Face Detection

Last Thursday, I shared a concept video from Microsoft that showcased a number of under-development and beyond-gaming implementations of the company's Kinect stereo vision peripheral. Today, I'll pass along a bigger-picture visionary clip from Microsoft, which you can find above. Unlike John Gruber, I don't particularly think that vision videos are a waste of corporate […]

In a "treat, not trick" move appropriate for the day (Halloween) in which it occurred, Microsoft officially announced on October 31 that (as had already been suspected) it is planning to release a commercial version of the Kinect SDK early next year. As I mentioned in earlier coverage, the current "beta" tag translates into a

When it rains, it pours. That's the thought I keep having of late, as announcement after announcement validates the burgeoning trend of using cameraphones' image sensors for gesture interface purposes. One week ago, for example, I mentioned the Windows Phone-based version of Kinectimals. Later that same day, I pointed out some patents (both applied for

One notable optics omission from Nokia's first two Windows Phone O/S-based handsets, a writeup on which I just published, is that they don't include the front-facing cameras which Windows Phone v7.5 supports for the first time, and which other OEMs are including in their new "Mango"-based handsets. The omission is especially surprising given that Nokia's

Two weeks back, I discussed how Microsoft was "maturing" the Xbox 360 Kinect experience by integrating support for the peripheral in an increasing number of new games, including adult-tailored titles such as Forza Motorsport 4. More recently, Microsoft took the broadening aspiration in the other direction, partnering with three other companies to create content targeting