9 ms·

Microsoft unveils Windows Phone 8.1 with personal assistant Cortana

204 points by msoliman 12y ago

untog 12y ago
Kudos to MS for making their personal assistant extendable by third party apps. Neither Apple nor Google have managed to do that yet.
- sz4kerto 12y ago
  It's basically a pluggable Google Now with APIs. I think it's great.
  - jarjoura 12y ago
    This thing appears to be more like Siri since it's so context aware and makes jokes.
    - y2bd 12y ago
      I hope that as developers we're able to take advantage of this conversational style. At the moment, WP apps can hook into the rather limited "Tell Me" system that lets the user open various endpoints of an app via voice commands, and only using pre-defined parameters. It would be awesome if the user could pass in any arbitrary data via voice commands (devs could make custom scheduler/todo list/note-taking apps that can receive data from Cortana), and even more so if voice commands could launch background tasks instead of just the entire third-party application (you could check into Foursquare without actually opening the Foursquare app and disrupting whatever you're doing).
      - WrkInProgress 12y ago
        They just did a demo of exactly what you requested for sending a new tweet. Conversational style instead of pre-defined phrases and it just sent a tweet instead of opening the twitter app.
        y2bd 12y ago
        I think that Twitter might be entwined enough into the OS such that it'd get permissions that other third-party devs wouldn't. I would totally love to be wrong though.
        WrkInProgress 12y ago
        I actually started watching the live stream after they demoed Cortana but going back now and seeing Belfiore demo Cortana: - He added a show to his queue in Hulu but it stayed in the app - He said "what's up with Terry Meyerson" and it went straight to Terry's facebook profile. And I realize that FB has some deep integration within the OS (just like Twitter)
      - ar7hur 12y ago
        Did you try Wit.AI? [1] It's cross platform and totally open: you can create any voice command you want by just providing a few examples of what you expect. Then the API turns speech (or free text) into JSON. [1] https://wit.ai https://wit.ai
  - amaks 12y ago
    Google Now is already pluggable through the in-app searches. Custom cards are not available though, hopefully they are coming soon.
    - toomuchtodo 12y ago
      I'm hoping this is announced at Google IO.
- nivla 12y ago
  Since you have access to Cortana's notebook, you can set boundaries as to what she tracks about you. This and what I heard about them making Cortana work offline, I just hope Apple and Google would follow suit. Honestly, I am just tired of storing every bit of information about me in the "cloud".
  - garretraziel 12y ago
    Cortana will work offline? I didn't think something like this was possible, because I was sceptical whether standard smartphone was capable of all that natural language processing...
    - knodi123 12y ago
      google now's voice recognition has worked offline for a while now
      - untog 12y ago
        Voice recognition, yes. Language processing, no.
        amaks 12y ago
        I seriously doubt that Microsoft has such advanced language processing capabilities that can work offline on a smartphone. For example, as of a year ago, Xbox speed recognition was still based on an ancient technology derived from Tellme networks, you can see it by yourself during Xbox One voice recognition demos. And now you're saying that phone has more processing power to do that better than a full blown gaming console?
    - nivla 12y ago
      If I remember correctly they did mention the Offline part when they first revealed about Cortana. I think their plan is to do offline language processing with possible online cross checks where cellular internet service is either terrible or nonexistent. So in parts of Asia where cellular internet is slow, it wouldn't appear laggy.
- rblatz 12y ago
  I've been waiting for this, being able to ask siri(Cortana) to set my nest or lock unlock the Lockitron would be awesome. Even better would be an IFTTT app that could run certain scripts based on certain phrases. Like "Good Night Cortana" would adjust my thermostat, lock the doors, and turn off any lights that are still on and make sure my alarm is set. This is a feature that would make me interested in switching to a WinPhone
- pantalaimon 12y ago
  Being extensible by third party vendors (and keeping compatibility) has always been a key to Microsoft's success.
jareds 12y ago
Is there any information available about the accessibility support in 8.1 yet? I saw that Narrator will be included but no information on weather that will provide full access like iOS and Android offer. If it does I will be picking up a 520 to play with.
facorreia 12y ago
Named after the fictional Halo character: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortana http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortana
- JTon 12y ago
  I think it's a fascinating move on Microsoft's part to integrate a video game character into a users day-to-day reality. I can imagine some nostalgia fueled sales happening as a result. But moreover, I can't help but be reminded of the movie Her. Where the lines between our physical reality and our digital reality start to blur
  - calinet6 12y ago
    Apple began making Siri a character, but this takes it to another level. It's a brilliant UX play on Microsoft's part. Very cool.
  - sroerick 12y ago
    Interesting, as well, that Microsoft wrote a love story between Cortana and Master Chief.
    - toomuchtodo 12y ago
      They were just ahead of their time: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_(film) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_(film)
      - bananas 12y ago
        Huh no. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Dreams_(film) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Dreams_(film)
    - cobrausn 12y ago
      Heh. If you ever really stop to think about it, Halo is a love story between a cyborg and an AI, with the backdrop being a war for survival of the species. It probably didn't start out that way, but it surely turned into that.
codeulike 12y ago
I'd like to be able to talk to my Windows 8.1 PC the same way I can talk to my Android/iOS/Windows Phone. Would be very handy I think.
- midnitewarrior 12y ago
  Give it a few months, and I think you will see this.
- unphasable 12y ago
  In due time.
- higherpurpose 12y ago
  You can use Google Now in Chrome now.
  - k-mcgrady 12y ago
    I don't think you can talk to it though, you can just click an alert button and see your cards. Separately there is the hot word plugin (I think that's what it's called) that lets you say 'ok Google' when on the US Google homepage.
- gecko 12y ago
  They demoed this at //build/ last year...and then it never actually happened. I have no idea why. I assume it's coming, but have no idea when, at this point.
markbnj 12y ago
Getting Harry Potter for the unveiling was quite a coup.
cessor 12y ago
This might me really nerdy but the name reminds me of the Farscape Episode "DNA Mad Scientist" (1x9 or so). A lab rat with increased intelligence enslaves the original scientific staff, and keeps the original chief scientist as an assistant, called... wait for it... "Cornata".
- zodiac 12y ago
  My first thought was that it was based on the AI character in the Halo series. http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Cortana http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Cortana
  - marshray 12y ago
    In Halo 3, wasn't it revealed that Cortana was built from DNA from chief scientist whats-her-name?
m_mueller 12y ago
- How well can it handle natural language, compared to Siri? - Can it handle an interaction such as: -- "Michael, you've got a new message from Paul" -- "Read it for me" -- 'Ok, Paul wrote: "Where should we meet today?"' -- "Answer with "in the Starbucks, at noon as we discussed". -- 'Ok, here is what I understood: "In the Starbucks, at noon as we discussed". Shall I send it? -- "yes" -- "Ok, your reply has been sent.
- nivla 12y ago
  Watch the presentation: http://channel9.msdn.com/?wt.mc_id=build_hp http://channel9.msdn.com/?wt.mc_id=build_hp It starts around 1:12:00
  - gecko 12y ago
    (And for people who don't want to watch: it appears, based on the demo, that it handles conversation flow dramatically better than Siri does, but I'll need to actually play with the real thing to know whether that's just presentation veneer.)
    - at-fates-hands 12y ago
      Wow, they're rolling this out globally next week. I just recently switched back to Android (Motorola Razr Maxx) and will be switching back this weekend when I upgrade to the Nokia Icon. This latest update is coming out a lot sooner than I thought. Unreal.
    - m_mueller 12y ago
      Sounds very promising. If MS has cracked this problem, this could be a serious value proposition for Windows Phone, especially for the enterprise market they are finally going after. The new CEO, while certainly not responsible for starting these developments, seems to be focusing the company at pushing out the right kind of innovation.
- bananas 12y ago
  Actually my windows phone 8 device (currently a circa 2013 820) isn't far off that already. Not joking. It goes: 1. Hold down start for 2-3 seconds 2. Say "Send text to Joe Bloggs" 3. Wait a couple of seconds for it to work it out. 4. Say your message. It gets this right nearly 100% of the time. 5. Asks you if that's ok or do you want to add some more 6. Say yes and it sends it. It has an option to read and dictate texts to you as well but I've never used it as I think that would annoy me. Might go and play with it now. You can do a fair bit with it. It can find a pizza place locally and call it without any trouble (my main use case :-)
ansimionescu 12y ago
http://i.imgur.com/Vm0ECLy.png http://i.imgur.com/Vm0ECLy.png wat
- FlacidPhil 12y ago
  Do you not see the big 'A' at the start? 'At its Build 2014 conference' makes sense.
  - millstone 12y ago
    Nevertheless it's hard not to notice that the first word appears to be "tits". Is there a typesetting term for that, like keming?
    - mjgoeke 12y ago
      "kerning"... but (meta) if you read it in an improperly kerned font it probably looking like "keming"
      - michaelcullina 12y ago
        nice!
      - ryanburk 12y ago
        epic.
lifeisstillgood 12y ago
I am slowly becoming convinced that the next killer app is the personal assistant app. My life is sharded between contact books and voip apps and IM and email that hardly if ever talk to each other or make my life easier. Its a huge market, but space for a lot of niches.
- afhsfsfdsss88 12y ago
  How cool would a partially-intelligent virtual secretary be? We could all focus more on the work and let VS handle the scheduling and minutiae according to our priorities.
- amaks 12y ago
  Google Now is already doing some of those, and keeps expanding. It's also available on iOS.
- Consultant32452 12y ago
  You get a lot more integration than you probably think with Google Now. It reads my e-mail to keep track of my upcoming flights and packages being delivered. It checks out my calendar and will conveniently provide directions to events on my schedule. There's not a great level of integration for the google chat and voice features yet, but it's coming I'm sure.
  - gradys 12y ago
    But notice that that's only integration between Google services. A 3rd-party API is a whole different game.
    - Consultant32452 12y ago
      Yeah, I guess if you want 3rd party integration via an API you're probably looking for Apple's Passbook. It'll be interesting to see what MSFT does here and how long it'll take for all three to merge into a similar set of features.
- acron0 12y ago
mastersk3 12y ago
Windows Phone 8.1 is the most massive update ever on any platforms to date
bambam12897 12y ago
"Microsoft realizes mobile moves faster than the traditional desktop world it is used to, and asking the industry to wait for Windows 9 and Windows Phone 9 is simply not an option." Other than being a bigger number, what radically different changes is the author expecting for Windows Phone 9? It seems like all the fundamentals are there. The changes to the OS at this point are rather incremental
- cnaut 12y ago
  I'm guessing threshold which would be huge if the rumors are true. It would combine a lot of the OS cores for desktop, phone, and xbox to allow developers to write once and run across Microsoft devices. http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/windows-9-features-news-changes/#!CwOdu http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/windows-9-features-ne...
JonFish85 12y ago
What baffles me is why the hell Microsoft didn't follow Apple's route of controlling their own distribution? Now Windows Mobile users have to figure out when their network is going to distribute the update[1]? That is hideous from a user standpoint. Microsoft has the money to convince the carriers, and probably a lot of weight as well. Why wouldn't they avoid that nightmare? Granted I don't have a windows phone so it doesn't affect me, but my brief foray into the Android world frustrated the hell out of me in this regard. With Android it was an extra step: Android released, phone manufacturer needed to build their own version of it, then my carrier needed to decide when I could access it. When Apple announces an update, I can download it whenever I want it. [1] http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/04/microsoft-announces-windows-phone-8-1-with-cortana-coming-in-april/ http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/04/micros...
- Igglyboo 12y ago
  Well there are only 8 different phones that run iOS, and they are all made by the same company. While there are hundreds of phones that run android made by tens of different companies, it's not that easy to do the same with android.
  - sigkill 12y ago
    So this is one thing that puzzles me. Why can't phones have modular drivers like a PC? Phones of today are way more powerful than PC of the past, but it seems that manufacturers still want to keep an appliance like structure for the phone. In my ideal world, I'd download (say) Android 4.4 and install it on my phone. After that, I'd hunt around, download and install the drivers for my phone like mic, camera, gyro, etc. Why is this not possible already?
    - stusmall 12y ago
      It is possible but there is no financial incentive to do so. There is no user expectation to install your own OS on a phone like there is a PC. Its just cheaper and easier to develop and test a product if you can assume the hardware/software are in lockstep and you completely control both. Also you have to keep in mind, the driver situation in the embedded world can get dark fast. Manufacturers wanting to keep datasheets secret, drivers that are just pass-throughs so user space daemons can write to hardware so they don't have to comply with the GPL. It gets weird fast, and why bother with that mess if it won't win any more customers than just a few hardcore hackers and power users.
jayeshsalvi 12y ago
The story writer has entirely lost the connection with Halo.
al2o3cr 12y ago
Just what I need, a personal assistant named after a Rampant AI. What's next, "New Samsung Galaxy XYZZY Now With GLaDOS Personal Assistant! (neurotoxin emitters sold separately)"? :)
- guardian5x 12y ago
  That would be pretty cool in my opinion, always wanted to have GlaDos as my personal assistent.
  - pantalaimon 12y ago
    But it'd make you do tests all days
dangrossman 12y ago
Days like this make me sad that I can't have the best of Windows Phone, iOS and Android at the same time. A "Cortana for Android" would be great. Some day perhaps phones will be standardized enough that, like the web, we can develop once and run anywhere without major sacrifices.
- thrownaway2424 12y ago
  Can I have the launcher from Palm WebOS too?
yati 12y ago
I am not a WP user, but this makes me want to give it a shot. Microsoft Research has some of the best researchers and some really impressive projects. I'd really love to see more of that research being put to use like Google does. I guess it is starting to happen now.
quackerhacker 12y ago
Tribute to Halo!
jbuzbee 12y ago
Uh, does that cartoon rendition of "Cortana" remind anyone else of the Corpse Bride? http://whatculture.com/film/tim-burton-ranking-his-movies-from-worst-to-best.php/8 http://whatculture.com/film/tim-burton-ranking-his-movies-fr... Creepy...
hhsnopek 12y ago
Microsoft has decided to gather all Halo fans with Cortana! Pretty neat
samelliot 12y ago
For me the biggest feature is being able to type questions in private, like Fantastical. I use Siri when I'm alone at home or in the car but I regularly find myself checking before using it. It's awkward saying "remind me to pick up extra maxi-pads for the wife on the way home" to siri when I'm at work within earshot of my co-workers. Even less private things than that can be weird.
jhprks 12y ago
This is amazing!!! I'm thrilled that Microsoft has started getting serious in more intelligent technology! I foresee in a not too distant future where Microsoft will bring groundbreaking artificial intelligence technologies to the people around the world! It's like I'm watching the movie "Her"!
amaks 12y ago
I'm glad Microsoft is finally catching up with the major smartphone OSs. Virtual assistant is indispensable feature (I'm using Google Now with my stock Android), it's very helpful and combined with great integration between gmail, calendar, driving history, purchases, etc. etc. it's realistically my dashboard to go a check stuff. Is Cortana doing the same? Because I think Siri is more like a useless to y to brag about, but not really helpful at anything.
amits89 12y ago
As people came to know how to use Windows powered PC without Start Button, Microsoft came back with tradition in Windows 8.1. It's great to see how Microsoft is going through transition phase and they don't want to miss a single thing that would lead them into trouble. As Microsoft is giving free Windows Phone OS to some of Indian smartphone manufacturer & Free Windows to any of the manufacturer who are making device with less than 9 inch screen. This strategy shows how much Microsoft is committed towards Smartphone & Tablet.
Aoyagi 12y ago
So much for the "big" update. I've had a WP8 device for over 10 months and I've actively used it for most of that period. There are many things I consider a downside of varying importance (some of which are a result of the extremely closed design) and the only thing they fix is a VPN client and that's to unknown extent. WP8 is a toy more than anything.

204 points by msoliman 12y ago

untog 12y ago

Kudos to MS for making their personal assistant extendable by third party apps. Neither Apple nor Google have managed to do that yet.

sz4kerto 12y ago
It's basically a pluggable Google Now with APIs. I think it's great.
- jarjoura 12y ago
  This thing appears to be more like Siri since it's so context aware and makes jokes.
  - y2bd 12y ago
    I hope that as developers we're able to take advantage of this conversational style. At the moment, WP apps can hook into the rather limited "Tell Me" system that lets the user open various endpoints of an app via voice commands, and only using pre-defined parameters. It would be awesome if the user could pass in any arbitrary data via voice commands (devs could make custom scheduler/todo list/note-taking apps that can receive data from Cortana), and even more so if voice commands could launch background tasks instead of just the entire third-party application (you could check into Foursquare without actually opening the Foursquare app and disrupting whatever you're doing).
    - WrkInProgress 12y ago
      They just did a demo of exactly what you requested for sending a new tweet. Conversational style instead of pre-defined phrases and it just sent a tweet instead of opening the twitter app.
      - y2bd 12y ago
        I think that Twitter might be entwined enough into the OS such that it'd get permissions that other third-party devs wouldn't. I would totally love to be wrong though.
        WrkInProgress 12y ago
        I actually started watching the live stream after they demoed Cortana but going back now and seeing Belfiore demo Cortana: - He added a show to his queue in Hulu but it stayed in the app - He said "what's up with Terry Meyerson" and it went straight to Terry's facebook profile. And I realize that FB has some deep integration within the OS (just like Twitter)
    - ar7hur 12y ago
      Did you try Wit.AI? [1] It's cross platform and totally open: you can create any voice command you want by just providing a few examples of what you expect. Then the API turns speech (or free text) into JSON. [1] https://wit.ai https://wit.ai
- amaks 12y ago
  Google Now is already pluggable through the in-app searches. Custom cards are not available though, hopefully they are coming soon.
  - toomuchtodo 12y ago
    I'm hoping this is announced at Google IO.
nivla 12y ago
Since you have access to Cortana's notebook, you can set boundaries as to what she tracks about you. This and what I heard about them making Cortana work offline, I just hope Apple and Google would follow suit. Honestly, I am just tired of storing every bit of information about me in the "cloud".
- garretraziel 12y ago
  Cortana will work offline? I didn't think something like this was possible, because I was sceptical whether standard smartphone was capable of all that natural language processing...
  - knodi123 12y ago
    google now's voice recognition has worked offline for a while now
    - untog 12y ago
      Voice recognition, yes. Language processing, no.
      - amaks 12y ago
        I seriously doubt that Microsoft has such advanced language processing capabilities that can work offline on a smartphone. For example, as of a year ago, Xbox speed recognition was still based on an ancient technology derived from Tellme networks, you can see it by yourself during Xbox One voice recognition demos. And now you're saying that phone has more processing power to do that better than a full blown gaming console?
  - nivla 12y ago
    If I remember correctly they did mention the Offline part when they first revealed about Cortana. I think their plan is to do offline language processing with possible online cross checks where cellular internet service is either terrible or nonexistent. So in parts of Asia where cellular internet is slow, it wouldn't appear laggy.
rblatz 12y ago
I've been waiting for this, being able to ask siri(Cortana) to set my nest or lock unlock the Lockitron would be awesome. Even better would be an IFTTT app that could run certain scripts based on certain phrases. Like "Good Night Cortana" would adjust my thermostat, lock the doors, and turn off any lights that are still on and make sure my alarm is set. This is a feature that would make me interested in switching to a WinPhone
pantalaimon 12y ago
Being extensible by third party vendors (and keeping compatibility) has always been a key to Microsoft's success.

jareds 12y ago

Is there any information available about the accessibility support in 8.1 yet? I saw that Narrator will be included but no information on weather that will provide full access like iOS and Android offer. If it does I will be picking up a 520 to play with.

facorreia 12y ago

Named after the fictional Halo character: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortana http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cortana

JTon 12y ago
I think it's a fascinating move on Microsoft's part to integrate a video game character into a users day-to-day reality. I can imagine some nostalgia fueled sales happening as a result. But moreover, I can't help but be reminded of the movie Her. Where the lines between our physical reality and our digital reality start to blur
- calinet6 12y ago
  Apple began making Siri a character, but this takes it to another level. It's a brilliant UX play on Microsoft's part. Very cool.
- sroerick 12y ago
  Interesting, as well, that Microsoft wrote a love story between Cortana and Master Chief.
  - toomuchtodo 12y ago
    They were just ahead of their time: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_(film) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Her_(film)
    - bananas 12y ago
      Huh no. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Dreams_(film) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Dreams_(film)
  - cobrausn 12y ago
    Heh. If you ever really stop to think about it, Halo is a love story between a cyborg and an AI, with the backdrop being a war for survival of the species. It probably didn't start out that way, but it surely turned into that.

codeulike 12y ago

I'd like to be able to talk to my Windows 8.1 PC the same way I can talk to my Android/iOS/Windows Phone. Would be very handy I think.

midnitewarrior 12y ago
Give it a few months, and I think you will see this.
unphasable 12y ago
In due time.
higherpurpose 12y ago
You can use Google Now in Chrome now.
- k-mcgrady 12y ago
  I don't think you can talk to it though, you can just click an alert button and see your cards. Separately there is the hot word plugin (I think that's what it's called) that lets you say 'ok Google' when on the US Google homepage.
gecko 12y ago
They demoed this at //build/ last year...and then it never actually happened. I have no idea why. I assume it's coming, but have no idea when, at this point.

markbnj 12y ago

Getting Harry Potter for the unveiling was quite a coup.

cessor 12y ago

This might me really nerdy but the name reminds me of the Farscape Episode "DNA Mad Scientist" (1x9 or so). A lab rat with increased intelligence enslaves the original scientific staff, and keeps the original chief scientist as an assistant, called... wait for it... "Cornata".

zodiac 12y ago
My first thought was that it was based on the AI character in the Halo series. http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Cortana http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/Cortana
- marshray 12y ago
  In Halo 3, wasn't it revealed that Cortana was built from DNA from chief scientist whats-her-name?

m_mueller 12y ago

- How well can it handle natural language, compared to Siri? - Can it handle an interaction such as: -- "Michael, you've got a new message from Paul" -- "Read it for me" -- 'Ok, Paul wrote: "Where should we meet today?"' -- "Answer with "in the Starbucks, at noon as we discussed". -- 'Ok, here is what I understood: "In the Starbucks, at noon as we discussed". Shall I send it? -- "yes" -- "Ok, your reply has been sent.

nivla 12y ago
Watch the presentation: http://channel9.msdn.com/?wt.mc_id=build_hp http://channel9.msdn.com/?wt.mc_id=build_hp It starts around 1:12:00
- gecko 12y ago
  (And for people who don't want to watch: it appears, based on the demo, that it handles conversation flow dramatically better than Siri does, but I'll need to actually play with the real thing to know whether that's just presentation veneer.)
  - at-fates-hands 12y ago
    Wow, they're rolling this out globally next week. I just recently switched back to Android (Motorola Razr Maxx) and will be switching back this weekend when I upgrade to the Nokia Icon. This latest update is coming out a lot sooner than I thought. Unreal.
  - m_mueller 12y ago
    Sounds very promising. If MS has cracked this problem, this could be a serious value proposition for Windows Phone, especially for the enterprise market they are finally going after. The new CEO, while certainly not responsible for starting these developments, seems to be focusing the company at pushing out the right kind of innovation.
bananas 12y ago
Actually my windows phone 8 device (currently a circa 2013 820) isn't far off that already. Not joking. It goes: 1. Hold down start for 2-3 seconds 2. Say "Send text to Joe Bloggs" 3. Wait a couple of seconds for it to work it out. 4. Say your message. It gets this right nearly 100% of the time. 5. Asks you if that's ok or do you want to add some more 6. Say yes and it sends it. It has an option to read and dictate texts to you as well but I've never used it as I think that would annoy me. Might go and play with it now. You can do a fair bit with it. It can find a pizza place locally and call it without any trouble (my main use case :-)

ansimionescu 12y ago

http://i.imgur.com/Vm0ECLy.png http://i.imgur.com/Vm0ECLy.png wat

FlacidPhil 12y ago
Do you not see the big 'A' at the start? 'At its Build 2014 conference' makes sense.
- millstone 12y ago
  Nevertheless it's hard not to notice that the first word appears to be "tits". Is there a typesetting term for that, like keming?
  - mjgoeke 12y ago
    "kerning"... but (meta) if you read it in an improperly kerned font it probably looking like "keming"
    - michaelcullina 12y ago
      nice!
    - ryanburk 12y ago
      epic.

lifeisstillgood 12y ago

I am slowly becoming convinced that the next killer app is the personal assistant app. My life is sharded between contact books and voip apps and IM and email that hardly if ever talk to each other or make my life easier. Its a huge market, but space for a lot of niches.

afhsfsfdsss88 12y ago
How cool would a partially-intelligent virtual secretary be? We could all focus more on the work and let VS handle the scheduling and minutiae according to our priorities.
amaks 12y ago
Google Now is already doing some of those, and keeps expanding. It's also available on iOS.
Consultant32452 12y ago
You get a lot more integration than you probably think with Google Now. It reads my e-mail to keep track of my upcoming flights and packages being delivered. It checks out my calendar and will conveniently provide directions to events on my schedule. There's not a great level of integration for the google chat and voice features yet, but it's coming I'm sure.
- gradys 12y ago
  But notice that that's only integration between Google services. A 3rd-party API is a whole different game.
  - Consultant32452 12y ago
    Yeah, I guess if you want 3rd party integration via an API you're probably looking for Apple's Passbook. It'll be interesting to see what MSFT does here and how long it'll take for all three to merge into a similar set of features.
acron0 12y ago

mastersk3 12y ago

Windows Phone 8.1 is the most massive update ever on any platforms to date

bambam12897 12y ago

"Microsoft realizes mobile moves faster than the traditional desktop world it is used to, and asking the industry to wait for Windows 9 and Windows Phone 9 is simply not an option." Other than being a bigger number, what radically different changes is the author expecting for Windows Phone 9? It seems like all the fundamentals are there. The changes to the OS at this point are rather incremental

cnaut 12y ago
I'm guessing threshold which would be huge if the rumors are true. It would combine a lot of the OS cores for desktop, phone, and xbox to allow developers to write once and run across Microsoft devices. http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/windows-9-features-news-changes/#!CwOdu http://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/windows-9-features-ne...

JonFish85 12y ago

What baffles me is why the hell Microsoft didn't follow Apple's route of controlling their own distribution? Now Windows Mobile users have to figure out when their network is going to distribute the update[1]? That is hideous from a user standpoint. Microsoft has the money to convince the carriers, and probably a lot of weight as well. Why wouldn't they avoid that nightmare? Granted I don't have a windows phone so it doesn't affect me, but my brief foray into the Android world frustrated the hell out of me in this regard. With Android it was an extra step: Android released, phone manufacturer needed to build their own version of it, then my carrier needed to decide when I could access it. When Apple announces an update, I can download it whenever I want it. [1] http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/04/microsoft-announces-windows-phone-8-1-with-cortana-coming-in-april/ http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/04/micros...

Igglyboo 12y ago
Well there are only 8 different phones that run iOS, and they are all made by the same company. While there are hundreds of phones that run android made by tens of different companies, it's not that easy to do the same with android.
- sigkill 12y ago
  So this is one thing that puzzles me. Why can't phones have modular drivers like a PC? Phones of today are way more powerful than PC of the past, but it seems that manufacturers still want to keep an appliance like structure for the phone. In my ideal world, I'd download (say) Android 4.4 and install it on my phone. After that, I'd hunt around, download and install the drivers for my phone like mic, camera, gyro, etc. Why is this not possible already?
  - stusmall 12y ago
    It is possible but there is no financial incentive to do so. There is no user expectation to install your own OS on a phone like there is a PC. Its just cheaper and easier to develop and test a product if you can assume the hardware/software are in lockstep and you completely control both. Also you have to keep in mind, the driver situation in the embedded world can get dark fast. Manufacturers wanting to keep datasheets secret, drivers that are just pass-throughs so user space daemons can write to hardware so they don't have to comply with the GPL. It gets weird fast, and why bother with that mess if it won't win any more customers than just a few hardcore hackers and power users.

jayeshsalvi 12y ago

The story writer has entirely lost the connection with Halo.

al2o3cr 12y ago

Just what I need, a personal assistant named after a Rampant AI. What's next, "New Samsung Galaxy XYZZY Now With GLaDOS Personal Assistant! (neurotoxin emitters sold separately)"? :)

guardian5x 12y ago
That would be pretty cool in my opinion, always wanted to have GlaDos as my personal assistent.
- pantalaimon 12y ago
  But it'd make you do tests all days

dangrossman 12y ago

Days like this make me sad that I can't have the best of Windows Phone, iOS and Android at the same time. A "Cortana for Android" would be great. Some day perhaps phones will be standardized enough that, like the web, we can develop once and run anywhere without major sacrifices.

thrownaway2424 12y ago
Can I have the launcher from Palm WebOS too?

yati 12y ago

I am not a WP user, but this makes me want to give it a shot. Microsoft Research has some of the best researchers and some really impressive projects. I'd really love to see more of that research being put to use like Google does. I guess it is starting to happen now.

quackerhacker 12y ago

Tribute to Halo!

jbuzbee 12y ago

Uh, does that cartoon rendition of "Cortana" remind anyone else of the Corpse Bride? http://whatculture.com/film/tim-burton-ranking-his-movies-from-worst-to-best.php/8 http://whatculture.com/film/tim-burton-ranking-his-movies-fr... Creepy...

hhsnopek 12y ago

Microsoft has decided to gather all Halo fans with Cortana! Pretty neat

samelliot 12y ago

For me the biggest feature is being able to type questions in private, like Fantastical. I use Siri when I'm alone at home or in the car but I regularly find myself checking before using it. It's awkward saying "remind me to pick up extra maxi-pads for the wife on the way home" to siri when I'm at work within earshot of my co-workers. Even less private things than that can be weird.

jhprks 12y ago

This is amazing!!! I'm thrilled that Microsoft has started getting serious in more intelligent technology! I foresee in a not too distant future where Microsoft will bring groundbreaking artificial intelligence technologies to the people around the world! It's like I'm watching the movie "Her"!

amaks 12y ago

I'm glad Microsoft is finally catching up with the major smartphone OSs. Virtual assistant is indispensable feature (I'm using Google Now with my stock Android), it's very helpful and combined with great integration between gmail, calendar, driving history, purchases, etc. etc. it's realistically my dashboard to go a check stuff. Is Cortana doing the same? Because I think Siri is more like a useless to y to brag about, but not really helpful at anything.

amits89 12y ago

As people came to know how to use Windows powered PC without Start Button, Microsoft came back with tradition in Windows 8.1. It's great to see how Microsoft is going through transition phase and they don't want to miss a single thing that would lead them into trouble. As Microsoft is giving free Windows Phone OS to some of Indian smartphone manufacturer & Free Windows to any of the manufacturer who are making device with less than 9 inch screen. This strategy shows how much Microsoft is committed towards Smartphone & Tablet.

Aoyagi 12y ago

So much for the "big" update. I've had a WP8 device for over 10 months and I've actively used it for most of that period. There are many things I consider a downside of varying importance (some of which are a result of the extremely closed design) and the only thing they fix is a VPN client and that's to unknown extent. WP8 is a toy more than anything.