Microsoft bets on Kinect-like gestures for the future of Windows Phone


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Microsoft is trying to cram Kinect-like features into its future flagship Windows Phone handsets. At least one device, codenamed McLaren, will debut on a range of US carriers later this year with features that let you hover your finger over the screen to interact with games and applications without ever touching the display. Sources familiar with Microsoft's plans tell The Verge that the technology, known internally as 3D Touch or Real Motion, has been developed by Nokia over a number of years. Evleaks first unveiled the existence of Nokia McLaren, and we understand the device will largely be seen as a Lumia 1020 successor with a similar hump in the rear casing for a powerful camera.


 


The unique aspect of McLaren will be the number of sensors on the device to make way for the 3D Touch system. While Microsoft is reaching out to top developers to support the new system with apps and games, 3D Touch will be unique to its own devices and will not be available initially on handsets from Samsung, HTC, and others. Features like answering calls by holding the phone to your ear will be supported, alongside the ability to set the phone down on a table to enable speakerphone, or hang up a call by placing it in a pocket. Phones that support 3D Touch will use a number of hardware sensors to enable devices to mute when they are covered by hand or held to a chest, or to dismiss alerts by waving a hand in front of the screen.


 


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http://www.theverge.com/2014/6/9/5792802/microsoft-3d-touch-real-motion-windows-phone-features


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If they work like what is written then I'm sold.  I'd have to look long and hard at getting this new device when the time comes.

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If they work like what is written then I'm sold.  I'd have to look long and hard at getting this new device when the time comes.

 

They should get the issues resolved on the XBOX first before expanding this tech.

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They should get the issues resolved on the XBOX first before expanding this tech.

 

I doubt it's exactly the same tech, in the article posted, in many cases you're talking about using some sort of sensor on the sides of the device to interact with it as well, like the zooming in and out of the camera example.  And a few others aren't hard to do either, like muting a call when you place it by your chest, or answering it when it's at your ear and so on.    Besides, everyone's saying their Kinect is working better after the June update so I'd say they're working on it.

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The use of "Kinect like" is such lazy journalism. This has been developed by Nokia and was in progress well before the acquisition.

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