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Microsoft confirms Kinect hackers to get official developer kit

pocket-lint.com

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Re: Microsoft confirms Kinect hackers to get official developer kit

#21

Post by damoncali »

endtime wrote: post #12
damoncali wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Nah - they'll just change the rules later and try to take 30%... Good move, Microsoft. Apple, are you seeing this? This is how you get people to use your stuff.

I dislike Apple as much as anyone, but I don't think they really need advice on getting people to use their products.

I love Apple - I have tons of their crap. But the genius they have historically shown at attracting developers has been lacking of late. And of all the competitors to pick up that mantle, Microsoft?

Competition is great.

Re: Microsoft confirms Kinect hackers to get official developer kit

#22

Post by patrickk »

oldstrangers wrote: post #2

I think this is a great step for Microsoft. I believe they've learned a lot from the good PR that Android has received due in part to Androids large and outspoken developer community. I'm sure Microsoft has also noticed a lot of the negativity surrounding Motorola and their decision to lock down boot loaders (effectively removing any developers chance to mess with the phone). That and the mess that Sony has created b…

Microsoft also deserve credit for landing PrimeSense's technology in the first place (the tech that powers the Kinect.) Apple were so awkward with legal wrangling and NDAs that they missed out, even though PrimeSense approached them first.

... he’d [PrimeSense's CEO] already had several meetings at Apple. It was the first place he and his engineers thought of. “It was the most natural place for the technology,” he said.

Apple has a history of interface innovation, of course, and had recently introduced the iPhone with its paradigm-shifting multitouch UI. PrimeSense’s system went one step further: It was multitouch that you didn’t even have to touch. Apple seemed like a natural fit.

Yet the initial meetings hadn’t gone so well. Obsessed with secrecy, Apple had already asked Beracha to sign a stack of crippling legal agreements and NDAs.

He shook his head. Why didn’t he want to do a deal with Apple? No need. The technology was hot. He could sell it to anyone.

“Apple is a pain in the ass,” he said, smiling.

http://www.cultofmac.com/how-apple-almost-got-microsofts-kin...

EDIT: link

Re: Microsoft confirms Kinect hackers to get official developer kit

#27

Post by tzs »

oldstrangers wrote: post #2

I think this is a great step for Microsoft. I believe they've learned a lot from the good PR that Android has received due in part to Androids large and outspoken developer community. I'm sure Microsoft has also noticed a lot of the negativity surrounding Motorola and their decision to lock down boot loaders (effectively removing any developers chance to mess with the phone). That and the mess that Sony has created b…

It's probably a factor that Kinect hardware is sold at a profit and that they have plenty of supply, so someone buying a Kinect to hack with on their PC (1) isn't making Microsoft lose money, and (2) isn't depriving a gamer of one.

I don't know if Sony ever got the PS3 to the point that the consoles are profitable by themselves.

Another factor is that Kinect hacking is unlikely to lead to game cheating. It's just an input device. The code that does the processing for the games is in the software on the XBox, and they have locked that down tight.

With the PS3, since it is the PS3 itself that is being hacked, I would expect that there is a lot more potential for using the hacks to cheat in online games--something that does hurt Sony financially.

Re: Microsoft confirms Kinect hackers to get official developer kit

#28

Post by dgabriel »

sudonim wrote: post #23

This is great news! Would there be interest from hackers to participate in a competition to spur open-sourced innovation for the Kinect when the SDK comes out?

There's already a $20,000 prize for a natural interaction based browser: http://www.openni.org/developerschallenge

There are probably more.

Re: Microsoft confirms Kinect hackers to get official developer kit

#29

Post by dgabriel »

nitrogen wrote: post #24

I wonder how their motion tracking compares with PrimeSense's OpenNI and NITE. Does anybody know if this SDK provides full access to player tracking and gesture information, or is it basically like libfreenect, allowing access to the raw data?

I am guessing it will be more like the OpenNI drivers, since PrimeSense is already a MSFT partner.

Re: Microsoft confirms Kinect hackers to get official developer kit

#30

Post by ot »

martin_k wrote: post #14
ascendant wrote: post #4

This act of coolness on the part of Microsoft makes my head hurt. I can't correlate "Microsoft" with "smart decision" anymore. I need an advil. On a serious note: this is a really good way to stick it to Sony too, since they're going after GeoHot and making themselves look like assholes doing it.

I don't actually find that too surprising. Microsoft did basically the same with the Surface SDK.

There is a difference: a Surface doesn't cost 149$
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