Microsoft (News - Alert) announced the availability of the Kinect for Windows SDK 1.7, its latest update to its software development kit (SDK).

Kinect motion-sensing technology presents the next generation of home entertainment. It is an electronic unit based on software technology that is able to provide full-body 3D motion capture.

Basically, a Kinect provides the “eyes and ears” of a human interface to interact with computers simply by gesturing and speaking.

This system features a webcam-style add-on peripheral that presents facial, gesture and voice recognition capabilities. It is a unit that has been available for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Windows PCs. It was first available for Windows 7 in 2011, then it was included in 1.5 SDK in 2012. The version has now been updated to 1.7.

That’s right Kinect fans, version number 1.7 of the SDK is now here and it is available to download!

What’s new? Microsoft’s Kinect for Windows SDK v1.7 adds a host of user movements and includes more input mechanisms.

Some of the new features that the Windows Engineering Team has supplied include Fusion—to create accurate, full, 3-D reconstruction, mapping and renderings of people and objects in real time—and Interactions—which simplifies gesturing such as a “push” to make a selection or press a button, a closed hand to represent a “grab” or to scroll and pan, and a wave to identify the user who stands in front of the Kinect system.

Other than the capacity to unlock new user interface possibilities, the new SDK is optimized to run on Windows 8 systems, in addition to Windows 7.

With such notable new features and enhancements, it makes this a significant update to the software development kit for consumers to enjoy and make use of Kinect-enabled applications for Microsoft Windows.

Those interested in the new Windows SDK and toolkit can click here to access the download page. However, for those who have yet to purchase the Kinect unit to engage in such a computing experience and who may be interested in what it has to offer can obtain the unit at a price of $149.99 at the Microsoft Store in the U.S.