Google's Gmail Motion Prank Could Be A Reality Soon (GOOG, MSFT)

Google's

“Gmail Motion” April Fool prank, which saw scores of users sign up for a fictional application which, Google said, allowed Gmail subscribers to send emails and maintain their mailbox using a camera and body motions, could soon be a reality according to

. Students at the University of Southern California, inspired by Google, have been working on a product that does pretty much exactly what Google was joking about. As part of a demonstration, a student was able to control Gmail using a Microsoft

Kinect sensor. He is seen replying to an email, then typing some text, then sending, all while standing a few feet away from the computer and keyboard. PC Magazine was quoted as saying that, “One of the most redeeming parts of April Fools' Day… is watching the various crazy ideas on the first of April transform into potential new product launches and consumer applications come April 2.” The students have named the product the SLOOW, or “Software Library Optimizing Obligatory Waving”. They don't plan to make it commercially available yet, but it is available for downloading.