http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWZt2vJaj28

In the 1980s “The Clapper” worked with sound to allow lazy people to turn lights on and off without having to get up to do so. Now Crestron is looking to help simply our daily lives in a similar way – but by actually using some motion.

Creston Labs, the research arm of the engineering department, released the video above to show off how the new technology from Microsoft that takes the Kinect motion control system to any Windows-based PC. It could read Kinect gestures for a range of uses including PowerPoint presentations or just give everyone “Jedi-like” powers to dim or raise the lights in the room. So while it isn’t technically in the exercise space, to use it sure beats just clapping.

Crestron Official Website

This could help astronauts better calculate their weight in zero gravity, something very important as those in sapce can lose up to 15 percent of their body mass because the muscles tend to develop atrophy due to lack of use. The crews already spend up to two hours a day exercising, but until recently there has been no way to measure weight post-workout.

Now the Kinect might just do the trick!

[Via New Scientist: Kinect weighs astronauts just by looking at them]

UnitedHealth Group’s 3,500-square-foot exhibitor booth will demonstrate how the company and its UnitedHealthcare health benefits and Optum health services businesses are simplifying the consumer health care experience by making helpful, practical information easier to access through personal technology devices such as smartphones and video game consoles.

The booth will feature Microsoft Xbox with Kinect fitness challenges, real-time biometric screenings, presentations by leading health experts, innovative product and service demonstrations, and more. UnitedHealth Group will also provide a cyber cafe with Internet-enabled workstations and a coffee lounge area for CES attendees. UnitedHealth Group experts will present as part of the CES Digital Health Summit and the Silvers Summit.

“Technology is playing an increasingly critical role in improving access and affordability in the health system, and it’s also enabling better health outcomes for patients,” said Richard Migliori, M.D., executive vice president of health services at UnitedHealth Group. “The Consumer Electronics Show is a great opportunity to show people our innovations and ideas designed to help consumers enhance their health and well-being and live healthier lives.”
UnitedHealth Group to Showcase Latest Products and Services in Interactive Exhibitor Booth CES attendees who visit the UnitedHealth Group booth (#2833) can interact with a wide range of innovative health tools, including:
Mobile Applications:

– Health4Me — UnitedHealth Group’s new mobile application will make it easy and convenient for plan participants to make health care decisions from their mobile device. Health4Me enables users, via their GPS location, to find care providers, including hospitals, urgent-care centers and clinics, that participate in their health plan’s provider network. Health4Me also allows users to review their health benefits, health savings account and recent claims information.
– OptumizeMe — One of the first “mobile fitness challenge” mobile apps ever brought to market, OptumizeMe lets people use their smartphones to create health challenges — with friends, co-workers and others in their social network — to help achieve health and fitness goals.
– OptumRx Prescription app — The OptumRx Prescription app enables people to manage their medications with the convenience of a mobile app. With alerts and the ability to track prescription and nonprescription medications and consumption, people will be less likely to skip a dose or confuse medications.
Health Technology Products and Services:
– NowClinic — Optum’s NowClinic online care connects patients to doctors online, anytime and anywhere via the Internet. Patients can talk to a doctor via webcam, secure messenger or phone at a cost of just $45 for each 10-minute “visit.” Doctors can diagnose and prescribe, if clinically appropriate. For more information, or to see a doctor now, visit www.myNowclinic.com .
– Biometric Screening Health Tables & Dashboard — UnitedHealth Group will offer CES attendees an opportunity to check their health biometrics, which can help spot important health trends.
– Health Care Cost Estimator — UnitedHealthcare’s Health Care Cost Estimator gives consumers a comprehensive view of common procedures and treatment options, and personalized cost estimates — based on their health benefits plan — that include how cost and quality differs among physicians and facilities.
– Health Savings Checkup — This tool gives users an estimate of their own future health care costs based on $130 billion in claims from more than 16 million plan participants. The user answers basic questions about retirement goals, health and finances, and is able to get a better picture of potential health costs in retirement as well as possible gaps in savings.

UnitedHealth Group will also feature special in-booth presentations from industry-leading partners on topics such as how personal technology is playing an increasingly important role in health care. Speakers include: Bill Crounse, M.D., Microsoft’s senior director of worldwide health; Charles Teague, CEO, Loseit!; Serge Loncar, CEO, CareSpeak Communications; and James Park, CEO and co-founder, FitBit.
UnitedHealth Group Announces Speaker Lineup for 2012 CES This year, UnitedHealth Group executives will participate in two CES summits — the Digital Health Summit, which focuses on consumer-based health and wellness innovations that meet at the intersection of technology and health care, and the Silvers Summit, which focuses on how technology can be used to reach seniors, an influential group that represents more than $2 trillion in annual spending power.

Confirmed UnitedHealth Group speakers include:

Silvers Summit Tuesday, Jan. 10
9:50 a.m. to 10:35 a.m. Rise of the Silver Surfers: How to Use Non-Traditional Marketing to Reach a Traditional Audience Peter J. DeMaris, vice president of marketing, eCommerce, UnitedHealthcare Medicare & Retirement

Digital Health Summit Wednesday, Jan. 11
9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Visionaries Changing the Face of Digital Health Reed Tuckson, M.D., executive vice president and chief of medical affairs, UnitedHealth Group

4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Is Mobile Making Us Healthier? Bud Flagstad, vice president of strategic initiatives, UnitedHealth Group

UnitedHealth Group Announces Fitness Challenges for CES Attendees UnitedHealth Group will host two fitness challenges this year at CES with prizes that include iPads.

– Microsoft Xbox with Kinect Challenge — UnitedHealth Group invites CES attendees to visit the UnitedHealth Group exhibitor booth and compete against other attendees in a variety of games, including: — “Get Your Groove On Challenge” with Dance Central 2

– “Rally Ball” Challenge with Kinect Adventures
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- CES Walking Challenge — UnitedHealth Group will also host its Second Annual CES Walking Challenge. As part of the challenge, the company will distribute more than 1,000 pedometers at its booth, allowing participants to track the number of steps they take at the show.

For more on UnitedHealth Group’s presence at CES as well as the company’s booth, fitness challenges, and speaking engagements, visit www.ceshealth.com or follow @CESHealth on Twitter.

About UnitedHealth Group UnitedHealth Group /quotes/zigman/258846/quotes/nls/unh UNH +1.36% is a diversified health and well-being company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and making health care work better. With headquarters in Minnetonka, Minn., UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which provides information and technology-enabled health services. Through its businesses, UnitedHealth Group serves more than 75 million people worldwide. For more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at www.unitedhealthgroup.com .

[Via Kotaku: Wave Hello: Microsoft's Requiring Kinect Functionality for All Future Apps Built for Xbox 360]

(Click image for a closer view)

Take a very good look at the picture above. On the left is Impulse Technology’s Trazer Interactive Fitness machine, while the one on the right is the Nintendo Wii in action. Do they look the same, because Impulse Technology has filed a lawsuit against Nintendo – along with several third-party game development studios, for violating a 1996 patent for an “interactive system for measuring physiological exertion.” According to Joystiq.com the suit is reportedly based on the “weight-tracking Wii Balance board (and the games which use it).”

Impulse Technology has claimed that the Wii too closely resembles the Trazer Interactive Fitness machine. Now what is curious is that the Wii was launched in 2005 and the Wii Balance Board came out in 2007, so why the delay until late 2011? Could it be that Impulse filed a similar suit against Microsoft over the Kinect this past July and is just covering all bases?

[Via Joystiq: Impulse Technology suing Nintendo for patent infringement]

There are already devices that we’ve covered that allow a PC to be used with a bike trainer, golf simulator or other devices, but where the PC has lagged behind in recent years is with motion control that makes gaming fitness possible. Now Microsoft is offering a true game changer as the Kinect will arrive on the PC next year.

Here is what the Kinect for Windows Team had to say on the matter:

Since announcing a few weeks ago that the Kinect for Windows commercial program will launch in early 2012, we’ve been asked whether there will also be new Kinect hardware especially for Windows. The answer is yes; building on the existing Kinect for Xbox 360 device, we have optimized certain hardware components and made firmware adjustments which better enable PC-centric scenarios. Coupled with the numerous upgrades and improvements our team is making to the Software Development Kit (SDK) and runtime, the new hardware delivers features and functionality that Windows developers and Microsoft customers have been asking for.

Simple changes include shortening the USB cable to ensure reliability across a broad range of computers and the inclusion of a small dongle to improve coexistence with other USB peripherals.  Of particular interest to developers will be the new firmware which enables the depth camera to see objects as close as 50 centimeters in front of the device without losing accuracy or precision, with graceful degradation down to 40 centimeters.  “Near Mode” will enable a whole new class of “close up” applications, beyond the living room scenarios for Kinect for Xbox 360. This is one of the most requested features from the many developers and companies participating in our Kinect for Windows pilot program and folks commenting on our forums, and we’re pleased to deliver this, and more, at launch.

Another thing we’ve heard from our pilot customers is that companies exploring commercial uses of Kinect want to operate with the assurance of support and future innovation from Microsoft. As part of Microsoft’s deep commitment to NUI, we designed the Kinect for Windows commercial program to give licensed customers access to ongoing updates in both speech and human tracking (where Microsoft has been investing for years), in addition to providing fully supported Kinect hardware for Windows. We’ve been captivated by the countless creative ways companies worldwide envision how their businesses and industries can be revolutionized with Kinect, and are proud to be helping those companies to explore the profound implications NUI has for the future.

Microsoft also has just launched a new initiative, the Kinect Accelerator incubation project run by Microsoft BizSpark. I will be serving as a Mentor for this program, along with a number of other folks from Microsoft. BizSpark helps software startups through access to Microsoft software development tools, connection to key industry players (including investors) and by providing marketing visibility.  The Kinect Accelerator will give 10 tech-oriented companies using Kinect (on either Windows or Xbox360) an investment of $20,000 each, plus a number of other great perks. Applications are being accepted now through January 25th, 2012. At the end of the program, each company will have an opportunity to present at an Investor Demo Day to angel investors, venture capitalists, Microsoft executives (including me), media and industry influentials. I can’t wait to see what they (and maybe you?) come up with!

Craig Eisler
General Manager, Kinect for Windows

MSDN Blog: Kinect for Windows – Building the Future

Many of these titles are aimed at the fitness crowd or have fitness as part of the selling point, and include games such as Just Dance 3, Just Dance Kids 2 and Your Shape Fitness Evolved, but there is also a trend going with just slightly more active – or should we say interactive – gaming. These include action games. And while these might not be quite the same as going out for a run or hitting the gym, for those long winter days ahead it still could help get gamers hearts pumping from a bit more activity.

[Via The Wall Street Journal: Can Microsoft’s Xbox Have Another Kinect Christmas, or Will It Be Coal All Around?]

Microsoft and Ubisoft have provided a few more details for its Your Shape Fitness Evolved 2012, which will officially launch tomorrow, via the new YouTube video (above). The fitness/sports game looks to build on the past success of the Your Shape Fitness franchise and once again promises to help gamers get off the couch and get a little more fit via the Kinect for the Microsoft Xbox 360. Never a bad thing.

Your Shape Fitness Official Website

Ubisoft just released MotionSports Adrenaline for the Xbox 360 Kinect and PlayStation Move for the PlayStation 3. The game takes advantage of the motion-sensing controls to encourage movement. MotionSports Adrenaline has a number of extreme activities such as wingsuit, mountain bike, rock climbing, kayak, kitesurf, extreme skiing.

MotionSports Adrenaline uses intuitive motion control, a basic control that picks up on gesture-based movements. Those movements help burn calories in a fun environment.

The game is packed full of animating locations, many influenced by the real world but rendered with the possibilities of a game console. Take the challenge alone, or in multiplayer mode with two or more players in the same location or online.

Ubisoft MotionSports Adrenaline Official Website

Zumba Fitness Rush promises to offer 42 hot new music tracks, sizzling choreography and a huge variety of new dance styles and arenas, which invite players to dance their way into shape with a fun and proven program. Six Zumba instructors get you moving to the beat, including celebrity instructors Beto Perez, Tanya Beardsley and Gina Grant, plus new stars exclusive to the Kinect game: Kass Martin, Jason Thompson and Erica Pierce. Each star instructor personally guides players through choreography that ranges in style from Merengue and Samba to Bollywood and Latin Pop. Dance hands-free as Kinect for Xbox 360 accurately tracks your every move.

The Progress Tracker monitors calories burned, grades dance styles, and displays trophies, stats and overall rank. Whether playing in Single Song, Full Class or Zumba Party mode, players will have a blast with this unique dance-fitness experience that shapes, tones and transforms their bodies as they party themselves into shape.

“Our Zumba Fitness games combine both dance and fitness with fun, high-energy choreography, contagious music and multiplayer functionality that lets friends and family join the party,” said Jesse Sutton, Chief Executive Officer, Majesco Entertainment. “Zumba Fitness Rush is packed with features and improvements that Kinect fans have asked for—from licensed music to a calorie tracker, 40+ all new routines with more than twice the dance styles of the original, a custom playlist feature and online connectivity. This is an incredibly robust experience that fans will love.”

Features include exotic party venues so gamers can be transported out of the living room to 10 new, dynamic environments, with five venues including Rio Carnival and Las Vegas that are exclusive to the Kinect game; and create customizable Zumba workouts with favorite playlist and workout length, along with low, medium and high intensity routines also cater to dancers of all skill levels. There is a full tutorial mode to make sure you get in step right from the beginning.

Developed by Zoe Mode, Zumba Fitness Rush on Kinect for Xbox 360 has been announced for a February 2012 release, and this dance party doesn’t look like it will stop!

Zumba Fitness Games Official Website

New features this year include the ability to call an audible play in football or challenge the ref in tennis with your voice, and even challenge friends over Xbox LIVE. But this year the gameplay ups the ante while getting gamers off the couch as it now includes an in-game calorie counter. You can work up a sweat, score points and lose some calories all at the same time.

Kinect Sports: Season Two will be available this holiday season from Rare and Big Park and is being published by Microsoft Studios. Tis the season to game and get in shape.

Xbox 360 Official Website

Fitness is now heading to a new dimension as Traq3D has announced the launch of the next generation TRAZER system, which utilizes the Panasonic Electric Works’ 3D Image Sensing Camera, D-IMager, as the preferred 3D motion detection device for this new product. TRAZER is an innovative interactive exercise technology that was featured on according to the company measures the previously immeasurable fundamental components of movement. It provides the power to detect movement asymmetries and weaknesses to guide rehabilitation, performance enhancement and injury prevention programs.

While this has the appearance of the technology used in current video games, such as the Nintendo Wii, Microsoft’s Kinect for the Xbox360 or the PlayStation Move, it is really a lot more says the technology’s innovator.

“TRAZER measures the previously immeasurable fundamental components of movement. It provides the power to detect movement asymmetries and weaknesses to guide rehabilitation, performance enhancement and injury prevention programs,” says TRAZER’s inventor Barry J. French. “Conventional fitness machines, such as treadmills, bikes and ellipticals, only exercise the muscle groups that propel us forward. By contrast, TRAZER also exercises the muscle groups that propel us backward, side-to-side, up and down, and that allow us to twist and turn and stop and start. All while engaging the mind as well as the body.”

Preceding the inclusion of D-IMager, the user had to wear a sensor on their body to control the onscreen action. Panasonic’s technology eliminates the body-worn marker affording the user unrestricted movement. TRAZER captures all movements including turning, bending and twisting — and the D-IMager allows the user’s entire body to interact in the activity.

“Physical rehabilitation, sports training and fitness are ideal applications for the D-IMager,” said Tom Monczka, Product Manager for Panasonic Electric Works USA. “Accurate pixel-by-pixel image information enables full body motion tracking for precise feedback on the user’s progress. Reliability is ensured with strong ambient lighting resistance and a 10 year continuous usage life expectancy.

According to the company TRAZER has the promise to offer entertaining and effective programs for Fitness and Weight Management, Senior Health and Fall Prevention, Sports Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention. And for the healthcare provider, TRAZER’s role will be to enhance preventative, rehabilitative and performance building programs and services that maximize each patient’s functionality and promote the well-being of every family member.

Traq 3D Fitness Official Website

“It’s hard to think of a more popular, cherished and culturally significant board game than Twister. I myself have fond memories of the laughs and outrageous fun I’ve had when playing with friends and family,” said Jesse Sutton, CEO, Majesco Entertainment.”Our game introduces a brand new play pattern that is perfect for what Kinect was designed to do. Twister Mania for Kinect is as much fun to watch as it is to play and it’s shaping up to be one of the most contagious Kinect party games released.”

Twister Mania combines the colorful, expressive and cooperative gameplay of the original Twister board game and updates it for the digital generation. Twist into fun with friends and family in this light-hearted, fast-paced game that supports up to eight players with deep gameplay across three game modes with 16 variations and over 1800 shapes to play! This outrageous party game provides over-the-top hilarity – so don’t hold back as you duck, squeeze, contort and move your body to match your opponent’s silhouette, knock down blocks against the clock and fill in thousands of crazy shapes of all sizes and themes!

Fans of game will get their chance to bend and move when the digital version of the game arrives this November on Kinect for the Microsoft Xbox 360, making the upcoming holiday season the time to twist again.

Twister Mania Official Website