Microsoft wowed with several creations over the past year–a better Bing, the Windows Phone 7 OS–but we’re most impressed by what it destroyed: the old-fashioned remote control. Its revolutionary hands-free Kinect for the Xbox 360 console, which launched in November, uses an assortment of sensors to understand voice commands and read facial cues and physical gestures (a punch or a kick, for instance). It then responds accordingly on-screen (with, say, a video-game knockout). To date, Microsoft has sold at least 8 million Kinect consoles–more than enough to kick-start the Xbox’s transformation into a full-fledged entertainment platform. Among the forthcoming features: content from Netflix and Hulu Plus, as well as avatars-only virtual worlds for Microsoft’s 30 million Xbox Live subscribers.
collections
NewsletterCourses and LearningAdvertiseCurrent IssueFast Government
The future of innovation and technology in government for the greater good
Most Innovative Companies
Our annual guide to the businesses that matter the most
Most Creative People
Leaders who are shaping the future of business in creative ways
World Changing Ideas
New workplaces, new food sources, new medicine--even an entirely new economic system
Innovation By Design
Celebrating the best ideas in business