Microsoft has been talking quite a bit lately about its’ upcoming dashboard UI update. One of the details about this refresh that just became available is that it will feature the removal of a function that is one of the more original functions on any console out right now.

Microsoft’s Mike Ybarra confirmed on Twitter that the Xbox One dashboard will soon not have the Snap function any longer. Ybarra said the removal is so that the dashboard will, “improve multitasking, reduce memory use, improve overall speed, and free up resources going forward for bigger things.”

The bigger things have not been made clear yet but there has been some talk about a kind of picture in picture feature. This would be an interesting replacement for a function that allowed people to see their game play alongside a period of time when another app was running. We’ll just have to wait and see if picture in picture is indeed a new addition.

If you bought a next gen console, say the Xbox One, and have faced problems, a touch of disappointment or genuine curiosity as to how it could get better, then rest assured. Director of programming for Xbox Live Larry “Major Nelson” Hryb spoke to Canada.com and stated that Microsoft will continue improving their console in line with feedback from gamers.

“When we look back and look at what we’ve done, we want to continue to adapt the system to what gamers want. The team that works on Xbox are gamers themselves. We want to build the system that we use and that we know gamers would enjoy using.

“We’re going to continue to refine the system and make it what the Xbox fans are expecting and what they want. We’re listening to the feedback every single day. I’ve already seen some changes in the operating system internally with what we’re building.”

The Xbox 360 OS also underwent quite a bit of change since releasing in 2005. “It’s fascinating to see the different things that have come along. Things iterated. We didn’t even have things like the party system or the ability to support external storage when we launched the Xbox 360. So we are absolutely committed to adding new features to the Xbox One over the course of its life span.”

What are your thoughts? Let us know below.

We also get to see how easily one can switch between users without much trouble, and how programs like Bing can easily be switched to in the middle of gameplay. Interestingly, it’s not as awkward as it sounded the first time around. Kinect works fairly well in voice recognition and executing commands quickly as well.

The Xbox One will be launching on November 22nd in 13 territories across the world. Will you be picking one up on launch day or will you hold off till later? Let us know below in the comments.

“Well I think there’s two things you’re asking. NuAds by definition is simply interactive advertising done on the platform. Using the functions of the console and Kinect to interact vs. just watching a spot. There’s nothing particularly interesting happening here unless you’re in the advertising business, and we’ve done a few on Xbox 360 today.

“What I think you’re asking about is an interview done earlier in the year where someone was talking about how some of the new Xbox One Kinect features *could* be used in advertising – since we can see expressions, engagement, etc. and how that might be used to target advertising. This is the point that seems to draw some controversy.

“First – nobody is working on that. We have a lot more interesting and pressing things to dedicate time towards. It was an interview done speculatively, and I’m not aware of any active work in this space.

“Second – if something like that ever happened, you can be sure it wouldn’t happen without the user having control over it. Period.

“Two examples of how we deal with similar things today:

“First, Kinect can recognize your face and log you in automatically. There could be some cool features we could enable if we stored that data in the cloud, like being able to be auto-recognized at a friend’s. I get asked for that feature a lot. But, for privacy reasons, your facial data doesn’t leave the console.

“Second: You’ll see us do some things around Skype that freezes the video when Skype is not in focus (meaning, it’s not the primary app). If you go back to the home screen, or launch another app, we actually stop the video stream. We do this so the user can’t even ACCIDENTALLY have the video stream going on in the background.

“I’ll say this – we take a lot of heat around stuff we’ve done and I can roll with it. Some of it is deserved. But preventing Kinect from being used inappropriately is something the team takes very seriously. Hope that helps.”

What are your thoughts on the same? Let us know in the comments below.

But said update thankfully won’t be as big. As Whitten stated, “We are optimizing Xbox One so that the day one update is as fast as possible. While we’re still finalizing the details, we expect that the download will take between 15 and 20 minutes for most users.”

Also, Whitten clarified that they would continue their trend of updating the Dashboard once or twice a year like they did for Xbox 360. “Yes. Like we have done with Xbox 360, we will continue to learn from what customers want and love to iterate on the best dashboard experience.”

The Xbox One will be launching on November 22nd across 13 territories. What are your thoughts on the update?

First, Penello offered some further clarification on the console being able to run four apps at once. When asked if they are all running at the same time or just suspended a la the iPhone or PS Vita, Penello stated that, “Functionally it’s the same thing. But what I meant in the demo, is that the last 4 apps you run are stored resident in the flash. This means there is 0 load time once it’s been started. If you had Netflix, IE, Xbox Music and the TV app already opened once, you could basically switch instantly between them.

“The fifth app you opened would boot out the last one. However, the reason I say ‘functionally’ the same is that you could have the music app running in the background, for instance. In the case of something like Netflix, we’re not going to keep the video running for no reason.”

Also, apparently Microsoft isn’t storing your facial recognition data, captured by the Kinect, online. “We DO NOT store your physical profile information online. Save games, app history, settings, etc. If you want to log-in with Kinect you need to do that on every new console.”

Penello also revealed that Kinect can function without the video feed. “If you were so inclined, you can turn off the video feed. However, Kinect works in much smaller spaces, and identity will still work great in a smaller room.” So if you’re worried of facing the same problem with the Xbox 360’s Kinect not being able to detect you within a limited space – a problem which has been said to be alleviated thanks to a wider field of view and 1080p sensor – then you can rest easy. Otherwise, the voice recognition can still be utilized.

Some users have also pointed out that when shutting games off via voice command, it takes 10 seconds for the console to comply. Considering that current-gen consoles are almost instantaneous, is 10 seconds really too long? Of course, some have suggested that this was done to keep a proper buffer in case the user changed his/her mind.

Penello clarified the same, stating that there was indeed a buffer but it wasn’t 10 seconds. “We add in a 3-4 second buffer to allow the user to cancel in case (s)he changes his/her mind. Otherwise, the time to load the next game would be whatever it takes to load the next game (when using voice). It’s not 10 seconds.”

Finally, Penello has offered his take on why we haven’t seen any third party titles being run on the Xbox One aside from FIFA (though considering the existence of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain footage for the Xbox One from TGS 2013, that’s somewhat of a fallacy).

“You know, I’m not sure. You’d have to ask the 3rd Parties. I was hoping to see more myself.

“If I had to make a GUESS (please note the highlighted ‘guess’ as the following statement is made by me personally and not as a representative of the Microsoft (R) corporation), and it’s probably because everyone is busy trying to ship in two months. Taking time off to make playable demos may be too time consuming. You’ve got two new console launches on top of likely 4+ existing platforms.”

And whether it’s an official statement or not, the man’s got a point.

Does this clear things up a bit more regarding the Xbox One or are you rushing to cancel your pre-order? Let us know in the comments below.

Microsoft has just announced that the new Dashboard update will be available to all Xbox Live members on December 6th. While some of us have been enjoying the New Metro dashboard already, and bug fixing of course, all of the others will have to wait just a few more weeks before they can check it out.

Yeah, the Kinect and Bing functionality rocks!

While many of you have been involved in the Xbox LIVE Preview Program and have been busy getting an early look at the next Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE features, I wanted to let you know that the official release for the update for all Xbox LIVE members will be Tuesday, December 6th. In this update, free to all console owners, you will see:

• New personal and social features including Cloud Storage for Game Saves and LIVE Profile
• Beacons and Facebook Sharing
• Enhanced Family Settings
• Integrated voice and gesture controls across the dashboard and in apps
• Bing voice search (Available this year in the US, UK and CA)

In addition to all these great dashboard features, starting on December 6th and continuing on an ongoing basis through the holiday months, a wealth of new content will be coming to Xbox 360. New, customized applications for television, movies, internet videos, sports and music will begin rolling out from world-leading providers in more than 20 countries.

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

According to a leaked memo by Paypal, Xbox 360 dash update will be here by November 15th. Microsoft had earlier mentioned that Paypal will be added to Xbox Live, to facilitate easier payments.

November 15th is also the 10th anniversary of the Xbox launch, which should be enough clue as to when this big feature will be available in Xbox Live. Paypal is the biggest way to transfer and receive funds online, and has the potential to increase Xbox Live sales.

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Thanks, Kotaku.

The new Xbox 360 Dashboard Update is coming this fall which people will certainly notice, and we have the details of what it will have.   This fall update with make the Xbox Dashboard more attuned to the Xbox 360 Controller and Kinnect, not having to switch between hubs.  Currently it is really weird and a pain in the ass signing in twice with Kinect after signing in with a controller, or signing out only to sign back in again.  So this will hopefully be a nice change in the update to make things more convenient.

This Fall update will also let you use Kinect’s voice-recognition to say any category, in conjunction with the new Dashboard, will take you to that specific menu instantly.  Microsoft will have this out for the US, Canada, and UK with it coming to other territories when it can.  The new voice recognition integration doesn’t end there as you will also be able to take advantage of the new Bing search facility.  Simply saying ‘Xbox, Bing’ followed by saying whatever you’re looking for will bring up a list of matches with icons to let you know whether it’s a TV show, movie or a game. This new feature will be compatible with all video services such as Netflix, Hulu Plus and Zune, which is one awesome addition to the Xbox 360 if you ask me.

Of course what would an update be with out adding some new features to the new social networking features.  You can more easily post updates, send custom messages and have it update when you unlock an Achievement using Twitter and Facebook.  You can ignore friends on facebook if you wish as well as having the ability to disable it all together.  The new Dashboard has not been officially named but right now it is NXE2.0 and you can check the pic above to get a glimpse of what it will look like.  It will be released this Holiday Season, 2011.

Source

Microsoft announced an update to the Xbox 360 dashboard with full Kinect support at their E3 presser today.

Apart from being capable of full voice control, the Xboxc 360 will get many new apps, including Youtube, and Bing, both of which are controllable via Kinect Voice Control. They also announced partnerships with TV stations to watch it all on your Xbox 360. This update comes this fall. All UFC games can be viewed live on the Xbox 360 as well.

Gotta admit, the Kinect is looking cooler and cooler with every announcement Microsoft makes.

Keep checking back for more information.