Kinect will come to PCs, says Microsoft CEO

Kinect will come to PCs, says Microsoft CEO

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Login Register HomeProduct ReviewsVideosMobileComputingGamingHome TheaterLifestyleFeaturesHow-ToGuidesPhotography •Gadgets •Buying Guides •Talk Backs •Entertainment •Movies Home » Computing » Hardware » Kinect will come to PCs, says Microsoft CEO Kinect will come to PCs, says Microsoft CEOBy: Jeffrey Van Camp  •January 8, 2011ShareTweet

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has confirmed that Kinect will come to PCs in a matter of time. The news comes from CES as the company expands the role of Kinect in the Xbox 360.

With all of the Xbox Kinect modding going on and Microsoft’s new menu-gesture updates to Kinect for Xbox, we’ve been wondering if Microsoft has any plans to open the Kinect motion camera up to PCs and other devices. Until now, the answer has been “no comment.” For the last two days, I’ve been asking Microsoft executives and employees at CES if they knew anything about this and the answer has always been, that it sounds like a cool idea but there are no plans at this time. Well, the BBC finally got a confirmation from the big man himself, CEO Steve Ballmer.

When asked by the BBC if the company has any plans to bring Kinect to PCs, Ballmer said it will happen, in time. “We’ll support that in a formal way at the right time and when we have an announcement to make, we’ll make it.”

Ballmer also spoke a bit about where Kinect is already heading: “Well we certainly started it out with Xbox, very focused in on gaming and we’re the number one game console in a lot of countries and at this stage we’re very happy about that. We’re trying to do two major things though: we’re trying to move beyond gaming to include the world of socialization, movies, TV, music, and we’re trying to make the whole experience accessible to everybody in the family, not just the traditional gamer.”

Do you want to make motion gestures or speak to play games and navigate menus on your PC or other products? Microsoft is certainly trying something new with Kinect. It will be interesting how they capitalize on the buzz from here.

Related PostsMan hacks Kinect to play World of Warcra…Fallout: New Vegas Dead Money trailer dr…Top 10 gifts for gamers: Hottest hardwar…Microsoft’s Kinect sells 1 million in 10… CES , Computing , Gaming , Hardware , Hardware , Trade Shows Tags: BBC • CES 2011 • gestures • menus • Microsoft Kinect • modding • pc • Steve Ballmer • voice control • Xbox 360Trackback URL: http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/kinect-will-come-to-pcs-says-microsoft-ceo/trackback/

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Microsoft debuts new multitouch mouse for Windows 7

Today at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Microsoft unveiled the Touch Mouse, a new multitouch mouse designed for Windows 7.

Born from the Mouse 2.0 project conducted by Microsoft Research and the Applied Sciences Group, the Touch Mouse allows user to click, flick, scroll and swipe.

“The new Touch Mouse is a great way for customers to interact naturally with their Windows 7-based PC,” said Mark Relph, senior director of the Windows Developer and Ecosystem Team at Microsoft. “We worked closely with the Microsoft Hardware team to help develop the multitouch gestures that make Windows 7 easier, simpler and more fun to use. After just a few minutes with this mouse you’ll see why.”

Touch Mouse lets users use one, two or three fingers to amplify the Windows 7 operating system by creating simple shortcuts to the tasks people want to do most.

With one finger user can manage individual documents or pages by flicking to scroll, as well as pan and tilt. One thumb lets users move back and forward through a Web browser.

Two fingers is designed to manage windows, maximize, minimize, snap and restore them. Finally, three fingers lets users navigate the entire desktop.

The Touch Mouse is equipped with BlueTrack Technology, letting consumers track on virtually any surface, and the tiny Nano transceiver is so small it never needs to come out of the USB port.

Touch Mouse will be available in June 2011 for the estimated retail price of $79.95 (U.S.). It will be available for presale starting this week at the online Microsoft Store, Amazon.com and BestBuy.com. Microsoft backs this mouse with a worldwide three-year limited hardware warranty.

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ARM says Microsoft needs it for mobile

By Gabriel Madway

LAS VEGAS | Thu Jan 6, 2011 7:33pm EST

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Microsoft's plan to make Windows compatible with ARM Holdings chip designs will help the software giant establish a major presence in smartphones and tablets, ARM's president said.

Microsoft has been slow to make a splash in the mobile market, dominated by Apple, Google and Research In Motion, but it's not too late, Tudor Brown told Reuters in an interview.

Microsoft said on Wednesday it will create a version of its Windows operating system that runs on ARM-based processors, a move seen as acknowledging that computing is moving away from personal computers, dominated by Intel's chips.

"With Microsoft, for some time it's been more a question of when, not whether, and finally it's now," Brown said at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. "We've been coaching and cajoling Microsoft for some time."

ARM licenses its processor architecture to companies like Marvell and Qualcomm, who use it to make chips that have come to dominate the smartphone market.

ARM-based chips also lead in tablets. A slew of companies -- including Motorola and Toshiba -- are unveiling tablets in Las Vegas running on ARM-based processors.

Intel, a long-time Microsoft ally, has also had little success getting into smartphones and tablets because its processors are viewed as less energy efficient than ARM-based chips.

"Microsoft needs ARM to have any chance of playing in that (mobile Internet) space," Brown said.

Also at the Las Vegas trade show, graphics chipmaker Nvidia said it will use ARM architecture to design central processors, challenging Intel on its home turf.

(Reporting by Gabriel Madway, writing by Noel Randewich)

Microsoft updates Kinect, offers sneak peak of Windows 8 running on mobile hardware

Microsoft's CES 2011 keynote with Steve Ballmer brought word of improvements to Kinect and even an early preview of Windows 8 that could drastically change the course of the OS.

CES is just beginning, and some would argue it’s already hit its high point. Microsoft’s Steve Ballmer gave the opening keynote conference tonight in Las Vegas, summarizing the company’s impressive year as well as what it has to offer in the near future.

Xbox and Kinect updates

As can be expected, Ballmer directed a significant amount of attention to the success (eight million sold in the first two months according to Ballmer) and upcoming developments of Microsoft’s motion-gaming device Kinect. After singing its praises and uttering the “you are the controller” tagline one too many times, Ballmer brought up Microsoft executive Ron Forbes to introduce the next step for the product. This spring, users will be able to use Kinect’s motion detection as well as voice command to control services like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Xbox Live.

And these weren’t the only updates to Microsoft’s gaming platform, as Forbes also explained bolstered Xbox Live and ESPN capabilities that center on the social element.

While these features are impressive, Ballmer also touched on Avatar Kinect, a facial recognition program coming to Kinect. After getting a glimpse at Intel’s avatar development (which is purely experimental – for now) it failed to impress. The system seems to be primarily used for group chat and social media purposes and left something to be desired.

Windows Phone 7

Microsoft took this chance to remind consumers that the Windows 7 Phone is a viable mobile option. While there were no features introduced, save two updates that will add copy and paste and also significantly improve performance while loading or switching applications. These are due in the coming months and will automatically be pushed out to users. The phone will also be available to Sprint and Verizon customers at the beginning of 2011.

PCs and tablets…sort of

Of course, what we’ve all been waiting for is the mythical Microsoft tablet. Analysts have said the company needs a competent device to stay in the game, and it’s half way taking that advice. Ballmer and executive Mike Anguilo acknowledged that consumers want their technology in multiple forms of hardware, and with that in mind are delivering various products, including a fully powered Asus tablet PC with a stylus pen and handwriting recognition capabilities. Anguilo also debuted one product that got an audible reaction from the crowd: a dual screen, multi-touch PC. The two Gorilla glass screens are hinged together and users are given an optional touch pad keyboard if desired.

In homage to its original CES beginnings, Microsoft also brought back the Surface. Developed with the help of Samsung and housed in a sleeker, 4-inch-thin body, the new and improved Surface PC is made of many, many infrared sensors that use a newly-developed technology dubbed “pixel sense” to work as multiple cameras to create a “beyond touch” experience. Those excited over the idea of a giant tablet, however, be warned: it was clear this is a product Microsoft intends to keep marketing towards the corporate sector.

Windows running on ARM

Though we had a fair idea what was coming in Windows 8, we never would have guessed Microsoft would move it off the  will be compatible and run natively on ARM processors, including chips from NVIDIA, AMD, Texas Instruments, and Qualcomm, utilizing SoC technology. This demo revealed a very, very early look at Windows 8 (no UI details included) and showed its high compatibility with different processor architectures.

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Microsoft links up with ARM in new tablet drive

By Bill Rigby

LAS VEGAS | Thu Jan 6, 2011 1:10am EST

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp is taking its biggest step away from a long-standing, lucrative alliance with Intel Corp, teaming up with Britain's ARM Holdings to take on Apple Inc in the red-hot tablet and smartphone arena.

Microsoft, the second-largest U.S. technology firm, plans to design a Windows operating system compatible with chips designed by ARM, an Intel rival and the dominant producer of chips for smartphones and tablet computers.

Chief Executive Steve Ballmer pitched the move in a typically ebullient opening address at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, looking to convince investors that his company can hold its dominance in a world moving away from PC-centric computing.

"Whatever device you use, now or in the future, Windows will be there," said Ballmer, stalking the stage in a packed, supportive auditorium, in his trademark blue shirt and slacks. "Windows will be everywhere on every kind of device, without compromise."

Investors and analysts were not immediately convinced that the software giant can maintain the dominance of Windows as Apple's iPad leads the exploding tablet market and Google's Android smartphone systems take off.

"The PC is not going to be the 95 percent dominant solution five years from now," said IDC analyst Al Hilwa. "The trajectory of the iPad and all these Android devices is to take on multiple form factors."

The lack of a coherent strategy on tablets hobbled Microsoft's share price last year, and its shares continue to trade around the same level they did eight years ago.

"We've already seen that the personal computer has lost dominance as a computing platform," said Brendan Barnicle, an analyst at Pacific Crest Securities. "Microsoft has to deal with the fact that Apple is making these really compelling devices."

Microsoft's move is the latest major win for ARM, which is making huge strides in mobile computing and on Wednesday also announced that graphics chipmaker Nvidia will begin designing central microprocessors for computers based on ARM architecture.

CORNERING THE MARKET

Microsoft's new approach marks a shift away from Intel, whose chips have held a hegemony on Windows operating systems on personal computers, and suggests the breakdown of the fabled "Wintel" alliance, which set the standard in early computing.

"It's highly symbolic, the Wintel duopoly that was such a good partnership for so long is fraying at the edges a little bit," said Todd Lowenstein, a portfolio manager at HighMark Capital Management.

The U.S. software maker offered no time frame for the launch of the ARM-supported operating system version, but Windows unit chief Steven Sinofsky said Microsoft typically aims for 24 to 36 months between major Windows versions, suggesting a launch date of between October 2011 and October 2012.

That means tablets capable of taking on Apple's iPad may be a year or more in coming, running the risk of leaving it too late to catch up with Apple's iPad, and betting that tablets will be an enduring new market.

"It's still early in the adoption phase for tablets," said Lowenstein. "Prices will be coming down, there is a mass market opening up even more, and both Intel and Microsoft have the capability to catch up. Microsoft has made a business model out of second-mover advantage, using its scale to crush opponents."

Microsoft sold over 8 million Kinects in 60 days: CEO

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer is shown as a Kinect avatar on a large screen during his keynote address on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 5, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Rick Wilking