Xbox 360 gaining SmartGlass features
The Xbox 360 is getting a little smarter.
Microsoft Corp. kicked off the Electronic Entertainment Expo on Monday by unveiling new software called Xbox SmartGlass that will allow Xbox 360 users to stream and share content across smartphones, tablets and TVs. It also announced that it was bringing its Internet Explorer browser to the console this fall.
“Internet Explorer coupled with the power of Xbox will, for the first time, deliver a fast, fluid, intuitive Web experience in the living room,” said Marc Whitten, Xbox Live corporate vice president.
SmartGlass was demonstrated in several ways, turning a smartphone into a remote control used to surf the Web on a TV and utilizing a tablet as a way to display information about games, TV shows and movies that were simultaneously being played on a TV. Microsoft said the app would be available later this year for Windows phones, Windows 8 and “other portable devices.”
The feature is similar to the Wii U from Nintendo Co. The upcoming high-definition console will feature a touchscreen controller, which Nintendo announced Sunday would be called the Wii U GamePad. The controller provides different methods and perspectives to interact and play games on screen, as well as the ability to play games and browse the Web without the TV.
The Associated Press
