We had discussed the newest update scheduled to hit the 360 soon, but now it has been dated for the week of May 7th. Of major note is the ability to text chat using the soft keyboard with Windows Live Messenger. There are also going to be some changes to how the achievement bubble pops up, you will now be able to see the points value and name of the achievement once you unlock it. The other nice feature will be the ability to set your system to turn off after downloading content, which means you can leave it on over night or during the day and download your TV shows, movies or game content.

Also announced was a new input device resembling a small keyboard, scheduled for this summer.

I for one will love this lil bad boy for some PSU chatting in lobbies, it will snap into the bottom port of a controller and give you a full QWERTY keyboard.. I do have one concern though, where will my headset go?

Hit the jump for all the details from the official press release

Beginning the week of May 7, users of Windows Live Messenger on Xbox 360 will text chat using the virtual keyboard accessible on Xbox 360, or by connecting a USB keyboard to the console. This summer Microsoft will launch a QWERTY text-input device, a new accessory that will connect directly into the Xbox 360 controller to support text and instant messaging.
Beyond Windows Live Messenger, the Spring Update for Xbox 360 includes hundreds of new features and enhancements including the following:
· A richer Achievement notification pop-up will showcase the name of the unlocked Achievement and the gamerscore value without needing to leave the game to check the Achievements list.
· Enhanced family settings features for Xbox LIVE communications enable different defaults for video chat and voice chat.
· A new Xbox LIVE Marketplace blade lets Xbox LIVE members access the content they seek — whether it is game content or TV shows and movies (available in the United States) — from one place on Xbox LIVE.
· Updates to Xbox LIVE Arcade allow owners to quickly see which Xbox LIVE Arcade games their friends are playing and join in the fun. Xbox LIVE members can also compare progress of leaderboard scores and Achievements directly with all friends on their friends list. Expanded Tell a Friend capabilities make it easier than ever to boast about Achievements and high scores.
· A new option in Auto Downloads provides faster access to the entire collection of free, trial-version Xbox LIVE Arcade games.
· New progressive download controls provide easy access to optimal viewing options by letting people fast-forward, rewind, pause and resume as their video is downloaded from Xbox LIVE Marketplace.
· Extension of the background download functionality will allow owners to set their Xbox 360 console to turn off automatically after downloads are complete.