I recently had Alan Levy, CEO of BlogTalkRadio on Apple Universe to talk about the service. I was searching the web, and I found this neat post. Here it is:

Alan Levy on Apple Universe

“Daniel Brusilovsky, host of the Apple Universe podcast, welcomed BlogTalkRadio CEO Alan Levy to his program for a chat about BlogTalkRadio. Apple Universe is a podcast hosted by Mr. Brusilovsky, who also hosts Tech Today, Web Review and is an almost-BlogTalkRadio host. He is an Apple computer enthusiast and a very bright individual.

So you may be surprised to hear that he is also a sophomore in High School, plays in the Jazz and Wind Ensembles, and is the Co-President of the technology club, Mousesquad.

Apple Universe Episode #83 “Blog, Talk and Radio!” features Daniel grilling Alan on the BlogTalkRadio platform. Tune in for details. Daniel is a tech, web and Apple guru and is racking up quite a collection of guests on his podcast. Check out his blog and his Apple Universe podcast for more.”

Thanks Alan for being on Apple Universe!

[BlogTalkRadio Blog]

Hey Apple Universe Listeners,Its been a while since I last did a blog post about Apple Universe, but I have some great news! As you know, one of my sponsors, shinywhitebox, has graciously agreed to give 2 licences to iShowU. Here is some info about iShowU:

For you, the user

• Simple – iShowU is designed specifically to be easy to use. If you don’t want to customize anything, it’ll work straight out of the tin. All you have to do is hit ‘Record’ and you’ll have a nice little video on your desktop in no time. 
• Universal Binary – Native speed, no matter what Mac you own. 
• Records any audio – iShowU can record both from a microphone source (so that you can call the action), and also from the standard system output* of your Mac. One click is all it takes. 
• User specified capture size – The user can easily specify the size of the video to be captured, using an intuitive ‘see through’ video preview. Just drag the corners around to specify the size, and hit enter. 
• Pause / Resume – When recording you’re free to pause and then resume the capture at any time. Great if the phone rings half way through your work. 
• Fixed or follow mouse modes – Sometimes you’ll want the capture rectangle (think of it as a movie camera that tracks your mouse) to follow the mouse, and other times, you’ll want to capture just one area of the screen. iShowU can do both. 
• Mouse Capture – You can choose to capture mouse movement during your video. Unlike other capture systems, the mouse is recorded in a separate high resolution video track (that takes almost zero memory), so even if you’re only capturing half a frame a second, mouse movement is liquid smooth. If you want to record a movie for playback on something other than QuickTime, iShowU can record the mouse per-frame as well. 
• Presets – Create as many different settings as you like, for different types of recording. This allows you to quickly switch between different recording modes with a single click. 
• Leopard – iShowU already works with it 
• As visible as you want – or not – You have full control over whether iShowU has an icon in the dock, automatically hides itself when you begin recording and whether or not it shows up in the status bar. Make it visible so you can see recording status, or hide it completely. Up to you.

Want control over your video capture? – try these

• Capture scaling – When capturing, you can downsize the video to 75 or 50% of it’s original size. 
• Support for key/non-keyframes – iShowU can encode using I/B/P frames – meaning that captured movies are much smaller (note: only some codecs, H264 in particular support this). 
• Self tuning capture performance – iShowU monitors it’s own capture performance. If the effective capture throughput is lower than expected (for example, due to the choice of encoder or system load), it will automatically lower the capture rate so that it doesn’t consume graphics resources if the encoder cannot keep up. It will also increase the capture rate if more system resources are available. 
• User defined audio/video quality – While internet connections are getting faster, it’s still going to take a while to transfer a 5GB movie to your Mum. iShowU compresses audio using AAC, and video using whatever method you think it appropriate (it defaults to H264). In addition, you can specify the quality of the video to your liking. 
• Choose your video format – If it’s supported by quicktime, it’s supported by iShowU. Realtime H.264 compression struggling a bit on the G4? Use Apple Anumation. iShowU lets you choose what works for you. 
• Custom frame rates – When there’s not much going on (i.e: you’re not moving the mouse, just speaking) iShowU will capture at a lesser frame rate. When you start moving the mouse around (and the capture rectangle follows it) then it’ll use a faster frame rate so that the motion looks smooth. Saves on bandwidth too! 
• Multiple screen support – Works with any screen configuration, and automatically reconfigures itself on the fly – even if you change the screen configuration while recording. 

 As you can see, iShowU is jam packed with really cool features! On Apple Universe Episode #82, Ben Higginbotham and I talked about iShowU for about 10 minutes! Check out the episode here: LINK.Thank you Neil from shinywhitebox for this opportunity. I will announce the contest on Apple Universe #85! 

Continuing on my 5 part blogging series about Windows Vista and Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, in Part 2, we are going to talk about the programs that come with the operating system. Lets start with Leopard.Now, when you buy a new Mac, you get Leopard, iLife 08 and iWork 08 free. It is free because it comes with the purchase of the computer. iLife 08 is a very cool suite of apps that I use daily/weekly. Here is what iLife 08 comes with now:iPhotoNow iPhoto automatically organizes your library by Events. Learn moreiMovieCompletely redesigned to help you make movies in minutes. Learn more.Mac Web GalleryiLife and .Mac let you share photos and movies online with a click. Learn moreGarageBandMake music, audition instruments, even create your own virtual band. Learn moreiWebCreate websites that are more custom, more complete, more you. Learn moreiDVDCreate Hollywood-style DVDs featuring your movies and slideshows. Learn moreAs you can see, when you buy a Mac, it comes stocked! Now going on to Vista.When you buy a new PC, it comes with Vista. The latest operating system from Microsoft.Lets look at the editions that Vista offers!Windows Vista Editions OverviewNo matter how you use your PC—from home entertainment to business productivity—there’s an edition of Windows Vista that’s right for you. Use this comparison table to help you choose your edition.UltimateWindows Vista Ultimate is the choice for those who want to have it all. Easily shift between the worlds of productivity and play with the most complete edition of Windows Vista. Ultimate provides the power, security, and mobility features needed for work, and all the entertainment features that you want for fun. Learn more about Windows Vista Ultimate.Home PremiumWindows Vista Home Premium is the preferred edition for home desktop and mobile PCs. It provides a breakthrough design that brings your world into sharper focus while delivering the productivity, entertainment, and security you need from your PC at home or on the go. Learn more about Windows Vista Home Premium.Home BasicWindows Vista Home Basic is ideal for homes with basic computing needs like e-mail, browsing the Internet, and viewing photos. Easy to set up and maintain, it enables you to quickly find what you’re looking for on your PC and the Internet, while providing a more secure environment to help protect you from an unpredictable world. Learn more about Windows Vista Home Basic.BusinessWindows Vista Business is the first edition of Windows designed specifically to meet the needs of small businesses. You’ll spend less time on technology support-related issues-so you can spend more time making your business successful. Windows Vista Business is the definitive choice for your business today and tomorrow. Learn more about Windows Vista Business.EnterpriseDesigned to significantly lower IT costs and risks, Windows Vista Enterprise meets the needs of large, global organizations with complex IT infrastructures. Learn more about Windows Vista Enterprise.As you can see, you have a lot of choices to make when you buy Vista. But with Leopard, one operating system does it all for you!

• Windows Aero: The new hardware-based graphical user interface, named Windows Aero  – an acronym for Authentic, Energetic, Reflective, and Open. The new interface is intended to be cleaner and more aesthetically pleasing than those of previous Windows, including new transparencies, live thumbnails, live icons, animations, and eye candy.
• Windows Shell: The new Windows shell is significantly different from Windows XP, offering a new range of organization, navigation, and search capabilities. Windows Explorer‘s task panel has been removed, integrating the relevant task options into the toolbar. A “Favorite links” panel has been added, enabling one-click access to common directories. The address bar has been replaced with a breadcrumb navigation system. The preview panel allows users to see thumbnails of various files and view the contents of documents. The details panel shows information such as file size and type, and allows viewing and editing ofembedded tags in supported file formats. The Start menu has changed as well; it no longer uses ever-expanding boxes when navigating through Programs. The word “Start” itself has been removed in favor of a blue Windows Orb (also called “Pearl”).
• Instant Search (also known as search as you type) : Windows Vista features a new way of searching called Instant Search, which is significantly faster and more in-depth (content-based) than the search features found in any of the previous versions of Windows.^[11]
• Windows Sidebar: A transparent panel anchored to the side of the screen where a user can place Desktop Gadgets, which are small applets designed for a specialized purpose (such as displaying the weather or sports scores). Gadgets can also be placed on other parts of the desktop.
• Windows Internet
  Explorer 7: New user interface, tabbed browsing, RSS, a search box, improved printing,^[12] Page Zoom, Quick Tabs (thumbnails of all open tabs) , Anti-Phishing filter, a number of new security protection features, Internationalized Domain Name support (IDN) , and improved web standards support. IE7 in Windows Vista runs in isolation from other applications in the operating system (protected mode) ; exploits and malicious software are restricted from writing to any location beyond Temporary Internet Files without explicit user consent.

Windows Media Player 11

• Windows Media Player 11, a major revamp of Microsoft’s program for playing and organizing music and video. New features in this version include word wheeling (or “search as you type”) , a new GUI for the media library, photo display and organization, the ability to share music libraries over a network with other Vista machines, Xbox 360 integration, and support for other Media Center Extenders.
• Backup and Restore Center: Includes a backup and restore application that gives users the ability to schedule periodic backups of files on their computer, as well as recovery from previous backups. Backups are incremental, storing only the changes each time, minimizing the disk usage. It also features Complete PC Backup (available only in Ultimate, Business, and Enterprise versions) which backs up an entire computer as an image onto a hard disk or DVD. Complete PC Backup can automatically recreate a machine setup onto new hardware or hard disk in case of any hardware failures. Complete PC Restore can be initiated from within Windows Vista, or from the Windows Vista installation CD in the event the PC is so corrupt that it cannot start up normally from the hard disk.
• Windows Mail: A replacement for Outlook Express that includes a new mail store that improves stability,^[13] and features integrated Instant Search. It has the Phishing Filter like IE7 and Junk mail filtering that is enhanced through regular updates via Windows Update.^[14]
• Windows Calendar is a new calendar and task application.
• Windows Photo Gallery, a photo and movie library management application. WPG can import from digital cameras, tag and rate individual items, adjust colors and exposure, create and display slideshows (with pan and fade effects) , and burn slideshows to DVD.
• Windows DVD Maker, a companion program to Windows Movie Maker that provides the ability to create video DVDs based on a user’s content. Users can design a DVD with title, menu, video, soundtrack, pan and zoom motion effects on pictures or slides.
• Windows Media Center, which was previously exclusively bundled as a separate version of Windows XP, known as Windows XP Media Center Edition, has been incorporated into the Home Premium and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista.
• Games and Games Explorer: Games included with Windows have been modified to showcase Vista’s graphics capabilities. New games are Chess Titans, Mahjong Titans and Purble Place. A new Games Explorer special folder holds shortcuts and information to all games on the user’s computer.

Windows Mobility Center.

• Windows Mobility Center is a control panel that centralizes the most relevant information related to mobile computing (brightness, sound, battery level / power scheme selection, wireless network, screen orientation, presentation settings, etc.).
• Windows Meeting Space replaces NetMeeting. Users can share applications (or their entire desktop) with other users on the local network, or over the Internet using peer-to-peer technology (higher versions than Starter and Home Basic can take advantage of hosting capabilities, limiting previous to “join” mode only)
• Shadow Copy automatically creates daily backup copies of files and folders. Users can also create “shadow copies” by setting a System Protection Point using the System Protection tab in the System control panel. The user can be presented multiple versions of a file throughout a limited history and be allowed to restore, delete, or copy those versions. This feature is available only in the Business, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions of Windows Vista and is inherited from Windows Server 2003.^[15]

Windows Update with Windows Ultimate Extras

• Windows Update: Software and security updates have been simplified,^[16] now operating solely via a control panel instead of as aweb application. Windows Mail’s spam filter and Windows Defender’s definitions are updated automatically via Windows Update. Users that choose the recommended setting for Automatic Updates will have the latest drivers installed and available when they add a new device.
• Parental controls: Allows administrators to control which websites, programs, and games each standard user can use and install. This feature is not included in the Business or Enterprise editions of Vista.
• Windows SideShow: Enables the auxiliary displays on newer laptops or on supported Windows Mobile devices. It is meant to be used to display device gadgets while the computer is on or off.
• Speech recognition is integrated into Vista.^[17] It features a redesigned user interface and configurable command-and-control commands. Unlike the Office 2003 version, which works only in Office and WordPad, Speech Recognition in Windows Vista works for any accessible application. In addition, it currently supports several languages: British and American English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified) , and Japanese.
• New fonts, including several designed for screen reading, and improved Chinese (Yahei, JhengHei) , Japanese (Meiryo) and Korean (Malgun) fonts. See . ClearTypehas also been enhanced and enabled by default.
• Problem Reports and Solutions, a control panel which allows users to view previously sent problems and any solutions or additional information that is available.
• Improved audio controls allow the system-wide volume or volume of individual audio devices and even individual applications to be controlled separately. New audio functionalities such as Room Correction, Bass Management, Speaker Fill and Headphone virtualization have also been incorporated.
• Windows System Assessment Tool is a tool used to benchmark system performance. Software such as games can retrieve this rating and modify its own behavior at runtime to improve performance. The benchmark tests CPU, RAM, 2-D and 3-D graphics acceleration, Graphics Memory and Hard disk space.^[18][19]
• Windows Ultimate Extras: The Ultimate Edition of Windows Vista provides access to extra games and tools, available through Windows Update. This replaces theMicrosoft Plus! software bundle that was
  sold alongside prior versions of Windows.
• Disk Management: A utility to modify hard disk drive partitions, including shrinking, creating and formatting new partitions.
• Performance Diagnostic Console includes various tools for tuning and monitoring system performance and resources activities of CPU, disks, network, memory and other resources. It shows the operations on files, the opened connections, etc.

I am very pleased to announce that Apple Universe has 2 new sponsors!

The first sponsor is a sponsor that has been familiar to Apple Universe before. GoToMeeting will be coming back for another 6 months with Apple Universe!

Also, shinywhitebox will be sponsoring Apple Universe until January 6th, 2008. shinywhitebox is a software company that makes great software like iShowU and Stomp!

Thank you Tech Podcast Network and Neil Clayton for this great opportunity!

~Daniel Brusilovsky
Host and Producer, Apple Universe

Hey Everyone,

I really am sorry that I haven’t been updating my blog as much as I really wanted to. Well, its Sunday night, 11:45 PM, and I have my PowerBook G4 on my lap, and I am writing a blog post…this is the life!Now I understand why Robert Scoble does this a lot 🙂 

I have done a lot with Apple Universe lately. I have done a lot of interviews including Cali Lewis, John C. Dvorak, Alan Levy, and regular news episodes. Please check out the podcast either on the web, or on the iTunes Store. If you do want to find Apple Universe on the iTunes Store, type in Apple Universe with Daniel Brusilovsky, and it should come up!Thanks again for all the support! I really do appreciate it!

In other news, Apple Universe has 2 new sponsors! I will do a blog post about the new sponsors tonight!

Thanks again,

Daniel Brusilovsky 

Hey Everyone!

Sorry I haven’t been blogging much. There will be a lot more to come in the next few weeks!

~Daniel

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As you all know, I will be starting a blogging series called  Leopard vs. Vista. In this first part, I will talk about the “UI” of both Leopard and Vista.First, we need to know what UI is.

The user interface (or Human Machine Interface) is the aggregate of means by which people (the users) interact with a particular machine, device, computer program or other complex tool (the system). The user interface provides means of:

* Input, allowing the users to manipulate a system
* Output, allowing the system to produce the effects of the users’ manipulation.

When I first think of Leopard and Mac OS X in general, I think of beautiful, stunning, unique. The reason I like it so much is because Leopard is so easy to use, yet Vista has to many pop-ups, and the blockers do nothing.In the battle over UI, Mac OS X Leopard wins with out a doubt!

[Wikipedia] 

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