Kinect for Windows ships with SDK 1.0

Microsoft started shipping Kinect for Windows hardware today alongside version 1.0 of the official Kinect for Windows SDK, expanding the company's motion-control operation from Xbox 360 gaming to desktop computing.

Specifically built for developers, the new Kinect for Windows sensor can see objects from as close as 400mm, while the SDK offers support for up to four connected Kinect sensors at once.

There's also improved skeletal tracking, with coders able to control which user is being tracked, as well as enhanced speech recognition accuracy.

Anyone interested can pick up Kinect for Windows for $249 (£207), although the price will be reduced for educational establishments later in the year.

The Redmond firm was last month said to have been testing Asus laptops with built-in Kinect functionality. Perhaps soon we'll see the power of motion-control pitch camp in computer builds the same way webcams did. Swish. ®