Microsoft's Cortana and Amazon's Alexa will soon talk to one another

 Microsoft and Amazon has announced a first-of-its kind partnership under which the tech giants digital assistant Cortana and Alexa will be able to speak to one another and you.

It will be available later this year, and will allow users to access Alexa via Cortana on Windows 10 PCs, followed by Android and iOS in future. In return users will be able to access Cortana on Alexa-enabled devices like Amazon Echo, Echo Dot and Echo Show. One of the benefits of this collaboration is that users will be able to access unique features of both digital assistants.

Cortana users will be able to have Alexa shop on Amazon.com and manage their Amazon orders, control smart home devices, and acess many of Alexa's third party skills by asking Cortana to open Alexa.

Similarly Alexa users will have access to Cortana's unique features  booking a meeting or accessing work calendars, reminding you to pick up flowers on your way home, or reading your work email simply by asking Alexa to open Cortana. 

"Ensuring Cortana is available for our customers everywhere and across any device is a key priority for us," said Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, in a press release. "Bringing Cortana's knowledge, Office 365 integration, commitments, and reminders to Alexa is a great step toward that goal." he added.

"There are going to be multiple successful intelligent agents, each with access to different sets of data and with different specialized skill areas. Together, their strengths will complement each other and provide customers with a richer and even more helpful experience. It’s great for Echo owners to get easy access to Cortana." Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, said in a press release.

As mentioned earlier Alexa and Cortana will be able to talk to each other later this year.

Microsoft disables 'Hey Cortana' feature on Android

A few weeks after launching Cortana personal assistant for Android, Microsoft is taking down on key feature - Hey Cortana. Now, you will no longer be able to search or ask question, hands-free, simply by saying "Hey Cortana".

Microsoft has removed the feature as a result of user feedback, which said that 'Hey Cortana' feature is conflicting with Android voice search 'Ok Google'. This made Cortana struggle to gain access to devices' microphones, therefore the feature is being temporarily disabled. However, you will still be able to use Cortana on your Android device, but you'll need to launch it manually.

The 'Hey Cortana' voice feature is similar to Apple's Siri and Google's Google Now. Besides taking down support for Hey Cortana, the app is getting other updates including improved app stability, enhanced call and text features.

Cortana is also available for iOS, and is more limited than the Windows and Android versions.

Via

Microsoft's personal digital assistant Cortana now available on Android and iOS

Microsoft's personal digital assistant Cortana is now available on Android and iOS. It was announced in May for both the platforms and the company has been testing Cortana on them for quite some time.

The Cortana app for Android and iOS comes with same intelligence as Cortana for PC, with the ability to look up for information and give helpful suggestions. The information stored in Cortana's Notebook on your PC such as interests, weather and more will travel with you across devices and any change you make on one device will be reflected on the other. 

For example, If you set a reminder on your PC to pick up a bottle of vine, the next time visit the grocery store and Cortana will remind you on your smartphone the next time you are at the location.

However, some of the features that Cortana can do on Windows Phone will not be available on Android and iOS including toggling settings or opening apps and ability to start Cortana hands free by saying 'Hey Cortana'.

Microsoft also stated that Cortana will be deeply integrated into the Cyanogen devices. Microsoft will enable Cortana's Voice activation 'Hey Cortana' on Cyanogen devices and the integration includes the ability to ask Cortana to toggle network modes, power down the phone, turn on Quite Mode and more. It will be made available for the Cyanogen OS powered OnePlus One in the US with the 12.1.1 over-the-air update later this month.

The Cortana app is now available to download in the United States and China on iOS 8 and up and Android 4.1.2 and up. The Phone Companion app on your Windows 10 PC will help you to install Cortana app from Google Play or Apple App Store onto your phone. Just say 'Phone Companion' to Cortana to get set up.

Download Cortana app for Android

Download Cortana app for iOS

Microsoft opens Cortana for iOS beta

Microsoft's voice based virtual assistant Cortana was promised for Android and iOS back in May this year. It is already available for Android and now Microsoft will bring it to iOS, as the company has started hiring Cortana for iOS beta testers. 

For this purpose, Microsoft is looking for a limited number of people who will get their hands on an early version of the app for testing The first public release of the Cortana for iOS beta would initially be available only in the US and China, and will expand to more region in the coming months.

In order to participate in the beta, you will need to be a member of Microsoft’s Windows Insider Program and complete a short survey. on the Surveymonkey website. If selected, Microsoft will send download link over emails in the next few weeks.

With Cortana users can perform several actions like search the web, set alarms, set reminders, tracking flight, track route and many more.Initially, not all features would be present for iOS users including the "Hey Cortana" voice commands.

Source | Via

Microsoft rolls out Public beta of Cortana for Android

Microsoft's first personal digital assistant, Cortana was released as a private beta to Android in May. Now the beta for the Cortana app is available to all Android phone users. It is currently available in the U.S and will soon be available in other markets as well. 

For those who don't know, Cortana is a Virtual assistant, just like Siri (iPhone) and Google Now (Android) that aims to provide information to users as and when needed. For example reminding to pick up milk from grocery store, track a flight, looking up for answers.

For Android devices that app is very similar to Windows Phone platforms. The UI and the functionalities are same. Cortana relies on Bing's search to answer all queries. You can take notes, set reminders, search the web, set alarm, track flights and more. 

Unfortunately, Android users will not be able to toggle settings, open specific apps or launch the voice assistant by saying “Hey Cortana”, a feature that is already available on Windows.

Recently the app received an update that allows Cortana to be launched via home button shortcut on Android, instead of Google Now.

Download Cortana For Android Public Beta

Cortana for Windows 10 is coming to India, Canada, Australia, Japan, and more

Earlier this year Microsoft announced that its Cortana digital assistant for Windows 10 will debut in seven countries, the U.S, UK, China, France, Italy, Germany and Spain on July 29. Now Microsoft has announced that Cortana will support more markets in the coming months.

Over the coming months Cortana will be made available in Japan, Australia, Canada, India, Brazil and Mexico. In these countries it will be available under the Windows Insider Program. Cortana has been customized to reflect the languages, speech patterns, idioms and more of each country.

Microsoft has assembled a local team of creative writers, editors, programmers and voice talent to build a relevant, tailor experienced Cortana for each market. Microsoft has considered Voice talent carefully for each market by focusing on key attributes that helps the right voice talent for Cortana.

in the Chinese market, the feedback requested a personal assistant whose voice sounded like she was smiling. And in UK, customers described their personal assistant as an “English Rose,” which translated to a voice that sounds easy-going, with slightly self-deprecating modesty.

Marcus Ash, Group Product Manager for Cortana at Microsoft in a blog post stated that the company wants Cortana to under the humor and speech patterns of every country. Cortana is positive, confident, intelligent and transparent, he added.

Cortana understands how highly the UK values self-deprecating humor. Dryness and irony are traits that filter subtly into her personality, and she uses playful sarcasm in her responses if she senses you’re fooling around.

 In Italy, Cortana is proud of national identity. Cortana will use words like “our” in responses to customers, and even sings the national anthem when asked to sing a song.

Cortana is also aware of important cultural touchstones in each market. In France, Cortana celebrates the Cannes Film Festival. In Canada, Cortana loves hockey, and in India, Cortana celebrates cricket star and national hero Sachin Tendulkar.

And in Japan, a high level of politeness is valued; Cortana will bow by default.

To prove that Cortana understands local humor, Microsoft posted screenshot of an Indian joke that reads "What did the half eaten nan say? I wish I was puri" 

Source: Microsoft

Cortana app for Android leaks ahead of launch

Cortana, Microsoft's virtual assistant for Android has leaked online. The APK file for the beta version of the Cortana app is available to download for Android devices running Android 4.4 KitKat and higher. The file size is 19MB.

For those who don't know, Cortana is a Virtual assistant, just like Siri (iPhone) and Google Now (Android) that aims to provide information to users as and when needed. For example reminding to pick up milk from grocery store, track a flight, looking up for answers.

Cortana stores information about users and performs several actions like search the web, set alarms, set reminders, tracking flight, weather, nearby places to eat, track route and many more.

Unfortunately, the leaked beta version of Cortana for Android doesn't include all the feature available on Windows Phone. One of them is 'Hey Cortana' option which activates the voice assistant. Some parts of the app are unfinished such as the ability to send message to contacts.

The official Cortana app will be released within the next few weeks. It will also be released on iOS. 

Cortana for Android APK

Microsoft introduces Cortana Virtual Assistant for Android and iOS

Microsoft announced that its Cortana Virtual Assistant app will be available for Android and iPhone later this year. The company also announced Phone Companion app for Windows 10 which will be built into the Windows 10. With the Phone Companion app, users can connect their Windows PC to Windows Phone, Android or iPhone.

For those who don't know, Cortana is a Virtual assistant, just like Siri (iPhone) and Google Now (Android) that aims to provide information to users as and when needed. For example reminding to pick up milk from grocery store, track a flight, looking up for answers.

Cortana for Android and iOS is designed to be a 'companion app' for Windows 10 users. It will let users perform several actions that is available on Windows Phone and Windows 10 PC like search the web, set alarms, set reminders, tracking flight, track route and many more. The Cortana app will not be integrated as it is on Windows. However some of the features enjoyed by Windows Phone users will not be available for Android and iOS.

One of them is "Hey Cortana", the feature is not supported because it requires special access to the device's microphone and toggling setting or opening apps which is not currently possible on Android and iOS. 

Joe Belfior, Corporate Vice President, Operating System Group, explained the decision of bring Cortana to Android and iOS - "many people use iPhones or Android phones" and "everything important to you should roam across the products you already own."

The Phone Companion app will be available in a 'few weeks time' with the new Windows 10 Insider Preview Build. The Cortana App for Android will be available at the end of June via Google next month, while the iOS version will be available in Apple's all store later this year.

Source : Blogging Windows

Cortana Voice Assistant Comes to the PC With Windows 10

Microsoft announced that Cortana personal assistant will be available to its PC version of Windows 10. Joe Belfiore, Corporate Vice President of Operating Systems at Microsoft said Cortana for Windows 10 PC is in its early build and may not reflect the final version.

Cortana for PC will come in 7 new language and will have the ability to do impressions. Cortana will appear on task bar on the bottom left hand corner of the screen, close to the start menu. The 'Hey Cortana' feature also works on Windows 10 PC. It will provide intelligent contextual suggestion while responding to your queries, and can perform your voice commands.

Other things Cortana can do is show users PowerPoint slide deck they need for a meeting, send dictated email from PC, search files on hard drives, OneDeive and OneDrive for business and search photos using date and other filters. The said features will also work via keyboard commands.

Cortana will also be enabled in Project Spartan Browser, providing intelligent suggestion as you type what you want to search.