Microsoft continues to keep mum on the next iteration Windows Live, but silence should be in no way mistaken for inactivity. The most recent Windows Live Wave 4 leaks come to confirm the fact that the Redmond company is hard at work building the successors of the current versions of Windows Live clients and services, including Windows Live Hotmail, Windows Live Messenger, Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Photo Gallery, Windows Live Writer, etc. The first details on the next generation of Windows Live Mail, Photo Gallery and Writer have been leaked and are currently available for your viewing pleasure.

Just check out the screenshots included with this article, courtesy of GeekSmack. The releases of Mail, Photo Gallery and Writer feature the following Build string 15.0.2403.826, although they are all still labeled version 2009. In fact, with 2009 almost over, the next release of Windows Live clients can only happen next year, and as such it is expected that the bits feature the versions 2010 tag as the solutions will be finalized and released to customers.

As far as Windows Live Mail, Photo Gallery, Writer Build 15.0.2403.826 are concerned, it is immediately visible the fact that Microsoft is making the Ribbon/Fluent graphical user interface pervasive not only across Windows 7 default components, but also the operating system’s extensions in the Cloud. In the first half of December 2009, Windows Live Messenger Wave 4/2010 Beta screenshots were also leaked in the wild. The next version of Windows Live Messenger is reportedly the only Windows Live component not to feature the Ribbon GUI.

Microsoft has so far not shared any details on the evolution of Windows Live Wave 4, however, the company did launch a new blog focused on the engineering process of Windows Live the past week. Of course, I contacted the company and asked about Windows Live Wave 4. “In terms of your Wave 4 question, we have nothing to announce at this time. Of course, there are lots of exciting things happening in this space, and we will be sure to update you when we have news to share,” a Microsoft spokesperson told me.