LOS ANGELES--The technology industry has its head in the clouds lately, and Microsoft is no different. Today, the Xbox 360 maker announced that it will be introducing cloud storage for its console later this year. Xbox Live goes to the cloud.

　　In a post on his blog, Xbox Live director of programming Larry Hryb explained that the cloud storage service will allow gamers to store their game saves and Xbox Live profiles remotely so they can access them easily from any Xbox 360 console. Users will be able to access their profiles, achievements, friend lists, and even Microsoft points through the cloud storage service.

　　Additionally, Microsoft is introducing Beacons to Xbox Live. When players set a beacon, their Xbox Live and Facebook friends are notified that those players are looking to get a game started, regardless of whatever else they might be doing on the system at the time. Like cloud-based storage, beacons are set to be introduced to Xbox Live later this year.

　　Additionally, this morning at Microsoft's media briefing, the tech giant announced that a new Xbox Live will launch this fall. The online overhaul will include compatibility for services like YouTube, Bing voice search, and a TV service.