Home Gaming The Xbox One always on Kinect can be turned off

The Xbox One always on Kinect can be turned off

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InyourKinect

With the revelation that the Xbox One will have a mandatory Kinect that will always be monitoring you adolescent gamers everywhere started to panic. And while we joke that people are going to be caught doing something private the fact that a camera is on and monitoring your lounge at all times is a serious invasion of privacy for most people.

I for one am totally uncomfortable being in photo’s never mind being the star of my own peeping camera show. But it looks like these privacy concerns are possibly being overblown.

A spokesperson for Microsoft has confirmed to Kotaku that the Kinect can be turned off entirely

“It is not always watching or always listening,”

“Yes, you can turn the system completely off,this would use no power and turn everything off. We’ll share more details about how it all works later.”

 It wasn’t revealed if this brand new feature involved turning it off at the wall or not but Microsoft promises us that it is taking our privacy concerns seriously and that we won’t be disappointed. And I honestly believe them.

Out of all the large corporations it’s only Microsoft that hasn’t let me down on that front.

Facebook.. well it’s Facebook and gets it wrong all the time. Google Chrome stored my servers password in the cloud somewhere which really freaked me out. I signed into Chrome on a brand new computer and went to the backend of this server and the login box was completed for me. I just had to click login. PlayStation… well they lost everyone’s details a little while back didn’t they? Apple sends me a constant stream of annoying emails and I’m utterly convinced banks in South Africa earn a second income from selling my private details to everyone who’s willing to buy them.

So yes, if I’m going to give Microsoft anything it’s that they have never let me down in regards to privacy.

Last Updated: May 30, 2013

28 Comments

  1. Admiral Chief Commander

    May 30, 2013 at 11:21

    riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight

    Reply

    • RichardC

      May 30, 2013 at 13:40

      Exactly what I thought when I finished reading the article.

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief Commander

        May 30, 2013 at 13:44

        hehehe

        Reply

  2. Admiral Chief Commander

    May 30, 2013 at 11:24

    ackbar says:

    Reply

    • Ultimo_Cleric_N7

      May 30, 2013 at 11:41

      Agreed.

      Reply

  3. FoxOneZA - X-Therminator

    May 30, 2013 at 11:24

    Noooooo!!!! it’s a lie. The internet memes speak the truth coz it’s cool and funny!!!! #sarcasm

    Reply

    • Spathi

      May 30, 2013 at 12:18

      It must be shit to be in the Xbox camp currently! Everytime I see you commenting, this springs to mind:

      PS: 95% of us are trolling for the lulz (as you know obviously). Xbox One will be an awesome entertainment device and come E3, they will reveal amazing games. But until then, let us have our fun 🙂

      Reply

      • Ultimo_Cleric_N7

        May 30, 2013 at 13:22

        The fact that you just posted a Flight of the Conchords song makes you an instant legend. Thank you.

        Reply

  4. Rinceandspit...

    May 30, 2013 at 11:26

    Agreed, though MS DID let me down when I was not able to move my Xbox account from the UK to SA a few years back, that was stupid as hell.

    Reply

  5. Admiral Chief Commander

    May 30, 2013 at 11:27

    eggsbawks be watching yooooooooo
    beware!

    Reply

  6. Kaya

    May 30, 2013 at 11:28

    Having worked with Microsoft for a long period of time. I can tell you that they actually limit their own capabilities in order to ensure user privacy. I for one am not worried at all.

    Reply

  7. Umar Kiiroi Senk?

    May 30, 2013 at 11:28

    Wait … clear this up for me ………. the only way to turn Kinect off completely is turning off the console completely? …. so then, you not really turning KINECT off, you’re turning the Xbox One system off? So does this apply to the idle state as well?…I’m really confused here, obviously the Kinect will be off like this, it’s called pulling out the plug! I for one leave all my consoles on an idle state….

    Please tell me I’m misinterpreting this, because this is dumb as hell …..

    Reply

    • owenmin

      May 30, 2013 at 15:20

      I thought Privacy Settings being in the article would be enough for your brain to piece together that you will be able to disbale it, being offline or online. They have said we will get to control what happens to our data, or if we even want data to be recorded.

      Reply

      • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

        May 30, 2013 at 15:30

        Well maybe if your read my comment your brain could piece together that my question has nothing to do with the privacy of our/my data … I just wanted to know about turning Kinect itself on and off ….
        Kindly read before commenting, Thank you

        Reply

        • Jonah Cash

          May 30, 2013 at 16:43

          Hahahahaha!!!! Brains piecing things together…. Gotta love it!!!
          I also read it and thought: So I will have to unplug the thing to turn all of it off…. Wow that was incite full, I would never have guessed that!!! I’m with you on this one, would like some clarity on that myself….

          Reply

  8. Martin du preez

    May 30, 2013 at 11:31

    Like they will admit it will spy on you!

    Reply

  9. Khulani Ndlovu

    May 30, 2013 at 11:35

    Lol, so there’s no privacy at all, we are just exposed, worse the kinect will be staring at you all day long so it can report back to main server Microsoft that you deserve an achievement for watching TV or keeping the Xbox One system on all day, 😉

    Reply

    • LordCaptainAwesomeness

      May 30, 2013 at 14:13

      or that you are running out of Pizza, so it can order more for you

      Reply

      • Khulani Ndlovu

        May 30, 2013 at 14:36

        Lol, well so it will be using your MS points that’s if we will be using them then to make the pizza purchase for you, you gotta be loaded with Microsoft money in your a/c to enjoy it, lol, the pizza comes with a bonus achievement topping, LoL! 😀

        Reply

  10. HvR

    May 30, 2013 at 11:36

    “So yes, if I’m going to give Microsoft anything it’s that they have never let me down in regards to privacy.”

    Wait a minute, this is the same company who was found to have backdoors/secrest API’s in their products from the early 90’s till present day to gather personal information (they just do not mention it in the EULA) who assisted authoritarian governments like China spy on and incarcerate people in those countries through monitoring what these people did using MS products. Who has been found guilty in almost every mayor country to have secretly colluded to screw over their customers to make more money.

    And is run by this guy ….

    Reply

    • Rinceandspit...

      May 30, 2013 at 11:41

      I almost hear you brother!

      Reply

  11. The bird or the OVG cage?

    May 30, 2013 at 12:20

    GOOD if we can turn it off and it works without it then give us a SKU that does not include the Kinect… then get rid of DRM while you are at it MICROFAIL

    Reply

  12. The bird or the OVG cage?

    May 30, 2013 at 12:27

    • owenmin

      May 30, 2013 at 15:22

      lol Sony’s service wen’t down for 2 month and failed to inform it’s users that their personal and financial details were at risk for 2 weeks lol.

      Reply

  13. Macethy

    May 30, 2013 at 13:38

    Of course you can completely turn it off, so that it uses no power. It’s called unplugging it!

    Not falling for you ruse M$

    Reply

  14. matthurstrsa

    May 31, 2013 at 07:39

    “Yes, you can turn the system completely off,this would use no power and turn everything off. We’ll share more details about how it all works later.”

    Step 1: Turn off plug at wall socket.
    Step 2: Remove plug
    Step 3: Dig hole 6 foot deep
    Step 4: Get a Spanish priest to throw holy water in the hole
    Step 5: Place Xbone and Kinect into hole
    Step 6: Cover with dirt and plant grass so no one ever discovers the evil lurking within
    Step 7: Make a movie (Jumanji 2: Always on) about an evil console that gets dug up that, when switched on, makes all the evil characters/bosses in the games come to life.

    Reply

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