e3

Will the future of the living room come to a Microsoft-Apple throwdown? It's certainly looking like it.

LOS ANGELES--Microsoft's SmartGlass app for tablets is fascinating not just because it adds a second screen to the Xbox 360, but also because it's platform-agnostic: it'll work on Android or an iPad, it seems, just as easily as Windows. Add in Internet Explorer for the Xbox 360 and a bevy of new entertainment video apps, and it's pretty clear: the Xbox 360 is ready to take on Apple TV.

I guessed as much as far as Windows 8 on a next-gen Xbox … Read more

E3 2012 sees Microsoft in a unique position among the console companies. While Sony may make game consoles, televisions, and laptops, only Microsoft owns both a console ecosystem and major PC operating system. And with Windows 8 only months away, now may be the perfect time to finally draw a solid line connecting the two. But based on what we've seen at the Microsoft E3 press conference, this may not be the year for that.

SmartGlass, the new multi-screen/multi-platform app from Microsoft, is a good start. While SmartGlass will be available on many types of tablets and phones, … Read more

Editor's note: This live blog has concluded. Click on the module below to replay the blog or read our summary posts: "Madden NFL 13 gets 'better with Kinect,' launches Aug. 28"; "Microsoft plans to bring over 35 more content providers to Xbox"; "Microsoft unveils Xbox Music"; "Microsoft unveils Smart Glass, a multiscreen entertainment platform"; "Kinect-enhanced IT coming to Xbox," and "Xbox throws down gauntlet to Apple TV (and Wii U) at E3."

You've read the speculation. There's nothing left to do now but wait to … Read more

Microsoft has brought its Internet Explorer browser to another location.

According to the software company at its E3 keynote speech today, Internet Explorer will deliver "for the first time, a fast, fluid, Web experience in the living room." With help from Kinect, users will be able to have full voice control over the browser on the Xbox 360.

To add a bit more flavor (and control) to the browser, Microsoft has also integrated its Smart Glass platform into Internet Explorer, allowing users to scroll around the page, click links, and pinch and zoom from their smartphone or tablet.… Read more

Microsoft has shown off a new multiscreen entertainment platform called SmartGlass.

Unveiled today at Microsoft's keynote speech at the E3 gaming expo, the platform allows users to play video and other media from their mobile devices on their big-screen television, thanks to the Xbox 360. In addition, it acts as a mobile companion to enhance gameplay.

Microsoft's announcement today confirms an earlier report claiming that Microsoft was planning to launch an AirPlay competitor.

According to Microsoft, the new SmartGlass will work on Windows, Windows Phone, and the Xbox 360. In addition, it will support Android and iOS. The … Read more

Microsoft has dramatically expanded the sports and entertainment offerings available via its Xbox 360.

At its E3 keynote today, the company said that it plans to add 35 more content providers to the Xbox, including Nickelodeon, Machinima, and others. That, Microsoft says, will complement the more than 200 million movies, television shows, and videos it has added to Xbox Live in the last year.

The big draw, however, might be the addition of more sports content. According to Microsoft, it will soon offer full access to ESPN programming across many of its channels, including ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, and … Read more

Nintendo unveiled a new Wii U GamePad today that sports a near-field communications reader and that can be used as a TV remote.

The new game console tablet features a 6.2-inch touch-sensitive screen and a fully independent infrared TV remote, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata revealed during a streamed presentation (see below) in advance of this week's E3 game conference. Known mostly for use in electronic wallets, the NFC technology in the GamePad will be able to read and write data from cards and figures.

"Some people will wonder if Wii U is a simple evolution of Wii … Read more

Microsoft is rumored to be ready to unveil a new app this week at the E3 game conference for the Xbox 360 that will allow users to play video and other media on tablets and phones.

The AirPlay-like companion application -- dubbed "Smart Glass" -- will also allow users to beam content back to their game consoles for viewing on larger screens, according to an Engadget report. The app is also expected to be made available for tablets and phones running on Windows, Windows Phone, Android, and iOS.

Seemingly adding credence to this report is another Engadget report … Read more

It's a rite of passage for every tech trade show.

Apple, the 800-pound gorilla of the industry, never has an official presence at shows like CTIA (mobile), CES (consumer electronics), and Computex (PCs). But if you read between the lines of the press conferences and press releases, every company at those shows is implicitly talking about -- and reacting to -- the latest Apple gadgets, new or anticipated.

And now, as we approach the annual E3 trade show, the focus naturally turns to Apple's role in the video game industry.

During E3 2011, we made an obvious observation … Read more