Leak reveals Parallels Desktop 11 will support Windows 10's Cortana across OS X
The next version of Parallels' Desktop for Mac virtualization software will improve its Windows 10 support, enabling Cortana voice commands at any time -- as long as Windows is still running in the background, according to a leaked product page.
Both Windows 10 and Cortana are already supported in Desktop 10, but the latter won't work unless Windows is the foreground application, Neowin noted. With Desktop 11, people should be able to say "Hey Cortana" at any point while using OS X and get a response.
The product page also mentions features like compatibility with OS X El Capitan, speed boosts up to 50 percent, and a Travel Mode that can kill some services to extend battery life on a laptop. Coherence Mode improvements will include a quick-toggle button, and the ability to view notifications through an OS X menu bar item.
The page is missing a release date, but since Microsoft is due to launch Windows 10 on July 29, Parallels may likewise be on the verge of shipping.
Cortana is Microsoft's answer to rival voice command systems from Apple and Google, handling similar functions like web searches and calendar appointments. Windows 10, however, will make Cortana the first such system on a popular desktop OS. Although Siri has existed on iOS since 2011, Apple has yet to migrate the technology to the Mac.
Both Windows 10 and Cortana are already supported in Desktop 10, but the latter won't work unless Windows is the foreground application, Neowin noted. With Desktop 11, people should be able to say "Hey Cortana" at any point while using OS X and get a response.
The product page also mentions features like compatibility with OS X El Capitan, speed boosts up to 50 percent, and a Travel Mode that can kill some services to extend battery life on a laptop. Coherence Mode improvements will include a quick-toggle button, and the ability to view notifications through an OS X menu bar item.
The page is missing a release date, but since Microsoft is due to launch Windows 10 on July 29, Parallels may likewise be on the verge of shipping.
Cortana is Microsoft's answer to rival voice command systems from Apple and Google, handling similar functions like web searches and calendar appointments. Windows 10, however, will make Cortana the first such system on a popular desktop OS. Although Siri has existed on iOS since 2011, Apple has yet to migrate the technology to the Mac.
Comments
The days of claiming Windows is insecure are as tired as the "iPhone is doomed" meme.
Unlike Apple, Microsoft has fully renovated their operating system backend.
The days of claiming Windows is insecure are as tired as the "iPhone is doomed" meme.
Unlike Apple, Microsoft has fully renovated their operating system backend.
So why are viruses, spamware and spyware still so widely rampant on Windows?
Yes I know.. I know.. Windows is more popular and hacxs0rs simply create more stuff for Windows OS.. but simply surfing the wrong websites can bring a new Windows computer without any additional protection to a crawl. Hell visit the wrong one and it may make it completely unusable without a wipe/reload. Installing some type of malicious tool blocker/remover is an absolute MUST on a new Windows computer. Those type of scenarios simply do not happen with OSX. The vast majority of Mac's have no malicious blocker/remover software installed whatsoever.
And for the record.. the "iPhone is doomed" was never a meme movement. The iPhone has continously set record sales year over year, with each model selling better than its predecessor. I believe what you were trying to say is "Apple is doomed", which did become an popular movement with the rise of cheap Android handsets & tablets becoming more popular worldwide. The growth of those items caused a big dip in Apple's stock price as it lost marketshare to the buy1-get1-free and 99cent phone community.
Thanks for using 2007 era arguments. You realize that Windows 8 and up include security software by default, and are much harder to attack than Win 7 and older?
Microsoft also has a file system which isn't a dated, iffy patchwork pile of crap which should have been replaced years ago. What's the point of a "safe" OS if the file system kills your data?
Mac malware is also on the rise, and if it was so secure than Apple wouldn't be implementing SIP in El Cap.
Thanks for using 2007 era arguments. You realize that Windows 8 and up include security software by default, and are much harder to attack than Win 7 and older?
Too bad most of the Windows world is still running Win 7 and older.
Nothing like VMware Fusion to control USB Windows devices from Mac.
The days of claiming Windows is insecure are as tired as the "iPhone is doomed" meme.
Unlike Apple, Microsoft has fully renovated their operating system backend.
Care to give us some very specific, fact-based examples of how Windows has a "fully renovated" backend compared to OSX, which has not? I have a feeling you don't have the faintest cluse of what you're talking about, beyond some superficial MS PR. Actually, as someone who has closely followed the under the hood changes with every revision of OSX and Windows, I'm pretty certain you don't have a clue.
What is this brand new file system Windows 10 uses? Or are you referring to NTFS, which has been in use since Windows 3.1? Oh, do enlighten us. Also, I've been using OSX every single day for the past 15 years, and not one BYTE of data has been lost because of the OS, nor have I heard of this as being an actual problem, from anyone. But sure, whatever you say!
So when does Siri come to the Mac? If Apple can securely implement it on iOS why not the Mac?
Probably the same reason Apple has not brought a touch screen to the Mac. Just because they *can* doesn't mean they *should*. These types of voice interfaces make perfect sense on a phone or tablet where the ability to use a keyboard and/or mouse are limited. I would probably not use Siri much, on myMac, should Apple decide to make it available. I suspect Apple probably puts it's focus on the 'most requested' features and Siri has probably yet to make the cut...
Wh...
See, this is how I can tell that there’ll be a second great depression soon: this sentence exists.
No way José! I always cut off any of Parallel's sharing with Mac in setup. Who on earth would want anything in Windows having access to OS X drives or your Mac in general? The great thing about running VMware or Parallels VMs is sandboxing fracking Windows! I can drag between desk tops when I want to, that is quite sufficient. Play with Cortana within the VM and be safe.
Maybe I'm missing something, but doesn't this just mean that Cortana can access the microphone while it is running? It seems like giving it access to that while running would be no different than giving it access to the mouse or keyboard and wouldn't require access to the Mac file system or other devices. Of course any increased access could unearth a security flaw (like if the microphone allowed access to other devices) but the risk here seems much lower than giving it access to the file system or another USB device. I.e. this doesn't seem to break the sandboxing anymore than giving access to other input devices.
mine's never done that. sounds like your mac may be broken -- id bring it in for service immediately.
malware arent viruses, as im sure you know. it's news to me that recent Windows versions are now virus-free in the way that OS X is in the wild.
i still see XP in some commercial operations.
The days of classical viruses are a thing of the past. Malware (especially ransomware) are the new age.
As for HFS+: http://arstechnica.com/apple/2011/07/mac-os-x-10-7/12/#file-system
He's not the only one who's been calling for a long overdue replacement.
Happily running XP at my office ... In a Parallels VM on my Mac Mini ;-)
What is this brand new file system Windows 10 uses? Or are you referring to NTFS, which has been in use since Windows 3.1? Oh, do enlighten us.
He's talking about ReFS. From what I've read, it sounds quite nice (similar to ZFS and BtrFS in a lot of ways) but has some limitations including not being able to be used for a boot drive, not allowing conversion from NTFS/FAT, and not being able to be used for removable drives. Though I haven't checked to see if Windows 10 solves some of these issues or not.
It seems like Siri is quite useful with Apple Music. I imagine that would be beneficial on the Mac too. I'm sure you're right but it's not a top requested feature. Personally I would like to see an API for Siri in iOS.
HFS+ is old, and sure, probably should be replaced, but I have yet to suffer file loss or corruption that I am aware of using it (and earlier versions of HFS) since 10.0.0. For the record, I have not had file loss or corruption on NTFS either, that I am aware of.
Newer Windows versions are a lot better than older Windows in terms of security.
Heh, I have it in VirtualPC on my 12" AlBook.
I tried Windows 8 once and it was horrible. But it sounds like Microsoft still has some duplicate apps that are both modern/metro UI and more classic Window 7 type UI. How confusing. Microsoft needs to make up its mind and go in one direction.