Kinect hack lets users control Boxee, XBMC

Two developers, John Simons and Joel Griffin Dodd, have just released free public beta code that will turn their Kinect peripherals into a Kinect Driven Media Control, nicknamed the KinEmote. The trick lets Windows users navigate the menus of their Boxee and XBMC media portals using just hand gestures. The code also supports other, OpenNI-compliant cameras as it's built around OpenNI and NITE middleware from PrimeSense, whose technology Kinect uses.

Many of the currently available Kinect camera hacks don't provide a truly useful experience for users, Dodd said. He did admit they are impressive on a technical level. KinEmote was a practical application that "anyone can just install and use," he added.

KinEmote exists thanks to the open source software released by PrimeSense.

By Electronista Staff