It may not quite have the hype of Google Glass, Apple’s rumored iWatch, or the Galaxy S IV, but Leap Motion may be one of the most exciting technology products of 2013. The small sensor that lets you control your computer with mid-air 3D gestures now has a ship date – along with its own app store.
Leap Motion today announced that the device’s release date will be two-fold. Pre-order units will begin shipping globally on May 13, and its U.S. retail launch – exclusively at Best Buy – will follow on May 19. Leap will prioritize pre-order shipments by order date.
The device – previously available for US$69.99 pre-orders – will now retail for $79.99. The new price is effective for additional pre-orders starting today.
Airspace
Leap will work out-of-the-box with recent versions of Windows and Mac OS X, and can - in some cases - provide input for existing apps. But, for maximum compatibility, developers will need to get on board. Customers will also need an easy to way to find Leap-friendly apps.
Leap’s answer? Its own app store, dubbed Airspace. Leap says that the storefront will include a wide variety of applications, from gaming to productivity, education to art.
Already-announced apps include Cut the Rope, Autodesk plugins, and Corel Painter apps. A Wreck-it-Ralph racing game, the Weather Channel, and Double Fine’s music game Dischord round out the early Airspace list.
Developers interested in getting on board can sign up at Leap's website below.
Competition?
2013 is shaping up to be a big year for 3D gesture control technology. Along with Leap, Microsoft is expected to announce a next-gen Kinect along with the next Xbox, and Thalmic Labs’ MYO performs a similar function with an armband. We even speculated that Apple’s iWatch might open the door to Mac, iPad, and Apple TV gesture control.
It will be interesting to see if one product becomes the industry standard, or if the 3D gesture control market gets its own iOS/Android type of dichotomy.
You can check out Leap’s promo video below.
Source: Leap Motion
