Microsoft adds info-hunting 'Bot' assistants to Skype for iPhone & iPad
Microsoft on Wednesday launched "Bots" for Skype, allowing people to search for information and content through the app's messaging functions.
At the moment there are only three official Bots connected to Microsoft's Bing search service: Bing Music, Bing News, and Bing Images. Bing Music, for instance, can track down information about a particular song. Future Bots will expand into audio and video calling.
Microsoft also released the Skype Bots Platform to developers, which will allow third parties to devise their own Bots.
To use the Bing Bots, people must first update their Skype client for iPhone, iPad, Windows, or Android. With the iOS apps, users can then search for a term like "Bing" under the Contacts tab, tap to add new contacts, then select the Bots tab to see a list.
The concept of intelligent messaging-based assistants has caught on with major technology firms. Facebook for example is slowly rolling out "M," an assistant that -- with the periodic help of human "trainers" -- can accomplish a number of tasks, including booking trips and restaurants, or even holding a place in a phone queue.
At the moment there are only three official Bots connected to Microsoft's Bing search service: Bing Music, Bing News, and Bing Images. Bing Music, for instance, can track down information about a particular song. Future Bots will expand into audio and video calling.
Microsoft also released the Skype Bots Platform to developers, which will allow third parties to devise their own Bots.
To use the Bing Bots, people must first update their Skype client for iPhone, iPad, Windows, or Android. With the iOS apps, users can then search for a term like "Bing" under the Contacts tab, tap to add new contacts, then select the Bots tab to see a list.
The concept of intelligent messaging-based assistants has caught on with major technology firms. Facebook for example is slowly rolling out "M," an assistant that -- with the periodic help of human "trainers" -- can accomplish a number of tasks, including booking trips and restaurants, or even holding a place in a phone queue.
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but in general I think Microsoft are doing an amazing job at the moment. I love Windows 10. For desktop computers MacOS really doesn't compare, I get so much more done with Windows, plus office 365 and in particular OneDrive are great.
i really only have a mac book because most Windows laptops are crappy design wise in comparison
One of these guys has just 1 post.
Hey, MS.
Way to astroturf.
Keep it up.
Please explain why the GWX software is installed on a fully patched Server 2012? Why would anyone with even half a brain cell want to 'upgrade' from Server 2012 to Windows 10? Come on now, be brave and tell us what you really think...
Well, to each his own I guess. The transition from Windows to OS X was a snap for me. I got used to it in a couple of days.
Earlier this year, I had to transition from OS X back to Windows for work and I'm still getting frustrated with Win10, a couple of months later.
There's a whole lot of small things that I'd take for granted on OS X that I cannot do with Windows. Simple things like opening a PDF that is password protected - OS X opens it in Preview and lets me enter the password. On Windows 10, it opens up as a dark grey document in Edge, with no visible option to enter the password, so I cannot see the PDF.
On OS X, I can highlight a word and get the meaning instantly. No such luck with Win10, where the closest option I have is "Search with Bing".
These are just a couple of examples of small irritants that really add up, especially when you have to spend 8 hours a day using the system.
And don't get me started on the build quality of the Surface Pro compared to the iPad or the MBA...
I'm not undermining your experience with Win10. I'm just giving another perspective from personal experience.
As for you, dewme...I have no idea what you THINK you saw yesterday but I'm not sure you're capable of realizing that Microsoft is off to a pretty impressive start to BUILD 2016.
[INSERT TIRED EYE ROLL HERE]