Hasta La Gadget!

Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology.

In early 2005, even after the launch of the Nintendo DS, Switched On critiqued pen computing, noting that it was too cumbersome and unnatural to become a mainstream input method. That column was validated by the launch of the iPhone, which banished the stylus to “blown it” status and popularized “finger-friendly” handset designs from all major smartphone OS developers.

Many have described the user interfaces of products such as the iPhone and Surface as ushering in the post-WIMP (windows-icon-mouse-pointer) era. Former Windows Magazine editor Mike Elgan has referred to the new paradigm as “MPG” (multitouch, physics, gestures) However, while these user interfaces feature streamlined designs and more direct manipulation, they still form a bridge with the graphical user interface. The main shift has been to more direct manipulation as the device processes more natural inputs.

The same can be said for Kinect. For a tidy sum and some untidiness, Kinect enables the kind of motion-sensing gameplay that has become the Wii’s hallmark without having to strap the controller to various limbs (as with EA Active for Wii). In fact it eliminates the need to hold a controller entirely, just like the iPhone and iPad free users of mice and styluses. Beyond Soviet Russia, the input device uses you.

Continue reading Switched On: Token gestures

Switched On: Token gestures originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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To hear Microsoft and Sony tell it, you’d think that there’s no question that Kinect and Playstation Move will each become as integral to their respective consoles as a regular controller is. But not every game publisher is hopping on board just yet, and Activision is now publicly voicing some skepticism about the motion controllers. Speaking to Gamasutra last week, Activision COO Thomas Tippl said that he is “absolutely” concerned about what he considers high price points for the devices, and as a result he says that Activision will “have to see how much of an install base they’re going to develop.” Tippl further goes on to say that Activision has “few franchises where we think this could be an interesting value to improve the experience for the player,” and that he doesn’t see it as “something that will be in every game, because I don’t think it’s one size fits all. It’s not going to enhance the experience for every game.” He does ultimately leave it in the hands of consumers, however, so if Kinect sells, we could well finally get a proper Air Guitar Hero game.

Activision taking a wait-and-see approach to Kinect / Move, ‘concerned’ about high prices originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 Jun 2010 15:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The one thing we didn’t know (officially at least) about Microsoft’s controller-free Kinect sensor was the price. Now it has been added to the official Microsoft Store, coming in at the expected $150.

The Kinect is a bar that plugs into an Xbox 360 and sits atop your TV, just like the Wii’s bar, and allows you to interact with games using your own movement. The difference is that the Kinect has a pair of cameras – one for depth and one for motion – that figure out where you and your body parts are at all time. There are also four microphones to listen to your voice, but no controller to hold in your hand.

The accuracy is, according to those who have tested it, startling. The Kinect can see where your hands, feet and face are, and is even fine-grained enough to recognize when you’re not achieving the right pose in yoga, for example, and offers instructions to correct it, just like a real teacher.

Technically, it seems rather sparse: the two contained in the bar run at just 640 x 480 resolution at 30fps, and microphones in this case are likely just basic. The magic would appear to be in the software which so impressed us with the force-controlling, Light Saber-wielding Star Wars game demoed at E3.

The Kinect is only available for pre-order. You’ll still have to wait until November 4th to get one.

Kinect Sensor for Xbox 360 [Microsoft]

See Also:

• Microsoft Throws Glitzy Coming-Out Bash for Kinect at E3 …
• Hands On: Xbox Kinect Games Give You a Serious Workout
• Analysis: Microsoft's Kinect Controller Is a Wii-Too Product …
• Live Blog: Ubisoft's E3 Press Conference Gets Kinect'ed
• Video: Microsoft Makes Post-Natal Impression with Kinect Star Wars …

Schlepping your Xbox 360 around in your carry-on is a hardly ideal solution for platinum-level frequent fliers. Not only does it take up a significant portion of your roller, but once you get where you’re going there’s no guarantee that your hotel’s wood-paneled tube will know what to do with your high-end gaming machine. Enter the GAEMS Portable Console Gaming and Entertainment System, which carries not only an Xbox but also a 15-inch, 720p LCD in the lid, and speakers to boot. Flip open your console and you’re good to go, though we’re wondering whether there’s room in there for the power brick too. We do know that your controllers will not fit, which seems like an unfortunate design choice if you ask us. The GAEMS suitcase ships sometime before the end of the year for around $250, and yes there are PS3 and new Xbox 360 versions coming too.

GAEMS suitcase is the solution for bad-spelling, frequently-travelling Xbox 360 gamers originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 Jun 2010 05:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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E3’s biggest loser? It’s Sony. They’ve been lagging behind for years overall, but to lose at hardware, their strongest suit? What a pity. More »