Xbox SmartGlass announced to utilize mobile devices

At its E3 media briefing, Microsoft announced a new initiative to use smart phone functionality in concert with the Xbox 360. Titled "SmartGlass," the demonstration showed it being used for entertainment features, game integration, and Internet browsing.

The briefing showed how a movie can be sent from a tablet to your Xbox 360 to continue watching, at which point the tablet becomes an info hub for the show or movie you're watching. It can also provide more interactive features, like serving as a map of Westeros while watching A Game of Thrones. For games, it was shown using the tablet for play commands in Madden, and unlocking technical schematics for a ship in Halo 4. The company is also adding web browsing through Internet Explorer, with controls handled through the smart device.

Microsoft said the functionality will work with any smart device, but accented its use on the Windows Phone 8. The SmartGlass functions are expected to launch this fall.