Bill Higgins :: the Uncanny Valley of user interface design
http://billhiggins.us/weblog/2007/05/17/the-uncanny-valley-of-user-interface-design
"Gmail uses Ajax to accelerate common operations ... but its core look and feel remains very similar to that of a traditional web page. In my view, this is not a shortcoming; it’s a smart design decision."
Wired 15.01: It's Alive!
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/15.01/alive.html
"Say hello to Pleo. From the guy who brought you Furby, it's a snuffling, stretching, oddly convincing robotic dinosaur. You are so going to want one."