Alexa and Cortana have teamed up to create a more intelligent voice experience
Amazon and Microsoft are working together to make their voice assistants, Alexa and Cortana, even better. A new collaboration between the two begins now.
Cortana
Siri comes out ahead of Alexa in new digital assistants survey
A newly released survey looks at the intelligence of the four major voice assistants on the market, including Apple’s Siri. The results were surprising.
Microsoft Cortana is now available on iPad
In addition to launching 20% faster, Cortana for iOS now includes a tailor-made layout and interface that takes full advantage of the iPad form factor and display resolution.
Review: can the Invoke smart speaker with Cortana rival the HomePod?
With the HomePod set to to be released in stores in just a few days time, I thought it would be a great opportunity to take a look at a competing option, the Invoke by Harman Kardon. Be sure to check out the hands-on video to get a sense of what Cortana’s voice is like. Then, read on for our full review and opinion.
Cortana for iOS gains refined look, enhanced reminders, faster navigation & other perks
The app offers faster animations and navigation, a revamped settings interface, a better way to create reminders and more.
Microsoft and Harman Kardon unveil Invoke smart speaker with Cortana, coming this fall
Taking aim at Google Home, Amazon Echo and Apple’s rumored Siri/AirPlay device, Microsoft and Harman Kardon today unveiled a new smart speaker with Cortana and more.
Cortana 2.0 for iPhone brings overhauled interface and faster performance
Microsoft today rolled out a major update to its Cortana personal assistant app for iPhone, with enhancements like faster page transitions, improved app responsiveness and overhauled user interface all part of the update. The new version arrived three months after its release on Android. Design improvements in Cortana 2.0, a free download from App Store, include a fresh new look with an improved user experience, immersive full-page answers and overhauled calling, texting and reminders.
New Microsoft ads for Windows 10 focus on things Macs can’t do
Microsoft this weekend published four new commercials for its Windows 10 operating system that showcase things “Macs can’t do”. The ads feature Kristie and Jess, AKA The Bug Chicks, the two women who are apparently trying to change the way kids think about bugs.
The two characters, one of whom is a Mac fan jealous of Windows 10 features, explore competitive advantages of Microsoft’s operating system like the built-in Cortana personal assistant, support for inking and drawing on notebooks with built-in touchscreens, the ability to log in to Windows 10 with one’s face and more.
As each Windows 10 feature is highlighted, the other woman responds with a variation of the “I don’t have a touchscreen on my Mac, I’m jealous of that” theme.
You can now download Microsoft’s Cortana personal assistant to your iPhone
After rolling out a beta of Cortana for iOS to a limited number of beta testers in late-November, Microsoft today released the software to everyone via the App Store.
A free download, Cortana for iOS helps you get things done “by letting your PC and iPhone work together,” as per the official description. The app takes advantage of your schedule, interests, contacts and reminders to deliver personalized results.
What are you waiting for? Go ahead and give Cortana a try right now!
Microsoft rolling out Cortana for iOS to beta testers
Following its announcement earlier in the month that Cortana for iOS would soon launch for a limited number of beta testers, Microsoft has now made good on that promise and started rolling out the beta software, TechCrunch reported this past weekend.
Cortana for iOS looks just like the Windows 10 Mobile and Android equivalents, and works in a very similar way, with a few exceptions stemming from Apple-imposed restrictions on third-party iOS app development.
Microsoft invites a limited number of iOS users to beta-test Cortana assistant
Microsoft today announced that a limited number of iPhone owners in the United States and China can now sign up to test-drive the first public beta of its personal digital assistant, called Cortana. “Over the coming months, we’ll continue to deliver frequent updates to the app to expand the features and functionality,” notes the Windows maker.
While Cortana offers the most complete experience on Windows devices due to its tight integration with Microsoft’s operating system and Apple-imposed restrictions related to iOS development, Cortana for iOS does take the intelligence of its Windows counterpart and brings that experience to the user’s iPhone.
Microsoft confirms Windows 10 arriving on July 29
Monday, software giant Microsoft announced that Windows 10, the latest and greatest upgrade for its ubiquitous operating system designed to scale from smartphones to tablets to desktop computers, will be launching on July 29 across 190 countries.
The software will be available as a free upgrade for both mobile and desktop Windows devices, with the desktop version released through a reservation system.