Legends of the Hidden Temple on Kinect

046/365

After several hours playing the Xbox with the Kinect camera. I've decided there is only one game I really want to play.. Legends of the Hidden Temple.

This interactive adventure game show in the 90s would be a great way to use the responsive gaming system and camera. How I loved watching and hoping that one day I would be able to take part in this game. Most viewers were 11-14 during the time the game show was popular and now those 11-14 year olds are the exact market for the Xbox gaming system and Kinect camera. This, in simple terms, equals awesomeness. Let's go, buy the rights, develop the game, and sell it to me. I'll even subject myself to pre release testing. ;)

Microsoft Kinect Keyboard

042/365

With all the hubbub about the Kinect I figured now would be a good time to invent a keyboard for it. Surf the Internet from you flatscreen with Google TV and use simple body motions from forward and back. Then just type just like you would with a keyboard, that is of course without a keyboard under your fingers. Pretend to type and the Kinect uses it's amazing detailability along with the same sort of word prediction as a smart phone would. And there you have it, bub, a space keyboard from the future.

Big Brother

006/365

I was talking with a co-worker about the Microsoft Kinect today. For those that do not know, the Kinect is a motion sensing camera for the Xbox 360 and is marketed towards casual gamers with the promise of controller-free gaming. The device has so much more potential than just that though.

When the device was first announced, it was called Natal and there were people who envisioned that the camera device could be placed all over a household and be used to track the people inside it. The cameras would be connected to the house's network and could provide services like voice command video phone and messaging services. Imagine walking around the house while the Kinect cameras keep following you broadcasting your video feed to the person you are talking to over the internet. The system then also moves their video feed through the monitors in the house. The system is apparently intelligent enough to discern individuals so that it doesn't accidentally end up following someone else.

But it's so much more than that too. With these cameras everywhere, we can finally do somethings we couldn't before. Look back at my post yesterday where I talked about being able to track a person's workout. This system, with refinements will most likely be able to track an individual's activity so the level where it can count reps of a workout. Hell, there are fitness games for it already too so that's not that big of a stretch.

Microsoft Kinect but not.

004/365

Write a software program that utilizes a computer's webcam to allow the user to do simple operations with hand gestures i.e. browser or desktop navigation.

This would be a kin to Sony Kinect but starting with simple movements for example hand motion right to left is back and up/down is scroll page.

One would assume this is being or has been developed already.

Obstacle: I'm sure this may come with a bit of a hesitance for users not willing to have their webcam on continually, tracking their every motion.