'Cortana,' Microsoft's Siri competitor, to go public in April - report
Following in the footsteps of Siri and Google Now, Microsoft looks to be on track to release its own personal digital assistant --?dubbed Cortana --?later this spring.
Cortana will bow in beta form on Nokia's Lumia devices in April, according to a report from Microsoft watchers MSFTnerd. The Siri competitor will feature the voice of Jen Taylor, the same actress who played the eponymous artificial intelligence companion in Microsoft's blockbuster Halo franchise.
Unlike competitive offerings from Apple and Google, Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft is said to be planning a rollout that extends beyond mobile devices. After jumping from Windows Phone to iOS in the fall of 2014, Cortana will makes its way to the company's Xbox and Windows platforms next year.
Windows users seeking a way to get an early glimpse at the technology can do so in Microsoft's Bing Translator app for Windows. The publication says Microsoft has already begun to roll out Cortana-derived improvements to the app's speech recognition system.
Cortana was first unveiled last year, and is expected to form an integral part of Microsoft's future device interfaces. Based on technology created for the company's Bing search engine, outgoing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer wrote in a memo that Cortana-like technology will play a key role in a future "service-enabled shell."
"Our UI will be deeply personalized, based on the advanced, almost magical, intelligence in our cloud that learns more and more over time about people and the world," he wrote, adding that it will "broker information among our services to bring them together on our devices in ways that will enable richer and deeper app experiences."
Cortana will bow in beta form on Nokia's Lumia devices in April, according to a report from Microsoft watchers MSFTnerd. The Siri competitor will feature the voice of Jen Taylor, the same actress who played the eponymous artificial intelligence companion in Microsoft's blockbuster Halo franchise.
Unlike competitive offerings from Apple and Google, Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft is said to be planning a rollout that extends beyond mobile devices. After jumping from Windows Phone to iOS in the fall of 2014, Cortana will makes its way to the company's Xbox and Windows platforms next year.
Windows users seeking a way to get an early glimpse at the technology can do so in Microsoft's Bing Translator app for Windows. The publication says Microsoft has already begun to roll out Cortana-derived improvements to the app's speech recognition system.
Cortana was first unveiled last year, and is expected to form an integral part of Microsoft's future device interfaces. Based on technology created for the company's Bing search engine, outgoing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer wrote in a memo that Cortana-like technology will play a key role in a future "service-enabled shell."
"Our UI will be deeply personalized, based on the advanced, almost magical, intelligence in our cloud that learns more and more over time about people and the world," he wrote, adding that it will "broker information among our services to bring them together on our devices in ways that will enable richer and deeper app experiences."
Comments
But then she's just conceived of as a "service-enabled shell." Are these guys maybe tone deaf or what? Maybe I should "Bing" that: "Microsoft tone deaf" . . .
They're Zuned, unless they get someone with taste working there. Or Longhorned.
Clippy reincarnated!
"Looks like you're trying to make a call, would you like some help with that?"
They do realize "Cortana" goes insane, right?
- Jasen.
What the ...?!!! That's my GF's picture there!
ROFLMAO
On a more serious note ... Cortana, what is BSOD?
Surely that should be: "Cortana will blow in beta form on Nokia's Lumia devices in April..."
And then gets killed.
Excellent choice for a Microsoft phone A.I.
(For those unaware, Cortana is the name of the Master Chief's artificial intelligence companion that assists him in the Halo game series)
Well, technically, you have to bow to blow, so it could be construed correct.
And the male voice is going to be called Durandal? Or Tycho?
I got to say, the frothing-at-the-mouth-fanboism on this site never gets old...
Even more funny, once one realizes that most of the fan"bois" here are middle aged men...
LOL
Keep it going Apple-tards!
Who needs The Onion when one has Apple Insider?
Well then SteamOS can have a voice assistant based on the creepy AI from Portal, GLaDOS.
Sony will fall back on its back catalog of movies and find 2001: A Space Odyssey in its MGM collection.
They do realize "Cortana" goes insane, right?
- Jasen.
Aren't all women a little bit insane? LolBesides, what male would love a half nude digital female dancing around on their desktop!
Wait, isn't there an app for that!
I am looking forward to this. IMO, Apple has really dropped the ball with Siri. The performance is poor (Apple's online efforts have been consistently subpar, IMO). Additionally, it still isn't on Mac OS X.
Will be good to see MS put some pressure on Apple to upgrade their performance in this area.
Microsoft is consistently terrible at naming their products/services.
Someone put this up the other day. It bears repeating: