On Dec 15, 2010, at 7:41 AM, alan.b.pearce@stfc.ac.uk wrote:

> I believe that Microsoft tried to shut down the hacking of the Kinect
> interface, and got laughed at. Their efforts promptly caused a large
> team of hackers all over the USA to discover everything they could and
> post it on the 'net as soon as possible.

This is not an accurate description of events, not that the press has =20
been very careful about their terms.  http://www.adafruit.com/blog?s=3Dkine=
ct=20
  It was more like:

Adafruit (an electronics kit company and open source evangelist) =20
offers the "OK prize" ($1000) for anyone who publishes open source =20
drivers for the the Kinect (11/4: http://www.adafruit.com/blog/2010/11/04/t=
he-open-kinect-project-the-ok-prize-get-1000-bounty-for-kinect-for-xbox-360=
-open-source-drivers/=20
  )  (I vaguely recall the original announcement headline being a bit =20
more provocatively worded; something like "hack the kinect"; hard to =20
tell now...  Maybe it was just that "Hack the Kinect for Xbox 360 and =20
claim the $1,000 bounty!" in the first paragraph.)

This is somewhat widely reported on the net as "bounty offered for =20
hacked Kinect."  Microsoft responds with legal boilerplate (=93Microsoft =20
does not condone the modification of its products,=94 a company =20
spokesperson told CNET. =93With Kinect, Microsoft built in numerous =20
hardware and software safeguards designed to reduce the chances of =20
product tampering. Microsoft will continue to make advances in these =20
types of safeguards and work closely with law enforcement and product =20
safety groups to keep Kinect tamper-resistant.=94)  Adafruit doubles the =20
"bounty."  (http://www.adafruit.com/blog/2010/11/04/microsoft-isnt-taking-k=
indly-to-the-bounty-offer/=20
  )

Evidence of success starts to appear.  More legal boilerplate from =20
Microsoft (uh, that's not what WE meant by hacking, but ... buy an =20
xBox)  Adafruit thing microsoft is silly; bounty up to $3k. (http://www.ada=
fruit.com/blog/2010/11/08/the-bounty-is-now-3k-software-giant-says-engineer=
s-linking-of-camera-based-system-to-windows-7-pc-does-not-constitute-hackin=
g/=20
  )

The first successful driver author gets greedy and doesn't publish =20
first.  Another author takes less than 12 hours from purchase to hack, =20
DOES publish, and collects the $3k: http://www.adafruit.com/blog/2010/11/10=
/we-have-a-winner-open-kinect-drivers-released-winner-will-use-3k-for-more-=
hacking-plus-an-additional-2k-goes-to-the-eff/=20
  (pretty short contest!)

Numerous instances of "neat hacks" appear for various non-xbox =20
hardware, using Kinect.   Widespread publicity for the whole thing.  =20
Microsoft does damage control in the press ("this is neat stuff and =20
we're perfectly OK with it": http://www.adafruit.com/blog/2010/12/07/micros=
oft-is-perfectly-comfortable-with-hobbyists-taking-advantage-of-that-raw-da=
ta/=20
  )

A major (IMO) success for the hacking community, the open source =20
community, and probably for Microsoft.   No piracy is involved and =20
lots of people look good...

BillW



--=20
http://www.piclist.com PIC/SX FAQ & list archive
View/change your membership options at
http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist
.