Hasta La Gadget!

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.

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

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Alt, Microsoft

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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This week the folks at Microsoft have decided to add Kinect for desktop support to the Windows 8 Desktop app support collection with a full software development kit. This kit will help developers work with the Windows 8-compatible Kinect-running app universe and includes a set of features never before available with the hardware. Company officials have made it clear that developers that’ve requested the updated kit should start receiving it today – of course you could simply head on over to the Developer Center and grab it now as well, if you wanted.

This updated kit will include several new features that will bring the Kinect for the desktop environment into the future. This update also brings Kinect Studio 1.6.0 up to full Kinect Windows 8 SDK compatibility as well. This SDK also adds support for .Net 4.5 as well as Visual Studio 2012. Have a peek at some of the additional features this update brings with it:

• Color Camera Settings may now be optimized fully
• Support for VM – windows running in Virtual Machine, including Parallels, VMWare, Hyper-V
• Color, Depth, Skeleton Coordinate APIs amongst others
• Accelerometer exposure in API
• Infrared Stream color image format exposure in API
• German speech recognition
• New raw Bayer color image format support
• Extended depth data beyond the four meter limit in place now – with quality reduction as depth increases

What we’re seeing here is an update to the system that brings forth a new age for the Kinect in modifications as simple as depth perception – note here that you’re also able to get as close as 50 centimeters with this update, too. You’ll see Kinect working well into the future, both as a developer and as a consumer of lovely Kinect-ed apps – both here and on the Xbox, mind you! Have a peek at a collection of recent Kinect updates in the timeline below as well.

Kinect joins the Windows 8 fun with developer support SDK is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We’ve seen amateur and professional developers alike do some really cool things with Microsoft’s Kinect since the motion control peripheral launched in 2010. Interestingly enough, many of these cool things have nothing to do with video games, but that’s another story for another time. The latest in a long line of cool gadgets that put Kinect in the spotlight is a new wearable device that has the ability to make maps in real time.

Specifically, this gadget is geared toward mapping the inside of buildings. Developed by MIT, the device combines a laser range finder with the depth-perceiving abilities of Kinect to generate maps of an area in real time. The unit also houses a CPU to process and construct the map (in the prototype, the user has a laptop in his backpack constructing the map as he walks around), and the map can be sent back to a remote station so those outside of the building can get an idea of its layout.

Also included in this package is an inertial sensor to compensate for the fact that it’s hard to keep the laser perfectly level while walking, and a barometer to measure changes in air pressure, allowing the gadget’s user to map out multiple floors. This technology was developed for use in emergency situations, with applying it to search and rescue operations specifically mentioned. The prototype seems to be a bit bulky at this early stage, but the developers imagine a finished product that is handheld. Check it out in action in the video posted below.

The US Air Force and the Office of Naval Research helped MIT with the project, which suggests that this device could have some military applications in the future. For now, its simply in its prototype stage, but that doesn’t change the fact that its still a really interesting device. What do you think of this latest MIT creation?

[via MITnews]

Kinect takes center stage in new map making gadget is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

For 2013, Nissan has completely redesigned the Pathfinder SUV. In previous years the Nissan Pathfinder was much boxier than most of the other offerings from Nissan, but for 2013 that will all change. The completely redesigned Pathfinder has a lot more curves and more closely resembles the Murano from Nissan than in previous years. The new SUV is set to hit dealer showrooms later this fall.

Nissan wants to get car shoppers excited about the new Pathfinder ahead of the actual vehicle being available for test drives and close inspection. The company has chosen 16 of its dealers across the nation and is piloting a new program called the Pathfinder Kinect Experience. Sixteen dealerships around the country will have a virtual 2013 Pathfinder SUV to explore using Microsoft Kinect for Windows technology.

Using the Kinect Natural User Interface car shoppers will be able to climb into a virtual Pathfinder and explore the vehicle using motion and natural human gestures. The virtual exploration system and each dealership will include a Kinect for Windows kiosk with a computer, TV, and Kinect hardware. The shopper will be able to explore the exterior of the vehicle, select colors, bend down to inspect wheels, view the front and back of the vehicle, and climb inside for a virtual experience inside the SUV.

The Pathfinder Kinect Experience will be available in select dealerships across 13 states from August 20 through the end of November. Nissan says that this program is paving the way for a broader virtual showroom allowing shoppers to explore new Nissan vehicles months before they’re available in dealerships. If the pilot program in the 16 dealerships around the country is successful, Nissan says that it could extend the Kinect virtual showroom to all 1100 dealerships around the country.

Nissan embraces Microsoft Kinect for Windows to show off 2013 Pathfinder is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

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.

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment

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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