Microsoft is rolling out a much anticipated and major interface update to the Xbox 360 today, and its search engine Bing is playing a central role in order to provide better navigation.
Users may use voice commands to execute a Bing search with the Xbox 360 interface update.
Bing has traditionally played second fiddle to search engine star Google but with the Xbox 360 it plays a primary role. Users can use verbal commands like “Xbox, Bing, [search term] to execute a Bing search, not on the internet through a web interface, but on local content in the Xbox. This makes it easier for users to find and enjoy their media and, some will observe, is similar to the way in which Google TV helps people find content. Users who say “Xbox, Bing, movies”, for example, will be greeted with a display of the movie section, and from their if they choose, may enjoy executing their search further by using Microsoft’s gesture based peripheral Kinect, similar to that used in the movie Minority Report. If users do not wish to use voice commands, they may select the Bing tab to search for content.
The Xbox 360 updated interface, with its Bing integration, voice activation, gesture control, and dynamic splash page, offers some hints about what feartures later Windows operating systems will include.
All 57 million users of the Xbox in 35 countries around the globe will enjoy the new Xbox 360 when it is officially launched today.
