My Xbox LIVE for iOS and Xbox Companion for Windows Phone, Apps to interact with your Xbox

Microsoft began rolling out the latest dashboard update for Xbox 360 consoles everywhere yesterday, bringing a new look and a number of new features to the platform.

As well as the metro-style UI, Kinect support for controlling the dash and voice search powered by Bing, the update coincides with simultaneous launches of companion apps for both iOS and Windows Phone.

My Xbox LIVE centers around control of your Xbox profile with support for Xbox Live messaging. The app also gives you access to your community of friends and the achievement browser. What really impressed us, though, is the way the Metro UI-styled application fits into iOS without looking like it is artificially stitched onto Apple platform. This is probably partly due to the immersive full screen interface, but is definitely something you would notice.

The Xbox Companion for WP7 is much richer in functionality and that's understandable as Microsoft wants to keep some of the flare for its own platform. Basically, the app turns your Windows Phone handset almost into another Xbox remote control allowing you to navigate in the dashboard and inside applications, launch games, control media playback, and search with Bing. The app works via Wi-Fi and cellular data, and if you have a solid connection the experience promises to be really smooth.