Java Edition 1.8

Snapshots are planned to begin Thursday January 9 2014.

General
Difficulty
 * Difficulty can be locked for each world.
 * This is so you don't open a world meant for easy difficulty (or higher) on peaceful difficulty by accident.
 * This also is to avoid temptation to change to an easier difficulty in hairy situations.

Adventure mode Commands
 * Hitboxes of blocks appear in Adventure mode only if the block can be interacted with (chests, levers, etc.).
 * Possibility to break certain blocks, with the help of certain modified tools.
 * The breakable blocks of a certain item are shown in its tooltip.
 * Created with the tag "CanDestroy".
 * Kill command can be used to kill a specified player or entity.
 * New command . It will be able to modify NBT data at a specific coordinate. The  will merge with the block at that position.
 * Usage format:
 * Capability to detect entities in the same fashion as blocks.

Gameplay
Enchanting
 * Has separate XP level requirement, XP level cost and resource cost. For example, an enchantment may have an XP level requirement of 13, meaning it will only become available for enchanting after reaching 13 levels of experience, but will only cost 2 XP levels and 2 of a resource.
 * Only one randomly chosen enchantment will be displayed in the tooltip.
 * This means that additional enchantments could still be applied, even if they aren't mentioned in the tooltip. For example, if it says "Sharpness" in the tooltip when enchanting a sword, you know the enchantment can't include Smite or Bane of Arthropods, since they are not compatible with each other. However it may still add Knockback or Fire Aspect.
 * Enchantments only cost 1-3 XP levels.
 * Each additional XP level adds a tier of enchantment.
 * The list of possible enchantments is not reset until you enchant an item.
 * In multiplayer, the individual player will have to enchant an item in order for his/her own enchantment list to update.
 * Levels are harder to obtain.

Anvil
 * Anvils will be re-balanced to meet the new enchanting system.
 * Renaming costs only one level.
 * Repairing costs are "flattened" for all items.

Trading
 * Rebalanced system.
 * Will be more useful.
 * Offers will be less random.
 * Trading will give XP.

Blocks and Items
Tools
 * Added an NBT tag for what block it can breaks

Door
 * They are stackable up to 64
 * The crafting recipe for doors now gives 3 doors instead of one.

Granite
 * A pink-brown stone
 * Comes in two variants: "Raw"(like cobblestone) and "Smooth"

Diorite
 * A whitish stone
 * Comes in two variants: "Raw"(like cobblestone) and "Smooth"

Andesite
 * A grayish stone
 * Comes in two variants: "Raw"(like cobblestone) and "Smooth"

Slime Block
 * A "bouncy" block that resembles a slime.

Stone Variants
 * Jeb said that working with stone variants was on his list for 1.8.
 * This includes Granite, Diorite, and Andesite.