I think you may have missed the point of the Microsoft ad (could be there fault), I don't think there intention was to show that you always need to be staring at your phone in case you miss something but the fact is you do.

Everywhere you look people walk around glued to their phones. I believe the point MS is trying to make is that they have, as they like to say, the "glance and go" platform which has all your interests on the home screen (something you mention you want). So, you can look at your phone address anything you feel like and get on with things, like life.