Microsoft Wows E3 Conference With Myriad XBox 360 Plans

If you've ever felt the urge to update your Twitter or stream radio while playing your favorite video game, now you're in luck. On Monday, Microsoft announced at the E3 conference that XBox 360 will now offer gamers the ability to stream music from Last.fm, check and update their Twitter and Facebook accounts and stream more movies and television shows faster from Netflix. Finally, we can stalk our friends on Facebook while waiting for Madden to load.

But possibly the most exciting (and vaguely Orwellian) news coming from the conference was Microsoft's prototype for "Project Natal," a camera being developed for the system that tracks body movements, recognizes voice and facial expressions and scans real-life objects. In other words, no controllers will be needed. Instead Microsoft promises, "You are the controller."

But video games aren't the only media that the Natal intends to make hands-free. The Natal will allow you to video chat, pick and watch movies and turn on and turn off the console without picking up a thumb.

Check out the Project Announcement Trailer: