Xbox to Talk to Second-Screen Devices, Surf the Web

Microsoft to launch SmartGlass apps on Oct. 26; partners include ESPN, HBO

By Todd Spangler, Multichannel News -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/23/2012 6:37:20 PM

Microsoft is extending Xbox video content to PCs, tablets and smartphones with the launch this week of Xbox SmartGlass, and is bringing the Web to TV with a version of Internet Explorer for the game console.

The company will launch Xbox SmartGlass on Windows 8 and Windows RT (the version of the operating system designed for tablets such as the Microsoft Surface) on Friday, Oct. 26. The free downloadable apps, also to be available for Windows Phone 8, iOS and Android devices, provide second-screen interaction with entertainment content on the Xbox, through partners including HBO, ESPN, NBC News and Univision.

"Xbox will be a gateway to the best in movies, TV shows, music, sports, your favorite games and instant access to your friends, wherever you are," Yusuf Mehdi, chief marketing officer of Microsoft's Interactive Entertainment Division, wrote in a blog post.

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