Microsoft hints that Kinect camera technology is coming to Windows Phone

Via The Inquirer

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GAMES CONSOLE AND PHONE MAKER Microsoft has hinted that it will bring its Xbox Kinect camera technology to its Windows Phone 8 mobile operating system following its acquisition of Nokia.

During a conference call on Tuesday, Microsoft operating systems group VP Terry Myerson hinted that the firm will work with Nokia to integrated Kinect camera technology into future Windows Phone devices.

Speaking about the Nokia buyout, Myerson said, "In the area of imaging, the Nokia Lumia 1020 has no equal. We are excited to bring this together with our Kinect camera technology to delight our customers."

Myerson didn't elaborate further, so it's unclear when Microsoft will introduce this technology and what it will be capable of doing.

However, this isn't the first we've heard about Kinect technology possibly coming to Windows Phone devices. Previous rumours had speculated that the integration will allow users of Windows Phone devices to control their handsets using both voice and gestures.

It's possible that the Kinect integration could also enable more immersive gaming on Windows Phone devices and facilitate deeper integration with Microsoft's Xbox One games console.

While all this sounds promising, Kinect integration could also be a bad thing for the Windows Phone ecosystem, with Microsoft having been accused of spying on its users with Kinect in the wake of recent NSA surveillance revelations.