kinect

Microsoft's director of programming for Xbox Live, Larry Hryb (better known as "Major Nelson") says the soon-to-be-released Xbox One is more than another video game console. Instead, it's a central media hub that allows users to access social media ... and media streaming services with voice-activated controls. The Xbox One ships this Friday -- November 22, 2013. It's Microsoft's third video game console, following the original Xbox (released in 2001) and the Xbox 360 (released in 2005). It's designed to help Microsoft keep up in the competitive video game race with major rival Sony, which just ... (view more)

Microsoft has officially unveiled the next version of its popular Xbox video game console. But the new 'Xbox One' is a whole lot more than just a gaming system: instead, it's a powerful machine that should draw the attention of gamers and non-gamers ... alike. First and foremost, the Xbox One features some impressive hardware specifications. It comes with an 8-core processor, 8GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, USB 3.0 ports, and WiFi Direct capabilities. Unlike the Xbox 360, the Xbox One comes equipped with a Blu-ray drive, meaning you can finally watch high-definition movies from a disc. An octacore (8- ... (view more)

Microsoft is in the process of making technological breakthroughs with their Kinect hands-free technology. The company has now introduced simple, real-time hand gestures that replace mouse commands. Microsoft recently held its own 'TechFest' ... festival, an annual research and development showcase. At the show Microsoft unveiled a Kinect-based update to the pre-existing software development kit that will allow developers to add more hand-gesture features to their products. Mouse Movements, Hand-Controlled Gameplay A Reality And while Microsoft hopes that developers will introduce their own ideas ... (view more)

A new Microsoft want ad indicates that the Redmond, Washington-based software giant is planning to bring Windows 8 and Kinect hands-free technology to the automotive market. In a recent job notice placed on Microsoft's web site, the company notes ... that "for the next generation of the Connected Car Platform, we plan to leverage the full power of the Microsoft ecosystem including Kinect, Windows 8, Windows Phone, Windows Live, Bing, Azure, and Tellme." (Source: cnet.com ) Systems Keep Drivers in Touch Behind the Wheel According to the job listing, Microsoft hopes to bring many of the features ... (view more)

Microsoft has confirmed it will release a PC version of its Kinect hands-free motion control system on February 1, 2012. The new hardware offering will be expensive. Kinect was first offered for the Xbox 360 video game console in late 2010. It was ... Microsoft's effort to counter the Nintendo Wii system, which allows players to control on-screen action by moving a handheld device rather than a traditional controller. Microsoft One-Ups Wii Controllers with Kinect The motion-oriented controls of the Wii made games more accessible to casual players, while adding more realism to the game. Players ... (view more)

Microsoft is proposing a new patent that would see its Xbox 360 peripheral, the Kinect, take on the role of a virtual babysitter. It works by automatically restricting a child's access to certain television shows or video games that carry a mature ... content rating. Through the use of its 3D depth camera, the Kinect would be able to measure the bodily proportions of a user and detect whether or not a child is in the room. The entire concept is based on parental control and would be treated as a manageable feature. The system could also be further tweaked to specify certain restrictions and ... (view more)

Ohio-based firm Impulse Technology has sued Microsoft for allegedly ripping off the idea behind the Xbox Kinect, Microsoft's new and very popular hands-free gaming peripheral for the Xbox 360 video game console. According to Impulse, Microsoft ... infringed on its patents for motion-sensing technology. The lawsuit was filed earlier this month in the U.S. District Court in Delaware, says Law 360, an American online media company that tracks and publishes legal news. Big-Time Game Companies Named in Suit The suit also names a number of popular video game makers, including Ubisoft (responsible for ... (view more)

Microsoft has released a software development kit (SDK) for its hands-free Xbox 360 peripheral, Kinect, on Windows. It means software developers of all kinds will be able to use the Xbox 360 motion control system on PC applications. Kinect was ... originally designed as Microsoft's answer to the Nintendo Wii games console, which became popular with family audiences by letting them use simple hand gestures rather than complex button combinations. Microsoft Kinect Uses Motion without Controller Unlike the Nintendo Wii, and a similar system developed by Sony called 'Move', Kinect did away with ... (view more)

The Microsoft Kinect peripheral for the Xbox 360 video game console has been manipulated several times in the past to foster innovation, including one that provides virtual sight for the blind . The latest Kinect hardware hack looks to benefit those ... in the chiropractic and massage therapy fields by identifying areas that require additional attention in the back and spinal area. Kinect Hack Maps Human Body for Treatment Jason Stevens, a researcher at New York University's Interactive Technology Department utilized a video projector and the OpenKinect Libraries programming tools to modify the ... (view more)

A pair of Masters students at the University of Konstanz in Germany have undertaken a study that uses Microsoft Kinect to give virtual sight to the blind. The study involves a number of strategically-placed tech devices in a given location, with ... Kinect overseeing every movement. Navigation for the Visually Impaired Originally designed for the Xbox 360 as a way for hands-free gaming, the Microsoft Kinect system has taken on new meaning -- now providing what could be virtual sight to the blind. Dubbed NAVI (Navigational Aids for the Visually Impaired), the system works by connecting Kinect to a ... (view more)