Kinect for Windows runtime and SDK update will be available in October

Kinect for Windows will be made available in China on October 8, Microsoft has announced, and it will be available in the following six additional markets this fall: Chile, Colombia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, and Poland.

An update to the Kinect for Windows runtime and SDK will also be made available in October. The release contains new features which provide "additional power" to Kinect for Windows developers and business customers.

Here's a list of highlights coming with the update:

• Enable businesses to do more with Kinect for Windows.
• Support for Windows 8 desktop applications, Microsoft .NET 4.5, and Microsoft Visual Studio 2012.

  Our October update will include support for Windows 8 desktop applications, Microsoft .NET 4.5, and Microsoft Visual Studio 2012.

• We are committed to opening up even more opportunities for the creation of new end user experiences. We’ll be adding features such as expanded sensor data access—including color camera settings and extended depth data—to continue to inspire innovative uses of the Kinect for Windows technology in new and different places.
• Improve developer efficiency.
• We continue to invest in making our platform easier and more powerful for developers. That’s why we’ll be releasing more tools and samples in October, such as a new sample that demonstrates a “best in class” UI based on the Kinect for Windows Human Interface Guidelines.
• Extend our Windows tools and operating system support.

More features will be announced when the update is released on October 8.

By the end of the year, Kinect for Windows will be available in 38 markets.

Via Major Nelson.