Tag Archives: microsoft kinect

Microsoft Offering Stand-alone Kinect October 7 For $149.99

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Xbox One sensor image 1

The motion-sensing Xbox One peripheral is going solo in the fall.

When Microsoft unhitched Kinect from the Xbox One as a desperate $399 price-cutting solution to catch up with the PlayStation 4 sales-wise (spoilers: it didn’t help), the company briefly mentioned in passing that the motion sensing camera would be available separately later in the year.

As we’ve come to learn today, that will happen on October 7, when Microsoft will make the Kinect sensor available at United States retailers for the price of $149.99 USD.

That might look absurdly pricy for a peripheral that hasn’t really shown its usefulness outside UI navigation or voice commands, but honestly if Kinect is what you want, I’d recommend getting the Xbox One (with Kinect) bundle that can still be found for $499, $50 dollars less than the buying both individually.

Of course, the faultiness in my recommendation is if you already have an Xbox One to begin with. Then yeah, for existing Xbox One console owners, it is a bummer of a price.

Although, stand-alone Kinect buyers do receiver a free download code for Dance Central Spotlight, the next dance game from former Rock Band developers Harmonix, which is exclusive to the Xbox One and includes a 10-track soundtrack of popular music artists to bust a groove with.

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Apple Buying PrimeSense to Integrate in iTV?

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The rumors that Apple spent about $345 million for PrimeSense originate from Apple Balla. The deal is to be finalized within the next day or two.PrimeSense in July denied rumors that Apple offered to...

Apple is in Talks to Acquire Microsoft Kinect Maker ‘PrimeSense’ for $280M

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Get ready folks to experience new 3D Apple TV interface in your living room soon. Apple is reportedly in talks to buy the specialist motion controller company PrimeSense. Some recent reports by an...

Live from Expand: Microsoft’s Bob Heddle (video)

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Live from Expand Microsoft's Bob Heddle video

From gaming peripheral to PC input device, Microsoft's Kinect is changing the way we interact with our machines. We'll be speaking to Bob Heddle, director, Kinect for Windows at Microsoft about the device's broadening functionality. We'll also be taking a look at the state of the Kinect for Windows Software Development Kit.

March 16, 2013 7:00 PM EDT

For a full list of Expand sessions, be sure to check out our event hub.

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Hands-on with the first SmartGlass app, Dance Central 3’s Party Time DJ

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Smartglass functionality arrives on Xbox 360 with Dance Central 3 tomorrow, we go handson

Since getting outed just head of Microsoft's big reveal, Xbox 360's SmartGlass has been under wraps. When Xbox Live VP Marc Whitten officially introduced SmartGlass soon after at E3 2012, we learned a teensy bit more -- tablets and smartphones (Android, Windows Phone 8, and iOS, even) would get second-screen functionality via an upcoming free application -- and got some hands-on time with it. That application has yet to launch, but Dance Central 3's SmartGlass functionality is already here. Well, almost here -- the game becomes publicly available tomorrow, and the app won't launch for a few weeks still -- but we got our hands on Dance Central 3's SmartGlass companion app a bit early at a New York City review event last week.

Being the first SmartGlass application to launch has its advantages, such as setting the bar. By no means is Dance Central 3's SmartGlass application a thorough, necessary accompaniment (for a game that already requires Kinect, that's probably a good choice), but it does add some neat side fun for friends waiting in the wings to get their respective grooves on. "Party Time DJ" allows friends -- employing their iOS, Droid, or WP8 tablet/smartphone, via the Xbox SmartGlass app -- to queue up the next song in the game's neverending "Party Time" mode, or create a playlist. They can also queue downloadable tracks to the Xbox 360 (which thankfully requires approval on the 360 prior to purchase), or swap difficulty settings. Sadly, though the opportunity for real-time griefing presents itself rather clearly here, developer Harmonix chose not to allow song-swapping or difficulty changes mid-song. "Because it would kill them," Harmonix rep Nick Chester told us.

Gallery: Dance Central 3 SmartGlass app

Continue reading Hands-on with the first SmartGlass app, Dance Central 3's Party Time DJ

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Hands-on with the first SmartGlass app, Dance Central 3's Party Time DJ originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kinect for Windows SDK gets accelerometer and infrared input, reaches China and Windows 8 desktops

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Kinect for Windows SDK update arrives with accelerometer and infrared input, spreads its wings to China

Microsoft had hinted that there were big things in store for its update to the Kinect for Windows SDK on October 8th. It wasn't bluffing; developers can now tap a much wider range of input than the usual frantic arm-waving. Gadgets that move the Kinect itself can use the accelerometer to register every tilt and jolt, while low-light fans can access the raw infrared sensor stream. The Redmond crew will even even let coders go beyond the usual boundaries, giving them access to depth information beyond 13 feet, fine-tuning the camera settings and tracking skeletal data from multiple sensors inside of one app. Just where we use the SDK has been expanded as well -- in addition to promised Chinese support, Kinect input is an option for Windows 8 desktop apps. Programmers who find regular hand control just too limiting can hit the source for the download link and check Microsoft's blog for grittier detail.

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Kinect for Windows SDK gets accelerometer and infrared input, reaches China and Windows 8 desktops originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 16:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Akimbo Kinect hack offers precise control with minimal effort (video)

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Akimbo Kinect hack offers precise control with minimal effort (video)

We've seen Microsoft's Kinect used in countless ways, but 3Gear Systems means to better these predecessors with the beta release of its SDK, which turns all the subtleties of hand movement into actions. In addition to using two Kinect cameras for accuracy, the software compares hand poses against a pre-rendered database so gesture commands are executed with little lag. It offers complete control of a virtual 3D environment from the comfort of your natural desk position, so you won't have to worry about flail fatigue after long stints. A free public beta is available now until November 30th, at which point bigger companies will require a license, while individuals and small enterprises will continue to get complimentary access. We know what you're thinking -- it's just another Kinect hack -- but we suggest you reserve judgment til you've seen the demo below, showing examples of how the API could be used for CAD, medical, and of course, gaming applications.

Continue reading Akimbo Kinect hack offers precise control with minimal effort (video)

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Akimbo Kinect hack offers precise control with minimal effort (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 00:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MIT’s real-time indoor mapping system uses Kinect, lasers to aid rescue workers

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MIT's realtime indoor mapping system uses Kinect, lasers to aid rescue workers

We've seen the Kinect put to use to help you find your groceries, but the sensor's image processing capabilities have some more safety-minded applications as well. The fine minds at MIT combined the Kinect with a laser range finder and a laptop to create a real-time mapping rig for firefighters and other rescue workers. The prototype, called SLAM (for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) received funding from the US Air Force and the Office of Naval Research, and it stands out among other indoor mapping systems for its focus on human (rather than robot) use and its ability to produce maps without the aid of any outside information, thanks to an on-board processor.

Continue reading MIT's real-time indoor mapping system uses Kinect, lasers to aid rescue workers

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MIT's real-time indoor mapping system uses Kinect, lasers to aid rescue workers originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Sep 2012 13:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft permanently lowering Kinect price in the US to $110, slightly reducing it in other parts of the world

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Microsoft permanently lowering Kinect price in the US to $110, slightly reducing it in other parts of the world

Well, it certainly looks like the news of that Xbox Essentials Pack isn't the only thing coming out of Redmond today. As the communicative Major Nelson unequivocally notes, Microsoft's officially dropping down the price of its "You Are the Controller" Xbox 360 add-on in the US to a mere 110 bucks. Additionally, he's also said there's a "permanently reduced" pricing scheme coming to other countries in North America, Latin America and the Asia Pacific regions (save for Japan) where the company's Kinect is available for purchase; meanwhile, folks in the Middle East, Europe and Africa seem to be out of luck for now, since there are no price-slashing plans for the time being.

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Microsoft permanently lowering Kinect price in the US to $110, slightly reducing it in other parts of the world originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 14:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft patent applications take Kinect into mobile cameras, movie-making

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Microsoft patent applications take Kinect into mobile cameras, moviemaking

Microsoft has never been shy about its ambitions for Kinect's depth sensing abilities. A pair of patent applications, however, show that its hopes and dreams are taking a more Hollywood turn. One patent has the depth camera going portable: a "mobile environment sensor" determines its trajectory through a room and generates a depth map as it goes, whether it's using a Kinect-style infrared sensor or stereoscopic cameras. If the visual mapping isn't enough, the would-be camera relies on a motion sensor like an accelerometer to better judge its position as it's jostled around. Microsoft doesn't want to suggest what kind of device (if any) might use the patent for its camera, but it's not ruling out anything from smartphones through to traditional PCs.

The second patent filing uses the Kinect already in the house for that directorial debut you've always been putting off. Hand gestures control the movie editing, but the depth camera both generates a model of the environment and creates 3D props out of real objects. Motion capture, naturally, lets the humans in the scene pursue their own short-lived acting careers. We haven't seen any immediate signs that Microsoft is planning to use this or the mobile sensor patent filing in the real world, although both are closer to reality than some of the flights of fancy that pass by the USPTO -- the movie editor has all the hallmarks of a potential Dashboard update or Kinect Fun Labs project.

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Microsoft patent applications take Kinect into mobile cameras, movie-making originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Aug 2012 18:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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