 "Xbox SmartGlass app makes its way to iOS")
Towards the end of the past month, Microsoft had released the Xbox SmartGlass app for Android. Yesterday, Microsoft released the app for iOS devices.
With Xbox SmartGlass, an iOS device can be made to work with the Xbox 360 console. The description of the app on the Apple App Store reads, “Interact with your favorite TV shows, movies, music, sports, and games, and bring remote control to a whole new level. You can also connect with your Xbox friends, track and compare your achievements, and change up your 3D avatar.”
Identical to the interface on the Android app
With Xbox SmartGlass, one can navigate the Xbox 360 with a swipe and a tap, use a smartphone’s keyboard to type to the Xbox 360, and browse the Internet on the Xbox 360 with full keyboard and zooming. It is also possible to play, pause, fast forward, rewind, and stop videos and music on your Xbox 360, and search the full Xbox catalogue of music, video, and games.
Microsoft also claims that with this app, a user can enjoy rich, interactive experiences from select game and entertainment content creators, track and compare their achievements with Xbox friends, change the 3D avatar, message Xbox friends, and edit his or her Xbox profile.
Microsoft released the Xbox SmartGlass app for Android last month after releasing the app for Windows Phone 7 devices. The app lets you control the Xbox 360 from an Android device. One of the major requirements for the app is that the device must run at least Android v4.0, and have a WVGA screen.
SmartGlass was showcased earlier this year during E3 2012, alongside Xbox Music. Xbox Music – Microsoft’s newest attempt to take on the likes of Spotify and iTunes – was launched earlier this month. This would be Microsoft’s second attempt at creating a music channel, the first being the not-very-successful Zune. This time, the company is focusing on integrating the service into as many of its devices as it can. While starting with the Xbox 360, the company plans to integrate the service into other devices that would be running Windows 8 or Windows Phone 8 through its SkyDrive cloud service.
Microsoft’s Xbox Music allows streaming of music from free as well as paid accounts. The main attraction of the service would be the inclusion of a download-to-own music store. The store will include over 30 million songs in its catalogue, rivalling, and surpassing the catalogue on Apple’s iTunes. The service is also all set to have over 70,000 music videos, but these music videos will only be available for the Xbox 360.
The software giant seems to be gunning for the entire online music market, especially iTunes, Spotify, and Pandora, with the inclusion of the store as well as the artist-based radio service. The biggest letdown is that none of these services are available in India. If Microsoft can capitalise on that, it will probably surpass all the other services. There is no news yet of the inclusion of India in the list of 22 countries where the service will be available.
To download Xbox SmartGlass for iOS, click here.
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