I didn't expect to be writing about the next version of Windows again so soon, but a handful of viewers watching the Ignite Keynote yesterday noticed an updated version of the Windows UI that was shown in a brief cutaway, which had a floating taskbar along the bottom, system icons in the top right, a floating search box in the top middle, and the weather in the top left.Back when I first began hearing about the Next Valley release, I was also shown preliminary design ideas that were being explored internally.The brief look at the UI mockup during Ignite is very low quality, so I've recreated it to give you a better idea as to what it's supposed to look like:I've seen different variations of this design layout, including a version that houses the system icons/elements along the top in a translucent bar instead of just floating on the desktop.I'm told this proposed design prototype aims to achieve an interface that is better optimized for touch without diminishing the experience for mouse and keyboard users.It's still very early days for Next Valley, and since nothing is committed to code yet, this UI exploration can and likely will change between now and when the next version of Windows is ready to be announced."