Clapway: cortana

Showing posts with label cortana. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Amazon Echo More Admired than Google Now and Siri, It’s Official - http://clapway.com/2016/01/05/amazon-echo-more-dmired-than-google-now-and-siri-its-official-123/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkOCeAtKHIc

Amazon Echo More Admired than Google Now and Siri, It’s Official

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Uber App for Windows 10 is Officially Here - http://clapway.com/2015/12/10/uber-app-for-windows-10-is-officially-here/

Uber might have just found a way to make their driving service even easier for their customers. The product team at Uber recently announced that they are unveiling their app on the Windows 10 operating system. The Uber app for Windows 10 will give some new features to the previous one.

Uber app for Windows 10

UBER APP FOR WINDOWS 10 FEATURES

One of the biggest, if not the biggest, new feature that this Uber app for Windows 10 will implement is Cortana. Cortana is a virtual reality assistant that makes life much easier for people. The product team mentions how all the user has to do is ask Cortana to deliver a Uber car and specify where to deliver it. This is a very convenient way to hook yourself up with a ride. They also stated that this app for the Windows 10 OS is the first desktop version of Uber. They implemented a live update feature on the start menu as well. This will allow users to see how long their Uber car will take to get to their destination.

UBER APP FOR WINDOWS 10 CAN BE DOWNLOADED FROM THE WINDOWS STORE

This app is currently available on the Windows Store. This is a cost-free app and should be downloaded by anybody looking for driving assistance. Uber continues to make their service easier to use for their customers. Previously this year they announced that they were implementing a new feature to make it easier for their customers to see what car is theirs. Now with this, Uber has practically succeeded in making their platform as simple as it could get.

UBER ALSO OFFERING A FREE RIDE

On top of releasing their new Uber app for Windows 10, they also announced a sweet deal for their customers. They state that they will be offering customers their first ride free through the Windows 10 app. The offer code MSFTWIN10 must be entered in the Promotions tab to do this, says the company.

Uber App for Windows 10 is Officially Here

Tuesday, December 1, 2015

Microsoft is Bound To Destroy Apple - http://clapway.com/2015/12/01/microsoft-is-bound-to-destroy-apple123/

Microsoft seems bound and determined to officially destroy the company that is known as Apple. No, they are not intending to blow Apple up or cause a nuclear war with them, but they seem like they are going to let their products do the talking for them. They are on a role and that role should only get bigger after their latest news of releasing a new Skype and smart headsets.

8. Microsoft Bill Gates 1

APPLE HAS A LOT OF WORK TO DO TO KEEP UP WITH MICROSOFT

Microsoft just never seems to let up as they have announced that they are creating their smart headsets that they say are met to help the blind find their way around the world. They state that their smart headsets are the first of its kind and with Cortana set to replace Siri, they could run away from Apple. They have also stated that Cortana can do anything Siri can do, but more. Everything from scheduling appointments to tracking flights can be done with Cortana, according to Microsoft. They also announced that they are releasing an upgrade to Skype. They state that Skype for business is bundled with Office 365 and allows virtual meetings with as many as 10,000 people. Adding on to all of this is the fact that there Windows 10 operating system is still fresh on the market. All of this software and hardware could have them setting up to destroy Apple.

IS APPLE DOOMED BY MICROSOFT

These companies are two of the biggest tech companies in the world. This is due to popularity and success. According to Wikipedia, Apple has actually made a lot more money than Microsoft has over the years, but 2016 may be a different story with what Microsoft has in store. Apple will no doubt respond as they always do to companies releasing the top of the line devices. However, Microsoft has as impressive of a line-up as anybody does right now. It will be interesting to see which one of these companies gets the upper hand on the other in the coming months.

Microsoft is Bound To Destroy Apple

Saturday, November 28, 2015

Cortana to be better than Siri - http://clapway.com/2015/11/28/cortana-to-be-better-than-siri123/

Microsoft has officially announced a beta-version of their brand new app named Cortana. Microsoft announced that this beta version is exclusively available for anybody who signed up for it earlier in the month. They have also stated that they are testing this app by using TestFlight.

WHAT IS CORTANA?

Cortana will act as a virtual assistant app for users. It is said that people can create reminders, perform quick Internet searches, schedule and track appointments, compose email and other messages, and any other basic feature through voice command. This app will most likely not be able to absolutely insane tasks, but any reasonable and basic task it should be able to perform with ease. It is said that right now Microsoft is trying to determine whether or not Cortana will respond like a human assistant. This beta version is a chance for users to get a taste on what it this app will be about. Microsoft even tested their users and asked them to judge whether or not the experience of having a virtual assistant made their personal experience feel any more realistic. Microsoft seems determined to make this new app the best virtual assistant app on the market.

CORTANA COMPARED TO SIRI

Siri is Apple’s version of the Cortana and is also an intelligent personal assistant. It seems like Siri will be Cortana’s main competition whenever Cortana officially hits the market. Obviously, there are several other apps similar to this, but Apple is certainly one of Microsoft’s biggest competitor when it comes to phones and apps. It is difficult to compare these two at the moment because Microsoft has only released a beta version. This means that Microsoft will no doubt have bugs to fix and that is most certainly why they released a beta version. It is better to have the customers express what problems they have with your product before officially releasing it. Whenever Microsoft decides to release the official app, which has not been revealed yet, is when we can start seeing if Cortana will indeed be better than Siri, but for now the world will have to be patient.

Cortana to be better than Siri

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Poor #Siri, now even Mac users may experience #Cortana! - http://clapway.com/2015/08/19/mac-finally-gets-cortana-support-thanks-to-parallels-desktop-11-113/

Parallels, a company well known for its cross-platform solutions, has a surprise for Mac users: they’ve managed to bring over Windows 10’s virtual assistant software, Cortana, to their Parallels Desktop 11 users.

Cortana Gets More… Virtual

Parallels has been in the business of bringing OS-virtualization software for many years now, and they’ve grown to be quite good at it. Version 11 of their newest software is bringing a host of new features to the platform, but Cortana might be the most noteworthy, if not the most novel one.

Now, anyone familiar with Parallels, or their products, knows there is one caveat to this: Parallels Desktop is a virtual machine. That means that you won’t be installing the Cortana software directly onto your Mac computer in the same way you might install Photoshop. Instead, the software creates a virtual instance of a licensed version of Windows 10 in a blended sort of way.

This means that you are essentially running Windows 10 inside a window on your Mac. It’s a confusing concept to understand when you’re not experiencing the software yourself.

When Worlds Collide

Parallels is most notably known for the way they’ve been able to seamlessly blend virtual machines into Mac OS, and they’ve done some cool stuff with Cortana, too. For instance, Cortana will pop up from the OS X dock if you say “Hey, Cortana,” similar to how it works on Windows 10. It can also launch Mac apps in addition to its normal functions like checking the weather, searching the internet, and the usual.

Cortana aside, Mac users can also use features from OS X on Windows apps. For instance, Macs that sport Force-Touch touchpads can use them to look up word definitions in Microsoft Word.

Get it Now

Parallels Desktop 11 will be available on Wednesday, so if you’re reading this article then you can go check out their site now to pick it up. You will need a Windows 10 license though, and if you don’t already have Parallels Desktop then the standalone will set you back $79.99. Current users will have to pay a $49.99 upgrade fee. There is also a Pro edition, which features developer tools and cloud storage for $49.99 a year.

Here’s the link for the new Cortana-wielding software.

Now, you can get the latest tech reviews from Clapway Trends:

Mac Finally Gets Cortana Support Thanks to Parallels Desktop 11

Monday, August 10, 2015

Rejoice! Cortana Comes to Android Phones. Now We Can All Be Like Master Chief - http://clapway.com/2015/08/10/rejoice-cortana-comes-to-android-phones-now-we-can-all-be-like-master-chief123/

If you’ve ever played any of the Halo games, then you’re familiar with the artificial intelligence character known as Cortana. With the rise in popularity of the Halo games also came the rise in the character’s popularity. She became so well known that Microsoft decided to use her as the inspiration for their digital intelligent personal assistant on Windows Phone. Now, as part of Microsoft’s plans to make the popular character-based assistant available on platforms other than Windows Phone, the company has released it on Android phones, giving users the option to choose Cortana over Google Now as the default function when holding down the home button on those devices.

The Push for Other Platforms

Despite having originally been designed and developed for Windows phones in 2009, Microsoft announced in January of this year that Cortana would be available on Windows 10 computers and mobile devices as part of their efforts to merge Windows Phone into the main Windows operating system.

Then, in May of this year, Microsoft announced its plans to make Cortana available on other platforms. The company planned to release it on Android phones in July, but it was leaked onto the internet before its official release. It is also headed for release on iOS later this year.

During this year’s well known trade fair, E3, Microsoft also announced that Xbox One would be getting Cortana as well, packaged with a Windows 10 update for the popular gaming console.

What Makes Cortana So Awesome?

While the name alone, being a reference to one of the most loved video game characters in popular culture today, is enough to send many fans clamoring for the newest Cortana-enabled device, many of her features have distinguished her since her release from other assistants like Siri and Google Now.

Microsoft’s intelligent personal assistant is able to do many of the same things that other devices with personal assistants are able to do, such as answer questions using information gained from search engines, setting reminders, and recognizing a user’s voice for voice-activated services. However, Cortana can also identify what song you’re listening to. She can roll dice for you, or flip a coin to help you make decisions. She even has a feature called Concert Watch, which helps her figure out what kind of music and bands you like based on your Bing searches.

Since October of last year, Cortana became voice activated through the use of active listening, which enables users to activate her services by simply saying “Hey, Cortana,” even when the phone is not in its user’s hands. However, this if one feature that Microsoft says will not be available on Android phones. According to the company, this is not due to any shortcomings in programming on their part, but because of restrictions and limitations in the hardware of Android devices.

How to Replace Google Now with Cortana

If you’re looking to give Cortana a new home on your Android phone, all you need to do is go to the Microsoft blog and sign up for the program. All you need is a Windows Insider account and a willingness to share with Microsoft your Google account details that you use for your Android phone. The beta version is currently limited to the United States, but will be expanding its reach soon. With the release of Cortana onto Android devices, Microsoft seems to be stepping up its efforts to control the mobile market…look out Siri, Cortana’s coming for you next.

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Rejoice! Cortana Comes to Android Phones. Now We Can All Be Like Master Chief

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

#Windows10 and Android merges into #XboxOne. - http://clapway.com/2015/08/05/windows-10-and-cortana-are-coming-to-xbox-one-342/

The biggest names in video games gathered on Tuesday at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany to show off their upcoming games, and console updates. Microsoft turned the most heads in particular, introducing a variety of exclusive Xbox One titles as well as exciting new console updates and hardware.

A New Windows 10 Dashboard

In one of the biggest announcements from Microsoft at Gamerscom, plans were revealed to release an entirely new and updated dashboard in November that will come complete with Windows 10. Following the less-than-expected download numbers that Windows 10 got with its release last month, this is a smart move by Microsoft to introduce those still shaken up over the nightmare that was Windows 8, and shifting to what they’re calling the “best OS ever.” The updated dashboard and OS is expected to greatly improve the system’s performance and speed.

Cortana Comes to Xbox

The new update will also pair Xbox One users with Cortana —a personal digital assistant that can help you with a wide variety of daily activities like scheduling a meeting, finding the nearest sushi restaurant, and searching the web.

If you already have the Cortana app for your Android or Apple device, or if your laptop runs on Windows 10, then you’ll be happy to learn that a newly downloaded Cortana on the Xbox One will automatically draw from the information already gathered on these devices. Microsoft is trying to get its customers to use their systems to their full potential by encouraging the use of compatible features such as Cortana across a wide variety of devices—features that users have yet to fully utilize.

If you’re looking to download Cortana on Xbox One, you will need to have Kinect installed, for voice recognition purposes.

Anything Else?

Along with unveiling a slew of new titles exclusive to the Xbox One such as Halo 5, Guardians and Forza Motorsport 6, Microsoft also announced plans to release a few interesting pieces of hardware.

The Xbox One will soon be backwards-compatible with a select number of Xbox 360 games, starting at some point this November. Specifically, Microsoft announced that after they are done testing its backwards-compatibility, the Xbox One will be able to play any 360 game with a golden sticker,.

Other new features will include a DVR TV service, which you could use to record, pause, rewind and fast-forward your favorite shows with the push of a button (or you could ask Cortana to push it for you).

Gamers! Have some fun with Virtual Reality:

Windows 10 and Cortana are Coming to Xbox One

Thursday, July 30, 2015

How do YOU feel about the new #Windows10 and #Microsoft"s changes to the #privacy policies? - http://clapway.com/2015/07/30/windows-10-launches-with-a-bang-and-a-few-privacy-issues-245/

Microsoft has finally launched the newest iteration of its operating system, Windows 10, and the reception has been largely positive. But as with most new things, a little change comes along with it. So, with the launch of Windows 10, Microsoft also saw fit to update their Privacy Policy and Service Agreement with a few modifications that users might find a bit worrisome.

Data Syncing

As soon as a user signs into Windows, the operating system begins syncing data to Microsoft’s servers. Most users might not think this is a big deal, and many people knowingly allow their data to be access by companies all the time. The issue is that Microsoft automatically opts all users in without giving them a choice before doing so.

The data being stored on Microsoft’s servers include browser history, favorites, passwords (even website and Wi-Fi passwords), apps currently opened, and more.

Advertising Profiles

Microsoft isn’t using Windows 10 to collect and store user data on its servers just for the heck of it. Signing into Windows 10 also generates an advertising ID unique to each user. This identifier is a way for Microsoft to allow developers and advertisers to build a profile about users in order to tailor advertisements for specific users. This can easily be turned off in the settings, but again, this is another option that should be opt-in rather than opt-out.

Cortana: Friend or Foe?

Cortana, Microsoft

While some of these concerns were known about prior, the amount of data Cortana, Microsoft’s Windows 10 equivalent to Apple’s Siri, can accumulate and share about a user is certainly surprising. Fortunately, Cortana is an opt-in feature, and the disclaimer text fully discloses the software’s intention of collecting data ranging from voice input to communication data all upfront.

This issue is more ambiguous than the others because a virtual assistant can’t operate without these details. Cortana needs to be able to have access to this information in order to provide contextual answers to user queries.

Microsoft Owns Your Data

Most of these privacy concerns boil down to the fact that a user is essentially signing their data over to Microsoft.

“We will access, disclose and preserve personal data, including your content (such as the content of your emails, other private communications or files in private folders), when we have a good faith belief that doing so is necessary to protect our customers or enforce the terms governing the use of the services.”

That last bit of text, in tandem with the extensive amount of data Cortana can collect, is a bit worrisome, however. Microsoft certainly isn’t the only company who wants users to sign over all of their data, but consumers have a right to know what these companies plan to do with the data once they have it.

Tech news in a fun way on Clapway Trends:

Windows 10 Launches With a Bang and a Few Privacy Issues

Saturday, July 18, 2015

Cortana for Android Leaked as Beta App Ready for Download - http://clapway.com/2015/07/18/cortana-for-android-leaked-as-beta-app-ready-for-download-234/

A beta version of Microsoft’s digital personal assistant Cortana for Android leaked yesterday, much to the excitement of Android users nationwide. Recently given as an exclusive offer to Windows Insiders, Microsoft originally planned to test its functionality before giving the app an official release later this month. For those too impatient to wait for Cortana’s official launch, you can download the .apk file here, and upload it to your Android device.

WHAT’S A “CORTANA?”

Cortana is Microsoft’s answer to iOS’s Siri, and Window’s Google Now—a digital buddy, eager to help users with day-to-day activities by covering a wide variety of uses, such as finding the nearest gas station, access pictures and documents stored on the cloud, and scheduling important events. Users are also encouraged to input their personal preferences into the app’s “Notebook” (such as one’s favorite type of food, or how willing they’d be to travel to the nearest destination) to help Cortana narrow the range of choices to best suit your needs. Those already familiar with the Windows Phone version of Cortana will have no trouble navigating their way through the app, as the interface for the Android beta version is nearly identical.

TREAD LIGHTLY

While Cortana for Android is able to help you schedule meetings, pick out just the right place for dinner, check the weather, and send pre-scheduled emails just as well as its already-released versions, Microsoft is careful to warn us that the app is still very much in its beta stages, and is thus lacking a few key functions. Unlike its predecessors, the Android version does not yet include an interactive widget, but is instead only available as a standard app. Additionally, you are not yet able to access it by calling out “Hey Cortana!” as you can with the Windows Phone version. Although no specific plans for improving the app were mentioned, Microsoft was quick to promise us fast and frequent updates upon its official release. With this information, it’s not too hard to imagine these functions being added within the next few weeks, as well as the inevitable bug fixes that come with the testing of a beta app.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

This recent development should come as no surprise to those who have been following Microsoft’s official blog, which recently stated their plans to integrate Cortana across a wide variety of platforms, including the XBox One, iOS devices, and the new Windows 10 operating system. Imagine you have an important job interview in a few days. You know you’re a forgetful person, so you schedule a reminder for the date and time of the interview using Cortana on your phone or tablet. But when the big day comes around, you forget all about, and your phone is nowhere to be seen, so you decide to play video games on your Xbox One instead of preparing—yikes! Now imagine Cortana (also downloaded on your Xbox One) pausing your game to remind you of your interview, just in time. This is Microsoft’s ultimate goal: to become a constant and helpful presence in your life by incorporating Cortana’s many uses across a wide variety of digital platforms.

What kinds of improvements do you hope to see with the official release of Cortana for Android later this month? Drop a thought in the comments below!

For more tech related news, Clapway Trends has the reviews you’re looking for:

Cortana for Android Leaked as Beta App Ready for Download