  The total B->Xs gamma decay rate and the CKM-matrix element Vub play an
important role in finding indirect evidence for new physics affecting the
flavor sector of the Standard Model, complementary to direct searches at the
LHC and Tevatron. Their determination from inclusive B-meson decays requires
the precise knowledge of the parton distribution function of the b quark in the
B meson, called the shape function. We implement a new model-independent
framework for the shape function with reliable uncertainties based on an
expansion in a suitable set of basis functions. We present the current status
of a global fit to BaBar and Belle data to extract the shape function and the
B->Xs gamma decay rate.
