Apple Closes OpenNI the Open Source Kinect Framework

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Apple Closes OpenNI the Open Source Kinect Framework

Posted by samzenpus on Sunday March 2, 2014 @04:37AM from the closing-the-door dept.

mikejuk writes "The OpenNI website, home to the widely used framework for 3D sensing, will be shut down in April. When, in November 2013, Apple bought PrimeSense for $350 million, people speculated how this would affect the Capri mobile technology but no mention was made of what would happen to OpenNI, the open source SDK most often used as an alternative to Microsoft's closed SDK for the Kinect. After Apple acquired PrimeSense, its website quickly shut, but the Developers link still points to Open NI. The status of OpenNI is a not-for-profit whose framework allows developers to create middleware and applications for a range of devices, including the Asus Xtion Pro. It claims to be a widely used community with over 100,000 active 3D developers."

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Why the negative doomsday tone? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-02 04:42 · Score: 4, Insightful

"...Fortunately the code will continue to be available via GitHub..."
1. Re:Why the negative doomsday tone? by evil_aaronm · 2014-03-02 04:51 · Score: 0
  
  Leads to another question: What if you include this code in an app? Will it be rejected by iTunes?
2. Re:Why the negative doomsday tone? by Sylak · 2014-03-02 05:32 · Score: 1
  
  Why would you use Kinect specific code for an iDevice app?
3. Re:Why the negative doomsday tone? by Calavar · 2014-03-02 05:35 · Score: 1
  
  RTFS:
  
  The status of OpenNI is a not-for-profit whose framework allows developers to create middleware and applications for a range of devices, including the Asus Xtion Pro.
  It's not Kinect specific.
4. Re:Why the negative doomsday tone? by Goaway · 2014-03-02 06:31 · Score: 1
  
  That one doesn't connect to iOS devices either, though. It's just a Kinect clone.
5. Re:Why the negative doomsday tone? by noh8rz10 · 2014-03-02 07:39 · Score: 1
  
  RTFS:
  
  The status of OpenNI is a not-for-profit whose framework allows developers to create middleware and applications for a range of devices, including the Asus Xtion Pro.
  It's not Kinect specific.
  RTFT:
  
  Apple Closes OpenNI the Open Source Kinect Framework
  so yeah, it is Kinect specific.
6. Re:Why the negative doomsday tone? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-02 08:47 · Score: 0
  
  "The OpenNI framework is an open source SDK used for the development of 3D sensing middleware libraries and applications."
  So it's not kinect specific. Case closed.
7. Re:Why the negative doomsday tone? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-02 08:56 · Score: 0
  
  No no...
  Apple is closing the website, not closing the code.
  "Important - Software downloads will continue to be available until April 23rd, 2014 at which time the OpenNI website will be closed."
  The two most popular uses for OpenNI are
  http://ipisoft.com/ -> For cheap mocap, which can also be done with 6 webcams.
  and
  MMD http://www.geocities.jp/higuchuu4/index_e.htm -> Which is is a tool for animating 3D models (primarily Miku the Vocaloid, to dance)
  Anything else is pretty much unheard of.
  There are some amateur uses which allow using it with the Source engine, but pretty much as far as a standard goes, it's not moving because NI doesn't have much practical use. This follows similar OpenXX type of projects (OpenGL, OpenAL, OpenML, OpenMAX, OpenSL ES, OpenVG, OpenWF, etc) where there is little adoption when there is not more than one piece of hardware supporting it. OpenGL has at least 3 (AMD, nVidia, Intel) plus various mobile versions (PowerVR) where as nobody produces dedicated hardware for any of the other OpenXX standards, and in the case of OpenWF, no adoption whatsoever.
8. Re:Why the negative doomsday tone? by BasilBrush · 2014-03-02 09:30 · Score: 1
  
  Apache License.
  GPL appears to put some hurdles in front of developers wanting to put stuff on the Apple App Store. The Apache License is far more open and has no such restrictions. There's no problem with using it with Apps on the App Store.
9. Re:Why the negative doomsday tone? by BasilBrush · 2014-03-02 09:33 · Score: 2
  
  You put far too much faith in random stuff you read on the internet. OpenNI is NOT Kinect specific. It works with other sensor systems too.
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O...
  http://www.openni.org/
10. Re:Why the negative doomsday tone? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-02 11:05 · Score: 0
  
  Because it shows how lame Apple is. They are totally comfortable taking open source code to use for themselves, but damned if they'll give anything of value back.
11. Re:Why the negative doomsday tone? by jo_ham · 2014-03-02 13:23 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  Because it shows how lame Apple is. They are totally comfortable taking open source code to use for themselves, but damned if they'll give anything of value back.
  Right, that's why Clang and LLVM are not being developed, or Webkit, or... oh never mind. Sorry kid, I didn't mean to let reality intrude on your blissful state of hate and ignorance.
12. Re:Why the negative doomsday tone? by jo_ham · 2014-03-02 13:36 · Score: 2
  
  Ahh, WebKit, you mean KHTML that Apple STOLE from Konqueror and that Google and Opera had to fix with Blink.
  How do you "steal" a GPL project by adopting it and working on it? Isn't that the point of open source? Code that is available for anyone to use and improve (Apple did give give back their changes, as fully stipulated in the licence).
  Is it only "stealing" if a company you don't like uses open source code?
13. Re:Why the negative doomsday tone? by SuperDre · 2014-03-02 16:06 · Score: 1
  
  Why wouldn't it? you can still hook up USB devices to you crappy iDevice...
14. Re:Why the negative doomsday tone? by mjwx · 2014-03-02 16:30 · Score: 1
  
  Ahh, WebKit, you mean KHTML that Apple STOLE from Konqueror and that Google and Opera had to fix with Blink.
  How do you "steal" a GPL project by adopting it and working on it? Isn't that the point of open source? Code that is available for anyone to use and improve (Apple did give give back their changes, as fully stipulated in the licence).
  Is it only "stealing" if a company you don't like uses open source code?
  It's stealing credit.
  
  Apple didn't invent Webkit, the forked it from KHTML.
  
  And stealing credit is expressly verboten by the GPL.
  
  --
  Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
15. Re:Why the negative doomsday tone? by gl4ss · 2014-03-02 20:34 · Score: 1
  
  why would you develop an app that uses usb device(possible) connected to an iDevice to to perform 3d scanning? why the fuck wouldn't you..
  
  --
  world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
16. Re:Why the negative doomsday tone? by UnknowingFool · 2014-03-03 04:26 · Score: 2
  
  When did Apple steal credit? Apple explicitly lists all their open source contributions.
  
  Apple didn't invent Webkit, the forked it from KHTML.
  When did Apple claim otherwise? In fact, Jobs has said they started WebKit from an open source project "For example, Apple began with a small open source project and created WebKit, a complete open-source HTML5 rendering engine that is the heart of the Safari web browser used in all our products."
  
  And stealing credit is expressly verboten by the GPL.
  Again, when did Apple actually do that? Apple may not name every single open source contribution every single time in every press release when they mention code. Probably because they make so many contributions that this is not novel thing. In code releases, everything follows what the GPL requires if you've evey checked out the code
  
  --
  Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
17. Re:Why the negative doomsday tone? by jo_ham · 2014-03-03 07:07 · Score: 1
  
  Ahh, WebKit, you mean KHTML that Apple STOLE from Konqueror and that Google and Opera had to fix with Blink.
  How do you "steal" a GPL project by adopting it and working on it? Isn't that the point of open source? Code that is available for anyone to use and improve (Apple did give give back their changes, as fully stipulated in the licence).
  Is it only "stealing" if a company you don't like uses open source code?
  It's stealing credit.
  Apple didn't invent Webkit, the forked it from KHTML.
  And stealing credit is expressly verboten by the GPL.
  Ah, so it is what I said - that it's only stealing when a company you don't like does it.
  Where exactly did Apple claim to have taken the credit for Webkit? They forked KHTML and explicitly said so, in their public announcement about it and in subsequent official material, including the open letter from Jobs on why Apple din't support Flash on iOS. Nowhere have they ever claimed that it was all their work, and I'm struggling to see what else they could do when forking an OSS project to meet your criteria.
  They did not try to pass off the work of the KHTML devs as their own, they did not "steal credit", they abided by the licence terms of the GPL....
  But because they're Apple they are "stealing code". The double standards and hypocrisy demonstrated by slashdot readers when it comes to Apple is simply staggering. Closed source code? Evil and proprietary/ Open source code? Stealing from community. Hilarious.
Shutdowning by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-02 04:46 · Score: 0

"shutdown" is not a verb. You can't be shutdowning, nor have shutdowned. It's "shut down".
1. Re:Shutdowning by GrammarPoliceChief · 2014-03-02 04:51 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  any*
2. Re:Shutdowning by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-02 04:54 · Score: 0
  
  "shutdown" is not a verb. You can't be shutdowning, nor have shutdowned. It's "shut down".
  Did you see me Taylor Swifting you in front of your soap box?
3. Re:Shutdowning by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-02 04:59 · Score: 0
  
  I recommend we send the case to the attorney generals for prosecution.
4. Re:Shutdowning by tepples · 2014-03-02 05:00 · Score: 1
  
  PROTIP: When you correct someone's grammar, usage, or mechanics, it's more polite to add a topical comment as well.
5. Re:Shutdowning by noh8rz10 · 2014-03-02 05:52 · Score: 1
  
  PROTIP: When you correct someone's grammar, usage, or mechanics, it's more polite to add a topical comment as well.
  What about when you correct someone's slashdot etiquette? Also I hope that Apple is closing this down because next week they're releasing their kinetic-killer embedded in every iPhone! Maybe it's already here they just haven't enabled it yet!
6. Re:Shutdowning by skids · 2014-03-02 05:57 · Score: 1
  
  It becomes one with too much exposure to CISCO CLIs.
  
  --
  Someone had to do it.
7. Re:Shutdowning by tepples · 2014-03-02 05:58 · Score: 1
  
  What about when you correct someone's slashdot etiquette?
  I considered that, but I didn't intend for my tip to descend that far meta. I apologize for the misunderstanding. Should I write a journal entry to explain my views on correction etiquette and meta-correction etiquette?
8. Re:Shutdowning by K.+S.+Kyosuke · 2014-03-02 06:23 · Score: 2
  
  See? There's corruption even in the Grammar Police! No one is safe!
  
  --
  Ezekiel 23:20
9. Re:Shutdowning by binarylarry · 2014-03-02 07:43 · Score: 1
  
  METAPROTIP: When you meta correct someone's grammar, usage, or mechanics, it's more polite to add a topical comment as well.
  BURMA SHAVE
  
  --
  Mod me down, my New Earth Global Warmingist friends!
10. Re:Shutdowning by Raenex · 2014-03-02 10:46 · Score: 1
  
  PROTIP: When you correct someone's grammar, usage, or mechanics, it's more polite to add a topical comment as well.
  I'd rather not see a pro forma comment.
11. Re:Shutdowning by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-02 19:46 · Score: 0
  
  *into*
So fork it by presidenteloco · 2014-03-02 04:52 · Score: 2

Fork it all!

--

Where are we going and why are we in a handbasket?
1. Re:So fork it by the_B0fh · 2014-03-02 05:19 · Score: 2
  
  Why fork it? As the summary clearly says, it is still available on github.
  Do you have reading comprehension problems?
2. Re:So fork it by Zero__Kelvin · 2014-03-02 05:26 · Score: 1
  
  Yes. That is where the forking begins. The Open Source code is available, but will no longer be maintained. Forking is the process of taking that code base and using it as a starting point for a project that will be maintained. Maybe your confusion lies in not knowing what forking means in this context?
  
  --
  Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
3. Re:So fork it by the_B0fh · 2014-03-02 05:42 · Score: 1
  
  You assume the people with update rights in that github repository are not interested in patches you submit? Because until that happens, there's no need to fork.
  The article did not state that the people who originally created that github are the same people who wrote open NI. Presumably the people who created the github *are* interested in making things better, since they took the trouble to put it on github.
  *IF* they are not interested in maintaining it, then yeah, fork it.
4. Re:So fork it by dbc · 2014-03-02 05:45 · Score: 2
  
  Oh, yes, that will help. Not. The current generation of hardware will have a driver stack. Effectively meaning that PrimeSense-based projects are dead, because new generation hardware will have a closed stack. PrimeSense in open projects now has no future.
5. Re:So fork it by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-02 05:51 · Score: 0
  
  If somebody other than Apple put it on GitHub with the intention of maintaining it then it has already been forked
6. Re:So fork it by Zero__Kelvin · 2014-03-02 06:02 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah. You still aren't grasping the concept. Apple is no longer maintaining the project. There are two, and only two options:
  
  1) Fork the project
  2) Let it die
  
  You seem to think there is a third option available to you: keep the project going, but don't fork it. Since you aren't Apple, that option is not available to you.
  
  --
  Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
7. Re:So fork it by the_B0fh · 2014-03-02 07:13 · Score: 1
  
  Did Apple put it on github? I don't think so. Forking the github repo doesn't make sense if the people who did the original commit are maintaining it.
8. Re: So fork it by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-02 09:03 · Score: 0
  
  Assuming the original committers came over to Apple in the takeover, they likely can't.
  Apple generally doesn't allow staff to have side projects that overlap with what they do at Apple , particularly software.
  For some people that is reason enough to leave, in which case they could contribute & maintain it.
9. Re:So fork it by BasilBrush · 2014-03-02 09:38 · Score: 2
  
  Yeah. You still aren't grasping the concept. Apple is no longer maintaining the project.
  You're confused. Apple never was maintaining the project. Apple bought Primesense. OpenNI is a consortium of which Primesense was only one member.
  There's no need to fork it. It's on GitHub. Contribute to it. 2 developers other than OpenNI already have.
  https://github.com/OpenNI/Open...
  
  You seem to think there is a third option available to you: keep the project going, but don't fork it. Since you aren't Apple, that option is not available to you.
  You are mistaken.
10. Re:So fork it by BasilBrush · 2014-03-02 09:43 · Score: 1
  
  Are you STILL doing the fool dance?
11. Re: So fork it by the_B0fh · 2014-03-02 11:35 · Score: 2
  
  Says who? Apple bought CUPS - it's still going strong at http://www.cups.org/
  Apple uses FreeBSD as it core, and still pushes patches back to FreeBSD. Apple did fork KDE's browser, but KDE itself is now using the fork, WebKit. LLVM, etc.
  Apple wrote Grand Central Dispatch themselves, and open sourced it as well.
  http://opensource.apple.com/
12. Re:So fork it by the_B0fh · 2014-03-02 11:37 · Score: 1
  
  As BasilBrush pointed out, others are committing code to the code posted at GitHub.
  It is really sad that you are so damned sure of yourself that you refuse to consider any other alternatives. Perhaps you will grow up one day.
13. Re:So fork it by Zero__Kelvin · 2014-03-02 11:43 · Score: 0
  
  I plonked that idiot some time ago, but no surprise to hear you mention "him" since, let's face it, "the_B0fh" is almost certainly yet another sock puppet account held by the same idiot. You are, beyond a shadow of a doubt, one phenomenally stupid friggin' moron. Plonk.
  
  --
  Guns don't kill people; Physics kills people! - John Lithgow as Dick Solomon on Third Rock From The Sun
14. Re:So fork it by the_B0fh · 2014-03-02 11:46 · Score: 1
  
  Wow. You can't deal with facts. Sad.
15. Re:So fork it by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-02 13:08 · Score: 0
  
  Well if they use the capri, which they'll probably will, it doesn't even need new research as far as revneg is concerned. It's just a scaled down version of what's already out there in the kinect and the xtion
16. Re:So fork it by gmhowell · 2014-03-02 14:36 · Score: 1
  
  "We'll do it live!"
  
  --
  Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
17. Re:So fork it by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-04 06:52 · Score: 0
  
  So a guy with a 200k user ID is a sock puppet account for a guy with a 600k user ID?
  Are you cracked?
The knights who say... by sconeu · 2014-03-02 04:56 · Score: 3, Funny

I guess Apple was worried about the Knights who say (Open) NI!!!

--
General Relativity: Space-time tells matter where to go; Matter tells space-time what shape to be.
1. Re:The knights who say... by Roadstar · 2014-03-02 18:18 · Score: 1
  
  I guess it's safe to assume that Sir Jony is not a knight who says NI!
2. Re:The knights who say... by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-03 06:19 · Score: 0
  
  "We are no longer the knights who say (Open) Ni! We are now the knights who say "iKi-iKi-iKi iPtang-zoom-boing"
Apple v. Samsung anyone? by tepples · 2014-03-02 05:02 · Score: 2, Insightful

Until Apple attacks users of such a fork with its software patents.
1. Re:Apple v. Samsung anyone? by Calydor · 2014-03-02 05:12 · Score: 2
  
  Or a knife.
  
  --
  -=This sig has nothing to do with my comment. Move along now=-
2. Re:Apple v. Samsung anyone? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-02 05:36 · Score: 0
  
  Spoon
3. Re:Apple v. Samsung anyone? by qpqp · 2014-03-02 14:29 · Score: 1
  
  Spoon (The Horribly Slow Murderer with the Extremely Inefficient Weapon). FTFY.
4. Re:Apple v. Samsung anyone? by marcello_dl · 2014-03-03 03:56 · Score: 1
  
  no gpl3? ouch ouch ouch ouch
  
  --
  ---- MISSING MISCELLANEOUS DATA SEGMENT --- [sigdash] trolololol
shutdown? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-02 05:08 · Score: 0

That's a noun. The phrasal verb you wanted is "shut down". Why is it that geeks who can happily master 12 arcane and obscure languages that essentially do the same thing and know about 5 completely different text editors by heart can't master the basics of English??
1. Re:shutdown? by chemish · 2014-03-02 05:19 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Lack of compile time warnings. Someone should look in to it...
Now less confusing by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-02 05:58 · Score: 0

Instead of posting to GitHub, some people may have posted code to this site (which then would be mirrored at GitHub). Now all code posts to straight to GitHub, and nothing of value was lost.
100,000 active developers? by 93+Escort+Wagon · 2014-03-02 07:53 · Score: 4, Insightful

Surely at least one of them could lead a new project then.
So in November Apple bought a company that has some side project developing Open Kinect software, which obviously has little interest for Apple. This month, they give a heads up that the website for that side project will be shut down. The code for the side project will continue to be available through GitHub.
I'm not seeing much that's rage worthy here. Out of those 100,000 active developers, there is probably at least one that can set up and maintain a website
But it seems like the real complaint is that, since the takeover, there have been no paid staffers supporting the project. That does suck for the developers, but again I don't see why Apple would be obligated to continue that. With 100,000 active developers, I'd think they could each cough up a few bucks to cover a couple salaries if they really cared all that much.

--
#DeleteChrome
1. Re:100,000 active developers? by UnknowingFool · 2014-03-03 02:39 · Score: 1
  
  Well it would follow Apple's pattern of acquisitions. Sometimes they are more interested in the technology than the products and will stop making products like with PA Semi and FingerWorks. Apple used FingerWork's technology but wasn't interested in making peripherals per se; they wanted it for multi-touch. They wanted PA Semi for their expertise in chip designs but not necessarily their designs.
  
  --
  Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
2. Re:100,000 active developers? by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-04 06:55 · Score: 0
  
  But, APPLE!
  You should be enraged because APPLE!!!
  I mean, that's what we do here now, right?
Want to take it meta? by tepples · 2014-03-02 08:21 · Score: 1

When someone corrects grammar, he's commenting on the article, which is topical. But when someone corrects the manner of correction, there is nothing topical in the parent post to which to reply.
Heh by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-02 09:28 · Score: 0

We demand an iShrubbery, but not too nice of one.
Once again Fuck Apple by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-02 17:41 · Score: 0

A far worse company that Microsoft ever was....
1. Re:Once again Fuck Apple by UnknowingFool · 2014-03-03 02:41 · Score: 1
  
  So a company buys another company and decides to go in a different direction and announces the shutdown of a website. They are shutting down the site but the open source code still remains in GitHub. Yes, that's on the same scale of what MS did to competitors and partners back in the 90s.
  
  --
  Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
Open Source... by mlw4428 · 2014-03-02 23:22 · Score: 1

It's open source. I don't know the license, but I imagine it's likely a GPL/BSD-type license. One should learn that Apple is not the most "open source" friendly OS. Steal from BSD, as an example, and then release the derivative kernel and shut it down as quickly as one can to avoid raising "too many" suspicions.
1. Re:Open Source... by UnknowingFool · 2014-03-03 02:52 · Score: 1
  
  It's open source. I don't know the license, but I imagine it's likely a GPL/BSD-type license. One should learn that Apple is not the most "open source" friendly OS.
  Yes that's why they release Darwin for free. Why they developed LLVM, why they open sourced OpenCL, why they kept CUPS alive, why they continue to develop WebKit. But we shouldn't let facts disturb our bias.
  
  Steal from BSD, as an example, and then release the derivative kernel and shut it down as quickly as one can to avoid raising "too many" suspicions.
  Er what? Apple is shutting down a website which they now own. Presumably they do not want to proceed to develop this SDK as it has been developed. The source code is available on GitHub as it always has been. With an open source license, you want to fork it, go ahead; that's what the license was meant to do.
  
  --
  Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
Sure, you can fork the sw by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-03 01:44 · Score: 0

But part of the excitement was that there was a hardware platform to go with it. I guess the kickstarter using this, connected to an iPad, was just a little bit too cool. Since the kickstarter didn't invent the device, I guess they are out in the cold...
I am all for open source, and I guess that this is still a win for open source because it protected the sw from being taken away, but I can't help but think that it is a bigger win for Apple and basically a big loss of open source.
Open Source is insufficient by Anonymous Coward · 2014-03-03 06:28 · Score: 0

This is another clear example of why open source is not a realistic alternative to Public Domain. Open source is a provides no downstream security regarding prior art. Want to take Linux off the market? Buying Linus Torvald is still a viable option.