According to The Verge, Microsoft is now testing Internet Explorer 9 on the XBox, complete with Kinect activated controls. The XBox already has Bing voice search but these are limited to media searches. They are now planning to bring that same functionality to the internet, allowing you to search Internet Explorer by saying aloud search queries.

The Kinect functionality will also allow you to manipulate the screen using hand gestures, but it is not the only way to use Explorer. The standard XBox controller will also do the trick.

This information is just a rumor right now, but The Verge seems confident Microsoft will make an announcement in the next couple of weeks before E3.

Recently, Microsoft has been pushing Kinect R&D for the distant and not-so-distant futures. Check out some other ideas they are working on below. Which ones do you think will make? How long do you think it will be before be see consumer versions? Let us know in the comments below.

Kinect Projects Life Size Holograms Via Videoconferencing Pod

Microsoft Patents a Human-Computer Interface – The wearable controller would capture individual muscle movements

Microsoft Reveals Kinect 3D Desktop (Video)