Xbox 360 Dashboard Update Coming December 6

A free dashboard update coming to all Xbox 360s on December 6 will add features such as cloud storage for game saves, improved Kinect integration, and improved social sharing features. The newly redesigned dashboard UI does away with the familiar menu system in favor of a new "Twist Control" interface that lets users quickly flick through clustered channels using a controller, or with Kinect-powered gestures and voice controls. New cloud storage options will allow Xbox users to back up game saves and Xbox Live profiles on Microsoft's servers, allowing for easy retrieval in the event of a hardware failure or play on a different console. PlayStation Plus users have had similar cloud-based saves since March. The update will also see the rollout of Beacons, a new feature letting Xbox users more easily share their activity with Xbox Live and Facebook and connect with friends for multiplayer sessions. Kinect users will also be able to use Bing voice search to find content on their console and Xbox Live. The December 6 also update will begin Microsoft's introduction of new video content from a number of previously revealed partners including Comcast and HBO, though some of that content may be rolled out "on an ongoing basis through the holiday months."