Does everybody remember the Kinect camera? You know, the pricey accessory that was included in every single Xbox One console box until Microsoft wised up and concluded that 1) customers weren’t keen on the $499 price tag compared to the PlayStation 4’s $399 price of entry and 2) gamers didn’t really care about the...Read more...
Like a quarterback calling an audible at the line of scrimmage, Microsoft analyzed the situation with its Xbox One and eventually decided to sell the console without a second generation Kinect motion sensor bundled in. The Kinect was at first viewed as an integral part of the Xbox One experience, and though things...Read more...
Microsoft’s Xbox One launch didn’t go off exactly as planned in late 2013. Before the console’s release, the company was dogged over DRM restrictions with the console (which were later dropped) and concerns over its high price tag compared to its counterpart, the Sony PlayStation 4. Microsoft would attribute the...Read more...
Microsoft has just announced that it's discontinued its 'Kinect for Windows v2' kits, meaning that going forward, anyone who would like to add Kinect functionality to their PC will need to purchase the 'Kinect for Xbox One' kit as well as a separate adapter.
Functionally, both the Kinect for Xbox One and Kinect for...Read more...
Microsoft is fully focused on its Xbox One game console and accompanying second generation Kinect motion control sensor. And what about the original Kinect for the Xbox 360? Well, to (loosely) paraphrase Microsoft: "Ain't nobody got time for that!" While Microsoft is super proud of its original Kinect and the path it paved, it's time to move Read more...
Whether Microsoft is ready to fully admit it or not, the Redmond outfit incorrectly surmised that bundling a second generation Kinect motion control sensor with the Xbox One and charging a $100 premium would allow the console to fly off store shelves. To Microsoft's credit, it did sell minutes of units at the $499...Read more...
We first got a glimpse of the second generation of Microsoft’s Kinect sensor for Windows back in March, and now the device is available for preorder for $199 in the U.S. (It’s also available in a number of other countries.) “The Kinect for Windows v2 sensor gives developers more of the precision...Read more...
Today, Microsoft confirmed a development rumor that's been swirling around its next-generation console ever since it announced Kinect would become an optional add-on rather than a mandatory boat anchor. Lifting that requirement will give game developers 10% additional graphics power to play with and help close...Read more...
Microsoft is finally going to give gamers what they've wanted since the Xbox One launched -- a cheaper version that doesn't come bundled with a motion controlled Kinect sensor. Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, made the announcement in a blog post today, saying Microsoft will begin selling a Kinect-free Xbox One console for...Read more...
The second version of Microsoft’s Kinect for Windows is nigh, and the company has shared images of the final hardware design. There’s nothing too revolutionary here, but Microsoft has made the Kinect for Windows v2 to be slightly more inconspicuous by moving the “Kinect” label to the top of the device and swapped out...Read more...
News from gaming insider Pete Doss is that Microsoft is mulling significant changes to the restrictions it places on developers regarding the Xbox One's GPU. Reportedly, some 10% of total GPU horsepower is reserved for the Kinect -- 8% for video and 2% for voice processing. Microsoft is apparently planning changes...Read more...
Believe it or not, the 2014 edition of the International Consumer Electronics Show is about to begin, and companies far and wide are solidifying launch plans when things kick off in Las Vegas. Samsung is amongst the first to offer a teaser, showcasing its 2014 Smart TV line. Samsung’s voice interaction service...Read more...
What was rumored has now been confirmed, and Apple is the proud owner of Primesense, a 3D sensing company that was responsible for the hardware and chip design used in the first-gen Microsoft Kinect motion control sensor. Israel’s Globes broke the news, indicating that the deal is done. The final bill was...Read more...
The Xbox One is more than just a game console. We know that may be blatantly obvious to many of you, but we want to drive that point home from the get-go. The gaming, home entertainment, and mobile/computing industries are vastly different than they were when the previous-gen Xbox 360 launched in late 2005. Since then, there’s been unprecedented...Read more...
The Xbox One is more than just a game console. We know that may be blatantly obvious to many of you, but we want to drive that point home from the get-go. The gaming, home entertainment, and mobile/computing industries are vastly different than they were when the previous-gen Xbox 360 launched in late 2005. Since then, there’s been...Read more...
According to a report from Israeli newspaper Calcalist, Apple has completed an acquisition for PrimeSense, the company originally behind Microsoft’s Kinect. The paper did not cite any sources, so take the report for what it’s worth, but the deal is reportedly for $345 million. PrimeSense issued a non-statement statement on the...Read more...
As we inch closer to the U.S. release of Microsoft's Xbox One, you can bet that you'll be hearing more and more about its features and functionality. Of course, a major selling point for the next-generation unit is speed: graphics and otherwise. The new Kinect sensor seems markedly quicker at recognizing inputs, and...Read more...
It shouldn't come as any surprise that companies (particularly those in the technology realm) are now being asked to explain themselves more frequently when it comes to privacy. And, given that the next generation of home consoles are nearly here, it's Microsoft that's coming clean on privacy as it relates to the Xbox...Read more...
Microsoft’s Kinect is nothing short of impressive, but it can used for much more than just entertaining games. Microsoft Research Asia is developing the Kinect Sign Language Translator system which translates sign language into text or speech (and vice versa) in real time. Microsoft Research Asia has been...Read more...
Among the various SNAFUs and PR misfires related to the Xbox One release earlier this year, one item that had people upset was that Kinect would be used for advertising--or worse, that the Xbox One Kinect was actually designed with advertising in mind. The source was a UI designer who was expounding the capabilities...Read more...
If you're of the mindset that Kinect on the Xbox One is simply a more advanced version of what we saw on the Xbox 360, you'd be grossly underestimating it. In a TechNet blog post, Microsoft goes into some great detail to explain what makes its next Kinect so amazing - and it's not just one or two things; it's a...Read more...
The likes of Kickstarter and Indiegogo have become the land where dreams are born (or are crushed), and yet another intrepid group of techies-come-entrepreneurs is looking to raise money via crowdfunding. Flowton Technologies is a group that makes a “natural interface” controller for the home that allows...Read more...