Microsoft at E3 Details SmartGlass, Halo 4, and the IE browser on Xbox

04.06.2012
Microsoft took center stage at the Electronic Entertainment Expo on Monday introducing new software called SmartGlass designed to make sharing content across devices such as a game console, tablet, and smartphone a breeze. During its press conference the tech giant also announced a slew of new game titles, most notably Halo 4, along with sharing details for porting the Internet Explorer web browser to the Xbox 360 console.

Microsoft's overriding theme was to make the Xbox the central hub for your entertainment needs reaching beyond the console to work with Windows PCs, iOS devices, Android tablets, and upcoming Windows 8 PCs. Microsoft is also using the Xbox to take a stab at Google TV with Internet Explorer headed to Xbox later this year. And coming soon to Xbox 360 are a number of new additions to popular game franchises including Halo 4, Gears of War: Judgment, Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Madden NFL 13, and Tomb Raider.

Here's a quick rundown of the highlights from Microsoft's E3 2012 press event.

SmartGlass

With SmartGlass technology Microsoft is aiming to make Xbox a seamless entertainment experience that lets you easily transfer content between devices no matter which platform you're using. SmartGlass software can transform the devices you already know and love, said Mark Whitten, Microsoft's Xbox Live chief.

With SmartGlass technology, you will be able to start watching a movie on your tablet and then transfer the content to your Xbox 360 with one tap without losing your spot in the film. While you watch via your Xbox, your tablet will then display information about the film you're watching such as cast and crew credits. In another interesting demo, Microsoft showed how you could watch HBO's popular series Game of Thrones on your TV while your tablet shows you an interactive map of Westeros (the imaginary land where Game of Thrones takes place). The map tracks where you are in the show's timeline and lets you see where other major characters are in their journeys.