Hi everyone, I’ve uploaded a new video to YouTube (first one in a year!). This short video shows a Depth Camera Controller controlling a set of Philips Hue lights.

First I demonstrate how different zones can trigger different actions using several small zones placed around my monitor. Then I show the basic features of the Hue Support section on the controller’s Settings page. Finally, I briefly show the Automation Rules page, which is used to connect events from a zone (e.g. entered/exited, changes in surface area or position, etc.) to a change in the lights.

An updated beta version of the Depth Camera Controller firmware with Philips Hue support is now available. Click the Check for Updates link on the Depth Camera Controller’s Settings page to download this new firmware.

The Hue light control in this version is much faster and more reliable than the previous beta, so be sure to check it out.

When Posterous announced their pending closure (which takes place tomorrow, Apr. 30, 2013), I immediately began searching for a new blogging platform. I wanted a self-hosted setup on my own domain, so I would never again be subject to another blog service’s site closure. I settled on Octopress (based on Jekyll), due to its hacker-friendly command line nature, integration with Git, ability to publish to Amazon S3, and easily customizable default theme.

Migration from Posterous required three major steps:

1. Exporting posts from Posterous
2. Importing posts into Octopress
3. Setting up redirection from Posterous to my new blog

Follow along below to back up your own Posterous blog.

I’ve uploaded a new beta version of the Depth Camera Controller firmware that includes initial support for controlling Philips Hue lights with the Kinect. This beta firmware can be downloaded by clicking the Check for Updates link on the Depth Camera Controller’s Settings page.

Some of you may have been wondering why it’s taking so long to get Philips Hue support implemented, especially now that Philips has released official documentation for the API. The reason is that I’ve been working on a new application that satisfies a very cool feature request.

So what have you been doing all this time?

I’m pleased to announce the release of version 1.0 of a new application, the Nitrogen Logic PC Remote. This application allows you to run commands on any Java-enabled PC (Linux, Mac, or Windows) in response to zone events from one or more Depth Camera Controllers.

The next few weeks will be exciting for fans of Nitrogen Logic.  First of all, I've been working on adding seamless support for the Philips Hue lighting system to the Depth Camera Controller.  Soon you will be able to control your Hue lights with a Depth Camera Controller and a Kinect camera, without requiring a separate automation system.  This new Hue support will be available to all purchasers of the Depth Camera Controller via a free firmware update.