Microsoft today whipped up a system update for Xbox 360 owners, adding support for connecting to WPA2-encrypted wireless networks. Nothing terribly exciting, but useful nonetheless.

A mandatory update, it does not include Last.FM, Twitter, or Facebook integration. Currently under beta testing, those features will be coming next month, as planned.

Xbox 360 System Update Adds WPA2 Support - [eXophase.com]

The latest Xbox 360 dashboard update adds support for Microsoft’s Game on Demand service, but that isn’t all it does. According to Free60 project leads Felix Domke and Michael Steil, this update stealthily patches up a security hole that allows execution of unsigned code.

Apparently, “a complete end user compatible hack has been in development for some time” and will be distributed across public channels shortly according to the two devs. That translates to homebrew access for 360 owners who haven’t upgraded to the latest firmware.

Should be interesting to see how things develop. For those unaware, the last known Xbox 360 exploit was limited to an older kernel build that majority of folks already had upgraded past. Not for the technically squeamish, it also required users to connect to their 360 via serial port and have a copy of King Kong. This time around, it sounds like more people will benefit.

New Xbox 360 Dashboard Update Patches Security Hole, Free60 Devs Advise Against Installing - [eXophase.com]

The latest Xbox 360 major dashboard overhaul has gone live and users will be prompted some time over the next few hours to update their system. Sadly and with no surprise, some of the major updates announced at the past E3 Convention are absent in the final roll out; namely Twitter, Facebook, Last.fm, and the new Zune Video Marketplace. Those heavy hitters have been promised to arrive next Fall.

If you haven't been following the preview program that Microsoft used to beta the latest update, their is a litany of small tweaks and changes to bring a better experience to users. For the full list of all new features, follow the break: