If Amazon's video store is going to compete with the other online sources like Hulu and Netflix, getting on as many platforms as possible is key and it made a major expansion today by launching on the Xbox 360. The app launched on the PS3 back in April, and just like that version, this one includes access to Amazon's video on-demand and Prime all-you-can-eat subscription based streaming. Unique to the Xbox 360 app is support for the console's Kinect peripheral and its ability to recognize control by gesture or voice, plus a brand new feature for Amazon -- a queue. The Watchlist (for now only available on the Xbox 360, Kindle Fire and via the web) lets customers preselect programming they're interested in for easy access on the devices later, just like Netflix's implementation, however Amazon's VOD store means access to newer and higher profile content is just a click away. There's more details in the press release and video after the break, or you can just check out the app on your console right now (if you're in the US and have Xbox Live Gold, of course -- even if you don't have Prime, there's a one month free trial offer).

Update: Major Nelson also posted availability of other apps and a free XBL Gold preview weekend, as Antena 3 launches in Spain, MLB.tv in Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Muzu.tv in Australia and New Zealand. June 1st through June 3rd, XBL Gold access will be "unlocked", letting Silver gamers in U.S., Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Chile play for free and access the Amazon, IGN, Manga Entertainment and Muzu.tv apps.

[Thanks, AtillaG!]

Continue reading Amazon Instant Video streaming is now live on the Xbox 360

Amazon Instant Video streaming is now live on the Xbox 360 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 13:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The first time we saw Sony's PlayStation Move, it didn't even have a name: we only knew it as the PS3 motion controller. The newfangled prototype was Sony's response to the success Nintendo found in the Wii, a motion-sensitive "me-too" that hoped to one up the competition with better tracking, more "core" games and a curious glowing ball perched on its top. Its first outing showed a handful of tech demos, flaunting gameplay concepts that we'd eventually see in Sports Champions and Medieval Moves: Deadmund's Quest. Since then, the Move has seen its fair share of exclusive and compatible titles, but none quite engaging enough to make the peripheral a must-have accessory. With the next generation just around the corner and Sony's portable cards already on the table, E3 2012 is looking a little light on the hardware front. If Sony's going to give the Move one final push, now is the time.

Continue reading Editorial: Sony needs more than Sorcery to resurrect the PlayStation Move

Editorial: Sony needs more than Sorcery to resurrect the PlayStation Move originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It's had quite a run, but Microsoft's months-long Robotics @Home Competition finally came to close this past weekend at the Bay Area Maker Faire. Taking home the title (and a $10,000 prize) was Arthur Wait for his SmartTripod, a robotic assistant that relies on Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio 4, the Eddie development platform and, of course, a Kinect to follow a person around and handle camera duties in a natural manner -- or "almost as though a human was holding the camera," as Wait puts it. Just how well does it work? You can get a look at the robot itself and the results it's able to provide in the videos after the break.

Continue reading Microsoft announces Robotics @Home contest winner: a SmartTripod that can follow you

Microsoft announces Robotics @Home contest winner: a SmartTripod that can follow you originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 24 May 2012 06:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Microsoft's Kinect Accelerator program kicked off over a month ago, but at the time we were only made aware of the participant start-ups' names, not their innovations. So, when Microsoft offered us the opportunity to talk with the folks behind four of the program's participants -- Freak'n Genius, GestSure Technologies, Kimetric and Styku -- we jumped at the chance. Join us after the break to see what this quartet of fledgling companies has planned to propogate the Kinect effect further than ever.

Continue reading Kinect Accelerator company profiles: Freak'n Genius, GestSure Technologies, Kimetric and Styku

Kinect Accelerator company profiles: Freak'n Genius, GestSure Technologies, Kimetric and Styku originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 23 May 2012 15:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Microsoft is busting out version 1.5 of its Kinect for Windows runtime and SDK that includes a raft of new features for the Xbox-lacking hoi polli. The update includes 10-joint skeletal tracking that'll work even when seated, face following capabilities and joint orientation -- the latter enabling it to predict how your body will move for greater accuracy. It's also gaining four extra languages for speech recognition: French, Spanish, Italian and Japanese, not to mention Kinect Studio, which will help developers record and play back your movements to fine-tune their applications. In addition, Redmond is offering language packs to ensure the sensor will play harmoniously with your local dialect, cobber.

Kinect for Windows SDK reaches v1.5, now works when you're sitting down originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 May 2012 11:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Kudo Tsunoda: 'Waiting for the next big thing isn't about waiting for the Kinect 2' originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 20 May 2012 10:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We got a look at a holographic telepresence project from Microsoft Research earlier this week, but that's far from the only Kinect-enhanced rig it's working on these days. This setup dubbed a MirageTable was also shown off at the Computer-Human Interaction conference in Austin, Texas this week, offering a glimpse of one possible future where two people can interact with virtual objects on a table as if they were sitting across from each other (or simply do so on their own). To make that happen, the setup relies on a ceiling-mounted 3D projector to display the images on a curved surface, while a Kinect on each end of the connection both captures the person's image and tracks their gaze to ensure images are displayed with the proper perspective. You can check it out in action after the break, although some of the effect is lost without 3D glasses.

Continue reading Microsoft Research's MirageTable brings some augmented reality to your tabletop

Microsoft Research's MirageTable brings some augmented reality to your tabletop originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 12 May 2012 07:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Looks like virtual Tupac might have some company. With Kinect, you are the hologram. Besides logging in lots of quality time at a South Korean theme park, the Kinect is now doing double duty at the Human Media Lab of Queen's University in Canada thanks to a 3D holographic chat system called "TeleHuman." The setup basically creates a life-size rendering of its subject by using six Kinect sensors, a 3D projector and a cylindrical display. This allows the viewer to walk around the cylinder for a 360-degree view of the subject, giving new meaning to having someone's back during a chat. The director of the Human Media Lab says the TeleHuman could be available for $5,000 within five years. In the meantime, the tech is also being used by the research team to create a 3D anatomical model browser called the "BodiPod." The BodiPod can display various layers of the human body, which can be virtually peeled off as the viewer gets closer to the display. Check out all the 3D action for the TeleHuman and BodiPod in plain, old 2D by viewing the video after the break.

Continue reading 'TeleHuman' uses Kinect for 3D holographic chat, bumps up options for contacting Obi-Wan (video)

'TeleHuman' uses Kinect for 3D holographic chat, bumps up options for contacting Obi-Wan (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 May 2012 03:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Ask any kid, playing in the sandbox is fun enough on its own, but too much moisture will turn your grainy playground into a lumpy mess. Researchers at UC Davis have cooked up one solution: an augmented reality sandbox. Much like last year's SandyStation, the project uses a Kinect sensor in conjunction with a digital projector and a bit of software to overlay topographical data and simulated water over a traditional -- and dry -- sandbox. The end result is an augmented environment that can be used to teach geographic, geologic and hydrological concepts. The team hopes the project will help them develop hands-on exhibits for science museums, teaching visitors about contour lines, watersheds, catchment areas and more. Check out the video above for a full demo, or scope out the source below for the technical nitty-gritty.

Augmented reality sandbox lets you change the course of rivers, won't get you wet originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 May 2012 04:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Microsoft has long been pushing to get the Xbox 360 into as many living rooms as possible, and it looks like it could now be about to attempt a new tactic to further expand its reach. According to The Verge's sources, the company will launch a new bundle next week that will include both a 4GB Xbox 360 console and a Kinect sensor for just $99 -- the only catch being that you'll also have to sign a two-year contract at a rate of $15 a month. That will give you access to the Xbox Live Gold service, and potentially some additional streaming content, as well as a two-year warranty (there's also naturally an early termination fee for those that break the contract). From the sound of things, though, the new offering could be getting something of a soft launch -- the only outlet mentioned for the bundle so far is the rather limited number of Microsoft Stores in the US.

Microsoft reportedly launching subsidized Xbox 360 bundle next week for $99 with a two-year subscription originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 11:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Despite being involved in that peaceful conundrum with THQ, we knew Adidas still planned on launching its MiCoach video game at some point in the near future. Now, after weeks of keeping those lips sealed, the German company announced it's teaming up with publisher 505 Games to finally bring the fitness-driven title to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 -- where it'll primarily use the Kinect and Move add-ons. While 505 will handle all publishing duties, Adidas notes the MiCoach game is in the works by UK developer Chromativity "under exclusive license." Of course, the F50 creator couldn't leave its big name reps out of this one, which is why sport celebs like Kaká, José Mourinho and Dwight Howard are going to be teaching "Masterclasses" within the game. Hey, at least now you know you won't have to be out on the field to put that tracking system to good use.

Continue reading Adidas MiCoach game launching this summer, headed to Xbox 360 and PS3

Adidas MiCoach game launching this summer, headed to Xbox 360 and PS3 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 May 2012 07:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If the Queen's Jubilee and 2012 Olympics pride have overcome your sense of subtlety, Microsoft has a special game console for you. The Celebration Pack Xbox 360 is a plain-jane 4GB Kinect bundle underneath, but it slathers the console, the wireless gamepad and the Kinect sensor in a tattered Union Jack to remind everyone you're not from Canada. Gamers also get copies of Kinect Adventures and Kinect Sports to help them train for the 500-meter relay. Showing your patriotism with an Xbox will cost you £250 ($406) when the console is ready on May 25, while Microsoft will gladly sell you a just-as-British Wireless Mobile Mouse 3500 for £30 ($49).

Celebration Pack Xbox 360 drapes itself in Union Jack, sings Rule Britannia originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 May 2012 17:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Product delays that push back release dates a full year are never good. What's worse? When that product finally does launch and even someone inside the company votes against it. That's exactly what's going down with the CT510 GameBox, the Eedoo Kinect competitor for the Chinese market. Though it's gone through a fair share of reincarnations before arriving at its current config (it was formerly known as the eBox), the final package has a dual-core CPU, a minimum of 250GB in HDD storage and a 3D GPU, and comes pre-installed with eight games and ten apps. All told, it will cost a cool 3,799 yuan ($600) when it ships on April 29th -- some very ambitious pricing, considering that the imported Xbox with Kinect (the console isn't officially available in China) already sells for about $459 in China, according to M.I.C. Gadget. A director from the Lenovo-backed company seems to agree: in a Sina Weibo poll asking users whether they'd buy the product (pictured after the break), he selected the answer, "No way! Price-to-performance ratio too low." Though to be fair, the gentleman later clarified that it was an honest mistake, and that his company is targeting the high-end family users instead of the core gamers. Well, we shall let the sales figures do the talking.

Continue reading Lenovo's Eedoo CT510 motion gaming console to finally hit China, wants your $600

Lenovo's Eedoo CT510 motion gaming console to finally hit China, wants your $600 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Apr 2012 11:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Forget everything your mother told you about playing ball in the house, Majesco thinks it's a terrific idea. NBA Baller Beats takes a rhythmic music game-like approach to the game of roundball, incorporating a real live basketball as a controller for the Xbox 360 title, as part of its full-body tracking Kinect action. And in case you're having trouble motivating off the couch, the gamemakers have brought the likes of Kanye, Run DMC, The Gorillaz and Common to help get you to your feet. Just make sure you remove that priceless antique vase from the living room before you do. At present, all we've got is a teaser trailer, which you can check out after the break. More info is coming at E3.

Continue reading NBA Baller Beats for Xbox 360 encourages you to play ball in the house

NBA Baller Beats for Xbox 360 encourages you to play ball in the house originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Apr 2012 01:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If there's a large display as part of your workstation, you know how difficult it can be to keep track of all of your windows simultaneously, without missing a single update. Now imagine surrounding yourself with three, or four, or five jumbo LCDs, each littered with dozens of windows tracking realtime data -- be it RSS feeds, an inbox or chat. Financial analysts, security guards and transit dispatchers are but a few of the professionals tasked with monitoring such arrays, constantly scanning each monitor to keep abreast of updates. One project from the MIT Media Lab offers a solution, pairing Microsoft Kinect cameras with detection software, then highlighting changes with a new graphical user interface.

Perifoveal Display presents data at normal brightness on the monitor that you're facing directly. Then, as you move your head to a different LCD, that panel becomes brighter, while changes on any of the displays that you're not facing directly (but still remain within your peripheral vision) -- a rising stock price, or motion on a security camera -- are highlighted with a white square, which slowly fades once you turn to face the new information. During our hands-on demo, everything worked as described, albeit without the instant response times you may expect from such a platform. As with most Media Lab projects, there's no release date in sight, but you can gawk at the prototype in our video just after the break.

Gallery: MIT Media Lab: Perifoveal Display

Continue reading Perifoveal Display tracks head positioning, highlights changing data on secondary LCDs (hands-on)

Perifoveal Display tracks head positioning, highlights changing data on secondary LCDs (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sure, we've seen plenty of dancing games harness the Wii and Kinect's unique motion capture systems, but the Wiipop prototype takes things to another level, combining the technology of both with some pro-level dance moves. The game utilizes the Kinect's 3D camera and up to eight body-mounted Wiimotes, letting players improvise freestyle dance moves in a SingStar-like game, matching body pops to beats in a song. The game's not quite ready for primetime, but when it is, Christian "Mio" Loclair sees its potential beyond simple gameplay. The title could, perhaps, be used to help design choreographed productions or to generate and trigger visual effects for live performance. In the meantime, pop and lock into the video after the break.

Continue reading Wiipop incorporates Kinect camera and several Wiimotes into a veritable electric boogaloo

Wiipop incorporates Kinect camera and several Wiimotes into a veritable electric boogaloo originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Skyrim gets Kinect integration on Xbox, over 200 voice commands in tow (video)

Skyrim gets Kinect integration on Xbox, over 200 voice commands in tow (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 19:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Keepin' it almost fake Kinect console has 23 games, no shame originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Apr 2012 15:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Conductor controls Aussie pipe organ through MIDI and Kinect, explains how he did it (video)

Conductor controls Aussie pipe organ through MIDI and Kinect, explains how he did it (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Apr 2012 22:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Scientists train Kinect to follow your tongue wagging

Scientists train Kinect to follow your tongue wagging originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Apr 2012 09:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Microsoft unwittingly created quite the hacking cottage industry when it first introduced Kinect. Though it took awhile for the company to come to grips with the amazing inventions enabled by its sensor bar, Redmond eventually released Kinect for Windows. Now, the Kinect Accelerator program is here to take Kinect development even further. Kinect Accelerator is a three-month long incubator of sorts for folks with Kinect-basted start-ups. It works by providing the chosen ones with mentors from Microsoft Research, Microsoft Studios, Kinect for Windows and the Xbox team to provide support and knowledge to refine and improve their Kinect apps. Additionally, venture capitalists and entrepreneurs will be available to give advice help the teams craft business plans to help them become profitable.

We had the opportunity to chat with Craig Eisler -- who heads up the Kinect for Windows team and is heavily involved with Kinect Accelerator -- about this new venture. Eisler told us that Microsoft's been planning the program since last summer after witnessing all the Kinect innovations that have been percolating organically. So, the Accelerator gives Microsoft the opportunity to find some of the best ideas and speed up their development. Microsoft wound up receiving almost 500 applicants to the program, and winnowing it down to a final 11 was no easy task -- the final 50 ideas were apparently all quite good, and the initial plan was to only take ten into the program.

The 11 who made the cut hail from across the globe (US, Canada, Argentina, France, and Germany), and will receive $20,000 and office space, plus Kinect hardware and development software to get their ideas off the ground. Unfortunately, we couldn't get Eisler to tell us exactly what each team is working on, but he did say they'll benefit the medical, retail, fashion, and even farm industries when all is said and done. Specifics about the inventions will come later, once the mentors have worked their magic and the apps are closer to their final forms, so stay tuned. You can learn more about the Kinect Accelerator and the chosen teams at the source link below and PR after the break.

Continue reading Microsoft kicks off Kinect Accelerator program to take 11 Kinect-centric start-ups to the next level

Microsoft kicks off Kinect Accelerator program to take 11 Kinect-centric start-ups to the next level originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Kinect for Windows version 1.5 to be released in May originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 14:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading MLB.tv lands on Xbox 360, gets cozy alongside ESPN and UFC

MLB.tv lands on Xbox 360, gets cozy alongside ESPN and UFC originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Xbox 360's Comcast Xfinity TV app in beta testing, won't count against data caps when it launches originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Dragon's Lair landing on XBLA with Kinect support, lets you act out your princess-saving fantasies

Dragon's Lair landing on XBLA with Kinect support, lets you act out your princess-saving fantasies originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Mar 2012 22:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading BBC iPlayer app finally launches for all UK Xbox 360s

BBC iPlayer app finally launches for all UK Xbox 360s originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Mar 2012 05:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Qbo robot gets Xtion Pro motion sensor add-on, can't help but gloat (video)

Qbo robot gets Xtion Pro motion sensor add-on, can't help but gloat (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Mar 2012 10:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Kinect makes pact with head-mounted display, virtual reality Skyrim ensues

Kinect makes pact with head-mounted display, virtual reality Skyrim ensues originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 17 Mar 2012 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading HBO GO teases vocal controls via Kinect, coming soon to Xbox 360 (video)

HBO GO teases vocal controls via Kinect, coming soon to Xbox 360 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Mar 2012 16:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Naoki Maru's Real King Kizer gets closer to Real Steel with motion sensing (video)

Naoki Maru's Real King Kizer gets closer to Real Steel with motion sensing (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 12 Mar 2012 19:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Microsoft releases Robotics Developer Studio 4, bring your own Kinect

Microsoft releases Robotics Developer Studio 4, bring your own Kinect originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 10 Mar 2012 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Microsoft's Kinect may have put depth sensors in the eye of the common consumer, but they aren't the only outfit in the game -- Belgian startup SoftKinetic has their own twist on the distance sensing setup. The literally named "DepthSense" range sensor uses infrared time-of-flight technology, which according to representatives, allows it to not only accurately calculate depth-sensitivity in dark, cramped spaces, but more importantly offers a shallower operating distance than its competition. We dropped by SoftKinetic's GDC booth to see exactly how cramped we could get.

It turns out the sensor can accurately read individual fingers between four to fourteen feet (1.5 - 4.5 meters), we had no trouble using it to pinch our way through a few levels of a mouse-emulated session of Angry Birds. The developer hardware we saw on the show floor was admittedly on the bulky side, but if all goes to plan, SoftKinetic says we'll see OEMs stuff the tech into laptops and ARM-powered TVs in the near future. In the meantime, though, gesture-crazy consumers can look forward to a slimmer version of this rig in stores sometime this holiday season. Hit the break for a quick demo of the friendly sensor in action.

Gallery: SoftKinetic DepthSense hands-on

Continue reading SoftKinetic brings DepthSense range sensor to GDC, hopes to put it in your next TV

SoftKinetic brings DepthSense range sensor to GDC, hopes to put it in your next TV originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 05:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Microsoft Research's shoulder mounted system makes anything a multitouch display

Microsoft Research's shoulder mounted system makes anything a multitouch display originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 21:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading The best Kinect to come: Microsoft's Xbox 360 spring showcase

The best Kinect to come: Microsoft's Xbox 360 spring showcase originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 05 Mar 2012 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading 'Connect Pritect to Protect Kinect:' for all your tinfoil helmet needs

'Connect Pritect to Protect Kinect:' for all your tinfoil helmet needs originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Whole Foods experimenting with Kinect-powered shopping carts that are smarter than you (video)

Whole Foods experimenting with Kinect-powered shopping carts that are smarter than you (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Feb 2012 03:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Xbox 360 gets limited edition all-white Kinect bundle originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Microsoft TechForum unveils three research projects (video)

Microsoft TechForum unveils three research projects (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sony makes a patent move for Kinect style controller originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Doodle Defense game uses Kinect to turn white boards into displays, dry-erase markers into weapons

Doodle Defense game uses Kinect to turn white boards into displays, dry-erase markers into weapons originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Feb 2012 23:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.