You can see with a single swipe the messages that are waiting to be read, and having your incoming messages (be they email, text, BlackBerry messenger, Facebook, and so on) in one consistent interface makes them much easier to handle during a busy day.

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By making the user interface attractive and consistent, companies would create higher barriers to entry to competitors.

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Through the single sign-on and careful attention to the interface, all the services have a consistent look and feel, he said.

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Unlike with use of the controller or cloud, Nintendo has taken a consistent, thoughtful approach with its TVii feature, creating a solid user interface.

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