For a lot of people out there, high-end tech goes hand in hand with gaming. When Microsoft announced their Smartglass initiative many were surprised that the company were going to let Android in on the fun and add Android to the list of of supported platforms – considering this whole Windows Phone business. Smartglass may be in its infancy right now but the app has been available on Android for some time and has only just been updated to support the Nexus 7. Leaving out the 7-inch Nexus – or any 7.0″ tablet – was one of the biggest criticisms of the app. Now though, Microsoft have updated the app and chief among the changes is support for 7″ tablets, including the Nexus 7. There’s also the usual mountain of bug fixes etc.
If you’re unfamiliar with just what Smartglass is then we’ll lay it out for you; it’s essentially another of Microsoft’s steps into your living room and will allow you to use your smartphone or tablet in conjunction with your Xbox to enhance your experience. There was big talk of getting content providers involved with the initiative as well, to bring extra content to your phone or tablet instead of taking over what’s happening on the big screen. For a long time, this sort of interaction has stuck out as the logical next step and for Microsoft to be the company to usher it in makes a lot of sense considering their presence in the living room already.
There are a lot of things you can do with Smartglass and Android and here are some of them – from the Play Store:
- Navigate your Xbox 360 with swipe and tap
- Use your phone’s keyboard to type to your Xbox 360
- Browse the Internet on your Xbox 360 with full keyboard and zooming
- Play, pause, fast forward, rewind, and stop videos and music on your Xbox 360
- Search the full Xbox catalog of music, video, and games
- Enjoy rich, interactive experiences from select game and entertainment content creators
- Track and compare your achievements with your Xbox friends
- Change up your 3D avatar
- Message your Xbox friends
- Edit your Xbox profile
If you’ve already got the app installed on you 7-incher, just go ahead and hit up the Play Store and go to “My Apps” to see the update, and if you’ve not gotten in on the Smartglass action then go ahead and install the app.