UniveRSS

Microsoft's UniveRSS application displaying RSS feeds as cubes.

UniveRSS is the name of a 3D RSS feed reader developed by Microsoft to showcase the capabilities of the Windows Presentation Foundation in the Microsoft Windows Vista operating system. UniveRSS was released by Microsoft's The Panel, a website dedicated to creating showcase applications highlighting the new user experiences made possible by the Windows Presentation Foundation and the other technologies included with Windows Vista.

Details

UniveRSS is a showcase RSS feed reading application developed by Microsoft. The application creates a universe where subscribed RSS feeds are represented as three-dimensional objects suspended in space; the size of and distance between these objects is proportionate to the amount of unread feeds, with a larger object indicating a larger amount of unread feeds.

Controls

UniveRSS supports both mouse and keyboard-based navigation; the application differs from traditional feed readers in that the navigational controls simulate those included in traditional computer games. A list of navigational controls for UniveRSS was released by Microsoft.

• Left mouse click: Selects objects, folders, and other items. Holding down the left mouse button navigates the X and Z axis (horizontal and vertical directions).
• Right mouse click: Deselects a selected item, or returns to a previous item or location. Holding down the right mouse button navigates the X and Y axis.
• Navigational keys: While holding down the space bar, the arrow keys of a keyboard navigate the X and Y axis.
• Ctrl + V: Changes the view to a pad-view.
• Mouse scroll wheel: By holding down the right mouse button and using a mouse scroll wheel to scroll, users can navigate through UniveRSS with only one hand. Navigation through the X and Y axis is provided with the mouse button; the scroll wheel navigates through the Z axis.

Microsoft stated that it intended to provide additional keyboard controls in later versions of the application.

Requirements

System requirements for UniveRSS are the same as those for machines capable of running Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Aero.

• 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
• 1 GB of system memory
• Support for DirectX 9 graphics with a WDDM driver, 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum), Pixel Shader 2.0 and 32 bits per pixel.