Xbox Live isn't perrrrfect—we wish the streaming half weren't still paywalled—but for a lot of us, it's how we game and stream and basically use our TVs in any way at all. So it's necessary. And a year of it's $35 today (usually $60). So that's a pretty good deal! [Buy via Twitter]

The Verge reports that Microsoft will release a set-top box next year alongside its next generation Xbox. The "Xbox TV" will deliver the popular Xbox Live streaming entertainment services currently available on the Xbox as well as some basic gaming. In other words, it'll bring you Netflix and Angry Birds but not Call of…

ESPN on the Xbox just got a helluva lot better. Instead of being an awkward, half-featured sports channel, Xbox Live is now getting the real deal: a WatchESPN app. That means you can watch ALL of ESPN's channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPNU and more.

Once upon a time, online console gaming was a novel thing. And a singular, cohesive, online community built around a console was downright mindblowing. Enter Xbox Live, which turns 10 this week.

Major Nelson just announced that Microsoft is accepting beta testers for the next version of Xbox Live which includes new features like Internet Explorer for Xbox, better search and discovery, an updated dashboard and more. If you're interested and of course you are (new features yay!) you can sign up right here. [

Today, Microsoft will—reportedly, hopefully—finally unleash its tablet on the world. But other than that it might possibly exist, not much is known about Redmond's iPad and/or Kindle Fire fighter. Since we don't know what it is, let's talk about what it should be.