fixed Foreign Key support for MS SQL
  * Fixed "Create Customer" functionality on New Order screen
  * Restored State/Province field to Review Order page
  * Fixed Add New Tax Rate functionality
  * Fixed problem with displaying New Shopping Cart Price Rule tab
  * Fixed problem of configurable product options getting lost when adding product to wishlist
  * Fixed UPS Shipping label printing
  * Fixed performance issue with Catalog Management
  * Fixed input file type validation when importing customers
  * Fixed custom product placeholder image display
  * Added missing files referenced by `quick\_style.css`
  * Fixed validation error messaging and message placement
  * Fixed access problem to SOAP/XML User and Roles pages
  * Fixed access problem created when editing your own permissions
  * Several fixes for problems with cleaning cache in tag scope
  * Fixed invalid link problem in Gift Card email
  * Fixed problem with deleting selected product category after changing attribute set
  * Fixed theme management for Windows by adopting `Magento_Filesystem` abstraction to access directories
  * Fixed cart rendering in case of empty cart
  * Remove duplicate "Link to Store Front" link from admin, made obsolete by "Customer View" link
  * Removed "Flat Rate" from pre-installed shipping methods