Kinect

In just a month or so, Microsoft will be launching a new console. No, it's not the Project Scorpio, of course. Well, half a new console, probably. The Xbox One S is scheduled to go out to the public in August, and as if to confirm that schedule, the Xbox Kinect Adapter for the smaller box can now be pre-ordered with shipping scheduled for August 31. And you'll probably need want to get one soon if you plan on doing anything Kinect related with the Xbox One S, or your Windows 10 PC for that matter.

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At E3 2016, Microsoft revealed the new Xbox One S that represents an incremental step forward for the company's console line, at least while waiting for Project Scorpio to take flesh. If the One S is indeed "the future", it might be a future with very few Kinects. That's because, in the process of shrinking the new console, Microsoft removed a few unnecessary parts, which happens to include the dedicated Kinect connection port. Users will have to ask Microsoft for a free USB adapter if ever they want to use the motion sensor with their newer and smaller console.

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When taking photos, whether it be of sights or people, sometimes shooting through a window is unavoidable, and that means there's probably going to be glare or reflections. Turns out, researchers at MIT's Media Lab are looking to address this, as their Camera Culture Group is developing a camera that can take photos through glass without any reflections. For their latest project they used the Xbox One's Kinect motion sensor and camera, taking advantage of its depth sensor.

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If you have issues with clumps of fur or hair that seemingly move on their own, now would be a good time to look away. Otherwise, proceed at your own risk and be mesmerized, or revolted, by this one of a kind mirror. Not only does it not accurately reflect objects placed in front of it, it actually doesn't have any reflective material at all. Instead, it creates a silhouette "reflection" made up of only two colors and created by an array of 928 faux fur pom poms.

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It's hard to deny the fact that the Kinect has all but failed as a gaming device. Despite their initial decisions, Microsoft stopped including the device with all Xbox One bundles, which fractured the install base. And with that, fewer and fewer developers felt the need or desire to implement its features into their games. However, the device is still being used to make breakthroughs in other, non-gaming areas.

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Next time your parents claim that nothing good would come from gaming, this little anecdote might tide things in your favor. Of course, it's gaming technology that's in focus here, but we're not going to split hairs. Microsoft's Kinect controller has become one of the most hacked and repurposed gaming peripherals in the market and that kind of modification might soon benefit medicine as well. Researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine have developed a way to reduce radiation exposure when taking X-rays by reusing the technology found in the Kinect.

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Since Microsoft started releasing Xbox One bundles without the Kinect, people have been wondering if the device is facing its death. It's definitely a valid concern, since the decision to exclude the Kinect from a majority of bundles leaves the market with a fractured ownership base. When everyone had one, it was easier for developers to justify the integration of features that took advantage of the accessory. Well, tomorrow's Xbox One update will add another nail to the gadget's coffin.

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Microsoft may have hit on a mixed jackpot with the Kinect. While Xbox gamers might consider it a very optional, sometimes even unwanted, accessory, makers and tinkerers have flocked to it for how it made 3D scanning technology available the masses at an affordable price. However, it requires to be connected either to an Xbox or to a PC in order to function, which puts hard limits on its portability. But throw in a Raspberry Pi 2 into the mix, one of the most portable computers around, and you're good to go. Literally.

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Microsoft seems to be developing a habit of announcing big features related to Windows 10 but neglecting to mention the critical fine print that would impact if you're even eligible to get the feature. That has happened, and is still happening, with details about upgrades to Windows 10 and now it's also happening here with Windows 10 for the Xbox One. In particular, one of the nicer features to descend on the console. In order to use that smart assistant, you'll need to have an Xbox One Kinect.

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Microsoft may have just wowed your imagination when it revealed more details about its HoloLens virtual augmented reality headset at BUILD 2015 last week, but there's one virtual dream you can already make reality right here, right now. Microsoft has just unleashed the RoomAlive toolkit on GitHub, allowing anyone and everyone, with the proper tools and propensity for programming of course, to create their own interactive rooms complete with projection mapping and motion sensing. Aside from so me programming chops, all you need are some Kinects and some projectors. Yes, plural.

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This news should probably come as a surprise to no one after Microsoft unveiled the Kinect Adapter for Windows last October. In a nutshell, this has made the Kinect for Windows somewhat redundant. So today, Microsoft is officially killing off the product. Of course, it's saying that it's "consolidating" its Kinect portfolio. The tech company will no longer be making the Windows-compatible Kinect, leaving remaining stocks to dwindle. That said, in the end, it should be business as usual for everyone, as they can continue using the Xbox One's Kinect instead.

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Current Kinect hardware is being phased out as Microsoft rolls in something better. Via their Kinect blog, Microsoft is announcing they’ve decided to phase out the legacy Kinect version one in order to focus on Kinect version two. Microsoft's Kinect version two shipped in October along with an SDK, which signaled the end of the existing Kinect hardware anyway. No solid drop-dead date was given for the original Kinect, suggesting Microsoft will just be phasing it out as they sell off existing stock.

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