Making Kinect Windows-friendly is more than just a fancy new SDK and some marketing materials. Developers are going to need some tweaked hardware as well, and Microsoft is prepared to deliver with a Windows version of Kinect capable of accurate sensing as close as 50cm from the sensor.
In a post on the official Kinect for Windows blog general manager Craig Eisler details this new version of the magical hardware, which comes complete with a shorter USB cable and a dongle to help it play nice with other USB devices. By far the coolest new feature, however, is Near Mode, a special setting for the device that will allow people to sit at their desks and be recognised by Kinect, rather than having to drive into the next county like I have to with the one in my living room.
Well, thanks, Microsoft. There goes my vision of a future in which people have to back 1.8-2.4m away from the ATM to be verified, their money scattering majestically in the wind before they can make it back. Such dreams I had, jerks.
Kinect for Windows — Building the Future [Kinect for Windows Blog]
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