The official release for the new Xbox 360 and Xbox LIVE features will be Tuesday, December 6tt, Microsoft confirmed today.

Microsoft kicked off an XBox LIVE public preview program last month.

In this update, free to all console owners, you will see:
- New personal and social features including Cloud Storage for Game Saves and LIVE Profile
- Beacons and Facebook Sharing
- Enhanced Family Settings
- Integrated voice and gesture controls across the dashboard and in apps
- Bing voice search (Available this year in the US, UK and CA)

In addition to all these dashboard features, starting on December 6th and continuing on an ongoing basis through the holiday months, new content will be coming to Xbox 360. New, customized applications for television, movies, internet videos, sports and music will begin rolling out from providers in more than 20 countries, Microsoft added.

Xbox Live users targeted in online phishing scam

In related news, Xbox Live users are being urged to check their accounts after some say they were scammed by a fake email.

The phishing attack sent users to a fake website where they were asked to input personal details like addresses, emails and credit card details.

Microsoft is investigating but doesn't know how many users are affected.

Microsoft says there is advice on its website about staying safe online but advises that people should never give out passwords or email addresses.

They say users should never type personal information into websites unless they are sure that they are genuine.