I bought this without having the Kinect yet and in hindsight realized it's an incomplete solution to the privacy issue. The problem is right now it's the only vendor offering an option, so I think we're just going for it. But the core issue still needs a vendor to come up with a more complete, and more smoothly integrated solution.
The problem we're trying to solve: We want privacy. A Kinect sensor, and your home network, can be hacked. Like any wifi enabled camera or microphone, if they are connected to the internet and your systems are on, you have the potential to be exposed to anyone with the capacity to hack into or redirect your home network. Someone could, if they wanted, watch you on your Kinect, or record you.
You'll notice the core issues are SOUND and IMAGE. The Pritect only resolves one problem - IMAGE. You can cover the camera if you want, but someone could still hear you talking, moving, etc. You'll notice the Kinect sensor settings also prompt you to differentiate between sight and sound, and it isn't always easy to tell when one is really working or not. At the same time, Xbox would love to collect stats about how you use and interact with both the microphone and the camera - all of which are great for Xbox, and could in the long term improve the Kinect and Xbox design, but which, in the end, use you as a guinea pig and will require you to give up privacy.
I knew this buying the Kinect, so my plan was to make sure the Kinect couldn't see me when I wasn't using it. But then I realized there was a mic, so I had to send this back. Also, sliding this on/off your kinect works easily if the kinect is not on top of your tv (mounted on a wall) or in a place you deliberately put it to keep it out of the way and stable. But, doing this also messes with the equipment so if it's aligned a certain way, you risk basically misaligning it, every time you put it on/take it off.
I think they need to redesign this thing to totally mute the mic (I think there's probably some mic coverage but not ensured silence), and to probably have a flip top option where all you do is lift/drop a front plate so you're not messing with your kinect's positioning/alignment.
Or, even better, the Kinect should probably come with an on/off button and a camera shutter and mic mute button, directly on the unit.
So now, I'm using the surefire method - just unplug the kinect. :)
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