Create a user interface which uses earphones instead of a display. This is not intended to be an accessibility device for the blind, though they can use it (until the hybrid devices below). This is to create something totally new from scratch.
I think a lot could be done with adjusting the phase and volume between the ears to make sound sound like it's coming from different directions in space. Perhaps they represent different "windows". A mouse makes less sense for a sound interface, but a wand does for a spatial interface. Point the wand in the direction of the sound you are interested in.
Other degrees of freedom: for tones, pitch and timbre; for voice: accent, voice pitch, language variations (e.g., formality, tense, mood). There is so much!
Some advantages of a sound interface: You don't have to keep your body in a single orientation to see a display. It's very private. It can be used in locations where a display is unwieldy or impractical. It consumes less power. You don't have to hold a display in front of your face.
A hybrid system also incorporates a display for the best of both worlds. Or just a small display for the few tasks that really need it.
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