Microsoft has finally released a software development kit (SDK) for the Kinect motion detector, according to media reports.

In the past, eager developers actually had to hack into the Kinect so they could reach data, industry analysts said.

But with the new Windows SDK, developers will have “access to the raw data streams collected by the Kinect’s sensors,” says The Inquirer.

Last week, Microsoft asked some 50 developers to come to its headquarters, where they showed off the kinds of programs that can work with the device.

The 24-hour session was called “Code Camp,” according to Wired.

The developers had access to new tools, and built and tested potential uses for Kinect applications, according to Digital Trends.

“The results were pretty impressive,” says The Inquirer.

The Inquirer adds that the SDK can only be used on Windows 7 but it’s likely that developers using Linux will soon be able to apply it that operating system as well.

Microsoft says it has sold some 10 million Kinect controllers since being released in November 2010. There’s no doubt it has been popular with users.

“The Kinect replaces the traditional Xbox controller with the movements of your actual hands, using a camera that translates motion into controlling the videogame you’re playing,” explains Wired.

“The technology is compelling and offers the ability to create gesture driven interfaces, something that many firms including AMD, ARM and Intel have said will become the focus of operating system development in the coming years,” The Inquirer adds.

Wired predicts that the device may lead to applications in diverse fields, such as robotics and medical research.

The Kinect can be downloaded for free for non-commercial software development, according to Digital Trends. Applications use such programming languages as C++, C# or Visual Basic.

In other recent news about Xbox 360, The Associated Press reported in a story carried on TechZone360 that international broadcasters can already bring live TV to Xbox 360 in the United Kingdom, Australia and France. But a new live TV service marks a first for the gaming console in the United States.

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Ed Silverstein is a TechZone360 contributor. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell