Microsoft spreads some holiday cheer with new Xbox Live Update

Microsoft has begun rolling out its major overhaul for Xbox Live, now worldwide, which includes a new Windows Phone-styled Metro UI design, voice and motion control and bunch of new entertainment apps. Along with the brand new look of the dashboard, the update includes Live TV and the ability to control this new interface by simply speaking to Kinect. The Live Tile design of the Metro UI will also be present in Windows Phone 7.5.

Just in time for the holiday rush

There will be over 40 new entertainment apps added, some which that are being rolled out right now, include Hulu Plus, ESPN, Netflix, Sky Go, among others. Unfortunately, most of these are only applicable in the U.S. Hit this link to see the full list of apps. There will be a larger bunch of apps coming later on, this month, and some more are expected to reach in early 2012. Here’s a breakdown of the highlights of the update:

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• Metro design: New tile design that makes it easier to navigate through the new dashboard
• Live TV: Users will now have access to live TV from a number of providers, including Verizon FiOS and AT&T U-Verse.
• Kinect motion control: Swipe through and select content on the dashboard simply using Kinect motion controls
• Improved Kinect voice control: Kinect voice search using Bing
• Cloud storage: Users can now save their games directly to Microsoft’s cloud, making it possible to load a saved game from any Xbox 360.
• Entertainment apps: Microsoft is adding 40 new entertainment apps, globally. 
• Xbox Companion: This is a free app for Windows Phone devices that allows users to control their Xbox Live dashboard from their phone.