I recently upgraded to Windows Vista. Something I noticed is it’s use of transparent elements within it’s UI.

Here’s an example of the corner of a Vista window:

Another common Web 2.0 method is the lightbox which is essentially a pop-up using JavaScript but rather than creating a new window within the browser it keeps the user on the same screen. It can be a powerful tool in the user experience design.

In this example the user is able to select a single date and view the details without leaving the page. There is no additional browser windows allowing the user to focus on a singe action. In addition to opening a window the lightbox method “shades” the window below to reduce the level of noise on the screen.