The Next Generation Smart Devices
Kinect is turning some heads in the world of technology. After android this could well be a break through invention. So what is Kinect? When we asked this question to an enthusiastic MIT grad he came up with something like this. It is a line of motion sensing input devices. Well let’s trace the history a bit. It was first introduced by Microsoft for Xbox 360 and Xbox One video game consoles and Windows PCs. It is peripheral device around a webcam. Although it sounds complex but you can easily control and interact with the console without the need for a game controller. What’s exciting is that it can be controlled through gestures and spoken commands. Microsoft came with this innovation in November 2010 to widen its market beyond its Xbox gamer base. A windows version was released on February 1, 2012. But it’s not too rosy for Kinect because at the moment it is competing with some of its fiercest rivals such as Wii Remote Plus, PlayStation Eye, and PlayStation Camera.
So why are we calling it a break through invention in the world of entertainment? There are multiple reasons. Although the price is on the higher side, setting up Xbox one is pretty simple and can be done by a layman. For instance setting up the facial recognition process happens without a glitch. All you require is to raise our hand and confirm that the person in the screen is you and the rest will be done by Xbox one. It will feed all the facial data it needs. There is a wide speculation that through this sensors Microsoft could collect personal data. Well Microsoft has clearly stated that they are not going to do that. The voice commands are pretty awesome too. Although not all of them perform to their fullest potential and at times you might well get frustrated but it is exciting to say the least. The video commands will surely surprise you. Especially the start and stop command. There are very few devices in the current market who can match this.
That said PlayStation 4 is not lagging behind either. The successor of play station 3 is a hot cake in the market. Sony Computer Entertainment is still the market leader when it comes to advance gaming and gaming consoles. It was first launched on 15 November 2013, in North America, and 29 November 2013, in Europe and Australia. But at the moment it will have steep competition from Wii U and Xbox One as one of the advanced generation of video game consoles. Moving away from its old and complicated Cell architecture predecessor, PlayStation 4 has introduced a more common AMD processor. Sony is focussing more on social gameplay, introducing a “share” button on the new controller and enabling a live environment to play games with others. The device allows interaction with other devices such as Gaikai, PlayStation App and many more.
Meanwhile Samsung is going to come up with their latest smart TV. The company’s website says that new Smart Hub will allow a user to seamlessly navigate through live TV, movies, streaming content, social networks, apps and more. What’s more is that you can manoeuvre this latest gadget with voice command and there is a facial recognition as part of Samsung’s master touch. The rumours are it would be able to connect with other device such AC and even lights. Well time will only answer these rumours but one thing is for sure, Android holds the key to Samsung’s smart TV endeavour. While it is still early days to predict about the success of such a television, we can wait and watch. As for Samsung this is a real good chance to gain the lost market of consumer television.
These are exciting times for latest gadgets and for consumers like us. This year’s latest consumer electronics show just ensures how far we have come across since the invention of TV and PC. Hosted at Las Vegas this year’s CES hosts an array of company. Surprisingly though big shots such as Microsoft, apple are not participating in the show. It is however, a very great opportunity for not so known electronic companies to make their presence felt. You should surely check out the latest apps that are on display.