Submission + - Microsoft Kinect ads will watch you while you watch them (networkworld.com)
colinneagle writes: Do you watch commercials or do use that timeslot to run to the restroom or to the kitchen? Do you fast-forward to skip as many commercials as possible when watching TV via a DVR or On Demand? Microsoft hopes to change all that by offering Kinect-powered interactive commercials called NUads (Natural User Interface Advertisements).
According to CNET's Declan McCullagh, Microsoft manager Lyn Watts stated that advertisers can "go after the holy grail — the living room" with Kinect Nuads. Whether you like the idea of TV ads watching while you watch the advertisement or not, Microsoft's Kinect interactive NUads will "begin rolling out in late spring."
The Kinect privacy policy states, "Kinect can record speech data, photos and videos" and "collects and uses body recognition data." But Microsoft told CNET, "With respect to privacy, Xbox 360 and Xbox Live do not use any information captured by Kinect for advertising targeting purposes and NUads is no exception." Eurogamer pointed out Watt's statements about "how NUads may tailor advertising using data gathered by Kinect" contradict Microsoft's statement about privacy.
"With a NUads-based commercial, TV advertisers will be able to listen in on a TV audience at home via a microphone, or perhaps view the home audience via facial recognition or video," reported Neowin. "Of course, all of this conjurers up a 'Big Brother' future where we would be spied on while watching TV commercials." Indeed much like the Samsung smart TVs that watch you, the Kinect NUads bring to mind the spying TV sets that George Orwell foresaw, televisions that watched viewers on behalf of Big Brother.
Immediately after announcing Nuads last year, Microsoft's Mark Kroese wrote,"In this case of NUads and Kinect, I'm here to say that it will change television as we know it-forever." At that time Seattle Pi skeptically asked, "Would you actually interact with ads?" Whether Kinect-enabled advertising will prove "irresistibly interactive" or yawnsville to viewers remains to be seen, but Gizmodo called the NUads "awful" and that when it comes to interacting and sharing TV ads, "literally no one has ever wanted to do that."
NUads will incorporate voice commands as Kroese had suggested. Xbox Tweet and Xbox Share are about social media interaction. Xbox More will "request additional information and/or a discount coupon to be sent directly to your email inbox." Xbox Schedule will send calendar reminders. Xbox Near Me finds a local retailer and sends you "a text message with the location."
According to CNET's Declan McCullagh, Microsoft manager Lyn Watts stated that advertisers can "go after the holy grail — the living room" with Kinect Nuads. Whether you like the idea of TV ads watching while you watch the advertisement or not, Microsoft's Kinect interactive NUads will "begin rolling out in late spring."
The Kinect privacy policy states, "Kinect can record speech data, photos and videos" and "collects and uses body recognition data." But Microsoft told CNET, "With respect to privacy, Xbox 360 and Xbox Live do not use any information captured by Kinect for advertising targeting purposes and NUads is no exception." Eurogamer pointed out Watt's statements about "how NUads may tailor advertising using data gathered by Kinect" contradict Microsoft's statement about privacy.
"With a NUads-based commercial, TV advertisers will be able to listen in on a TV audience at home via a microphone, or perhaps view the home audience via facial recognition or video," reported Neowin. "Of course, all of this conjurers up a 'Big Brother' future where we would be spied on while watching TV commercials." Indeed much like the Samsung smart TVs that watch you, the Kinect NUads bring to mind the spying TV sets that George Orwell foresaw, televisions that watched viewers on behalf of Big Brother.
Immediately after announcing Nuads last year, Microsoft's Mark Kroese wrote,"In this case of NUads and Kinect, I'm here to say that it will change television as we know it-forever." At that time Seattle Pi skeptically asked, "Would you actually interact with ads?" Whether Kinect-enabled advertising will prove "irresistibly interactive" or yawnsville to viewers remains to be seen, but Gizmodo called the NUads "awful" and that when it comes to interacting and sharing TV ads, "literally no one has ever wanted to do that."
NUads will incorporate voice commands as Kroese had suggested. Xbox Tweet and Xbox Share are about social media interaction. Xbox More will "request additional information and/or a discount coupon to be sent directly to your email inbox." Xbox Schedule will send calendar reminders. Xbox Near Me finds a local retailer and sends you "a text message with the location."