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Karaoke for Xbox Live brings pay to play sing-alongs to your holiday parties
Further milking the cash cow that is Xbox Live, Microsoft and Stingray Digital Group this week announced Karaoke for Xbox 360. Equipped with a robust library of over 8,000 licensed songs ranging from oldies to Hip-Hop and R&B, this potential cheesefest likely has something for your entire family to sing along with. Set to arrive in time for the holiday season, Karaoke appears to be the gift that keeps on charging. Unlike most music themed games that let you purchase content outright, its odd business model charges to stream tracks in time blocks of two, six and 24 hours. Aside from a few glasses of liquid courage eggnog, you'll also need an Xbox 360 headset, wireless microphone, or a USB compatible mic to keep this party going. If you don't fancy the spotlight, you can play the role of karaoke master by queuing up tunes through your mobile device via SmartGlass. Either that, or you can just sit back and record incriminating videos of loved ones belting out embarrassing love ballads after having one too many. The choice is yours.
ESPN on Xbox Live updated with all live ESPN content
Previously Xbox Live was a good place to see some of ESPN's more fringe live content, like log racing, plastic cup stacking and the occasional tennis match. Today all live ESPN content is streaming through your Xbox 360, including Monday Night Football, Sunday Night Baseball and more top draws from ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU, Buzzer Beater and Goal Line – granted only if you're an Xbox Live Gold subscriber, that is.The updated app on Xbox 360 still features all of the familiar Kinect gesture and voice commands required by Microsoft law, and lets users stream multiple events in split-screen format, set reminders for big games and track their favorite sports through a customizable menu. Next month, SmartGlass functionality will also be added to the app.You can download the improved app right now, simply by booting up the old app or heading to the appropriate section of your Xbox 360 dashboard.
Xbox SmartGlass for iOS hits the App Store
Just in time for today's launch of its blockbuster sci-fi shooter Halo 4, Microsoft has debuted its Xbox SmartGlass app for iPhone and iPad on the App Store. The free app acts as an interactive second screen for the Xbox 360, allowing you to browse content on your console and launch it, then use your phone or tablet as a touch-based controller. More importantly - and exciting - though, the SmartGlass app provides additional game-related information and input methods when used with certain Xbox 360 titles. Major game releases that currently support SmartGlass include Halo 4, Dance Central 3, and Forza Horizon. Apps on the 360 that can be controlled via SmartGlass include Internet Explorer, Xbox Music, Xbox Video, Netflix, and more.
Xbox SmartGlass for iOS out now
Xbox SmartGlass is now available to the iOS crowd, following an October debut on Windows tablets and Android devices. The free app is compatible with devices running iOS 5.0 and higher – sorry, no native iPhone 5 support just yet, so you'll have to make do with the smaller formatting on your tall phone for now.The app itself replaces the current Xbox Companion for iOS, and allows you to interact with your Xbox 360 for supplemental controls and information across a variety of programs going forward. To start with, you'll be able to play DJ in Dance Central 3.
Xbox SmartGlass app comes to iOS
It wasn't all that long ago that Microsoft's gaming-centric second screen app came to Android handsets, and now its iOS's turn. It seems a shiny new SmartGlass app replaced the old My Xbox Live app in the App Store today with little fanfare, and is currently available for download for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touches running iOS 5.0 or later. As you might expect, the app allows your iDevice to serve as a remote and keypad for your Xbox 360, and its UI is nearly identical to the aforementioned Android version. Don't believe us? Download the app at the source below and see for yourself. [Thanks, David]
Forza Horizon 'SmartGlass Experience' app now available on Windows 8
If you've ever been playing Forza Horizon and thought "Man, I wish I could look at a tablet to see the map instead of having to hit the pause button like some kind of cave man," Microsoft has solution for your oddly specific wish.Available now on Windows 8 and other platforms "soon," the Forza Horizon "SmartGlass Experience" moves Horizon's map from the game's pause menu to the screen of a Windows 8 tablet. There, the map continues to perform all of the same duties as it does in-game, allowing the player to set GPS destinations, get information on events, etc.Now, however, instead of having to pause the game to look at the map, all the player has to do is put down the controller and pick up a second device to perform the same functions. Whether they pause the game first, or go careening into the side of a mountain, is entirely up to them.%Gallery-170127%
Windows 8 review
It's unusual, to say the least, for us to spend a year with a product before publishing our review. In the case of Windows 8, we've written thousands of words already, starting with our first hands-on in September of 2011, followed by deep dives on the Developer Preview, Consumer Preview, Release Preview and RTM build. Even our readers have had ample time to get acquainted with the OS -- it's been available as a public download since February. And yet, we've never tested a final version of the software running on brand new, made-for-Windows-8 hardware. With the OS now on sale (alongside dozens of new PCs), it's finally time for us to double back and revisit everything we've previously written in the form of a final, comprehensive review. And what a challenging assignment this was: it's hard enough to give an OS the full review treatment without burying the reader in minute details. It's even tougher when the software was built for so many different kinds of hardware. Combining a traditional desktop with Windows Phone-inspired Live Tiles, Windows 8 was designed to be equally at home on traditional PCs and more finger-friendly devices, like tablets and hybrids. In addition to walking you through the operating system's various gestures and built-in apps, then, we'll spend some time talking about which form factors are best suited to this redesigned version of Windows. Read on to see what we found out.
Xbox SmartGlass now available in Google Play, brings console integration to Android
Hot on the heels of the Dashboard update for the Xbox 360, Microsoft's SmartGlass integration is now a reality for Android 4.0 users. The companion app branches out from the earlier My Xbox Live app for Android and allows direct control of some console features from Google-powered gear. While Windows Phone users will find the tightest integration of all, the Android port still lets users steer through the Dashboard, input text, browse the web (with zooming), search for local content, and control media playback. Players can still chat with their friends and modify their Xbox profile if they're not planning to lurk around the system all day. The interface is strikingly similar to past releases (including Android) and still demands at least an 800 x 480 screen for admission -- sorry, Wildfire S fans. You'll find a full roster of features after the break, and can hit up Google Play at the source link below for your own remote. Jon Fingas contributed to this report.
Xbox SmartGlass app now on Android
That was a long half-day of Surface exclusivity. Xbox SmartGlass, the app that connects your mobile device to your Xbox, is now on Android. So you can use your Android phone or tablet to make people dance for your amusement, track achievements, do avatar stuff, and eventually interact with other Microsoft Studios games and other Xbox stuff.An iOS version is also expected; the last timeline we heard from Microsoft was 2013, though that was supposedly the window for the Android version as well.
Xbox SmartGlass launches for Windows 8 tablets October 26
Microsoft confirmed today SmartGlass will launch alongside Windows 8 tablets on October 26, with Dance Central 3 and Forza Horizon among the first games to support it. The Xbox 360 app, which turns devices into secondary screens for the console, will be available for Windows 8 phones at launch on October 29. SmartGlass is expected to arrive on iOS and Android in 2013.SmartGlass is implemented in the latest Xbox dashboard update, which Microsoft tells us it's rolled out to 3 million users so far. Another wave will receive the dashboard update today, so more users should have access to SmartGlass when the companion app becomes available for Windows 8 tablets on Friday.
Editorial: The most exciting Xbox SmartGlass application isn't what you'd think
In Microsoft's ongoing battle to alter your association between "Xbox" and "Video Games," SmartGlass is its latest volley. Employing your favorite mobile device -- Windows Phone 7.5/8, Android, and iOS devices are all supported -- SmartGlass enables you to control your Dashboard experience, explore the web, input text, and much more. But what Microsoft's really banking on is its "second screen" functionality, essentially enabling another layer of interactivity with video, music, games, and the Xbox 360's other, less ballyhooed service: sports. It's this final layer that I found most enticing during a recent hands-on meeting with Microsoft. Could sports be the "killer app" that MS needs to get SmartGlass out of its tiny niche and into the hands of the masses? I think so.
Xbox SmartGlass goes live alongside first Windows 8 tablets on October 26 with several supported apps
SmartGlass functionality may already sort of exist on Xbox 360 per the console's latest Dashboard update, but Microsoft's making it a full-on reality on October 26. As it stands, the Xbox 360 allows for SmartGlass support, but without an update to Microsoft's 360 companion app, there's no way to use it -- when Microsoft's Surface RT and other Windows 8 tablets launch on the 26, that functionality will come built in to the "Games" section of the new OS. That of course begs the question: "When will I be able to use SmartGlass with my iOS/Android/Windows Phone 7.5 devices? And how?" The date isn't certain, but functionality will arrive on other platforms "soon" after the October 26 launch of Surface, Microsoft reps tell us. When it does, it'll come in the form of an update to your existing, "My Xbox Live" mobile app (which also renames the app to, "Xbox SmartGlass") or Games tab (per WP7.5), and it'll be more or less identical with the Windows Phone version. The only missing functionality, we're told, are two somewhat basic bulletpoints. "We have deeper integration in the Windows Phone," Microsoft tells us. "That's something we don't have on iOS or Android, it's just within our application. Same on Windows -- the integration in Windows is 'last playing' or 'now playing,' being able to present that information." The other, more interesting item, is the lacking ability to "send" whatever website you're using up to the Xbox 360's Internet Explorer browser. Regardless of which mobile device you're on, SmartGlass can "send" websites from the 360 to said device -- it won't work the other way around, however, if you're using a non-Windows 8 device. Not what we'd call a huge deal, exactly, but a bummer no less. Regardless, you'll soon have the opportunity to put SmartGlass through its paces from the comfort of home when support devices launch on October 26. For a full list of applications available at launch and partners beyond that plus a quick walkthrough video, head past the break.
Dance Central 3's SmartGlass app, full track list detailed
Dance Central 3 will be the first Xbox 360 game to support SmartGlass functionality, using Microsoft's tablet and smartphone connectivity to allow people to queue up new tracks for themselves or their friends. The "Party Time DJ" app allows someone using an iOS, Android, or Windows Phone 8 device to create playlists or simply select the next song in "Party Time" mode, Harmonix revealed to Engadget.Other functionality includes queuing up DLC to buy on the Xbox, changing difficulty, or tracking calories burned and progress toward weekly goals. Despite being tied to the new SmartGlass tech, the functions here, of facilitating DLC purchasing and tracking in-game progress, seem similar to those in the Facebook Rock Band World app.The app will not be available in time for tomorrow's launch; Harmonix did not provide a specific time, though Engadget speculates it will be close to Windows 8's October 26 launch. What Harmonix has provided, however, is Dance Central 3's full track list, which can be found after the break.
Hands-on with the first SmartGlass app, Dance Central 3's Party Time DJ
Since getting outed just head of Microsoft's big reveal, Xbox 360's SmartGlass has been under wraps. When Xbox Live VP Marc Whitten officially introduced SmartGlass soon after at E3 2012, we learned a teensy bit more -- tablets and smartphones (Android, Windows Phone 8, and iOS, even) would get second-screen functionality via an upcoming free application -- and got some hands-on time with it. That application has yet to launch, but Dance Central 3's SmartGlass functionality is already here. Well, almost here -- the game becomes publicly available tomorrow, and the app won't launch for a few weeks still -- but we got our hands on Dance Central 3's SmartGlass companion app a bit early at a New York City review event last week. Being the first SmartGlass application to launch has its advantages, such as setting the bar. By no means is Dance Central 3's SmartGlass application a thorough, necessary accompaniment (for a game that already requires Kinect, that's probably a good choice), but it does add some neat side fun for friends waiting in the wings to get their respective grooves on. "Party Time DJ" allows friends -- employing their iOS, Droid, or WP8 tablet/smartphone, via the Xbox SmartGlass app -- to queue up the next song in the game's neverending "Party Time" mode, or create a playlist. They can also queue downloadable tracks to the Xbox 360 (which thankfully requires approval on the 360 prior to purchase), or swap difficulty settings. Sadly, though the opportunity for real-time griefing presents itself rather clearly here, developer Harmonix chose not to allow song-swapping or difficulty changes mid-song. "Because it would kill them," Harmonix rep Nick Chester told us.%Gallery-168336%
Windows Phone 8 SDK leaks show quiet upgrades to backup, media and the kitchen sink
The Windows Phone 8 SDK has escaped to the wild, and some sifting through the device emulator has dug up elements that Microsoft either skipped or only touched on lightly during the big unveiling in June. The most important addition may be the one customers see the least: backup. A WP7.hu search has the new OS replicating apps, settings and SMS messages in the cloud to prevent disaster, and that new SD card support will let WP8 owners shuffle photos from internal storage to the removable kind for safekeeping. There's also more work on Internet Explorer than we saw before, with MobileTechWorld noticing that DataSense provides an option for Opera-like remote compression to save that precious cellular bandwidth. Media fans might have the most to gain. If we go by The Verge, both the Music/Video and Xbox hubs are getting fresh coats of paint -- both to integrate new ventures like Xbox Music as well as to jive more closely with the SmartGlass visual theme. Shutterbugs will like the long-awaited options to crop and rotate their work, pick multiple photos, and unify third-party camera apps under a Lenses concept. There's even more clever features in store, such as a Maps update that finds nearby WiFi hotspots, so head on over to the sources to get a full sense of where Microsoft will be going.
Windows 8 to be launched on October 26
Microsoft's Windows 7 successor will be available to both new and upgrading customers on October 26, Microsoft has announced. Windows 8, in addition to doing all that productivity stuff people buy operating systems for (yawn), is also replete with a suite of new features that make life more interesting for Xbox and Windows Phone gamers.SmartGlass, for instance, blasts ancillary information about the game/tv show/movie your Xbox is playing to your mobile device or tablet, and allows for continuous playback of movies and shows between devices. All first-party 360 games will support SmartGlass going forward, so you may want to keep an eye out for new Windows 8 devices if expanded Halo experiences are your jam.
Halo 4 will work with Microsoft's new tablet ... somehow
Microsoft's President of Interactive Entertainment Business, Don Mattrick, says Halo 4 will interact with Microsoft's upcoming tablet computer, Surface. Exactly how the two will interact, however, remains a mystery. Mattrick noted the news during a VentureBeat event in San Francisco yesterday; later, he reconfirmed the functionality with a reporter on-hand but refused to give any more details.If we had to guess, though, we'd say the only functionality between the two will be the already announced SmartGlass features from E3 (say, using Halo Waypoint, or viewing the game's encyclopedia). After all, Microsoft told us at E3 that SmartGlass will be part of all Microsoft Studios games going forward after its fall 2012 launch.Of course, Microsoft could always go totally off the rails and add full-on gamepad support via Surface's touchscreen. Or maybe just a personal Cortana app where she freaks out and yells at you randomly while you're playing. Maybe they should just stick with the Waypoint stuff.
Microsoft releases SmartGlass SDK for developers
Microsoft has released an SDK for SmartGlass, its upcoming Xbox 360/Windows 8/Windows Phone cross-platform integration framework. The service allows non-Xbox devices, like tablet computers, to sync with the console and display context-sensitive information based on what's going on in a given game or app, among other uses.The SDK, available now for anyone who's part of the Microsoft Game Developers Network, includes a SmartGlass JavaScript library, sample application and the Xbox SmartGlass Studio, an environment for constructing SmartGlass "activities." Microsoft isn't hedging its bets entirely upon third-party support, however, as the company plans on implementing the feature in every Microsoft Studios game from here on out.
Microsoft releases SmartGlass SDK to developers
Pumped to use Microsoft's upcoming Surface and Windows Phone 8 devices to help you bolster your gamerscore? Sit tight -- SmartGlass development starts now. Microsoft is now making the Xbox SmartGlass Software Development Kit available to partners with agreements to develop content for the Xbox 360. Approved developers can download the SDK from the Microsoft Game Developer Network, replete with a SmartGlass JavaScript library, the Xbox SmartGlass Studio and a sample application. Redmond hopes the SDK will give developers a head start on building applications for the technology before it launches later this year. Of course, if you can't wait to see what developers are cooking up, you can always just check out our hands-on again.
Alleged Xbox 720 document leak resurfaces, stirs rumors of Kinect 2, native 3D, AR glasses
A document passing itself off as an internal Microsoft presentation about the future of Xbox has surfaced, and is stirring internet chatter with its possible hints at the future of the console. Despite turning up online over a month ago and potentially dating back to 2010, a few things mentioned that have since come to fruition -- like SmartGlass -- are earning it more attention. The proposed developments include cloud-based entertainment, native 3D, augmented reality "Fortaleza Glasses," scalable hardware -- all by 2015. If that's too long to wait, however, the time line also indicates we'd be seeing the next generation hardware in 2013 for $299 (more precise and four-player ready Kinect 2 included). The Xbox 720 package described includes such pie-in-the-sky bullet points as Blu-ray and whole-home DVR features, all from a low-power always-on box built on a "Yukon" ARM hardware platform. Of course, even if this is legit and not just some business student's exercise, all the talk of value propositions, OEM licensing and developer profitability are proposals that could have changed. Need more reasons to be skeptical? Digital Foundry points out the extremely optimistic wattages listed and previous appearances of the illustrations included. Ponder over the full 56-page document for yourself -- taking into account the bored minds on the internet that are capable of cranking out this kind of stuff, like that infamous Nintendo Revolution video -- after the break. Update: The document has been pulled from Scribd, apparently at the request of a Covington & Burling, LLP. [Thanks, Leonard]
