Hasta La Gadget!

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.

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Gaming

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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When Microsoft announced the Kinect, the motion-gaming peripheral that requires no controller to work, it was celebrated by the mainstream and hardcore alike for its unique functionality.

Since then, Microsoft has delivered enhanced features, but for the vast majority of gamers, it has become a bit of a novelty. Sure, it’s a neat way to command the Xbox or shout some orders in games, but beyond that, it delivers little value to the average person trying to sit down, relax, and enjoy a title.

For that reason, I’m interested in finding out how the peripheral will be incorporated into the next console Microsoft offers, the Xbox 720. According to reports, the console will be integrated directly into the device, meaning it won’t be an extra accessory. But for those of us who like to have our consoles tucked away in cabinets, that’s a problem.

Beyond that, I’m sure Microsoft will deliver a host of improvements to the Kinect to ensure that it has better quality, an improved microphone, and faster response times. For those who use the Kinect often, that’ll be a major selling point.

But what about the rest of us?

The fact is, the Kinect is unable to escape its inherent functionality as a device that lets folks control the on-screen action with motion. It’s a gimmick in some games, and something that has delivered little value in far too many titles. The issue isn’t Kinect’s functionality; it’s the very way in which we actually play video games.

Realizing that, I don’t think Microsoft should make Kinect too important to the experience of playing the Xbox 720. It’ll be a nice addition for those who enjoy that type of gaming, but for everyone else, the peripheral will be an extra feature they pay extra for and receive little benefit from.

“Kinect will be something people show off and then quickly forget about”

Given Microsoft’s success so far in the gaming space, I don’t think it’s dumb enough to miss that point. In fact, I can see the software giant making Kinect an important, but not too important component in the gaming experience in its Xbox 720. It’ll be there for those who enjoy it, and for everyone else, it’ll be something they show off at a couple of parties and quickly forget about.

Given Microsoft’s latest strategies, I think the company’s focus with the Xbox 720 will be graphics quality and entertainment options, in that order. Microsoft knows that solid graphics that look much better than current-generation hardware is vastly important. But the company also knows that the longer it can keep people engaged with its console’s software byway of movies and television shows, the greater its chances of hurting the competition.

Although I’m not sure when Microsoft will launch its Xbox 720, I’m fairly positive that Kinect won’t be as integral to the gaming experience as some believe. The future of gaming rests solely in the hands of content. And while Kinect can supplement entertainment experiences, it can’t create them.

Microsoft knows it. And it won’t let its love for its peripheral get in the way of that understanding.

How Big of A Role Will Kinect Play in the Xbox 720? is written by Don Reisinger & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The Kinect has seen some interesting uses from various games, with some trying to incorporate the motion controls directly into gameplay, while others use it as a learning tool, but Fifa 13 may take things one step further. According to The Telegraph, Fifa 13 will listen in on the player and pick up any swearing or bad language using the Kinect’s microphone. The game will then let that influence the referee in the football game, which could lead to harsher judgements.

The feature will tie into the game’s career mode too, with the player developing a reputation of using bad language and story lines forming around that character trait. Other functions of the game include issuing voice commands to swap out players or change formations of the squad. Otherwise the game will follow previous iterations closely, although EA claims the game’s AI has been tweaked to be more creative.

Fifa 13 marks yet another high profile title to make use of the Kinect for Xbox 360. Back in April, Bethesda announced that Skyrim would see an update to make use of voice commands, allowing you to shout out attacks or access menus, items, and followers. Other software titles, meanwhile, have taken a different approach. Kinect Sesame Street encourages children to interact with characters on the screen, while Nike+ Training motivates users into more exercise and activity using the sensor bar.

Fifa 13 Kinect will be influenced by swearing is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Just when you thought developments in trash can technology hadn’t moved too far since the trusted b-ball backboard accessory, a Japanese genius comes along to raise the bar. Modder FRP has created the Smart Trashbox, a moving can which uses a Kinect to track airborne garbage and make sure you’ll never miss another three. Impressively, it appears he designed and built every piece of the puzzle himself, from the motorized wheel base right down to the PCB. We dread to think how much coding this took, given that the Kinect monitors the entire room, calculates trash trajectory and sends the can interception orders. Apparently the accuracy stats don’t demand MVP awards just yet, but check out the highlight reel (and more details of the project) after the break.

Continue reading Moving trash can catches your waste, annoys Larry Bird (video)

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Household

Moving trash can catches your waste, annoys Larry Bird (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 Jul 2012 09:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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RationalCraft brought its surreal Winscape virtual window to market when the Wii was virtually the only game in town for affordable motion tracking. Microsoft’s Kinect has certainly changed the rules of the game since then, so it’s almost natural that a fourth-generation Winscape has just launched to make use of the much more sophisticated sensor. For a start, there’s no need to dress like Flavor Flav anymore: the camera can recognize anyone, even passers-by, without an oversized necklace. The larger-than-life footage used to generate the window effect has been given its own bump, too, and the app can now handle 4K video as long as the Mac underneath (sorry, Windows folks) is powerful enough to drive it. For those who truly want to be disconnected from reality, there’s even six-display support provided it’s all hooked up to a Mac Pro and a pair of three-output Radeon HD 5770 video cards. RationalCraft’s software is free to try out now, although the requirement for at least two big TVs, a Kinect controller and a fast Mac should say all there is to know about the practical cost of pretending the Golden Gate Bridge is visible from inside a living room in Cleveland.

Continue reading Winscape virtual window makes the leap to Kinect in 4K-capable, 6-screen glory (video)

Filed under: Displays

Winscape virtual window makes the leap to Kinect in 4K-capable, 6-screen glory (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 10 Jul 2012 21:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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