Microsoft has released a beta SDK for Windows, allowing Windows developers to officially make use of the XBox Kinect hardware. From their own press release: "The Kinect for Windows SDK, which works with Windows 7, includes drivers, rich APIs for Raw Sensor Streams, natural user interfaces, installer documents and resource materials. The SDK provides Kinect capabilities to developers building applications with C++, C# or Visual Basic using Microsoft Visual Studio 2010."
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Member since:
2005-06-29
Member since:
2011-06-16
Member since:
2005-07-06
1. If you salute with 3 fingers, Windows asks if you want to reboot
2. If you "salute" with 1 finger, Clippy asks if you meant "Thank You!"
3. If you face away from the computer, and bend forwards, Windows asks if you are ready for the "Window Genuine Validation Test".
4. Imitating Jerry Seinfeld - no effect on Windows.
5. Standing perfectly still and expressionless - Windows says, "Hello Melissa!"
Member since:
2006-04-10
Will gmail motion finally work?
http://www.gmail.com/motion
And we all thought it was just an April Fool....
Member since:2005-07-06
http://www.gmail.com/motion
And we all thought it was just an April Fool....
It's been done (though not by Google).
Maybe it'll be ported to the SDK.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lfso7_i9Ko8
Member since:2009-08-18
... though it will make it far easier for my boss to know when I am checking my gmail.
Member since:
2005-11-10
Member since:2005-06-29
Don't you mean it'll be this decade's Xcode?
Member since:2009-08-18
OMG I thought you would have more intelligence than this to say something soo stupid.
A good developer is a good developer in any language.
According to your logic ... I learnt how to program in BBC BASIC, does that mean I am still trapped in only writing programs in BBC BASIC?
Also According to your logic, I learnt how to program OO in Java, does that mean I can only do OO programming in Java?
Good devs will learn the principles rather than the toolkit ... and take those ideas elsewhere.
Whether they learn them using a .NET framework or an alternative open source one is irrelevant.
There is going to be an underlying theory on how these devices work and without that you won't be able to program these well even if you know the SDK inside out.
It just an SDK to make it easier for .NET devs to develop stuff for what is essentially a USB device.
Also if students and hackers learn some knowledge about how to program and how these devices work ... how can this possibly be a bad thing?
Personally I hope some cool things come out of it.
Member since:2007-03-26
It's not really that "stupid" of comment to make if you look at the development community in it's entirety rather than just the elite few.
Most developers are lazy and a disappointing few developer are good developers.
I've lost count of the number of times I've seen nasty kludges and even wrong languages chosen because developers couldn't be bothered to or didn't know how to do things properly.
Member since:2009-08-18
There are lazy people who do half arsed things in all walks of life ... really how does lazy devs have anything to do with this?
I have seen bad code in a multitude of languages ... there will always be rubbish code as long as software engineering processes are misunderstood and there is lazy developers involved who only care about their paycheck.
How exactly is Microsoft release an official SDK for their own product got anything to do with locking new devs Microsoft platforms in or code quality?
As I said, I learnt how to OOP using Java and Eclipse or a good text editor ... and Web Dev with a LAMP stack ... now I use ASP.NET.
When it comes to learning ... understanding principles is what is important ... what you happen to learn them with is largely irrelevant.
Edited 2011-06-17 13:44 UTC
Member since:2007-03-26
I think you've missed the point of my post by quite a margin.
...because this topic is about software development...
I have seen bad code in a multitude of languages ... there will always be rubbish code as long as software engineering processes are misunderstood and there is lazy developers involved who only care about their paycheck.
Well yes. But we're talking specifically about developers so i didn't see the point in discussing other industries.
Because if you are lazy and you've learned how to use this SDK, then why would you bother learning how to use another SDK. This is particularly true for hobbyists.
Well clearly you're not lazy so your anecdotal evidence is irrelevant.
When it comes to learning ... understanding principles is what is important ... what you happen to learn them with is largely irrelevant.
I agree, *if* you're a good programmer. However we're discussing the other end of the spectrum.
Not everybody falls into the category you're describing. There's a massive number of developers and hobbyists that will just make do with whatever tools and languages they're already familiar with. In fact, most developers (even the good ones) will favor a project in a language they're already experienced in than want to learn a new language just for the sake of learning a new language. So while this move by MS isn't a "lock in" in the traditional technical sense of the term, it does give users more reason to stick with VS / .NET rather than learn open source tools.
To put an analogy on this: it's like how Linux users moan about who many students are taught how to use MS Office, not generic office tools. Thus users are naturally more drawn toward MS Office as it's what they're familiar with despite the fact that general office computing skills are easily transferable between all the big office software suites.
Edited 2011-06-17 16:16 UTC
Member since:2009-08-18
No I don't think I did. I think you are making an argument because you think there is something inheritantly wrong with developing with Visual Studio.
It is a general point ... stop being a pedant. You knew what my point was ... this sort of arguing is pathetic.
I wasn't discussing other industries. I was discussing software development. I actually work somewhere where there has been no code quality enforced (code reviews, naming conventions etc etc) ... I spend most of my day rewriting legacy code. How software development is managed is probably as important as the talent and knowledge of the developers themselves ... if not more so.
Why would you bother using another SDK when you already know how to use the current one? It is laziness ... it is being sensible. I have some javascript code running on a website of dubious quality (written when I was far more inexperienced), but I left it as is .. because it works fine.
How to twist a comment around ... this is just pathetic.
Which is entirely my point in the first place ... if people happen to learn with Microsoft tools but understand the principles they will still be able to transition to whatever ... if they don't bother to learn the principles they will be starting from square one again ... however that doesn't mean that it is bad for Microsoft to release a SDK.
Fair point ... you should always use the best tools for the job, rather than blindly stick to something because you happen to know.
1) Microsoft have no responsibility to help third party projects.
2) Why shouldn't users learn how to develop with Microsoft Tools? ... There is a lot of jobs out there for devs that know how to develop using Microsoft tools .. are you saying that people shouldn't make themselves employable?
3) If open source tools are to be more widely used then they have to be more attractive to use than the (Microsoft in this case) alternatives.
In terms of using IDEs, I have to agree. I don't know my way around Eclipse as well as I used to.
Edited 2011-06-17 18:07 UTC
Member since:2007-03-26
WTF!?! Where did you get that retarded opinion from. I've regularly commented on here that I happen to think Visual Studio is not only the best IDE out there, but the best thing MS have ever developed.
I mean has this discussion already sunk that low that now you're resorting to plucking complete bullshit out of thin air?
Sorry but I really can't be arsed to read the rest of your post because the opening statement alone is so absurd that I don't hold any hope of you posting sane comments after it.
/me gives up on this discussion
Edited 2011-06-17 20:45 UTC
Member since:2009-08-18
The fact you were blatently missing every point I made and twisting my words around ... when you blatently knew what I meant ... it is a bit sad ... you stopped talking like an adult before me.
Oh right ... I am supposed to remember every user name and their general opinions. Really?
It wasn't really out of thin air. It was the fact that you seemed to miss the point completely ... it was almost as if you were doing it on purpose.
/me gives up on this discussion
Do what you wish ... save me keystrokes.
Member since:2005-11-10
Member since:2009-08-18
Member since:
2005-11-13
This is a little off-topic, but I just found out about this and thought it was cool 
Being released in August, Nyko is going to attempt to solve the 'play space' issues with Kinect:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i_UQ04Iylk&feature=player_embedded
I'm guessing this might also help with using gestures on a PC when you're sitting in front of it, but not sure.
Member since:
2009-05-06
I wonder if this would have happened if drivers weren't hacked up to make it work with Linux. MS can't have liked all those Linux YouTube Kinect videos..... Those drivers are in the kernel mainline now. Be interesting how the OpenKinect SDK compares with the MS one. Personally, I'd much rather use Python+C or C++ then C# (and no C++/CLI isn't really C++).