Microsoft formally named the Xbox 360′s motion controller without the Wiimote, dubbing it the “Kinect”. I’m sure there’s a decent marketing reason for it, but it doesn’t spring to mind immediately. Anyway, Justin managed to get a “Behind The Scenes” video of it from E3 which he posted on sister/brother/cousin site E3coverage.com

High Points – It makes a Skeleton, Voice Recognition and putting a ring on it.
Low Points – My bank manager suddenly feels the need to cry…

[E3coverage.com]

Welcome to the third of the irregular series “Mamba Query”, where we ask you a question and we wait for people to come up with a decent response.

This weekend’s question is:
Windows 7 is just around the corner, and people are being asked by Microsoft to host launch parties to spread the word. Are you excited at all about Windows 7? Are you going to an aforementioned launch party? Will you be using a camera?

My answers, in order:
Mildly, if only so I can skip Vista. No, I’m not, no-one is hosting one near me as far as I am aware. Yes, if I ever get to go to one.

Feel free to leave your answer in the comments.

Question: How do you make Internet Explorer work better? Answer: According to Google, install a plugin called Google Chrome Frame that lets IE work like Chrome.

Here, let this fine looking gentleman explain it for you…

Just to clarify what Alex Russell is saying, you can install a plugin for Internet Explorer that, when a webpage has a specific tag included, runs the site through a frame within IE that runs a version of Chrome. This is apparently to allow “faster, more powerful” apps (Google’s buzzwords) to run, and at the moment it’s meant to be used by developers as opposed to the public in general.

So… place your bets: How long until the functionality gets built out of it by the IE Team…

[via Google's Chromium Blog]

Yes, you’ve read that right. Microsoft have been ordered by a court to stop selling versions of MS Word because of patent infringement.

Within the next 60 days, Microsoft must either amend Word 2003 and 2007 in such a way to stop the infringement, or cease sales altogether.
The patent in question is owned by i4i, and they say Microsoft is using XML in a way that they want money for, but it’s believed that Microsoft will get around this easily, especially since they believe the latest version of Word won’t touch the patent at all.

Strangely, shares in Microsoft went up 2%…

[Via The Register and BBC]