Microsoft's Kinect sensor (released November 4 for the Xbox 360 system) is a different beast from the Wii and PlayStation Move. Employing a camera to create controller-free gaming, the Kinect sensor puts you into the game like none of its competitors. There are a few kinks in the system, but the overall product goes a long way toward making me a believer.

While Wii simply picks up the controller's movements, your entire body and play space are utilized for Kinect games. For example, if a ball is flying at your left side, stepping to the right will dodge it, or if a hurdle is in your running path, you can physically jump over it. And unlike the Wii-too approach of PlayStation Move, Kinect is a genuine step forward for motion-controlled gaming.

Music

Third Sunday Jazz featuring Maggie Brown

The Redstone Room

Sunday, November 21

"There is a lot of great music out here," says performer Maggie Brown in a recent Chicago Defender interview. "It is not popularized. It's not going to come to you on the radio, or on a CD. You have to look for it."

Well, folks, you can stop looking; great music can be found at Davenport's Redstone Room on November 21. Appearing as the latest guest in Polyrhythms' monthly Third Sunday Jazz Series, the Chicago-based Maggie Brown will present a 3 p.m. jazz workshop and a 6 p.m. concert of bound-to-be-thrilling solos, underscoring why the Defender describes her as "a phenomenal artist who has loads of individual style."