Kinect co-creator is making Windows wearable, says report

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Microsoft wants to make Windows wearable, and one of the co-creators of Kinect is in charge of making that happen, according to a new report.

Microsoft's general manager of Xbox incubation projects Alex Kipman is helping the company develop tech to compete with Samsung's Galaxy Gear, Google Glass, and other wearable tech, The Verge said.

Kipman, who's referred to as a "father of Kinect," is in charge of customizing Windows to run on smaller screens, the site's sources said. ZDNet reported in October that Kipman was working on wearable, but his team's focus on miniaturizing Windows is news to us.

(Doesn't "Father of Kinect" sound like a bad horror film spin-off? Like Bride of Frankenstein, or Seed of Chucky?)

Tagline: 'He's always watching'

Microsoft's plans for wearables reportedly include a 1.5-inch Windows smart watch that could connect to Surface tablets, as well as a Google Glass rival currently referred to as "Kinect Glasses."

We mentioned the Kinect Glasses, also called "Forteleza," at the end of 2012, but haven't heard a peep about them since.

But Kipman is allegedly testing whether the Kinect Glasses could be released as a real product.

One Windows to rule them all

In a related rumor, Microsoft is said to be working on unifying Windows into one umbrella OS, with individual teams then tailoring it for specific platforms like phones, tablets, PCs, and Xbox.

That's where Kipman's team comes in: they're in charge of making Windows work on wearable tech.

Other Microsoft executives, including Microsoft's Executive Vice President of Devices and Studios Julie Larson-Green, have hinted at Microsoft interest in wearables.

"You see all these fitness devices that people wear on their wrists and they do some interesting things," she said at the UBS Global Technology Conference in November. "What's the extension of that?"

What indeed? We've got a feeling we're going to find out soon.

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