AV Adviser

Kinect Could Be The Quiet Game Changer In Home Theater

I bought my son an Xbox360 a few months ago, shortly before the launch of Kinect.  Once Kinect was introduced I asked him if he had any interest in adding it.  In typical 13 year old parlance he shrugged and mumbled something I perceived as disinterest. 

I'm not a gamer and have had no real interest in learning the nuances of mastering a game controller and spending hours shooting at bad guys.  I know there are games other than "first person shooter" but teen boys have little interest in them. 

But my interest in Kinect kept growing as I've read and written about the device on numerous occasions.  Then I started hearing about the fun had in playing the popular title Dance Central.  I knew my girlfriend, a great dancer, would enjoy it, and it would be a break from the monotony of indoor aerobics like stationary biking and stair stepping. 

What finally convinced me was this story from the trade magazine CE Pro, Integrator: Microsoft Kinect is ‘Game-Changer for my Business’.  In the story written by a fellow integrator, he discusses how the technology makes it a natural for body control of your home theater system.  It's not something I hadn't already known about.  In fact I wrote about it, Controlling Your Home Theater Through Kinect back in February.  But the author's suggestion that all integrators should experience it and then install it in every home theater system convinced me to buy it.

I've had it for a week and am having a blast.  I play the game that came with the Kinect and, of course, Dance Central.  It's a fascinating technology to use.  Controlling on screen menus with hand gestures is truly eye opening. 

And the hackers are having the most fun of all.  The innovations from these renegade youth will lead to big things, trust me.  There's even a site called Kinect Hacks that shows the latest and greatest uses of the technology. 

These hacks aren't for everyone.  You have to jailbreak (modify the inner workings of the device) in order to create these hacks.  Still, I'm sure Microsoft is paying attention and legitimate versions of these hacks will be brought to market in the future.  A future where you may not even need a remote control anymore. 

A Kinect flying machine

If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal

Controlling Your Home Theater Through Kinect

Recently I wrote about the creative uses of XBox 360's Kinect, Making A Home Theater A Place Of Creation.  Now another hack has allowed a guy to control his TV with simple gestures by incorporating the Kinect and some other software. I'll let him explain and demonstrate.

If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal

Making A Home Theater A Place Of Creation

With the advancements in technology, the once passive activity (is that an oxymoron?) of watching TV is now becoming  rife with possibilities for creation.  It stems from the gaming platforms. 

Take XBox 360's Kinect which I've already talked about.  Now, from the creative minds of our youth comes new uses for the new product.  Instead of watching music videos, how about making one.  After all, the Kinect is a video camera and microphone. 

Here's a terrific example.

 

Echo Lake - Young Silence from Dan Nixon on Vimeo.

If you have a question or if I may be of service email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal

Tips And Tricks To Setting Up Your New XBox 360

My 13 year old son is finally bringing me into the world of gaming.  I don't plan on making it an obsession as it is with so many kids.  I have a big enough obsession with my music. 

That being said, it is easy to get sucked into the alternative universe presented by games.  I bought my son the game of the year, Red Dead Redemption.  Like most, it's a first person shooter game but this time as a western.  I could never get him interested in watching western movies, but now we're going to see True Grit on New Year's Eve.  Redemption indeed.

Then there's the XBox Kinect which I talked about upon it's release.  Think Nintendo Wii.  All of this connecting of components and tying to the internet can be confusing.  Oh, by the way, having internet access is key.  Gaming on line is how most kids play today.  They compete not only against friends but kids from all over the world.  My son has such a friend in Belfast, Ireland. 

I found a nice story on Tecca which may help you set up your new XBox correctly, allowing you and the kids to get the most out of it.  Getting Started With Your XBox 360.  

If you have a question or if I may be of service call me at 440.724.0558 or email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal

Looking For the Right Set Top Box For Christmas

Probably the coolest category in home entertainment is the set top boxes be it a gaming console or internet video interface.  I came across this informative article which gives you the lowdown on the best of the bunch and should help you pick the perfect gift.

The folks at Zatz Not Funny have taken all the hassle of comparing and contrasting.  Isn't the internet wonderful.  Research and buy all in the matter of a few minutes.  You're welcome.

If you have a question or if I may be of service call me at 440.724.0558 or email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal

XBox 360's Kinect Sure To Be Under Many Christmas Trees

The hot item in the gaming world this holiday season is the Kinect from Microsoft's XBox.  Simply put it turns the XBox 360 gaming console into a Nintendo Wii type platform.  That means instead of using hand held controllers to play games you use your body. 

Yes, it actually goes far beyond the Wii, which has seen a dramatic sales slide, that incorporated a hand held stick of sorts to manipulate objects on the screen.  With Kinect your whole body and its motions are used to affect your character in the game.  

The Kinect consists of a camera type device that plugs into the XBox 360 console, though you must have a recent XBox that has Kinect capabilities.  Otherwise you'll have to buy a whole new system. 

I've said that I'm not much of a gamer so, instead, I'll let you rely on this review from the folks at Engadget.

There's also a handy article just published by Popular Science on how to correctly set up your Kinect to get the best use out of it. 

 

If you have any questions or if I may be of service call me at 440.724.0558 or email me at radiohannibal@gmail.com

John Hannibal

With Rock Band 3 You Actually Learn How To Play

The gripe of many, myself included, is that with Rock Band or Guitar Hero a kid can spend hours to improve his game, but it doesn't carry over to actually playing an instrument at all.   If someone's going to invest that much time why not actually learn an instrument?  Granted, with Rock Band 2 it is possible to learn a bit about drumming.  

That all about to change with the release of Rock Band 3 slated for this fall.  It was unveiled at the annual gamers convention, E3, held last week.  By using a "pro" mode and plugging in an actual midi instrument you'll have to play the exact notes on the instrument.  Fender is making a guitar for the game that can also be played by itself. 

This is a real game changer and holds real excitement for music education.  Here's the details from Wired.