Xbox SmartGlass: Is Microsoft finally putting its act together?

Microsoft showed us a glimpse of the future of connected devices at E32012. The tech dubbed SmartGlass just not only syncs your playlist and movies across different devices. It allows your devices to be used as ancillary input and output devices.
The E3 demo shows quite a few possibilities such as using your phone as a remote controller, controlling browser from your phone, augmenting secondary information for games and syncing movies between devices. But there is so much more that can be achieved with SmartGlass.
Microsoft intends to make SmartGlass a platform and let content developers run wild with their creativity. This opens up a world of possibilities. Looking at Kinect it has already found usage in new realms. Originally intended as a motion controller fox Xbox games it has found use in healthcare, manufacturing and classrooms.
In the past Microsoft had innovated some great ideas but never really capitalized on them. Surface and Courier Tablet are two products that had great potential but Redmond never really appreciated the fact that those technologies could turn into a gold mine.
SmartGlass has the potential to unite all of Microsoft’s products, making each device part of a rich ecosystem. For Xbox it is a strong muscle, but Xbox sales are already in good shape as it is already the highest selling console. SmartGlass could be an absolute life saver for Windows Phone and the forthcoming Windows 8 tablets and PC’s. Windows Phone sales haven’t met expectations, and Win8 hardware will arrive this fall and face stiff competition from Apple and Google. Microsoft promises that SmartGlass will be supported on iOS and Android, but it’s not clear if those platforms will be as well supported as Redmond’s own.
If Microsoft can pull it off as promised, SmartGlass can tie up all its offering and take technology to new heights. And perhaps even beyond Microsoft’s own expectations.



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