Of course, Kinect has already found a wide array of applications outside of gaming as well, and these new capabilities -- if indeed the rumors turn out to be true -- would likely expand its reach in such areas even further, Pietro Macchiarella, a research analyst with Parks Associates, told TechNewsWorld.
Medicine and the arts are two such areas, according to the Xbox site, but "the biggest trend I see for Kinect is becoming a controller for content," Macchiarella said.
In that case, Kinect would serve a function much like an advanced remote control that's primarily voice-activated, he explained.
"It will be very impressive," Macchiarella said. "You can actually switch from one form of content to another, or say things like, 'forward,' 'pause' or 'skip.' It makes it very cool."
From the article, "Next Kinect Could Be a Lot More Understanding" by Katherine Noyes