GOOGLE LAUNCHES NEW GMAIL LOOK

Hot on the heels of the newly revamped Reader, Google is rolling out a new Gmail. Gmail’s conversation view has been streamlined and now includes photos of each contact. Additionally, it will automatically resize itself to look best depending on your screen size thanks to a new “elastic density feature.” Themes now support HD images and there is a new “smarter navigation” panel on the left hand side of the display that is customizable. Google also added a drop-down search box for more accurate email searches. The software giant says users will begin to see the option to “switch to the new look” in the bottom right-hand of their inbox over the next few days. Check out the video below for more features.

RUMOR: iTUNES CREATOR LEADING APPLE TV EFFORTS

Jeff Robbin, who helped create the iPod in addition to the iTunes media store, is now guiding Apple’s internal development of the new TV effort, said the people, who declined to be identified because his role isn’t public. Robbin’s involvement is a sign of Apple’s commitment to extending its leadership in smartphones and tablets into the living room. Before his Oct. 5 death, Apple co-founder Steve Jobs told biographer Walter Isaacson that he had “finally cracked” how to build an integrated TV with a simple user interface that would wirelessly synchronize content with Apple’s other devices.

“It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine,” Jobs told Isaacson in the biography “Steve Jobs,” released yesterday by CBS Corp. (CBS)’s Simon & Schuster. Trudy Muller, a spokeswoman for Cupertino, California-based Apple, declined to comment.

GOOGLE'S GMAIL AND CALENDAR TO GET SIMPLIER INTERFACE

Does Gmail's current look seem chaotic and claustrophobic to you? Are you overwhelmed by the myriad mailing options, labels, and chat windows? We aren't either, but apparently Google sees things differently, and has an interface overhaul planned that'll simplify things in your webmail world. It looks like the spacious and simple design language from Google + will carry over to all the web services proffered by the gang in Mountain View. For now, it's available as a couple of simplistic skins to be tried on in the Themes tab of your Gmail settings, with more permanent changes rolling out in the coming months. Google Calendar is slated for a stripped-down wardrobe in the next few days as well, with El Goog promising more cosmetic and functional changes for both services later this summer. In the meantime, the company's looking for feedback on its new interface so it can fix any issues folks find.

RIM BUYS THE ASTONISHING TRIBE FOR UI HELP

RIM, the parent company of Blackberry, has acquired UI design company The Astonishing Tribe, better known as TAT.  TAT specializes in interface design for mobile devices, but their designs are also used in the automotive industry. Most recently TAT designed the Android OS UI as well concepts that may be used in future builds of the Android mobile system.  The TAT website describes them as:

We create the best performing, most astonishingly beautiful user interfaces for any screen and any device. We do this using awesome design, optimized technology, and constant experimentation with emerging technologies and paradigms.

RIM will use TAT to help make its forthcoming Playbook user friendly and also differentiate it from the Android and iPhone devices. [Engadget]