Microsoft Says Kinect NOT Hacked, Bounty to $3K

By DustinPosted on

Microsoft has issued a statement about the recent usage of the Kinect system on Windows 7. They say that it is not technically a hack. So, the folks at AdaFruit have upped the bounty for a “true” hack as defined by Microsoft to $3,000.

“Kinect for Xbox 360 has not been hacked–in any way–as the software and hardware that are part of Kinect for Xbox 360 have not been modified. What has happened is someone has created drivers that allow other devices to interface with the Kinect for Xbox 360. The creation of these drivers, and the use of Kinect for Xbox 360 with other devices, is unsupported. We strongly encourage customers to use Kinect for Xbox 360 with their Xbox 360 to get the best experience possible.”

Using Dual Monitors

By DustinPosted on

Although I don’t recommend using the ancient tiny CRT monitors in this article, I do like using dual monitors for working. I like having email on a screen and everything else on another. It’s also great when using Visual Studio, or Tweetdeck or multiple browser windows. Dual monitors, if you have them available, are wonderful to increase desktop space and productivity. You can even have a video playing on one and do work on the other.

Once your monitor is set up, you can use your mouse to grab the title bar of a window and drag it to your new display. If a window does not move when you drag it, double-click the title bar first, and then drag it. Having two monitors will forever change the way you work with your computer. Be creative and experiment with the sizing of application windows and what information you can keep in constant view while doing multiple tasks.


Skynet… Kinect Eavesdrops

By DustinPosted on

Ok, so it doesn’t eavesdrop so much as leaves the microphone on so others can hear your conversations. It’s easy to fix, though. Make the default on the mic to be OFF.

The fact was discovered by editorial director Eric Eckstein of G4 while he was testing the device and playing an online first-person shooter game, during which he was able to overhear a teammate’s conversation with his wife who was in the room at the time.

How did that happen? When the teammate was setting up Kinect for the first time, he apparently chose to use the device for chatting, which made “on” the default setting for its microphone. So, during a multiplayer game, when the microphone substitutes the previously usually used headset – it picks up audio from the entire room and not only the user.

Microsoft’s Chalk “Graffiti” Causes Problems

By DustinPosted on

So, it’s a slow news day apparently, and sidewalk chalk on the streets of New York and San Francisco are making headlines. Microsoft used a sidewalk chalk campaign to advertise their new Windows Phone 7 and free concerts. It was supposed to wash off with the rain, but it still hasn’t. The City of San Francisco are angry at Microsoft, calling their actions illegal as it is considered graffiti and may face fines. Last time Microsoft did a graffiti stunt was in 2002 with the MSN butterfly and they were fined a whopping $50!

San Francisco officials reacted angrily to the “illegal” street art last week. “There was no permit issued for this, because it’s not legal,” said Christine Falvey, director of communications for the city’s Department of Public Works, who spoke to Mission Local.

“As a first step, we generally contact the company and rely on them for a cleanup. If not, we can bill them for any cleanup costs the city incurs,” said Falvey. It’s not just city officials that are angry at Microsoft’s blatant disregard for the law.

New Extreme Windows Blog From Microsoft

By DustinPosted on

The Windows Team Blog has started a new blog, aimed at the power user or enthusiast for Windows. This should have some great tips for the more advanced Windows users out there. I know I’ll be frequently visiting the blog. I’m about half way done with a Windows 7 book aimed at the same individuals, the power users.

Today we are launching a new blog called Extreme Windows. As you know (or don’t know) The Windows Blog is a network or family of blogs that together tell the company’s Windows story across different audiences spanning Windows, Windows Live, Internet Explorer and Windows Phone. Each individual blog has a distinct purpose and caters to a specific audience. For example the Windows Experience Blog focuses on the consumer audience – or the average PC user. Our goal for this blog, will cater to more advanced PC users – “power users” or what we call “enthusiasts”.

What exactly is an enthusiast you might ask? For Extreme Windows – we are defining enthusiast as someone with the following characteristics:

  • Passion for Technology – Someone who (IS) excited for technology and is always interested in learning more about and using the latest technology.
  • Understands the value of technology – Someone who is willing to spend what it takes to get top-of-the-line, state-of-the-art, and bleeding-edge technology.
  • Is a source of knowledge for others – Someone whose family, friends, co-workers and others rely on for great technology advice.

    • Windows 8 Rumors – Backup in the Cloud

    By DustinPosted on

    While some refer to off site, leased network storage as the cloud, I prefer to skip the buzzword. But, Windows 8 is rumored to have backup capabilities using Microsoft’s Azure platform.

    I have said it earlier and I’m going to repeat myself here: Job postings are one of the only official sources of information regarding Microsoft’s upcoming operating system Windows 8. A new job posting was recently discovered that connects the Windows 8 Client Backup feature with Microsoft’s cloud based service Windows Azure.

    Military Vets Can Win Kinect

    By DustinPosted on

    Microsoft is having a giveaway for vets returning from service to win a Kinect system with XBox 360. Entering is simple. Good luck to all you vets, and THANK YOU for your service and dedication to this Country. You are appreciated!

    To celebrate the launch of our Elevate America Veterans initiative, which helps veterans to transition from military to civilian employment, we are launching a sweepstakes for veterans to win one of twelve Xbox 360 4GB consoles with Kinect.

    The competition will run from November 8th through November 12th 2010 and the winners will be announced the first week in December.

    It is only open to U.S. military veterans, and to enter you will need a Twitter account. Please review the official rules below before entering.

    To enter:

    • Please read the official rules below
    • Follow @msftcitizenship on Twitter
    • To enter into the draw for one of the twelve Xbox 360 4GB consoles with Kinect tweet the following message:

    Honor US veterans with a chance to win an Xbox 360 and Kinect. View official rules here: http://bit.ly/dArv8n @msftcitizenship

    Google Search For Windows Phone 7

    By DustinPosted on

    Google has unleashed their Google Search upon the Microsoft phone. Bing is available on the iPhone and Android, so why not make Google available on the three major smartphones, as well? I like a good alternative, although Bing has been proving to be a worthy adversary for Google.

    Searching with Google on your Windows Phone 7 device just got easier. The Google Search app for Windows Phone 7 provides quick and convenient access to a rich set of search results, allowing you to search the web, images, local, news, and more.

    This initial release of the Google Search app includes several features that help you to search faster – suggestions appear automatically as you type, you can choose to repeat a query from your search history, and your current location is used to provide more relevant results.