How to Motion Control a PC With Leap Motion - Katherine Boehret - The Digital Solution

<!DOCTYPE html>    <html class="no-js" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xmlns:og="http://ogp.me/ns#" xmlns:fb="https://www.facebook.com/2008/fbml" lang="en-US"> <head profile="http://gmpg.org/xfn/11"> <meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" /> <title>How to Motion Control a PC With Leap Motion - Katherine Boehret - The Digital Solution - AllThingsD</title> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://sj.wsj.net/djscript/require/j_top/version/20210521100.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ var jsexec = dj.util.JSExec(dj.context.jsexec); djPerf.firstMark=((new Date()).getTime());if (typeof gomez == "undefined") { this.gomez = {}; }globalPerfTesting = true;djPerf.init( { type: 'gomez', frequency: '20', acctId: '72D329', pgId:'ATD: Article', grpId: 'ATDArticlePages' } );djPerf.mark('JSEXEC: top-to-9');window._sf_startpt=(new Date()).getTime(); /* ]]> */ </script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/theme/css/wsjhat-default.css"> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" href="/feed/index.html" title="AllThingsD latest posts" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" href="/comments/feed/index.html" title="AllThingsD latest comments" /> <link rel="pingback" href="https://allthingsd.com/xmlrpc.php" /> <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge" /> <meta name="description" content="The Leap Motion Controller connects to PCs via a USB port to let users control their machines with gestures in the air." /> <meta name="keywords" content="katherine boehret, mobile, news, product reviews, reviews, the digital solution, the mossberg solution, finger tracking, gesture, gestures, kinect, leap, leap motion controller, motion tracking, usb" /> <meta name="news_keywords" content="katherine boehret, mobile, news, product reviews, reviews, the digital solution, the mossberg solution, finger tracking, gesture, gestures, kinect, leap, leap motion controller, motion tracking, usb" /> <link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="AllThingsD » How to Control a PC in Thin Air Comments Feed" href="https://allthingsd.com/20130723/how-to-control-a-pc-in-thin-air/feed/" /> <script type="text/javascript"> window._wpemojiSettings = {"baseUrl":"http:\/\/s.w.org\/images\/core\/emoji\/72x72\/","ext":".png","source":{"concatemoji":"http:\/\/allthingsd.com\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-emoji-release.min.js?ver=4.3.16"}}; !function(a,b,c){function d(a){var c=b.createElement("canvas"),d=c.getContext&&c.getContext("2d");return d&&d.fillText?(d.textBaseline="top",d.font="600 32px Arial","flag"===a?(d.fillText(String.fromCharCode(55356,56812,55356,56807),0,0),c.toDataURL().length>3e3):(d.fillText(String.fromCharCode(55357,56835),0,0),0!==d.getImageData(16,16,1,1).data[0])):!1}function e(a){var c=b.createElement("script");c.src=a,c.type="text/javascript",b.getElementsByTagName("head")[0].appendChild(c)}var f,g;c.supports={simple:d("simple"),flag:d("flag")},c.DOMReady=!1,c.readyCallback=function(){c.DOMReady=!0},c.supports.simple&&c.supports.flag||(g=function(){c.readyCallback()},b.addEventListener?(b.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",g,!1),a.addEventListener("load",g,!1)):(a.attachEvent("onload",g),b.attachEvent("onreadystatechange",function(){"complete"===b.readyState&&c.readyCallback()})),f=c.source||{},f.concatemoji?e(f.concatemoji):f.wpemoji&&f.twemoji&&(e(f.twemoji),e(f.wpemoji)))}(window,document,window._wpemojiSettings); </script> <style type="text/css"> img.wp-smiley, img.emoji { display: inline !important; border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; height: 1em !important; width: 1em !important; margin: 0 .07em !important; vertical-align: -0.1em !important; background: none !important; padding: 0 !important; } </style> <link rel='stylesheet' id='allthingsd-css' href='/wp-content/themes/atd-2.0/css/allthingsd.20130513.css' type='text/css' media='all' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='easy-fancybox-css-css' href='/wp-content/plugins/easy-fancybox/easy-fancybox.css' type='text/css' media='screen' /> <link rel='stylesheet' id='blackbirdpie-css-css' href='/wp-content/plugins/twitter-blackbird-pie/css/blackbirdpie.css' type='text/css' media='all' /> <script type='text/javascript' src='/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery.js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='/wp-includes/js/jquery/jquery-migrate.min.js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='/wp-content/themes/atd-2.0/js/cookie.js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='/wp-content/plugins/twitter-blackbird-pie/js/blackbirdpie.js'></script> <link rel="EditURI" type="application/rsd+xml" title="RSD" href="https://allthingsd.com/xmlrpc.php?rsd" /> <link rel="wlwmanifest" type="application/wlwmanifest+xml" href="/wp-includes/wlwmanifest.xml" /> <link rel='prev' title='Sunrise, Sunset: Why Companies Kill Products We Love' href='https://allthingsd.com/20130723/sunrise-sunset-why-companies-kill-products-we-love/' /> <link rel='next' title='Is Ibrahim Balic Behind the Apple Dev Center Hack? Maybe Not.' href='https://allthingsd.com/20130723/is-ibrahim-balic-behind-the-apple-dev-center-hack-maybe-not/' /> <meta name="generator" content="WordPress 4.3.16" /> <link rel='canonical' href='https://allthingsd.com/index' /> <meta name="twitter:url" content="https://allthingsd.com/20130723/how-to-control-a-pc-in-thin-air/"> <meta name="twitter:title" content="How to Control a PC in Thin Air"> <meta name="twitter:image" content="https://allthingsd.com/files/2013/07/leap-motion-controller-150x150.jpg"> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@allthingsd"> <meta name="twitter:site:id" content="5746402"> <meta name="twitter:creator" content="@kabster728"> <script type="text/javascript">var _sf_startpt=(new Date()).getTime()</script> <![endif]--> <meta property="og:title" content="How to Control a PC in Thin Air" /> <meta property="og:type" content="article" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://allthingsd.com/files/2013/07/leap-motion-controller.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://allthingsd.com/files/2013/07/PJ-BP513_DSOLUT_G_20130723164739-380x253.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://allthingsd.com/files/2013/07/PJ-BP532_DSOLUT_G_20130723170009-380x253.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://allthingsd.com/files/2013/07/PJ-BP511_DSOLUT_G_20130723163953-380x253.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image" content="https://allthingsd.com/files/2013/07/leap-motion-controller-380x285.jpg" /> <meta property="og:image" content="/theme/images/d-logo-blue-100x100.png" /> <meta property="og:image" content="/wp-content/themes/atd-2.0/images/staff/katherine-boehret-170x170.jpg" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://allthingsd.com/20130723/how-to-control-a-pc-in-thin-air/" /> <meta property="og:description" content="The Leap Motion Controller connects to PCs via a USB port to let users control their machines with gestures in the air." /> <meta property="og:site_name" content="AllThingsD" /> <meta property="og:locale" content="en_us" /> <meta property="fb:admins" content="514106765,224983,1223852561" />  <script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ var fb_timeout = null; var fb_opts = { 'overlayShow' : true, 'hideOnOverlayClick' : true, 'showCloseButton' : true, 'centerOnScroll' : true, 'enableEscapeButton' : true, 'autoScale' : true }; var easy_fancybox_handler = function(){ /* IMG */ var fb_IMG_select = 'a[href*=".jpg"]:not(.nofancybox):has(img), area[href*=".jpg"]:not(.nofancybox):has(img), a[href*=".gif"]:not(.nofancybox):has(img), area[href*=".gif"]:not(.nofancybox):has(img), a[href*=".png"]:not(.nofancybox):has(img), area[href*=".png"]:not(.nofancybox):has(img)'; jQuery(fb_IMG_select).addClass('fancybox'); var fb_IMG_sections = jQuery('div.gallery'); fb_IMG_sections.each(function() { jQuery(this).find(fb_IMG_select).attr('rel', 'gallery-' + fb_IMG_sections.index(this)); }); jQuery('a.fancybox, area.fancybox, li.fancybox a:not(li.nofancybox a)').fancybox( jQuery.extend({}, fb_opts, { 'easingIn' : 'easeOutBack', 'easingOut' : 'easeInBack', 'opacity' : false, 'hideOnContentClick' : false, 'titleShow' : true, 'titlePosition' : 'inside', 'titleFromAlt' : true, 'showNavArrows' : true, 'enableKeyboardNav' : true, 'cyclic' : false }) ); /* Auto-click */ jQuery('#fancybox-auto').trigger('click'); } /* ]]> */ </script> <style type="text/css">.fancybox-hidden{display:none}.rtl #fancybox-left{left:auto;right:0px}.rtl #fancybox-right{left:0px;right:auto}.rtl #fancybox-right-ico{background-position:-40px -30px}.rtl #fancybox-left-ico{background-position:-40px -60px}.rtl .fancybox-title-over{text-align:right}.rtl #fancybox-left-ico,.rtl #fancybox-right-ico{right:-9999px}.rtl #fancybox-right:hover span{right:auto;left:20px}.rtl #fancybox-left:hover span{right:20px}#fancybox-img{max-width:none;max-height:none}</style> <script type="text/javascript"> var atd_refresh_custom_interval = 5400000; </script>  <meta http-equiv="X-UA-Compatible" content="IE=edge,chrome=1" /> <meta name="bitly-verification" content="c55177c1e89f" />  <meta name="viewport" content="width=1024" />   <script type="text/javascript" src="/wp-content/themes/atd-2.0/js/libs/modernizr-1.7.min.js"></script> </head> <body class="single single-post postid-345447 single-format-standard review"> <div id="container"> <div id="wsjhat"> <div class="wrapper">  <div id="hat_div" class="hat_wsjdn"> <ul id="hattabs" class="hat_tabs"> <li class="hat_tab " id="hat_tab_wsj"> <a class="hat_site_title" href="https://online.wsj.com" rel="nofollow">WSJ</a> <ul> <li><a class="hat_site_link" href="https://online.wsj.com" rel="nofollow">WSJ</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="hat_tab " id="hat_tab_shop"> <a class="hat_site_title" href="https://shops.wsj.com?mod=wsj-tophat-button" rel="nofollow">The Shops</a> <ul> <li><a class="hat_site_link" href="https://shops.wsj.com?mod=wsj-tophat-button" rel="nofollow">The Shops</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="hat_tab " id="hat_tab_mw"> <a class="hat_site_title" href="https://www.marketwatch.com" rel="nofollow">MarketWatch</a> <ul> <li><a class="hat_site_link" href="https://www.marketwatch.com" rel="nofollow">MarketWatch</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="hat_tab " id="hat_tab_bol"> <a class="hat_site_title" href="https://online.barrons.com/home" rel="nofollow">Barron's</a> <ul> <li><a class="hat_site_link" href="https://online.barrons.com/home" rel="nofollow">Barron's</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="hat_tab " id="hat_tab_port"> <a class="hat_site_title" href="https://portfolio.wsj.com?mod=wsj_port_hat" rel="nofollow">Portfolio</a> <ul> <li><a class="hat_site_link" href="https://portfolio.wsj.com?mod=wsj_port_hat" rel="nofollow">Portfolio</a></li> </ul> </li> <li class="hat_tab " id="hat_tab_productx"> <a class="hat_site_title" href="https://dj.wsj.com/hub?mod=AllThingsD_Hat" rel="nofollow">Product X</a> <ul> <li><a class="hat_site_link" href="https://dj.wsj.com/hub?mod=AllThingsD_Hat" rel="nofollow">Product X</a></li> </ul> <div class="hat_product_dropdown"> <div class="hat_product_dropdown-wrap"> <div class="caret_wrap"> <div class="caret"></div> <div class="caret_border"></div> </div> <ul> <li> <a class="rt" href="https://id.wsj.com/access/pages/wsj/us/login_standalone.html?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Fpage%2FDJX.html%3Fmod%3DProdX_MktgHub">rt</a> </li> <li> <a class="f" href="https://global.factiva.com?mod=ProdX_MktgHub">f</a> </li> <li> <a class="rc" href="https://djrc.dowjones.com/?mod=ProdX_MktgHub">r&c</a> </li> <li> <a class="pevc" href="https://pevc.dowjones.com/?mod=ProdX_MktgHub">pe&vc</a> </li> <li> <a class="wsj" href="https://id.wsj.com/access/pages/wsj/us/login_standalone.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Fhome-page%3Fmod%3DProdX_MktgHub">wsj</a> </li> <li> <a class="b" href="https://id.barrons.com/access/pages/barrons/us/login_standalone.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.barrons.com%2Fhome-page%3Fmod%3DProdX_MktgHub">b</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </li> <li id="hat_tab_dropdown" class="hat_tab_dropdown"> <a id="partyhat_more_dropdown" class="moreTarget" href="index.html#">More</a> <ul class="hat_dd_list"> <li id="hat_tab_atd" class="hat_dd_item "> <a href="/index.html" rel="nofollow" >All Things Digital</a> </li> <li id="hat_tab_secure" class="hat_dd_item hidden"> <a href="https://briefcase.wsj.com" rel="nofollow" >WSJ Briefcase</a> </li> <li id="hat tab big charts" class="hat_dd_item "> <a href="https://bigcharts.marketwatch.com/" rel="nofollow" >BigCharts</a> </li> <li id="hat_tab_fn" class="hat_dd_item "> <a href="https://www.efinancialnews.com/" rel="nofollow" >Financial News</a> </li> <li id="hat_tab_Professor_Journal" class="hat_dd_item "> <a href="https://professor.wsj.com/" rel="nofollow" >Professor Journal</a> </li> <li id="hat_tab_SmartMoney" class="hat_dd_item hidden"> <a href="https://www.smartmoney.com/" rel="nofollow" >SmartMoney</a> </li> <li id="hat_tab_Student_Journal" class="hat_dd_item "> <a href="https://wsjstudent.com/" rel="nofollow" >Student Journal</a> </li> <li id="hat tab Virtual Stock Exchange" class="hat_dd_item "> <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/Game/" rel="nofollow" >Virtual Stock Exchange</a> </li> <li id="hat tab WSJ Classifieds" class="hat_dd_item "> <a href="https://classifieds.wsj.com/search" rel="nofollow" >WSJ Classifieds</a> </li> <li id="hat tab WSJ Classroom" class="hat_dd_item hidden"> <a href="https://classroom.wsj.com/" rel="nofollow" >WSJ Classroom</a> </li> <li id="hat tab WSJ Radio" class="hat_dd_item "> <a href="https://www.wsjradio.com/" rel="nofollow" >WSJ Radio</a> </li> <li id="wsjwine" class="hat_dd_item "> <a href="https://www.wsjwine.com/" rel="nofollow" >WSJ Wine</a> </li> <li id="wsjwine" class="hat_dd_item "> <a href="https://live.wsj.com/" rel="nofollow" >WSJ Live</a> </li> </ul></li> <li class="hat_link"><a href="https://online.wsj.com/public/page/privacy_policy.html">Updated Privacy Policy »</a></li> </ul> </div>  <script type="text/javascript" src="/theme/js/wsjhat-default.js"></script> </div> </div> <header class="banner" role="banner"> <div class="masthead clearfix"> <div class="wrapper" style="position:relative;"> <a href="/index.html" class="logo png_bg">AllThingsD</a> </div> </div> <nav id="nav" class="clearfix"> <div class="wrapper"> <ul class="fmenu"> <li id="nav-news"> <a href="https://www.wsj.com/news/technology?mod=AllThingsD" class="nav-link">News</a><span class="toggle"></span> <div class="sub"></div> </li> <li id="nav-reviews" class="active"> <a href="https://www.wsj.com/news/technology?mod=AllThingsD" class="nav-link">Reviews</a><span class="toggle"></span> <div class="sub"></div> </li> <li id="nav-mobile"> <a href="https://www.wsj.com/news/technology?mod=AllThingsD" class="nav-link">Mobile</a><span class="toggle"></span> <div class="sub"></div> </li> <li id="nav-media"> <a href="https://www.wsj.com/news/technology?mod=AllThingsD" class="nav-link">Media</a><span class="toggle"></span> <div class="sub"></div> </li> <li id="nav-social"> <a href="https://www.wsj.com/news/technology?mod=AllThingsD" class="nav-link">Social</a><span class="toggle"></span> <div class="sub"></div> </li> <li id="nav-enterprise"> <a href="https://www.wsj.com/news/technology?mod=AllThingsD" class="nav-link">Enterprise</a><span class="toggle"></span> <div class="sub"></div> </li> <li id="nav-commerce"> <a href="https://www.wsj.com/news/technology?mod=AllThingsD" class="nav-link">Commerce</a><span class="toggle"></span> <div class="sub"></div> </li> <li id="nav-voices"> <a href="https://www.wsj.com/news/technology?mod=AllThingsD" class="nav-link">Voices</a><span class="toggle"></span> <div class="sub"></div> </li> <li id="nav-conferences"> <a href="https://dlive.wsj.com/" class="nav-link"> Conferences</a><span class="toggle"></span> <div class="sub"></div> </li> <li id="nav-video"> <a href="https://www.wsj.com/video" class="nav-link">Video</a><span class="toggle"></span> <div class="sub"></div> </li> </ul> <ul id="writers-menu" class="clearfix fmenu"> <li id="nav-writers"> <a href="/about" class="nav-link" aria-haspopup="true">View by Writer</a><span class="toggle" style="display:inline"></span> <div class="sub"></div> </li> </ul> </div> </nav> <div id="cookie_notice"><div id="cookie_box" style="display: none;"></div></div> </header> <div id="content"> <div class="wrapper"> <div class="hidden" style="display:none;"><img src="/wp-content/themes/atd-2.0/images/staff/katherine-boehret-170x170.jpg" alt="" /></div> <div class="page-header article-header clearfix review-header"> <img src="/wp-content/themes/atd-2.0/images/staff/katherine-boehret-50x50.jpg" class="headshot " height="50" alt="Katherine Boehret" /> <p class="title"><a href="/author/katie/index.html" rel="author" >Katherine Boehret</a></p> </div> <div class="breadcrumb"> <a href="https://allthingsd.com/category/the-digital-solution/">The Digital Solution</a> > Hardware </div> <div class="article-title"> <h1 class="title">How to Control a PC in Thin Air</h1> </div> <div class="article-meta clearfix"> <p class="article-date">July 23, 2013 at 3:31 pm PT</p> <a href="https://www.wsj.com/news/technology?mod=AllThingsD"class="btn-link btn-more-reviews">See More Reviews »</a> </div> <div class="writer-extras"> <div id="bio" class="writer-extra article-text"></div> <div id="ethics-statement" class="writer-extra article-text"></div> </div> <div id="main" role="main"> <div class="post"> <div class="article-body article-text"> <p><div class="video-wsj-container" id="post-7990F4A4-5AB3-4700-8963-50D3454CB2B1" style="width:640px; height:360px;"><div class="video-wsj" id="7990F4A4-5AB3-4700-8963-50D3454CB2B1" style="width:640px; height:360px;"></div></div></p> <p>Without hand gestures we’d never be able to wave to friends, fist bump after our team scores or let the driver of the car in front of us know what we think of him. Gestures can be quite useful in many aspects of daily life, but how useful are they in front of a PC? </p> <p>This week, I tested a new way to get your hands moving at a Windows PC or Mac by using the Leap Motion Controller. It plugs into a computer’s USB port and rests by a keyboard — wherever you can comfortably gesture. It works by detecting your fingers as they move above it, tracking up to 1/100th of a millimeter of movement. This 3-inch-long, $80 accessory shipped this week to people who pre-ordered it and will be available in Best Buy starting July 28. </p> <div class="media-CENTER" style="width:553px;"><img src="https://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/PJ-BP532_DSOLUT_G_20130723170009.jpg" width="553" height="369" alt="image" /><br /> <br /> The Leap Motion Controller connects to a PC via a USB port and lets users control a machine with gestures in the air.</div> <div class="media-CENTER" style="width:553px;"><img src="https://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/PJ-BP511_DSOLUT_G_20130723163953.jpg" width="553" height="369" alt="image" /><br /> <br /> The $1.99 Sugar Rush Speedway app is available at Leap Motion’s AirSpace online marketplace.</div> <p>Microsoft’s Xbox Kinect has used similar technology for years, letting people wave their hands in front of TVs to play video games, navigate screens and a variety of other things. These gestures make sense in the living room, where people can lean back on sofas to control the action on their TVs. At a desktop computer, people have a keyboard and mouse or touchpad and are sitting close enough to easily use them. So what’s the point of using gestures with a PC?</p> <p>According to Leap Motion of San Francisco (no relation to LeapFrog Enterprises, the educational toy company), the Controller isn’t meant to replace the keyboard, mouse or touchpad. Rather it’s meant to improve certain functions for certain computer programs. It might be a real boon to artists looking for a new way to draw by moving their hands and fingers for precise paint strokes, and it works with other objects like brushes and pencils. Some gamers will enjoy this gadget because it makes them feel more immersed in games, and musicians can create songs by gesturing and plucking fingers in the air.</p> <p>The small, silver device is just hardware until you plug it into a computer and log on to LeapMotion.com/setup, where you can download accompanying software for Windows or Mac PCs. In April, Leap Motion announced a partnership with Hewlett-Packard to embed this device in computers, though it has yet to say when those will be available. In January, the company announced it will ship bundled with Asus, but that exact timing is yet to be announced.</p> <div class="media-CENTER" style="width:553px;"><img src="https://s.wsj.net/public/resources/images/PJ-BP513_DSOLUT_G_20130723164739.jpg" width="553" height="369" alt="image" /><br /> <br /> The Controller is a 3-inch device that sits on any side of a keyboard and tracks movement up to the 1/100th of a millimeter. It costs $80.</div> <p>Though I only used the Leap Motion Controller for a week, I found it challenging to integrate it into my regular computer routine. Its detection technology is extra sensitive, which is great for precise movements but tiring after even a short time because you must hold your hands at just the right position in the air to get them to do what you want.</p> <p>I installed the Leap Motion Controller on two computers, one running Windows 8 and another running the latest version of Apple’s operating system, OS X. Upon downloading the device’s software, I was directed to find apps in Leap Motion’s marketplace, which is called Airspace. It runs in a Web browser and downloads apps to a separate software program installed on the computer. Like Amazon.com or Apple’s iTunes, Airspace saves credit-card information for one-click purchases. And it syncs downloaded apps in the cloud, so if you install your Leap Motion Controller on many machines (five per account is the limit), your apps will appear on them.</p> <p>As of this week, over 75 apps for Windows and/or Mac are available for download, with 70 percent available for both Windows PCs and Macs. About 30 percent are free and most cost more than apps in Apple’s iOS App Store.</p> <p>I got started with the free Corel Painter Freestyle app, which let me move my hand through the air to paint on a blank canvas. I changed brush size and type by lingering over a menu for each option and waiting for a circular shape to form, indicating my selection was made. Another free app called Lotus let me move both hands to create different sounds, a lot like playing a harp. </p> <p>One game I really liked was the $2.99 Dropchord, which started by placing my two pointer fingers out in the air above the Leap Motion Controller to create a bar stretched across a circle. I moved two fingers to move this bar, selecting circles to gain points and trying to avoid red Xs as they appeared. Club music pulsed in the background as I progressed through various levels in this game.</p> <p>But after just 10 minutes of Dropchord, my hands were tired. </p> <p>I downloaded other free games and some that cost money, including a pricey $7.99 game called Paper Football FlickIT. Cut the Rope, which is a favorite game for mobile devices, is free for Windows or Mac, but it was hard getting this game to work well because I had to have my finger hovering in the air in precisely the right place. I’ve played this game for hours on the iPad, where I simply slide my finger across the screen to cut the rope, which was a much more satisfying experience.</p> <p>Leap Motion offers an app called Touchless that enables gesture controls for interacting with the computer’s operating system to do nearly anything you can do with a touchscreen or touchpad. </p> <p>Gestures make most activities more fun — in the digital world and in the real world — but until the Leap Motion Controller becomes more deeply integrated into an operating system so it can replace a mouse or touchpad, this gadget will only sate a niche audience.</p> <p class="tagline"><strong>Email Katie at <a href="mailto:katie.boehret@wsj.com">katie.boehret@wsj.com</a></strong>.</p> <div class="clearfix"></div> </div> <div class="article-footer clearfix"> <p class="article-tags"> Tagged with finger tracking, gesture, gestures, <a href="https://allthingsd.com/tag/kinect/">Kinect</a>, Leap, Leap Motion Controller, motion tracking, <a href="https://allthingsd.com/tag/usb/">USB</a> </p> </div> </div> <div class="article-related clearfix"> </div> </div> <div id="side"> <div class="recent-stories page-header-extra" id="recent-stories"> <div class="recent-inner"> <div class="excerpt first"> <p><a href="https://allthingsd.com/20131217/youve-come-a-long-way-silicon-valley/">You’ve Come a Long Way, Silicon Valley</a></p> <p>December 17, 2013 at 3:47 pm PT</p> </div> <div class="excerpt"> <p><a href="https://allthingsd.com/20131210/space-monkey-peer-to-peer-backup/">Space Monkey Peer-to-Peer Digital Storage System Offers Better Backup</a></p> <p>December 10, 2013 at 3:15 pm PT</p> </div> <div class="excerpt"> <p><a href="https://allthingsd.com/20131203/oh-the-places-your-phone-will-find/">Oh, the Places Your Phone Will Find</a></p> <p>December 03, 2013 at 3:14 pm PT</p> </div> <div class="excerpt"> <p><a href="https://allthingsd.com/20131126/xbox-one-digital-home-base-for-the-living-room/">Xbox One: Digital Home Base for the Living Room</a></p> <p>November 26, 2013 at 3:25 pm PT</p> </div> <div class="excerpt"> <p><a href="https://allthingsd.com/20131119/ipad-retina-mini-review/">An iPad That’s Mini in Screen Size Only</a></p> <p>November 19, 2013 at 3:06 pm PT</p> </div> </div> </div> <div id="secondary-sidebar"> </div> <div id="primary-sidebar"> <div class="module video-module"> <div class="module-header clearfix"> <p class="col-name">Latest Video</p> <p><a href="/video/index.html">View all videos »</a></p> </div> <div class="video-wrapper"> <div id="video-carousel" style="width:320px; height:181px; display:block; visibility: hidden;">api-video/find_all_videos.asp&fields=id,videoStillURL,thumbnailURL,guid,video320kMP4Url,name,duration&count=4&doctype=128&type=allthingsd-subsection&query=Mossberg+Solution</div> </div> <p class="right"><a href="index.html#" class="video-options">Search »</a></p> <div class="clearfix"></div> </div> <div class="module wsj-cols mossberg-guides" id="mossberg-guides"> <h2 class="col-name">Walt Mossberg’s Product Guides</h2> <div class="wsj-top"> <img src="/wp-content/themes/atd-2.0/img/wsjbox-walt.jpg" width="85" height="115" alt="" /> <h2 class="col-name">Desktop PC’s and Laptops</h2> <p class="title"><a href="https://allthingsd.com/20131022/the-laptops-to-buy/" id="mossguide-367620" class="post-link">The Laptops to Buy</a></p> <hr /> <h2 class="col-name">Digital Cameras</h2> <p class="title"><a href="https://allthingsd.com/20101109/digital-cameras-improve-zooms-hd-function/" id="mossguide-68693" class="post-link">Digital Cameras Improve Zooms, HD Function</a></p> </div> </div> <div class="most-popular tab-set module"> <div id="most-popular-logo"></div> <div class="module-header clearfix"> <ul class="fmenu tabs"> <li class="col-name"><a href="index.html#most-featured" class="">Featured Posts</a></li> <li class="col-name"><a href="index.html#most-reviewed" class=" active">Featured Reviews</a></li> </ul> </div> <div id="most-featured" class="tab-content"> <div class="excerpt"> <div class="excerpt-image"> <img src="/wp-content/themes/atd-2.0/images/staff/kara-swisher-50x50.jpg" class=" " width="50" height="50" alt="" /> </div> <div class="excerpt-text"> <p class="title"><a href="/20131231/you-say-goodbye-and-we-say-hello/index.html%3Fmod=ATD_featured_posts_widget.html">You Say Goodbye and We Say Hello</a></p> <p class="byline">Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher in Media</p> </div> </div> <div class="excerpt"> <div class="excerpt-image"> <img src="/files/2009/04/voices-male-and-female.png" class=" " width="50" height="50" alt="" /> </div> <div class="excerpt-text"> <p class="title"><a href="/20131230/the-nsa-and-silicon-valley/index.html%3Fmod=ATD_featured_posts_widget.html">The NSA and the Corrosion of Silicon Valley</a></p> <p class="byline">Michael Dearing in Voices</p> </div> </div> <div class="excerpt"> <div class="excerpt-image"> <img src="/wp-content/themes/atd-2.0/images/staff/arik-hesseldahl-50x50.jpg" class=" " width="50" height="50" alt="" /> </div> <div class="excerpt-text"> <p class="title"><a href="/20131230/you-wont-believe-all-the-crazy-hardware-the-nsa-uses-for-spying/index.html%3Fmod=ATD_featured_posts_widget.html">You Won’t Believe All the Crazy Hardware the NSA Uses for Spying</a></p> <p class="byline">Arik Hesseldahl in News</p> </div> </div> <div class="module-footer"> <p><a href="/index.html">View all today’s news »</a></p> </div> </div> <div id="most-reviewed" class="tab-content active"> <div class="excerpt"> <div class="excerpt-image"> <img src="/files/2013/12/Cover-150x150.jpg" width="50" height="50" alt="" /> </div> <div class="excerpt-text"> <p class="title"><a href="/20131205/uncovering-a-more-useful-android-lock-screen/index.html%3Fmod=ATD_featured_reviews_widget.html">Uncovering a More Useful Android Lock Screen</a></p> <p class="byline">Bonnie Cha in Product Reviews</p> </div> </div> <div class="excerpt"> <div class="excerpt-image"> <img src="/files/2013/12/TentMode-150x150.jpg" width="50" height="50" alt="" /> </div> <div class="excerpt-text"> <p class="title"><a href="/20131209/lenovos-bendy-yoga-2-laptop-makes-all-the-right-moves/index.html%3Fmod=ATD_featured_reviews_widget.html">Lenovo鈥檚 Bendy Yoga 2 Laptop Makes All the Right Moves</a></p> <p class="byline">Lauren Goode in Product Reviews</p> </div> </div> <div class="excerpt"> <div class="excerpt-image"> <img src="/files/2013/12/space-monkey-150x150.jpg" width="50" height="50" alt="" /> </div> <div class="excerpt-text"> <p class="title"><a href="/20131210/space-monkey-peer-to-peer-backup/index.html%3Fmod=ATD_featured_reviews_widget.html">Space Monkey Peer-to-Peer Digital Storage System Offers Better Backup</a></p> <p class="byline">Katherine Boehret in The Digital Solution</p> </div> </div> <div class="excerpt"> <div class="excerpt-image"> <img src="/files/2013/12/PJ-BS070_PTECHj_GS_20131210175508-150x150.jpg" width="50" height="50" alt="" /> </div> <div class="excerpt-text"> <p class="title"><a href="/20131210/diabetes-data-beamed-to-your-phone/index.html%3Fmod=ATD_featured_reviews_widget.html">Diabetes Data Beamed to Your Phone</a></p> <p class="byline">Walt Mossberg in Personal Technology</p> </div> </div> <div class="excerpt"> <div class="excerpt-image"> <img src="/files/2013/12/P1040642-150x150.jpg" width="50" height="50" alt="" /> </div> <div class="excerpt-text"> <p class="title"><a href="/20131212/nokia-lumia-2520-a-solid-windows-tablet-in-need-of-apps/index.html%3Fmod=ATD_featured_reviews_widget.html">Nokia Lumia 2520: A Solid Windows Tablet in Need of Apps</a></p> <p class="byline">Bonnie Cha in Product Reviews</p> </div> </div> <div class="module-footer"> <p><a href="https://www.wsj.com/news/technology?mod=AllThingsD">View all reviews »</a></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="tertiary-sidebar"> </div> </div> <div class="clearfix"></div> </div> <div id="nav-flyouts"></div> <div class="nav-flyout" id="nav-writers-flyout"> <div class="nav-flyout-header clearfix"> <h2 class="title"><strong>AllThingsD</strong> by Writer</h2> </div> <ul> <li class="writer" id="mossberg"> <div class="writer-image"> <a href="/author/walt/index.html"><p class="title">Walt Mossberg</p></a> </div> </li> <li class="writer" id="swisher"> <div class="writer-image"> <a href="/author/kara/index.html"><p class="title">Kara Swisher</p></a> </div> </li> <li class="writer" id="paczkowski"> <div class="writer-image"> <a href="/author/john/index.html"><p class="title">John Paczkowski</p></a> </div> </li> <li class="writer" id="boehret"> <div class="writer-image"> <a href="/author/katie/index.html"><p class="title">Katherine Boehret</p></a> </div> </li> </ul><ul class="middle"> <li class="writer" id="kafka"> <div class="writer-image"> <a href="/author/peter/index.html"><p class="title">Peter Kafka</p></a> </div> </li> <li class="writer" id="fried"> <div class="writer-image"> <a href="/author/ina/index.html"><p class="title">Ina Fried</p></a> </div> </li> <li class="writer" id="gannes"> <div class="writer-image"> <a href="/author/lizg/index.html"><p class="title">Liz Gannes</p></a> </div> </li> <li class="writer" id="hesseldahl"> <div class="writer-image"> <a href="/author/arik/index.html"><p class="title">Arik Hesseldahl</p></a> </div> </li> </ul><ul> <li class="writer" id="goode"> <div class="writer-image"> <a href="/author/lauren/index.html"><p class="title">Lauren Goode</p></a> </div> </li> <li class="writer" id="isaac"> <div class="writer-image"> <a href="/author/mikeisaac/index.html"><p class="title">Mike Isaac</p></a> </div> </li> <li class="writer" id="cha"> <div class="writer-image"> <a href="/author/bonnie/index.html"><p class="title">Bonnie Cha</p></a> </div> </li> <li class="writer" id="delrey"> <div class="writer-image"> <a href="/author/jason/index.html"><p class="title">Jason Del Rey</p></a> </div> </li> </ul></ul> </div> </div> <footer class="atd"> <div class="wrapper">  <div class="footer-about" style="padding-top:0;"> <a href="/index.html"><img src="/files/2013/03/d_allthingsdigital_240x36.png" alt="D: All Things Digital" width="240" height="36" class="aligncenter" style="margin-top:0px;" /></a> <p style="padding-top:0;">AllThingsD.com is a Web site devoted to news, analysis and opinion on technology, the Internet and media. But it is different from other sites in this space. It is a fusion of different media styles, different topics, different formats and different sources. <a href="/about" rel="nofollow">Read more »</a></p> </div> <div class="footer-col"> <ul> <li><a href="/about" rel="nofollow">About Us »</a></li> <li><a href="/contact" rel="nofollow">Contact Us »</a></li> <li><a href="/comments" rel="nofollow">Comments Policy »</a></li> <li><a href="/trackingcookies" rel="nofollow">Cookies Policy »</a></li> <li><a href="/privacy" rel="nofollow">Privacy Policy »</a></li> <li><a href="/faq" rel="nofollow">FAQ »</a></li> <li><a href="/terms" rel="nofollow">Terms of Service »</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="footer-col"> <ul> <li><a href="/trackingcookies#cookies_advertising" rel="nofollow">Your Ad Choices »</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="footer-links"> <ul class="hmenu footer-meta"> <li><a href="https://www.dowjones.com/" rel="nofollow">© 2005-2021 Dow Jones & Company Inc.</a></li> <li><a href="/terms" rel="nofollow">All Rights Reserved.</a></li> <li><a href="/index.html%3Fatd_action=force_mobile.html" id="atd_mobile_link">Mobile Version</a></li> </ul> <div class="clearing"></div> </div> </footer> </div>  <script type='text/javascript' src='/wp-content/themes/atd-2.0/js/libs/jquery.tools.min.js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='/wp-content/themes/atd-2.0/js/allthingsd.min.js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='/wp-content/themes/atd-2.0/js/video.js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='/wp-includes/js/tw-sack.min.js'></script> <script type='text/javascript' src='/wp-content/plugins/easy-fancybox/fancybox/jquery.fancybox-1.3.5.pack.js'></script> <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(function($){$('a#atd_mobile_link').click(function(){var mobile_cookie=getCookie('atd_mobile_theme_mobile');if(mobile_cookie!='true'){setCookie('atd_mobile_theme_mobile','true',30,'/','allthingsd.com');}else{setCookie('atd_mobile_theme_mobile','false',-1,'/','allthingsd.com');} location.reload(false);return false;});}); </script>  <script type="text/javascript"> jQuery(document).on('ready post-load', easy_fancybox_handler ); </script> <script type="text/javascript">jQuery(function(){var byline_module=jQuery('body.single.review .page-header').first();var byline=byline_module.children('p.title').first();var original_byline_height=byline.height();if(original_byline_height>50){byline.css('font-size','150%');jQuery('body.single.review .page-header li').css('height', '19px');} jQuery('#content > .wrapper').css('position','relative');var article_title=jQuery('body.single.review .article-title').first();if(article_title.height()>64){var new_position=''+(article_title.position().top-10)+'px';byline_module.css('top',new_position);} if(original_byline_height>50&&article_title.height()<=64){article_title.children('h1.title').first().css('padding-bottom','29px');}});</script>  <script type="text/javascript"> var ATD_URL = "http://allthingsd.com"; var ATD_AJAX_LOAD = '1'; </script> <script type="text/javascript">var jsver = 1.0;</script> <script type="text/javascript" language="Javascript 1.1">jsver = 1.1;</script> <script type="text/javascript" language="Javascript 1.2">jsver = 1.2;</script>   </body> </html>

CINXE.COM

How to Motion Control a PC With Leap Motion - Katherine Boehret - The Digital Solution - AllThingsD