New Kinect hack lets you control Windows 7 and browsers

[nsane.forums]

A new Kinect hack by a group of students at MIT Media Lab allows you to control Windows 7 and even browsers using only your hands. The Star Wars force-like gesture movements can navigate web pages, your operating system and even potentially control desktop applications.

Since the release of Microsoft's Xbox 360 Kinect, the hacking community has been working to create open-source drivers and applications for Kinect to use on your desktop computer. The Kinect was hacked within three days of its release, and already has spawned a number of creative developers, including a Star Wars light saber application, a Minority Report style control, and a 3D demonstration. Engadget posted that one group came up with a solution that allows Kinect to communicate with JavaScript, essentially allowing you to navigate and surf the web.

The amazing thing about being able to control your PC using 'the force' within you, is that you can do it with a friend. The software is not only multitouch, but multiuser as well. Based on the video, two users can take control of images as the same time, allowing you to collaborate with each other on projects and tasks. The software is still very early in development, but the potential to finally use your Star Wars skills on your PC is just around the corner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1PVd5ck_Iw&feature=player_embedded

View: Original Article

[DKT27]

Cool. May the force be with us. :D

Go PCs. :P

[HX1]

:w00t: ... Yes... finally mobility and computing for the the end user.. :w00t: The next step ( I wish ) is integrating the technology with the OS..

[DKT27]

Lets hope that Steve Jobs doesn't come and say "Kinect was my idea". :lol:

[Marik]

YES MICROSOFT, YES :w00t: :evil:

KEEP F*****G EVERYTHING UP! :dance: :dance2:

Kinect!

So bad, M$ actually pays ppl to play it

[Sonar]

MIT - I wouldn't say that's where most of the smart people are from but that is clever!

EDIT

Ide love to see the first computer with no keyboard and mouse. just some sort of projector screen. not a screen.. just pixels :D

[Nemesis]

i dunno if this is practical, cool but probably more of an annoyance.

i can see people sitting at their computer, reaching for their coffee and changing the web page or doing something else accidently because you just moved infront of your computer.

[DKT27]

I read somewhere that M$ said that Kinect is revolutionary. Well if it gets to the PC, it may well be, it may well be.

[Nemesis]

it would depend on implementation, playing a comp game would be neat with it but then just get the Xbox that the device is meant for. as i said I can see it being an annoyance.

besides, are we that lazy that we cant drag our fingers across a touch pad, especially the multi-touch one like on my Mac Book Pro, much better IMO.

[LeetPirate]

Kinect was created to be anti lazy, not to make you lazier. It was build to get gamers to stop sitting on their fat asses and start moving about while having fun doing it. They are secretly trying hard to reduce obesity in the world. Wii tennis is actually a hell of a workout, I expect Kinect games to have a similar effect, get kids to enjoy moving around more instead of getting fatter by the minute.

That reminds me, a few days ago I saw this woman walking with her fat kid, was probably like 4 years old or something but they were both fat. The sad thing was when they were passing back they were walking with kfc, lol so I already know their cases were hopeless. What kind of irresponsible parent trains their kid to be on a kfc diet? I hope Kinect catches on because everyone is too lazy and fat, fat bastards everywhere you look. :rofl:

No offence if any of you guys are fat. :P :wub:

[nsane.forums]

Dear Microsoft,

If you were given a chance to make a dramatic impact across many facets of life, would it not be irresponsible to turn it down? If you had the technology to alter daily lives, improve our robotics and general quality of life, would it not be within your social contract to adhere to such calls?

Microsoft, while it may not have been your initial intention, you now possess this technology. The Kinect platform is much more than a gaming platform, it is a tool that has incredible value and put in the right hands can change the lives of millions.

With your technology, that you have made affordable to nearly all individuals, we have witnessed what can be done in just a little bit of time. We have seen that Kinect can be used to manipulate robotics, control Windows 7, and many other uses for the hardware.

The possibilities of this technology are nearly limitless. The underground movements have shown only the tip of the iceberg of the true potential of Kinect. There are millions of uses that are waiting to be explored and implemented to improve the lives of individuals. Imagine how the Kinect could be used to help out soldiers who have lost an appendage to war, Kinect could be programed to help them to use a computer. It could also be implemented to help children with disabilities who may not have fluid motor movements interact with others or help with physical therapy after surgery.

The difference with Kinect is not that the technology is brand new, it's that you have finally made it affordable to the masses. While it is a positive sign that you are embracing the movement, the community is at your disposal. With a proper driver release you can unlock the potential and you can show the world that Kinect is one of the greatest developments this decade.

Microsoft, the world is waiting on your next move. If you do not act on this opportunity, another company will, but it may be many years before it hits public consumption. In this down time, thousands of brilliant ideas will be lost, individuals with disabilities will continue to look for solutions that Kinect could fix, and as a company, you will have forgone your philanthropic duties.

Microsoft, for a company whose founder is giving away billions of dollars to help out the world community, the community asks of Microsoft for an official Windows 7 driver for Kinect. Don't hamper innovation, remember the spirit of the individual entrepreneur and embrace what you have and don't limit what could be the next big revolution in the computing era.

With your help, we can continue what you have started. We can take Kinect from a great gaming idea and change the world like you did so many years ago with the Windows operating system. Don't forgo this opportunity; the ball is in your court.

Sincerely,

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[HX1]

LOL.. true BUT.. you have to remember that there are health factor and physical problems which can also have the same effect..Glandular issues and so on... I used to work with a guy that ate like a bird... and he about 5'9" and 320 lbs... he couldn't lose any weight no matter what he did.. Had bee to the doctor several times.. and his problem came from some gland in the head. ( can't remember precisely.. )

One the upside this is one of the reasons.. I get so excited.. its not just fat people.. its overall health... even for the skinny ones.. LOL