It’s still not clear if these screenshots are real, but if they are, I will be very grateful. If only not to make my eyes hurt every time I have to open Gmail. The underlying user interface won’t be much better, but at least it will feel a little bit clearer and organised. Bonus points: Google Wave may have found some real use, at last. [Engadget]

iStartedSomething has videos showing the prototype in action, and it looks like it’s got quite some potential. I can’t wait until displays like this are sold so that I can control everything with foolish hand-waving. [iStartedSomething via Slashgeat]

Only LG, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson make Symbian phones of note — Motorola axed its line. Samsung puts its TouchWiz UI on top of the dreadful S60 OS, and Sony Ericsson will likely do the same with its Rachael interface. Android is taking off, and even Nokia is looking to its Linux-based Maemo OS for its best stuff, like the N900. The Symbian OS still has a big slice of the phone market, but for how long?

And the cool UI in this video? The Symbian Foundation says that it’s not part of the Symbian UI roadmap, but they hope some of the features and effects make it into their reference UI and/or delivered handsets. Will you still care? [All About Symbian via SlashGear]

It takes all open webpages, applications, and widgets and organizes them in a way that you can easily flick to leaf through the selections. Actually, the more I think about it, the more it seems almost exactly like the card system. With fancy page-flip transitions in between.

Each page of the virtual book is the UI of a service or function of the handheld electronic device. Flipping the pages of the virtual book means browsing and selecting the services and functions provided by the handheld electronic device. This book-like UI enables the user to use and manage these applications, widgets, and web pages in an easy and intuitive way like browsing a conventional printed book. The book-like UI hides the differences among applications, widgets, and web pages so that the handheld electronic device can be accessed through a uniform and convenient UI.

The patent also describes a really cool rolodex-style method of browsing, where the UI collapses apps and pages towards the top and bottom of the screen while expanding the item you’re looking at in the middle. Imagine (again with the Palm comparisons) the Pre’s calendar, and you’ll get the idea.

The Pre might already have a lot of what’s described here, but I’m totally cool with HTC ripping it off. Because if anyone can knock this interface out of the park, it’s HTC. [<a href="http://www.unwiredview.com/2009/10/30/hts-is-working-on-next-gen-virtual-book-touch-ui/""UnwiredView via Slashgear]

Honestly, nothing else changes. Although I’m certain that someone will end up asking me whether the TiVo device will now get more channels because it says the word Freeview. The answer, of course, is no. There is absolutely no consumer benefit to buying Freeview badged equipment. But of course, you guys know that already anyway…

Any TiVo owners out there want to comment on having their UI changed in such a basic and minor way?

Offered by Hammacher Schlemmer:

This is the first voice-interactive coffee maker that asks, “Would you like to set the clock or set the coffee brewing time?” and operates in response to your verbal commands. Simply saying, “Set the coffee brewing time,” or “Set the clock,” will prompt the machine to reply, “Please say the time, including AM or PM.” It uses an advanced voice recognition system to identify any time of day you speak, eliminating the hassle of fussing with buttons.

Sure, the one instance that you ever have to program the time on your coffee maker is a tad inconvenient, and I can appreciate the UI improvement of any gadget. But as long as we’re using voice commands and $US100 coffee makers, we might as well open the door for new functionality. “Brew four cups of coffee” or “tea earl grey hot” would both be welcome commands that could save you time and prodding on a daily basis.

Imagine if you could only tell the Enterprise to “set the clock”. [Hammacher Schlemmer via CrunchGear]

* To be fair, maybe Hammacher Schlemmer just failed to mention the “make coffee” command. Even if so, the fact that you need to press a button to issue the order sort of negates the convenience.

The Dock may not be perfect, but with the new Exposé in Leopard, I think it is quite better than the task bar. But then again, both are clumsy. In any case, I don’t think paying $US15 for uBar—which on top of that is 32-bits and crashes badly in Snow Leopard—is the solution. But if you are into bondage, domination, sadomasochism and the whole “Start” menu thingie, by all means please get this. [Brawersoft]

Both the Omnia and Mega are based on Windows Mobile 6.5, but the final result for each phone is distinct. And by distinct I mean the Omnia II might have the edge in the “sexiness” category. This is doubly true when you consider those screens are coupled with a large AMOLED screen. As BGR notes, however, the Mega is only a mid-range phone, and the UI could see things kicked up a bit when applied to higher end models in the future.

The Sense UI is represented here as well. Just in case you missed it, Sense is the Android interface overhaul that HTC debuted on the Hero back in June. True to their word, the UI—sorry, “design philosophy”—is being deployed on each of its phones going forward. [ai.rs via BGR]

The home screen looks pretty good, with HTC’s trademark flipping clock (although the skinned clock doesn’t actually flip), weather, and three customisable apps, with the icon for the sliding app tray just to the right. The dialer is also skinned, with the fat-finger-friendly Android number keys, but that’s mostly it — the apps themselves aren’t skinned, and neither is the list of apps. But it’ll definitely give a fresh coat of paint to the iPhone if you’re tired of the home screen, as long as you don’t expect the iPhone UI to be as totally changed by Sense as Android’s was. [Redmond Pie via Engadget]

Desperate to see more of the Zune HD UI before the player drops in the fall? Then check out this video, taken all spy shot-like at the recent gdgt launch party during an interactive demo.

As we all know by now, the browser got some good press on Friday, when CNET gushed over how well it did what browsers do. Our own Zune HD hands on a while back was impressive too.

Microsoft’s Very Big Deal for the holiday season, indeed. [YouTube - Thanks, Alf]