Since I've gone independent I don't have enough time to keep this blog alive all by myself...

The "New Xbox Experience (NXE)". They're completely changing the user experience with a mandatory firmware update on November 19th. Lots of pictures on gizmodo.com. 

The Pop-It menu is pure genius. Every player gets his own menu-system for changing clothes, applying stickers and building stuff, and the best thing is: they all work in parallel! It's multiplayer-menus! Did I mention that the entire Interface is insanely pretty and full of good ideas, just like the game itself?

Not entirely game-related, but interesting none the less: Jensen Harris' talk at the MIX conference in Las Vegas. You can download the video from his blog: "The story of the Ribbon".

What's inside:

• A nice overview of the Interface of Microsoft Word from version 1.0 to 2003 with screenshots of each version
• Their design process
• The creation of "the ribbon" ("The Ribbon" is the part of the new Office UI that runs along the top of the screen and replaces the long menus and toolbars of previous versions)
• He shows lots and lots of prototypes, including some really fancy ideas
  

Just wow. The interface of Diablo III is promising to become one of the best-looking (and as I know Blizzard also one of most useable) interfaces out there... I love how they kept the memorable pieces of the original interface (the 2 big glass-spheres filled with liquid), but updated everything to the pretty and polished look that World of Worcraft is known for. The subtle and simple minimap, the overhead healthbars, the dialogue-mode when 2 characters talk, the sounds when you move stuff around in the inventory... I'm telling you, that this is going to be good. But see for yourself: Gameplay Trailer

Check it out on John Nack's blog - there's a video there too...

I for one never liked floating panels and was extremely happy about the new UI in CS3 and think that they're continuing to head down the right road... And it's a funny story how they got on that road:
Macromedia copied Adobe's interface -> Adobe sued Macromedia -> Macromedia developed its own, better interface -> Adobe bought Macromedia and took on the new UI...