Microsoft sent out a note to Xbox Live Gold subscribers today detailing some of the new features that will be launched during the holidays in a new update. There's some good things coming to Xbox Live that fans have been asking for for a very long time. What are they? The first is "roaming profiles," which lets you use you XBL account login on someone else's machine. So when you are at a friend’s house you can log into your user id, and save or load your game via the cloud. You can also easily log in to your profile to access your game progress and achievements.

The new Beacons features lets you find friends to play the games that you want to play. You create a beacon to tell them what you want to play, and also see what your friends are eager to play. The update will also add deeper Facebook integration so that you can publish more information like achievements and in-game experiences to your Facebook wall.

Menu control within Xbox Live will also finally get an upgrade that lets you control more of it with Kinect. Using Kinect you'll be able to control apps, movies, and more with your voice or a wave of your hand. You'll also be able to say what you want to watch, and Xbox will find it.

The update is expected to launch sometime before the full swing of the holiday season.