It would seem that the Electronics Entertainment Expo in CA, Los Angeles 2012 saw Microsoft’s Xbox gain major modifications.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) recently unveiled the Xbox SmartGlass, and it will be a direct competitor to Apple’s Airplay. It is a new feature that offers the ability for a user to connect their Xbox 360 console to Apple’s iPad, and the iPhone.
The new cross cutting platform will also be available on Google’s Android, as well as Microsoft’s Windows Phone and Windows 8.
During E3 2012, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) showed how it was possible for content to be played on the Xbox, while aided by another device like the iPad.
In a live demonstration, a user watching a show via the HBO Go app, had the show streaming on their HDTV, and a fictional map- that was interactive- was shown on the device, and synced with the program. Real live updates could also be seen.
The SmartGlass in fact seems very much like Apple’s AirPlay that is inbuilt in to its iOS, and allows users to view content from their iPad or iPhone to a TV set top box from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). However, the Xbox SmartGlass will be based on Microsoft’s-built iOS application.
SmartGlass will also be available on Windows 8, and it is assumed that it will be used on the PC desktop, and laptop version of windows and also the Windows RT tablets.
Nonetheless, this is not the only thing that Microsoft unveiled at the E3 this year. It will now be possible for Xbox owners to browse the web using their consoles.
Webhub which will be availed later on in the year will offer users the ability to surf with their Xboxes, and a user will be able to zoom, pinch and scroll a page on the web using a mobile device or the SmartGlass, which was also unveiled at the E3 expo.
When browsing the net, a user will also be able to use voice commands, as well as Kinect. This new feature will surely give users a great experience on their consoles, offering them more than gaming experiences.
Web surfing using consoles had been floated by Wii, but its jerky controllers would have made it had to point out various content, and items while surfing a certain page on the web.
This new feature on the Xbox 360 could be the first real chance that Internet Explorer has to reclaim its spot as the number one browser after; Google Chrome knocked it from its perch.
So, it would seem that Microsoft is slowly blurring the line between gaming and computer operating systems by coming up with new devices and features for its gaming console; the Xbox 360. In fact, with the release of Windows 8, it is also expected that new features will be unveiled.
New developments that are expected on the SmartGlass feature in future include the ability to join up multiple games on the Xbox, using a SmartGlass device, or using a tablet to work out Internet Explorer on a TV using the Xbox.
