Mixing Business with Pleasure

As a member of the Windows Embedded team, my business is embedded devices. For fun, I spend way too much time playing video games and following the video game industry. Whenever I can combine the two is always a bonus (this might be a stretch so you will have to bear with me).

About this time each year the video game industry gathers in Los Angeles for the Electronics Entertainment Expo (it was June 2-4 this year). I have had the pleasure of attending in person on several occasions, but I always follow the happenings of E3 regardless. One of the major announcements from Microsoft was Project Natal for the Xbox 360. If you watch the video you will quickly see Project Natal promises gaming without controllers. I am very interested in the concept and how it will apply to traditional games, but I’m not so sure about utilizing the wardrobe selection feature (watch the video). If you look at the end of the video you will see the embedded device that provides the Project Natal functionality. I have already spent more than a few minutes staring at the paused video wondering what is inside that device and how it is doing what it is doing.

BTW, in my continuing attempt to tie business with pleasure I plan on spending some time checking out the new Direct2D API’s for Windows 7 that replace GDI for programming 2D graphics.

- Preston

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