????微軟（Microsoft）周一宣布對Xbox 360電視功能進行包括語音控制在內的重大升級。一些人不禁開始思量，微軟是否在沉寂多時后終于首次超越了蘋果（Apple）和谷歌（Google）。事實上，現在我們還不得而知。

????這次新升級旨在從多方面對Xbox進行改進。用戶可通過語音命令在儀表板上導航。他們可以通過說出“視頻”這樣的命令，導航至微軟的Zune商店或者網絡視頻租賃公司Netflix。語音命令還能被用來通過微軟的必應（Bing）搜索引擎進行搜索。比如，如果用語音在必應上搜索麥克爾?杰克遜，那么將搜到來自YouTube的音樂視頻。

????更大的驚喜來自實況電視（live TV）。正如史蒂夫?鮑爾默在9月份承諾的那樣，該服務將正式登陸Xbox Live。這一點似乎正在成為現實，盡管其內容頗為有限。本月，威瑞森（Verizon）旗下的FiOS有線服務將在Xbox上發布26個頻道（目前并未提供本地有線頻道）。另一家有線合作商康卡斯特（Comcast）將于明年初進駐Xbox。Xbox的其它一些媒體合作伙伴，例如時代華納（TimeWarner）旗下的HBO、美國職棒大聯盟（Major League Baseball）和電影網站CinemaNow等，也都計劃在明年加盟。

????微軟表示，到今年底，多家視頻提供商將發布一系列應用程序。這些視頻供應商包括Vudu、YouTube、Vevo、Crackle、TMZ、MSNBC、UFC和SyFy等。雖然Xbox live目前已能支持來自Hulu Plus、Netflix和ESPN的流媒體，但這些應用程序屆時仍將進一步升級。這一動向至少意味著互聯網視頻提供商將借助該服務成功登陸成百上千萬家庭的客廳電視，這無疑是整個網絡視頻行業的巨大進步。微軟Xbox 360的裝機量高達5,800萬，不過僅有1,100萬用戶購買了使用實況電視服務所必需的Kinect傳感器。Kinect售價為149美元。Live TV服務僅對Xbox Live金牌會員開放，目前會費為每年60美元，另外用戶還需向有線電視商付費。

????周一另一條引人注目的消息是Kinect傳感器用戶將能享受語音控制功能。和蘋果的Siri一樣，Xbox語音控制聽起來非常酷，不過根據一些體驗者發布的報告來看，它和Siri一樣，還處于開發初期，遠稱不上完美無缺（但這并不是說Xbox的語音功能無法運行）。這意味著即使語音功能會大大超出人們的預期——而且必應的視頻搜索功能顯然比有線電視運營商提供的原生程序要好的多——但查找視頻還是很費功夫，而且仍免不了在遙控器上敲敲打打。

????這是一場革命嗎？恐怕未必。這聽來更像是向正確的方向邁進了一大步，而非微軟所自詡的重大變革。微軟有個老毛病，莫名其妙地就會丟掉領先的優勢。現在該公司面臨的挑戰是吸引更多的有線電視運營商采用其技術，而這正是這次升級所欠缺的。不過至少，微軟在給自己與蘋果和谷歌對美國人客廳控制權的爭奪戰中“儲備彈藥”。

????譯者：項航

????Microsoft's announcement Monday of a major upgrade to its Xbox 360 television interface, which includes voice commands, has some people wondering whether the company has, for the first time in a long time, gotten a jump on Apple and Google. The truth is, it's simply too soon to tell.

????The new update aims to improve the Xbox in several ways. It allows navigation on the dashboard via voice command. Users can speek commands like "videos" to navigate to Microsoft's (MSFT) Zune store or Netflix (NFLX). Voice commands can also be use to search the web with Microsoft's Bing search engine. Asking it for Michael Jackson will bring up music videos from YouTube, for instance.

????Bigger still, as Steve Ballmer promised in September, live TV will be available through Xbox Live. It looks as if that is happening, although in a limited way. Verizon's FiOS (VZ) cable service will make 26 channels (no local broadcast channels) available through the Xbox this month. Another cable partner, Comcast (CMCSA), won't come on board until early next year. Also due next year are such media partners as TimeWarner's (TWX) HBO, Major League Baseball, and CinemaNow.

????By the end of this year, Microsoft said, apps from a bevy of video providers will be available, including Vudu, YouTube, Vevo, Crackle, TMZ, MSNBC, UFC and SyFy. Xbox live had already been streaming video from Hulu Plus, Netflix and ESPN, but those apps are being upgraded. If nothing else, the service represents a major advance for Internet video providers, who will suddenly have access to millions of living-room screens. Microsoft has an installed base of about 58 million Xbox 360s, though only about 11 million of them are equipped with Kinect sensors, which are needed to access the service. Those cost $149 each. The service is available with a gold Xbox Live membership, now at $60 a year, plus fees to cable providers.

????The attention-grabber on Monday was the voice-activated control that will be available to those who have Kinect sensors. Like Apple's Siri, it sounds pretty cool, but judging by reports from people who have tried it out, it, like Siri, is in early stages of development and isn't flawless (which is not to take away from the amazing fact that it works at all). That means that while the interface might be a lot better -- and the Bing-driven video search certainly sounds much better than the interfaces offered by cable operators -- finding programs could still involve a fair amount of digging around and clumsy typing from the remote.

????A revolution? Not exactly. This all sounds more like a big step in the right direction than the sea-change Microsoft is saying. The company has a history of letting its leads get away from it. The challenge now will be attracting more cable operators -- the biggest thing missing from the update -- to its technology. At the very least Microsoft is stoking further competition with Apple (AAPL) and Google (GOOG) over domination of America's living rooms.