New leaked screenshot suggests "Cortana" is not just limited to voice interactions

It'south no secret that Microsoft has been working on a voice-recognition-based assistant to rival Apple's Siri and Google Now that will be included in Windows Phone 8.1 (aka, Bluish). What is somewhat surprising, according to a newly leaked screenshot, is that the banana, which goes past the moniker "Cortana," does not announced to exist express simply to vocalization interactions.

Windows Phone Central first revealed the existence of 'Cortana' as a Siri competitor yesterday, though most major new outlets overlooked information technology.

A newly-leaked screenshot shows that there is more to Cortana than we first thought

ZDNet'south Mary Jo Foley wrote a detailed article today going into depth about Cortana. In it she details what you tin expect in the upcoming digital banana on your phone. The service will be powered past a concoction of services inside in Microsoft. It volition be role "Satori" noesis repository powered by Bing, part Tellme, and other services inside Microsoft to create your digital Cortana.

Mary Jo Foley goes on to explain that Cortana is just the offset of a makeover to the entire "vanquish". That shell consists of the core services and experiences that volition be powering the adjacent generation of Microsoft's products from Windows Phone, to Windows viii, to Xbox I. But Cortana is going to be cadre to that shell and she'll follow you wherever you become in the Microsoft ecosystem.

But don't think for a moment that the shell is just the Metro interface you see in front end of y'all when using Microsoft'due south products. Instead here's Steve Ballmer explaining it:

"Our UI will exist deeply personalized, based on the advanced, nigh magical, intelligence in our cloud that learns more and more over time about people and the world. Our shell will natively support all of our essential services, and will be smashing at responding seamlessly to what people ask for, and even anticipating what they need before they inquire for it."

We might just get our get-go glimpse of Cortana in early 2022 when Windows Telephone 8.1 launches. Until then, the leaks will keep coming. Speaking of leaks...

Later, the Verge'due south Tom Warren tweeted out a picture showing the Cortana settings page, which included some non-voice related options. The beginning is the power to add weather condition alerts to your alarms. It's a handy way to prepare for you day outset thing in the morning.

Next is the option to sync your agenda at a sure time every night. Presumably, this is for non-Exchange calendars.

And lastly, the screenshot shows the selection to prompt you to add your spouse or meaning other to your start screen. This pick could exist related to Facebook or other social media outlets that allow users to fill out such personal information.

As well of note in the screenshot is a notifications section, which will likely be part of the Notification Center that we caught a glimpse of yesterday, forth with multi-tile select.

Cortana first turned upwards by name on a Nokia Lumia 920 that purchased on eBay and was running Blue. It was initially idea that information technology would just be a voice-controlled personal assistant, much similar Siri, but it appears that it will be much more than that, deeply embedded into the core of Windows Phone.

And so why hasn't Windows Phone had a personal assistant like Siri or Google Now yet? Mostly because Microsoft is waiting to exercise something revolutionary, instead of evolutionary in that infinite. From what nosotros've seen of Cortana, she is very much going to be revolutionary.

From what we've seen and know atWindows Phone Key.Cortana is going to exist revolutionary. Bing search on Windows Phone won't be the same as it's been. Instead, hitting the hardware Search central will bring upwards Cortana, from in that location you can automatically begin speaking or type your asking. But Cortana won't be isolated to the hardware central, she'll be throughout the unabridged Windows Phone viii.1 operating system. Give her the option and she'll be able to read your text messages to help you lot add calendar reminders and more than (at that place will be limitations, every bit the not everything could be acted on past the OS).

Cortana will leave popular Siri in the grit. We have already seen what Microsoft has done with vocalization functionality on Xbox and Kinect, and what they exercise with Windows Phone volition be incredible.

Clarification: Nosotros should also notation that those screenshots posted of 'Cortana' are from the zApp for internal testing. The actual UI for end-users will not look like that and is currently in flux for final layout.

Source: ZDNet, the Verge

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