Items tagged with kinect
Microsoft is hoping a $40 price cut to its Kinect motion sensor for the Xbox 360 console will encourage more people to shake and gyrate to a growing catalog of supported games. The reduced price represents a 27 percent savings over the previous MSRP, and according to Microsoft, this isn't a temporary promotion. "The new permanently reduced...
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A leaked presentation from circa 2010 has the tech world buzzing. The original document and mirrors have been pulled, but we saved a copy before that happened. While there's no confirmation from Microsoft on whether the document is accurate, it lines up extremely well with what we've seen Microsoft announce so far...
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Several folks have spotted a Microsoft patent application for technology that would target advertisements based on a user’s emotions. In reading the first lines of the patent, it seems as though tracking a those emotions would be done through monitoring a user’s online activity--such as Web browsing, the...
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E3 is well underway in Los Angeles, and Microsoft has already made a major splash with its "SmartGlass" technology, game demos, and its announcement that a Kinect-powered version of Internet Explorer will debut on the Xbox 360. This is a marked change from last year, when Kinect was the unquestioned centerpiece of Microsoft's display and the...
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Cash strapped gamers who would rather avoid paying a large upfront fee for an Xbox 360 console can take advantage of a subsidized offer that has Microsoft charging $99 for a 4GB game console with Kinect and Xbox Live Gold membership, provided you pass a credit check and agree to a two-year service agreement at...
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There's been a lot of chatter the past few months about what Microsoft's next-generation Xbox might look like, as well as repeated speculation that the device could tip up at the upcoming E3 Exposition. According to the head of Microsoft Corporate Communications, Frank Shaw, the company is flattered by the rumors but has no plans to launch...
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With all the recent discussions of future consoles from Sony and Microsoft, we've decided to tackle one of the most significant questions--should future consoles be upgradeable? Historically, console add-ons that boosted the performance of the primary unit haven't done well. Sega's Mega-CD and 32x additions to the original Genesis both failed;...
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As promised, Microsoft has released Kinect for Windows. You may recall that Steve Ballmer announced Microsoft's plans at CES to ship Kinect for Windows on February 1st. Now, that day is here, and Microsoft is making good on its promise. With version 1.0 of the SDK and runtime, you'll get full support for up to four Kinect sensors that...
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It didn't take Microsoft long to realize that they had more than they bargained for with Kinect. While originally intended only for use with the Xbox 360, the motion sensing device soon found a home with PC hackers. After first rejecting the notion, Microsoft soon changed their tune and began to embrace the hackerspace. Earlier this month...
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Readers probably don't need any extra encouragement to stay plopped on the couch this summer, but Microsoft is providing some anyway. The company has just launched Avatar Kinect and Kinect Sparkler this week, tucked into the Kinect Fun Labs on Xbox LIVE. Avatar Kinect captures facial expressions and voice so when users smile, nod...
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The next proving ground for Microsoft's Kinect? It might not be where you expect. After taking over the living room and exciting gamers across the world, the Kinect has made the move to all sorts of other categories. Everything from making music videos to PC-based hacks have been seen, but for the most part, nothing on a professional level...
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There's good news, and bad. The good news is that a new Nyko accessory (the Zoom) will be shipping on August 23rd, and it aims to reduce the amount of room you need for Microsoft's Kinect to pick up moves effectively. As it stands, you need around 10' of space for it to work properly. But the Zoom cuts down on that space requirement by zooming...
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At Google's I/O Conference this year, the company claimed that their Chromebooks would actually improve with time, as Google pushed out speed and security updates that the end-user would benefit immediately from. It's not often that you purchase a product that eventually gets better, but Microsoft is claiming that the Kinect is actually now...
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Video game industry analyst Michael Pachter has a reputation for accurate sales forecasts and an ability to predict changes in console pricing. That said, Pachter may have gone a bridge too far with his bifurcated discussion concerning Nintendo's Wii U. While he praised the Wii U as "the most impactful reveal of the show," Pachter has declared...
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Games, games, and a few more games. It's E3! While Nintendo has stolen the show thus far being the first of the Big 3 to introduce a new at-home game console, Microsoft's continuing the push the Xbox 360 to new heights. They're announcing a ton of new games, most of which are laced with Kinect support, in order to drum up interest in a console...
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Nintendo unveiled its second-generation Wii console today, dubbed the Wii U, but said very little about the console's specifications. The company confirmed that the new system will support HD video, but devoted its press conference to discussing the Wii U's controller. Rumors that Nintendo would incorporate a touchscreen proved accurate, but...
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Here's the thing about motion controlled gaming. It's fun, in a gee-whiz sort of way, but once the newness wears off, you're left with what some (many?) gamers would consider nothing more than a gimmick. Is that the case with Microsoft's Kinect platform? It's too early to tell. Initial sales have been promising, and...
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One of Google's 2011 April Fools' Day pranks was the so-called Gmail Motion feature, whereby you could control Gmail using full-body gestures. Many noted at the time that this could probably be done using Kinect, and viola: it's done. Built by the In fact, it was done by the same crew that developed a way to control World of Warcraft using...
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The latest snarky Kinect hack is this one, by The Technology Studio. The company took a Kinect unit and the Puffersphere, a spherical display by Pufferfish. Basically, they were able to create the Eye of Sauron, from Lord of the Rings. The eye even follows you around the room as you move. Considering that Sauron was supposed to be all-seeing,...
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Well, this doesn't happen every single day. Microsoft's Kinect was just awarded a Guinness World Record for being the world's fastest consumer electronics device ever. Just let that sink in a bit. What makes this feat even wilder is just how well so many devices have sold in the past. iPods, Nintendo consoles, CD...
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In mid-January, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said that the Kinect motion-capture gaming controller would come to the PC, officially that is, "at the right time." Microsoft appears to have decided that the right time is Spring 2011. In an official blog post on Monday, Feb. 21, Microsoft said that the Kinect SDK for Windows will be available...
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OK, so a Roomba robotic vacuum is, by it's very nature, hands free. But what if you wanted to direct it now and then, but still, heaven-forbid, touch it? You can give it a Kinect hack interface. So it is with this demo video by "Ogutti." Is this a practical hack? Maybe not. Entertaining and cool? Yes and definitely....
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