Microsoft confirms: The new Kinect can be turned off!

[Coreldan]

Microsoft Confirms Xbox One Kinect Can be Completely Turned Off | EGMNOW

?Yes, you can turn the system completely off,? a Microsoft rep told Kotaku. ?This would use no power and turn everything off. We are designing the new Kinect with simple, easy methods to customize privacy settings, provide clear notifications and meaningful privacy choices for how data will be used, stored and shared.

?We know our customers want and expect strong privacy protections to be built into our products, devices and services, and for companies to be responsible stewards of their data. Microsoft has more than ten years of experience making privacy a top priority. Kinect for Xbox 360 was designed and built with strong privacy protections in place and the new Kinect will continue this commitment. We?ll share more details later.?

 

[unstoppablekem]

That's good for those who hate it. I like it though.

 

[Coreldan]

I don't quite understand that hate it's getting. I really hope the game devs really see some effort into doing cool stuff with the Kinect to turn people's heads around.

 

[Courtney S]

Hopefully this will address all the people complaining about how MS has been planning to use the Kinect to spy on peoples...

 

[Coreldan]

Not really, now they say "BUT MICROSOFT CAN AND WILL SECRETLY TURN IT ON!"

 

[martinmc78]

Haters keep hating - that's another rumour squashed.

 

[smoledman]

The point is the XBox has a low-power standby state that allows you to turn it on by saying "XBox On". Of course you could go the traditional route and power off/power on via the button IF you want to. The point is MIcrosoft is giving you a NEW option that sounds pretty cool to me.

 

[TonyDedrick]

I feel like this is a play on words. Its states you can turn the "system off", not the Kinnect itself. I think people realized you could shut the entire thing down. I think the question was could you shut the Kinnect off and still use the console?

 

[Mystictrust]

I feel like this is a play on words. Its states you can turn the "system off", not the Kinnect itself. I think people realized you could shut the entire thing down. I think the question was could you shut the Kinnect off and still use the console?

A "system" could very well be the entire package, including the Kinect. I mean, if Kinect is required for Xbox One to function at all then wouldn't it be part of the entire system? I think otherwise they would have mentioned "the console" or "the Xbox One" can be turned off. I know what you mean though, it does seem a bit ambiguous doesn't it? But I maintain that they actually mean EVERYTHING, since a system IS "everything" and not just one component or part.

Also... when the Kinect is listening for the command to "turn on" the console, they have maintained that both the console and the Kinect are in a low power state. When they say "use no power and turn everything off", that's pretty clear that nothing is remaining on in a low power state. This is a good thing. I was actually planning on unplugging the Kinect+Xbox from time to time, but I may not have to do that now.

RANT:
Either way, I have a sneaking suspicion that places like The Verge won't be reporting on anything like this. They sourced vgleaks for the "always on" rumor but they did NOT source the vgleaks followup article that cleared up the "always on" debate (I can't be the only one that tipped them on that, either). They seem to be real quick to point out Microsoft's flaws or start a firestorm of negativity surrounding something we don't know much about (unfortunately, Tom Warren has also fallen in this trap and also is doing the same thing. I miss his old Windows Phone site). I hope I can say that I stand corrected and they report on this, particularly because the Kotaku source is the guy who interviewed and wrote about Microsoft in the Times... but probably not going to happen. I hope Microsoft makes some direct press statements around E3 rather than scattered interviews that trickle out slowly and fall into the "did they really say that or is this fake?" category.

 

[jhguth]

I think the question was could you shut the Kinnect off and still use the console?

:facepalm:

you haters are hilarious

 

[TonyDedrick]

:facepalm:

you haters are hilarious

I'm not sure where I've stated I hate something I've never even used or hasn't even been released yet. And considering I currently own a 360 and have a sort of vested interest thus far in the Xbox brand, I don't see how I'm hater. If not blindly accepting anything thrown in my face is considered a hater, then so be it.

 

[DavidinCT]

As for power usage, once someone gets one, connect to a Kill-A-Watt to it and we can see how much "low power" it actually uses.

I dont mind the Kinect and I am very interested to see how accurate the Kinect 2.0 is but, it always made me wonder could MS allow someone to take control of it to watch what your doing.... I guess it crosses your mind when you know you have a camera pointed at you for everything you do in front of your TV.

I dont agree with everyone points of wanting it off all the time but, a partly agree

and if you want it "off" when you not using it....Just unplug it...

 

[Storl]

The new Kinect is FAAAAAR to undervalued, when people hear it they think they have to jump around or whatever, but the new Kinect can even track your slight head movements and your controller movements, which allows for some sweet extra fine controlling inside Games which does not have to be used but add Immersion, if the stuff you are looking at is changing just "slightly" when you move your head or look around can make it feel far more epic but needs some serious tweaking so you always end up in a center position.
Scary/horror/shooter/rpg/advenature/allofem games or even Interactive Movies(who knows) could make you to look bit around the "corner" etc instead of using your Controllers thumbstick.
Not to forget Voice control is very useful, not everyone is healthly, Voice Control allows the xbox to be used by people who normally couldn't use it at all, ofc they would still not be able to Game, but they can use most of the other features just with their Voice

Seriously.. Kinect rocks in just every way and the new one adds much more capabilties to it, there are soo many gamer and non-gamer related features that can be utilisied now that the Kinect can actually see so much more.

 

[MerlotC]

If paranoid people don't want it watching them they could always turn it facing the wall or cover it even if it was on. Myself, I'm looking forward to the innovation and convenience it offers.

 

[TonyDedrick]

A "system" could very well be the entire package, including the Kinect. I mean, if Kinect is required for Xbox One to function at all then wouldn't it be part of the entire system? I think otherwise they would have mentioned "the console" or "the Xbox One" can be turned off. I know what you mean though, it does seem a bit ambiguous doesn't it? But I maintain that they actually mean EVERYTHING, since a system IS "everything" and not just one component or part.

Also... when the Kinect is listening for the command to "turn on" the console, they have maintained that both the console and the Kinect are in a low power state. When they say "use no power and turn everything off", that's pretty clear that nothing is remaining on in a low power state. This is a good thing. I was actually planning on unplugging the Kinect+Xbox from time to time, but I may not have to do that now.

RANT:
Either way, I have a sneaking suspicion that places like The Verge won't be reporting on anything like this. They sourced vgleaks for the "always on" rumor but they did NOT source the vgleaks followup article that cleared up the "always on" debate (I can't be the only one that tipped them on that, either). They seem to be real quick to point out Microsoft's flaws or start a firestorm of negativity surrounding something we don't know much about (unfortunately, Tom Warren has also fallen in this trap and also is doing the same thing. I miss his old Windows Phone site). I hope I can say that I stand corrected and they report on this, particularly because the Kotaku source is the guy who interviewed and wrote about Microsoft in the Times... but probably not going to happen. I hope Microsoft makes some direct press statements around E3 rather than scattered interviews that trickle out slowly and fall into the "did they really say that or is this fake?" category.

I too think they mean the entire ssystem. I also think most understand the system will have some kind of standby/low powered state mode. I think the question has always been about the Kinnect.

Personally, I have no issue with the Kinnect. I do think it should be optional. But I'm not totally dismissing the console because it's mandatory. If I ever get an Xbox One, I'll just simply put a cover over it (which I do sometimes with my Kinnect now if I'm not using it).

 

[Mystictrust]

Kinnect

I don't mean to be rude but there's only one n in Kinect.

But I'm not totally dismissing the console because it's mandatory. If I ever get an Xbox One, I'll just simply put a cover over it (which I do sometimes with my Kinnect now if I'm not using it).

I was thinking I might do the same thing, I don't know. Depends on if I ever get the feeling that I'm being watched. I never cover up the built-in webcam on my laptop (I see LOTS of people do that these days).. but then again, I can just close my laptop and it can't see me anymore. Remember many years ago the free laptops given away to students at a high school, and some admin type had the ability to remotely activate the cameras? The guy who activated cameras got in major trouble.. not sure if he saw any students doing anything dirty or not, but it was found out. I started noticing sticky notes over the cameras on laptops from then on (note that I don't know where this school was, I certainly didn't go there, but it made national news)

 

[TonyDedrick]

I don't mean to be rude but there's only one n in Kinect.

I was thinking I might do the same thing, I don't know. Depends on if I ever get the feeling that I'm being watched. I never cover up the built-in webcam on my laptop (I see LOTS of people do that these days).. but then again, I can just close my laptop and it can't see me anymore. Remember many years ago the free laptops given away to students at a high school, and some admin type had the ability to remotely activate the cameras? The guy who activated cameras got in major trouble.. not sure if he saw any students doing anything dirty or not, but it was found out. I started noticing sticky notes over the cameras on laptops from then on (note that I don't know where this school was, I certainly didn't go there, but it made national news)

My phone decided to add the other n and considering I'm not writing scholarly work posting in a forum, it really doesn't make a difference to me. I'm sure my point came across regardless. Not being rude either.

 

[smoledman]

The tinfoil types will still believe that it's "always on", no matter what.