…Just two weeks, ago, a Microsoft spokesman told CNET that “Microsoft does not condone the modification of its products” and that the company would “work closely with law enforcement and product safety groups to keep Kinect tamper-resistant.” This prompted electronics hobby-supply company Adafruit to increase its bounty for open-source drivers from $1,000 to $3,000 and add a $2,000 donation to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, just in case Microsoft decided to start suing the pants off of everybody after all…
If Kinect is seen as a fun, versatile device for both casual gamers and serious hobbyists, that’s great for Microsoft. If Kinect’s whole-room camera, robust facial-recognition software, and portal for video and audio chat are seen as in any way insecure, it’s a nightmare.
That’s why Microsoft came out with a hard-line initial response. Once the company saw how the open-source drivers were being used, and what they could and couldn’t do, it was easier to officially soften its stance.
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They should take a cue from LEGO and just say nothing, neither accepting nor rejecting the hacking of their products.