In the newest Xbox gaming console, Microsoft includes a Kinect by default and closely integrates it with the functioning of the console. For those who don't know, Kinect is a combination video camera, motion-detector, and audio recorder in one. Right now, the Kinect is an optional add-on used to play games, but Microsoft is promoting it as a not-optional/always-on "feature" of their new gaming environment.
Now, one might be thinking that this is no big deal, and that this is some frivolous First World Gamer Problem. And one would not be wrong to think that. But it is also a serious concern for those of us who play video games. The new kinect is fascinating but also a little terrifying. It can see in the dark, detect human voices, determine your mood, and even detect your pulse[1]. Coupled with the fact that most consoles will be continuously connected to the internet[2], the new Xbox represents an interesting attack surface. There are a few places covering this, including Speigel, with English-language articles on Escapist and Kotaku. http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/games/ueberwachung-datenschuetzer-peter-schaar-kritisiert-microsofts-xbox-one-a-901893.html http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124384-German-Official-Expresses-Xbox-One-Privacy-Concerns http://kotaku.com/xbox-ones-kinect-can-turn-off-microsoft-says-noting-510100564 ~Griffin [1] http://thenextweb.com/microsoft/2013/05/22/the-new-xbox-one-kinect-tracks-your-heart-rate-happiness-hands-and-hollers/ [2] http://mp1st.com/2013/05/24/xbox-one-will-authenticate-check-games-regularly/ -- Technical Program Associate, Open Technology Institute #Foucault / PGP: 0xAE792C97 / OTR: [email protected] -- Too many emails? Unsubscribe, change to digest, or change password by emailing moderator at [email protected] or changing your settings at https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/liberationtech
