Hooray!  I can finally talk about this!  As I've alluded to previously, I had a hand (one of many) in the managed portion of the SDK and what was originally shown at MIX. Since then the SDK has changed a bit but it's finally ready to go!

The Kinect for Windows SDK is now available for download on the Microsoft Research site.  We have also launched several samples over at Coding4Fun that you can begin using immediately:

Coding4Fun Kinect Toolkit

You definitely want to download this one when you get started.  This toolkit contains a variety of extension methods and controls to make using the Kinect for Windows SDK even easier to use.  Some of my code appears in this one. 

Kinect Mouse Cursor

This sample is entirely mine.  Kinect Mouse Cursor is a demo application that uses the Kinect for Windows SDK and its skeletal tracking features to allow a user to use their hands to control the Windows mouse cursor.  Use your right hand to move the cursor, and raise your left hand to press the left mouse button.  Use the check box to switch hands…

Kinect Paint

Kinect Paint is a skeleton tracking application that allows you to become the paint brush!  IdentityMine built this for us.

Kinect for Windows SDK Quickstarts

This is a series of quick start videos starring the lovely and talented Dan Fernandez, who walks you through the basics of Kinect development from the very beginning.  Don't miss these!

Coding4Fun's Kinect for Windows SDK Blog

Add a bookmark to this now.  Coding4Fun will be tracking awesome projects using the new SDK here.  Have something to show off?  Tell us!

Kinect Hack-a-thon

In coordination with the Kinect launch, developers were invited out to the Microsoft campus to develop applications in a 24 hour "code-a-thon".  Some health issues prevented me from attending this event, but I'm looking forward to seeing what these people came up with…

We will have more samples and fun projects at Coding4Fun soon, so be sure to check back there (and here) regularly for more Kinect goodness.  Until then, enjoy the new SDK, our new samples, and see what you can build!  I'd love to hear about any projects you create with these tools…

I have written and posted a new library that allows .NET developers to easily connect to and use the Neurosky MindSet headset from any .NET application.  You can find the source code and a binary of the library at CodePlex.  Usage is very simple and may seem familiar to those that have used my .NET Wiimote LIbrary; set a reference to the library and you can connect to a headset as follows:

private ThinkGearWrapper _thinkGearWrapper = new ThinkGearWrapper();

private void Connect()

{

    _thinkGearWrapper = new ThinkGearWrapper();

    // setup the event

    _thinkGearWrapper.ThinkGearChanged += _thinkGearWrapper_ThinkGearChanged;

    // connect to the device on the specified COM port at 57600 baud

    _thinkGearWrapper.Connect("COM4", 57600, true);

}

void _thinkGearWrapper_ThinkGearChanged(object sender, ThinkGearChangedEventArgs e)

{

    // write out one of the many properties

    Debug.WriteLine("Attention: " + e.ThinkGearState.Attention;

}

The download includes a test application with source code that shows how to use the library in any .NET application.  You can see a more advanced usage example by taking a look at my MindBlaster article or reading through its source code.

Links

• Library Source/Binary
• MindBlaster
• Support Forum

Questions welcome.  Enjoy!

I had the extreme pleasure of being invited to and attending the Windows 7 Launch Party in New York City on October 22nd.  I went down to the city with fellow MVP Bill Pytlovany, author of the popular WinPatrol security software.  You can watch a video of the entire launch below or at the official Windows 7 press site.  Be sure to watch to the end to get a glimpse of some super-awesome hardware that takes advantage of all Windows 7 has to offer.

All in all, It was quite a day, from getting a picture with Steve Ballmer himself to meeting segment producer and occasional on-screen Late Show with David Letterman character Brian Teta who was amazed I recognized him.  Mr. Ballmer was just on his way out of the bathroom only 15 minutes before show-time when Bill and I accosted him and begged for a picture.  Frazzled though he was, he agreed and Bill snapped this...

There were plenty of awesome pieces of hardware to play with, including a ton of high-power and super-light laptops, multitouch laptops, multitouch desktop monitors, all-in-one touch-screen PCs, and even an amazing setup of nVidia’s 3D Vision running Batman: Arkham Asylum on a large monitor, which I swear is the best consumer-level 3D experience I’ve ever seen, complete with wireless shutter glasses.  You may see a Coding4Fun article about those in the future, assuming I can convince someone to send me a set.  Again, be sure to watch the launch video above to the end to see a demo of many of these items and get a feel for what hardware is available now and in the near future.

And on the way out, everyone was given a goodie bag of Windows 7 items, including a copy of Windows 7 Ultimate Signature Edition, “signed” (i.e. embossed) by Steve Ballmer.

A fantastic day and I’m certainly glad I made the trip down to the city to take part in this.  I thank Microsoft and the MVP program for the invite and Bill for heading down with me and getting the pic of Ballmer and I.  I'm already looking forward to the next Windows launch.  :)

Several friends and I work together to write “indie” video games under the brand Ganksoft Entertainment.  You may recall that for Maker Faire 2007, we created a very simple rhythm-based music game (think Rock Band or Dance Dance Revolution) using XNA called Head Banger.

With Microsoft’s official release of Xbox LIVE Community Games with the New Xbox Experience, we decided to blow the dust off of Head Banger, add a couple songs, integrate it bit more with Community Games and XNA 3.0 and release it.  It is now available for purchase for 200 Microsoft Points (or, as with all Arcade and Community games, there’s a free trial) straight from the Community Games section of the Games Marketplace on your Xbox 360.  It will be listed under New Releases for a little while, otherwise you can go to All Games and then the letter H to find it.  Additionally, you can view the official Marketplace page on the new web-based Xbox LIVE Marketplace site.

Please give the trial a go and let us know what you think!  And, if you think it’s worth 200 points ($2.50), we’d be happy to have you purchase it so it will move up the “popularity” list.  Thanks!

Thanks to everyone that attended my VSLive NY session.  I hope it was informative.  I have posted the slide-decks and source code for both of my sessions so you can tinker with the projects on your own.

• Creating a Simple 2D Game Using XNA Game Studio to Run on a PC, Xbox 360, or Microsoft Zune
• Interfacing External Hardware Using Managed Code

Questions and comments welcome, as always.  Thanks!