As expected, Microsoft Corporation yesterday started shipping contact-less controller Kinect for Windows PC. As reported in company’s blog, Craig Eisler, general manager of the product, says that the PC version of Kinect is intended for developers who will now be able to create the commercial applications, controlled by voice and gestures.
Along with the hardware, Microsoft has also released the first version of software development kit (SDK). Some enthusiasts had already worked on Kinect for PC and created programs for it, but their commercial use was not allowed.
Improved depth sensor in the adapted PC Kinect would be able to “see” objects at a distance of 40 centimetres. For comparison, users of Kinect for Xbox 360 have to sit at a distance of at least a few meters (1.2–3.5 m) from the controller. Speech recognition system and method for tracking the human skeleton have also been significantly improved in the Windows-version of gadget.
Price for the PC version of Kinect is $ 250 (one hundred dollars more than Kinect for Xbox). For qualified educational institutions, Kinect would be cheaper by $ 100 i.e. $ 149.
Up to four sensors can be connected to one computer. Supported OS – Windows 7 and Windows 8 Developer Preview.
Steven Ballmer on January 9th during CES had announced the scheduled release date i.e. February 1 of Kinect for Windows PC. The company had also released a video demonstrating how to use the controller on desktop computers. The video showed how people played musical instrument by moving their hands in the air, a surgeon, going through x-rays, without touching the screen, and a combat engineer, deactivating the remote bomb.
Speaking at the event, Ballmer had also said that by the end of last year the company sold more than 66 million Xbox 360 consoles and 18 million Kinect controllers. In early 2011, Kinect was listed in Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest selling entertainment device. Now, it remains to be seen whether Kinect for Windows would also gain the same popularity.
Source:http://socialbarrel.com/microsoft-starts-shipping-kinect-for-windows-pc/31569/

