Microsoft's Kinect SDK Can Track and Listen

mikejuk writes "Microsoft has given more information on the Kinect SDK to be released later in the year. It will include the body tracking software that is used by the Xbox version of the Kinect, allowing it to track up to two people at the same time and stay locked on to them even if they leave and re-enter the frame. In addition, they promise to allow the microphone array to be used with the PC's speech recognition API. So, not only will future Kinect projects be able to track you — they can listen to what you say."

Re:Paranoid much

[tepples]

sort of makes me feel like there is a division of microsoft that is warring against the greater evil that is microsoft.

The division is called Microsoft Research [wikipedia.org], and it's been around for a while.

Re:Is this a joke?

[kcitren]

Wow, seems like everyone has missed the point of this article. Microsoft is releasing an SDK for Kinect development on non XBox hardware [i.e., normal computers]. This article say which Kinect features would be accessible via this SDK [camera? depth tracking? voice tracking? body tracking? etc.]. This has nothing to do with the XBox tracking you.

Re:Oh come on, MS bashers..

[hsmith]

It is just hilarious. This site bitches when MS doesnt release an SDK. Now that there will be one, there must be some evil means behind it.

Re:Is this a joke?

[smelch]

Wow buddy, you seem pissed off. Let me calm you down by saying nobody gives a shit about your attitude or wild anti-microsoft assertions. The bottom line is Microsoft could piss diamonds all over your bedroom and shit poop all over your enemies and you would still find something to bitch about.

Microsoft doesn't develop on my schedule and hackers have already put out SDKs. I don't know why their commercial offering would take a while, its almost as if corporations don't move as fast as small teams! I don't understaaaaand! Why would anybody care about the manufacturer of a device supporting something we all want? I'm going to complain about it! That's you, and you sound pathetic.