8 ms·

Microsoft’s Cortana Headed to iPhone and Android Phones

150 points by abetaha 11y ago

jimmcslim 11y ago
There's a subtle irony in that while Cortana can probably be more deeply integrated with Android than iOS, the same can't be said for Google Now on Windows Phone...
- higherpurpose 11y ago
  Yup. Android is still far more open than Windows Phone/mobile from that point of view, which is why it's possible for Microsoft to do many of these things with Android. Last I checked you couldn't even have another browser other than IE on Windows Phone, and I assume that won't change with Windows 10 mobile. Also you can make Android apps work on Windows or another OS relatively easy but the reverse isn't true (not counting the very hacky WINE on Linux). All of that still shows that at least for now Google is still much more "open" than Microsoft is. The unfortunate thing is that these moves where Microsofts gets to integrate with "open" stuff from Google, and then gets all credit for doing that, is only going to force Google to become more closed to stop Microsoft from doing that. It's kind of a nash equilibrium. When you open up a lot of stuff and your competitor uses it freely and gets credit for doing that, but you can't do the same with your competitors' products - what's the outcome? It reminds me of when Gtalk was open right until Microsoft wanted to integrate it with Skype. Then Google shut down that API because it couldn't have done the same with Skype, and Microsoft would've been the one with the app that has "both Skype and Gtalk", and not Google.
  - Artemis2 11y ago
    Android is open, Google is not at all. Google is actually pulling source code off AOSP (the actual open-source Android) to put more of it into their custom, closed-source applications. As a result, a base install of Android without all Google's services is very poor and pretty outdated. [0] Most of the work Microsoft does on Android (and iOS) would easily be replicable by Google on Windows Phone: Office, Skype, OneDrive... are all apps that Google has competitors for on Android and iOS. Instead of playing the same game, Google chooses to be the evil one. [1] 0: http://www.infoworld.com/article/2610371/android/meet-aosp--the-other-android--while-you-still-can.html http://www.infoworld.com/article/2610371/android/meet-aosp--... 1: https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2013/08/15/the-limits-of-googles-openness/ https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2013/08/15/the-lim...
    - tdicola 11y ago
      That is an impressive spin. He's not talking about apps like Office, etc. he's talking about Windows Phone having less extensibility points than Android. Like being able to plug in 3rd party browsers, voice search/assistants, etc.
    - skybrian 11y ago
      Some trends are in the opposite direction. Chromium for Android is mostly open source now: https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/36py7f/chrome_for_android_is_now_almost_entirely/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/36py7f/chrome_for_...
    - yohui 11y ago
      > As a result, a base install of Android without all Google's services is very poor and pretty outdated. You can install AOSP or custom ROMs such as CyanogenMod and have a perfectly free, modern smartphone OS. You won't have access to all the Android apps in the Google Play Store, but that's self-evident. The F-Droid repo provides verified FOSS apps, or if non-Google proprietary sources are permitted there's the Amazon Appstore. > Most of the work Microsoft does on Android (and iOS) would easily be replicable by Google on Windows Phone: Office, Skype, OneDrive... are all apps that Google has competitors for on Android and iOS. The app in question, Cortana, will be able to integrate into Android at least as deeply as the Bing app does now, which means it can replace Google search in most ways. If Microsoft had an Android launcher, they could ensure Google is completely replaced (by supplanting Google Now). Combined with Microsoft's existing Android lock screen and other apps, all that's needed to complete the Microsoft Android experience is Windows Store for Android. On the other hand, the closest you can get to replacing Cortana on Windows Phone is to disable Cortana completely, which means queries will be handled by the search engine in your default browser instead. IE is the only browser option, but you can choose either Google or Bing (except on phones that disable the Google option). Google does achieve remarkable results on iOS despite its restrictions. But that simply demonstrates the monumental effort it would take to bring a sub-par version of the Google experience to a locked-down platform, whereas Microsoft can take over Android with relative ease. iOS has marketshare and legacy ties to justify the expense, but WP has neither.
    - 11y ago
  - xexers 11y ago
    > Last I checked you couldn't even have another browser other than IE on Windows Phone, and I assume that won't change with Windows 10 mobile. Opera is available for Windows phone now. https://www.windowsphone.com/en-ca/store/app/opera-mini-beta/b3bf000a-e004-4ecb-a8fb-9fc817cdab90 https://www.windowsphone.com/en-ca/store/app/opera-mini-beta...
    - yohui 11y ago
      Opera Mini, not the full Opera Mobile browser. Like on iOS, the loophole is that web pages are sent to Opera's servers for processing, therefore the app itself bypasses the restrictions on rendering engines. It's similar to mobile Chrome's "Data Saver" feature, or Turbo mode in the full Opera Mobile browser. Great for saving data, if you're on a limited connection. Would be nice if you could set it as the default browser on iOS or WP, too.
  - ntakasaki 11y ago
    >When you open up a lot of stuff and your competitor uses it freely and gets credit for doing that, but you can't do the same with your competitors' products - what's the outcome? You mean like how Chrome is bundled with Flash and Java updates on Windows, yet alternate browsers cannot even be made for Chromebooks? >is only going to force Google to become more closed to stop Microsoft from doing that. Being "Open" is about principles, no matter the outcome. If you close off something because people are using it, then it was never open in the first place. It's like saying I offer you $100 on the condition that you won't take it. What would be your reaction if MS restricted Secure Boot on Windows to stop Linux because people are dual booting or switching to it? Or what if they block Chrome on Windows to boost IE/Edge? Would you say they are being forced to do that because Chrome is getting marketshare, like you said Google was forced to close Hangouts and Android?
  - Aoyagi 11y ago
    >Android is still far more open than Windows Phone/mobile from that point of view From any point of view. WP is the tightest OS I can think of (or at least as tight as iOS) without the user benefiting from it in any other way besides general security. Heck, even the settings menu is depressingly limited.
    - kropotkinlives 11y ago
      Agree. After 15 years of using smart phones right back to Palm Treo things WP is the only platform that is depressingly boring and entirely uneventful. And you know what, that's why I use it. It just works. I've been left in the poop a couple of times by Android and iOS. Even old windows mobile shot me down once or twice.
- Redsquare 11y ago
  Nor IE on any os apart from windows
  - soperj 11y ago
    Kind of wonder now why they don't cross platform IE?
    - yellowapple 11y ago
      They did, once upon a time; IE was available for Mac OS (pre-X, IIRC) and Unix back in the 90's. Bringing back cross-platform IE is probably a lost cause nowadays, but a cross-platform Spartan is possible.
      - baghira 11y ago
        IE was available for OSX all the way through 10.6 IIRC.
        yellowapple 11y ago
        Was that native support, or was it based on OS 9 / Classic emulation? I know that the PowerPC versions of OS X (i.e. every OS X up to and including 10.5) supported running OS 9 software in a sort of emulation layer (though I don't remember if this was first-party or third-party; I do recall PowerPC Macs with OS X having a "Classic Mode" that booted into OS 9, however).
        abrowne 11y ago
        Carbon, so not Classic, but based on the updated Classic Mac OS layer. It was PPC only, last updated in 2003.
      - erickhill 11y ago
        IE 5.5 on OS 9 was, at the time, the best browser available for the platform. Literally every fruity iMac had it and used it by default that I ever encountered. Including my own.
BinaryIdiot 11y ago
One of the biggest advantages of Cortana was its ability to interface with third party application pretty much at launch (something Siri and Google Now still don't do much of). Going cross platform is awesome though I'm not sure if it'll be quite as useful. Realistically Microsoft could strike a deal and make an Android phone use Cortana by default (which might be really good) which would be quite interesting (especially if it could integrate with third party apps on Android, too). One thing that makes me hesitant when choosing a new app is what platform(s) it's available or will be available on. I bounce between Android and iOS almost once a year; this type of ubiquity Microsoft is pushing makes me use their products more and more because I know they'll be available everywhere I go.
- macspoofing 11y ago
  >Realistically Microsoft could strike a deal and make an Android phone use Cortana by default Zero chance for Google doing it but maybe one of manufacturers or Cyanogen?
  - deleted 11y ago
    [deleted]
  - nivla 11y ago
    Ha extremely true. There is absolutely no way Google is going to let Microsoft peddle on their turf. They have been not so subtle about wanting to avoid windows phones for their core products and even to some extend actively sabotaging (remember that whole fiasco with Google blocking maps for Windows phone users?). This makes me wonder if investing in Cyanogen was a wise strategy for Microsoft? This way they could get past the gates of Google and into the land of Android.
    - KJasper 11y ago
      Don't forget about the YouTube fiasco where Google forced Microsoft to withdraw their unofficial app even though they tried everything to comply with Google.
  - 11y ago
jedberg 11y ago
It's interesting that Microsoft seems to be using the same playbook they used with Windows -- make the software run everywhere and sell the software that goes with it. While Apple keeps using their playbook -- make software that goes with their hardware so that people buy the hardware. It will be interesting to see which one wins out this time. So far it's clearly Apple, but time will tell.
- josu 11y ago
  >It will be interesting to see which one wins out this time. So far it's clearly Apple, but time will tell. If you want to compare apples to apples (no pun intended) you should take a look at software sales. So far, neither seems to be doing that well on mobile platforms. I have never bought a Microsoft nor an Apple app on my mobile devices.
  - sib 11y ago
    Not sure that's really a relevant comparison given that Microsoft is (effectively) a software company and Apple (effectively) a hardware company. Apple's relative lack of software sales on mobile does not prevent their software and ecosystem from driving literally hundreds of billions of dollars of high-margin hardware sales.
- zobzu 11y ago
  Arguably Apple has been playing it's playbook without any competition from MS so far (since MS started by copying Apple's strategy on mobile - which was obviously now an unrealistic move) This on the other hand, looks like real competition - and competition is always exciting.
zobzu 11y ago
Go Microsoft. This is the right move. Embrace. They had forgotten how, they're learning it again. (and yes, extend, and possibly extinguish may still be next). As a part-time Windows 10 and MS Band and Android/iOS user, I for one will happily use this. And if I can integrate it for my own voice recognition needs in third party apps, all the better.
julianz 11y ago
How about they actually get around to releasing it on Windows Phone? I bought a Lumia 735 three weeks ago partly based on advertising on the MS NZ site that said Cortana was available. It's not, and now they've removed that page. The most annoying thing about that is the "quiet hours" feature is somehow dependent on Cortana, so the phone doesn't do that either. (Other than that, very nice phone and OS, just hobbled)
- hbharadwaj 11y ago
  You can just set your location as US. That would make it work. (Not ideal)
  - julianz 11y ago
    Thanks - I did try that but I haven't been able to come up with any combination of location and regional settings that works on this phone. Even setting it to US everything doesn't work.
    - seanmcdirmid 11y ago
      I have this problem also. Cortana either thinks I'm in America or that I speak Chinese, but I couldn't possibly be an American living in China :p
    - Aoyagi 11y ago
      Did you check for updates in store and settings after changing region and language to UK? I made it work once and I'm not even in an English speaking country.
    - pjc50 11y ago
      Have you got high precision location tracking on? For some reason this needs to be on all the time in order for you to have Cortana.
spoiledtechie 11y ago
I dont know how many of you are windows phone users but I think Microsoft missed a few very important features with Cortana. Most notably the qr scanner and Bing backgrounds that they had with the previous search feature. It diminished my experience soo much that I disabled Cortana entirely from my phone only to go back to the default search, which is just as good if not better than Cortana. I wasn't a power user with Cortana by any means, but they sure didn't bring the features up to Cortana that they already had with default search. I still love my phone, but the default search is much nicer feel than clunky Cortana.
- jkestner 11y ago
  Really, you used QR codes? Those two things I never thought about. I don't remember much about the previous experience, but I use Cortana quite a bit. Just having it be smart about suggesting directions, flight tracking, reminders, text messages, all from one point where I can either speak or type, makes it a thing I go to without thought. Voice recognition -> helpful answer is the best overall intelligent assistant I've used.
- BrianEatWorld 11y ago
  You can still get access to the QR feature/Bing Vision, you just have to look under Lenses. I was also bummed about this change, but used it infrequently enough that I don't mind it being located under Lenses. If you check the Store, you can even pick up an app called QR for Cortana that can be pinned as a shortcut to get quick access to the Lenses menu.
- Aoyagi 11y ago
  As a Windows Phone user with my secondary phone I hope there will be a way to remove it from the system some day.
jfuhrman 11y ago
Earlier discussion of the actual source here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9606188 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9606188 Looks like it was quickly knocked off the front page by the flamebait detector thanks to the offtopic toxic comments accusing MS employees of voting up the the post. http://hnrankings.info/9606188/ http://hnrankings.info/9606188/
- castell 11y ago
  During the Microsoft Build event a lot of Microsoft employees registered new HN account (shown as green) and up-voted MS related headlines in the following days. Not that I'm complaining but it looked more like a coordinated effort. HN certainly relies on some automatic voting ring detection.
frik 11y ago
"But the release of Cortana and the companion app—as well as other fully featured Microsoft apps like OneDrive, Office and Outlook.com—on iOS and Android is an acknowledgment that Windows phones will likely never be chosen by a significant chunk of even the most diehard Windows users" Microsoft Excel 1.0 was first on Mac, there was never a 1.0 for DOS or Windows. Windows is still the monopoly on PC with 90+% share due OEM and EFI. For the mobile devices both iOS and Android are big, then comes the smaller rest of Win, Blackberry, Bada, Jelly, Ubuntu, FirefoxOS, etc. WinCE had a head start 20 years ago, but especially the die hard Windows users turned away from WinMobile 6.5 (CE based) as it was dumped with all its app eco system in favor of WinPhone 7 (still CE but with only Silverlight/XAML apps) that was as useful as Android 1 or iOS 1.
DiaaAttia 11y ago
International businesses prefer to hire people who speak more than one language. China has become a huge market, and business leaders are looking for people who can speak Chinese and operate successfully in a Chinese cultural context. Apply now for Chinese learning on Skype through http://preply.com/en/chinese-by-skype http://preply.com/en/chinese-by-skype
DiaaAttia 11y ago
International businesses prefer to hire people who speak more than one language. China has become a huge market, and business leaders are looking for people who can speak Chinese and operate successfully in a Chinese cultural context. Apply now for Chinese learning on Skype through http://preply.com/en/chinese-by-skype http://preply.com/en/chinese-by-skype
empiricus 11y ago
Well, I'm still waiting for Cortana to be available on the Surface Pro tablets.

150 points by abetaha 11y ago

There's a subtle irony in that while Cortana can probably be more deeply integrated with Android than iOS, the same can't be said for Google Now on Windows Phone...

higherpurpose 11y ago
Yup. Android is still far more open than Windows Phone/mobile from that point of view, which is why it's possible for Microsoft to do many of these things with Android. Last I checked you couldn't even have another browser other than IE on Windows Phone, and I assume that won't change with Windows 10 mobile. Also you can make Android apps work on Windows or another OS relatively easy but the reverse isn't true (not counting the very hacky WINE on Linux). All of that still shows that at least for now Google is still much more "open" than Microsoft is. The unfortunate thing is that these moves where Microsofts gets to integrate with "open" stuff from Google, and then gets all credit for doing that, is only going to force Google to become more closed to stop Microsoft from doing that. It's kind of a nash equilibrium. When you open up a lot of stuff and your competitor uses it freely and gets credit for doing that, but you can't do the same with your competitors' products - what's the outcome? It reminds me of when Gtalk was open right until Microsoft wanted to integrate it with Skype. Then Google shut down that API because it couldn't have done the same with Skype, and Microsoft would've been the one with the app that has "both Skype and Gtalk", and not Google.
- Artemis2 11y ago
  Android is open, Google is not at all. Google is actually pulling source code off AOSP (the actual open-source Android) to put more of it into their custom, closed-source applications. As a result, a base install of Android without all Google's services is very poor and pretty outdated. [0] Most of the work Microsoft does on Android (and iOS) would easily be replicable by Google on Windows Phone: Office, Skype, OneDrive... are all apps that Google has competitors for on Android and iOS. Instead of playing the same game, Google chooses to be the evil one. [1] 0: http://www.infoworld.com/article/2610371/android/meet-aosp--the-other-android--while-you-still-can.html http://www.infoworld.com/article/2610371/android/meet-aosp--... 1: https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2013/08/15/the-limits-of-googles-openness/ https://blogs.microsoft.com/on-the-issues/2013/08/15/the-lim...
  - tdicola 11y ago
    That is an impressive spin. He's not talking about apps like Office, etc. he's talking about Windows Phone having less extensibility points than Android. Like being able to plug in 3rd party browsers, voice search/assistants, etc.
  - skybrian 11y ago
    Some trends are in the opposite direction. Chromium for Android is mostly open source now: https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/36py7f/chrome_for_android_is_now_almost_entirely/ https://www.reddit.com/r/Android/comments/36py7f/chrome_for_...
  - yohui 11y ago
    > As a result, a base install of Android without all Google's services is very poor and pretty outdated. You can install AOSP or custom ROMs such as CyanogenMod and have a perfectly free, modern smartphone OS. You won't have access to all the Android apps in the Google Play Store, but that's self-evident. The F-Droid repo provides verified FOSS apps, or if non-Google proprietary sources are permitted there's the Amazon Appstore. > Most of the work Microsoft does on Android (and iOS) would easily be replicable by Google on Windows Phone: Office, Skype, OneDrive... are all apps that Google has competitors for on Android and iOS. The app in question, Cortana, will be able to integrate into Android at least as deeply as the Bing app does now, which means it can replace Google search in most ways. If Microsoft had an Android launcher, they could ensure Google is completely replaced (by supplanting Google Now). Combined with Microsoft's existing Android lock screen and other apps, all that's needed to complete the Microsoft Android experience is Windows Store for Android. On the other hand, the closest you can get to replacing Cortana on Windows Phone is to disable Cortana completely, which means queries will be handled by the search engine in your default browser instead. IE is the only browser option, but you can choose either Google or Bing (except on phones that disable the Google option). Google does achieve remarkable results on iOS despite its restrictions. But that simply demonstrates the monumental effort it would take to bring a sub-par version of the Google experience to a locked-down platform, whereas Microsoft can take over Android with relative ease. iOS has marketshare and legacy ties to justify the expense, but WP has neither.
  - 11y ago
- xexers 11y ago
  > Last I checked you couldn't even have another browser other than IE on Windows Phone, and I assume that won't change with Windows 10 mobile. Opera is available for Windows phone now. https://www.windowsphone.com/en-ca/store/app/opera-mini-beta/b3bf000a-e004-4ecb-a8fb-9fc817cdab90 https://www.windowsphone.com/en-ca/store/app/opera-mini-beta...
  - yohui 11y ago
    Opera Mini, not the full Opera Mobile browser. Like on iOS, the loophole is that web pages are sent to Opera's servers for processing, therefore the app itself bypasses the restrictions on rendering engines. It's similar to mobile Chrome's "Data Saver" feature, or Turbo mode in the full Opera Mobile browser. Great for saving data, if you're on a limited connection. Would be nice if you could set it as the default browser on iOS or WP, too.
- ntakasaki 11y ago
  >When you open up a lot of stuff and your competitor uses it freely and gets credit for doing that, but you can't do the same with your competitors' products - what's the outcome? You mean like how Chrome is bundled with Flash and Java updates on Windows, yet alternate browsers cannot even be made for Chromebooks? >is only going to force Google to become more closed to stop Microsoft from doing that. Being "Open" is about principles, no matter the outcome. If you close off something because people are using it, then it was never open in the first place. It's like saying I offer you $100 on the condition that you won't take it. What would be your reaction if MS restricted Secure Boot on Windows to stop Linux because people are dual booting or switching to it? Or what if they block Chrome on Windows to boost IE/Edge? Would you say they are being forced to do that because Chrome is getting marketshare, like you said Google was forced to close Hangouts and Android?
- Aoyagi 11y ago
  >Android is still far more open than Windows Phone/mobile from that point of view From any point of view. WP is the tightest OS I can think of (or at least as tight as iOS) without the user benefiting from it in any other way besides general security. Heck, even the settings menu is depressingly limited.
  - kropotkinlives 11y ago
    Agree. After 15 years of using smart phones right back to Palm Treo things WP is the only platform that is depressingly boring and entirely uneventful. And you know what, that's why I use it. It just works. I've been left in the poop a couple of times by Android and iOS. Even old windows mobile shot me down once or twice.
Redsquare 11y ago
Nor IE on any os apart from windows
- soperj 11y ago
  Kind of wonder now why they don't cross platform IE?
  - yellowapple 11y ago
    They did, once upon a time; IE was available for Mac OS (pre-X, IIRC) and Unix back in the 90's. Bringing back cross-platform IE is probably a lost cause nowadays, but a cross-platform Spartan is possible.
    - baghira 11y ago
      IE was available for OSX all the way through 10.6 IIRC.
      - yellowapple 11y ago
        Was that native support, or was it based on OS 9 / Classic emulation? I know that the PowerPC versions of OS X (i.e. every OS X up to and including 10.5) supported running OS 9 software in a sort of emulation layer (though I don't remember if this was first-party or third-party; I do recall PowerPC Macs with OS X having a "Classic Mode" that booted into OS 9, however).
        abrowne 11y ago
        Carbon, so not Classic, but based on the updated Classic Mac OS layer. It was PPC only, last updated in 2003.
    - erickhill 11y ago
      IE 5.5 on OS 9 was, at the time, the best browser available for the platform. Literally every fruity iMac had it and used it by default that I ever encountered. Including my own.

BinaryIdiot 11y ago

One of the biggest advantages of Cortana was its ability to interface with third party application pretty much at launch (something Siri and Google Now still don't do much of). Going cross platform is awesome though I'm not sure if it'll be quite as useful. Realistically Microsoft could strike a deal and make an Android phone use Cortana by default (which might be really good) which would be quite interesting (especially if it could integrate with third party apps on Android, too). One thing that makes me hesitant when choosing a new app is what platform(s) it's available or will be available on. I bounce between Android and iOS almost once a year; this type of ubiquity Microsoft is pushing makes me use their products more and more because I know they'll be available everywhere I go.

macspoofing 11y ago
>Realistically Microsoft could strike a deal and make an Android phone use Cortana by default Zero chance for Google doing it but maybe one of manufacturers or Cyanogen?
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- nivla 11y ago
  Ha extremely true. There is absolutely no way Google is going to let Microsoft peddle on their turf. They have been not so subtle about wanting to avoid windows phones for their core products and even to some extend actively sabotaging (remember that whole fiasco with Google blocking maps for Windows phone users?). This makes me wonder if investing in Cyanogen was a wise strategy for Microsoft? This way they could get past the gates of Google and into the land of Android.
  - KJasper 11y ago
    Don't forget about the YouTube fiasco where Google forced Microsoft to withdraw their unofficial app even though they tried everything to comply with Google.
- 11y ago

jedberg 11y ago

It's interesting that Microsoft seems to be using the same playbook they used with Windows -- make the software run everywhere and sell the software that goes with it. While Apple keeps using their playbook -- make software that goes with their hardware so that people buy the hardware. It will be interesting to see which one wins out this time. So far it's clearly Apple, but time will tell.

josu 11y ago
>It will be interesting to see which one wins out this time. So far it's clearly Apple, but time will tell. If you want to compare apples to apples (no pun intended) you should take a look at software sales. So far, neither seems to be doing that well on mobile platforms. I have never bought a Microsoft nor an Apple app on my mobile devices.
- sib 11y ago
  Not sure that's really a relevant comparison given that Microsoft is (effectively) a software company and Apple (effectively) a hardware company. Apple's relative lack of software sales on mobile does not prevent their software and ecosystem from driving literally hundreds of billions of dollars of high-margin hardware sales.
zobzu 11y ago
Arguably Apple has been playing it's playbook without any competition from MS so far (since MS started by copying Apple's strategy on mobile - which was obviously now an unrealistic move) This on the other hand, looks like real competition - and competition is always exciting.

zobzu 11y ago

Go Microsoft. This is the right move. Embrace. They had forgotten how, they're learning it again. (and yes, extend, and possibly extinguish may still be next). As a part-time Windows 10 and MS Band and Android/iOS user, I for one will happily use this. And if I can integrate it for my own voice recognition needs in third party apps, all the better.

julianz 11y ago

How about they actually get around to releasing it on Windows Phone? I bought a Lumia 735 three weeks ago partly based on advertising on the MS NZ site that said Cortana was available. It's not, and now they've removed that page. The most annoying thing about that is the "quiet hours" feature is somehow dependent on Cortana, so the phone doesn't do that either. (Other than that, very nice phone and OS, just hobbled)

hbharadwaj 11y ago
You can just set your location as US. That would make it work. (Not ideal)
- julianz 11y ago
  Thanks - I did try that but I haven't been able to come up with any combination of location and regional settings that works on this phone. Even setting it to US everything doesn't work.
  - seanmcdirmid 11y ago
    I have this problem also. Cortana either thinks I'm in America or that I speak Chinese, but I couldn't possibly be an American living in China :p
  - Aoyagi 11y ago
    Did you check for updates in store and settings after changing region and language to UK? I made it work once and I'm not even in an English speaking country.
  - pjc50 11y ago
    Have you got high precision location tracking on? For some reason this needs to be on all the time in order for you to have Cortana.

spoiledtechie 11y ago

I dont know how many of you are windows phone users but I think Microsoft missed a few very important features with Cortana. Most notably the qr scanner and Bing backgrounds that they had with the previous search feature. It diminished my experience soo much that I disabled Cortana entirely from my phone only to go back to the default search, which is just as good if not better than Cortana. I wasn't a power user with Cortana by any means, but they sure didn't bring the features up to Cortana that they already had with default search. I still love my phone, but the default search is much nicer feel than clunky Cortana.

jkestner 11y ago
Really, you used QR codes? Those two things I never thought about. I don't remember much about the previous experience, but I use Cortana quite a bit. Just having it be smart about suggesting directions, flight tracking, reminders, text messages, all from one point where I can either speak or type, makes it a thing I go to without thought. Voice recognition -> helpful answer is the best overall intelligent assistant I've used.
BrianEatWorld 11y ago
You can still get access to the QR feature/Bing Vision, you just have to look under Lenses. I was also bummed about this change, but used it infrequently enough that I don't mind it being located under Lenses. If you check the Store, you can even pick up an app called QR for Cortana that can be pinned as a shortcut to get quick access to the Lenses menu.
Aoyagi 11y ago
As a Windows Phone user with my secondary phone I hope there will be a way to remove it from the system some day.

jfuhrman 11y ago

Earlier discussion of the actual source here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9606188 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9606188 Looks like it was quickly knocked off the front page by the flamebait detector thanks to the offtopic toxic comments accusing MS employees of voting up the the post. http://hnrankings.info/9606188/ http://hnrankings.info/9606188/

castell 11y ago
During the Microsoft Build event a lot of Microsoft employees registered new HN account (shown as green) and up-voted MS related headlines in the following days. Not that I'm complaining but it looked more like a coordinated effort. HN certainly relies on some automatic voting ring detection.

frik 11y ago

"But the release of Cortana and the companion app—as well as other fully featured Microsoft apps like OneDrive, Office and Outlook.com—on iOS and Android is an acknowledgment that Windows phones will likely never be chosen by a significant chunk of even the most diehard Windows users" Microsoft Excel 1.0 was first on Mac, there was never a 1.0 for DOS or Windows. Windows is still the monopoly on PC with 90+% share due OEM and EFI. For the mobile devices both iOS and Android are big, then comes the smaller rest of Win, Blackberry, Bada, Jelly, Ubuntu, FirefoxOS, etc. WinCE had a head start 20 years ago, but especially the die hard Windows users turned away from WinMobile 6.5 (CE based) as it was dumped with all its app eco system in favor of WinPhone 7 (still CE but with only Silverlight/XAML apps) that was as useful as Android 1 or iOS 1.

DiaaAttia 11y ago

International businesses prefer to hire people who speak more than one language. China has become a huge market, and business leaders are looking for people who can speak Chinese and operate successfully in a Chinese cultural context. Apply now for Chinese learning on Skype through http://preply.com/en/chinese-by-skype http://preply.com/en/chinese-by-skype

DiaaAttia 11y ago

empiricus 11y ago

Well, I'm still waiting for Cortana to be available on the Surface Pro tablets.