The latest Windows 10 preview build brings improvements to font management and the Start Menu. But the thing I’m most excited about is that Microsoft is separating Search from Cortana. Starting with Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 18317, users will see two separate items in the Windows taskbar: a search box and a Cortana icon. […]
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Non-Cortana voice assistants could become first-class citizens on Windows 10
Windows 10 ships with Microsoft’s Cortana virtual assistant software baked in. There’s not even a separate search icon in the taskbar — currently you can choose between a Cortana/Search box or a Cortana circle icon. But a recent Windows 10 preview build offers a new look: separate search and Cortana icons. Folks who have dug […]
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ECDREAM V6B is a fanless mini PC with built-in mic and speaker
Chinese computer maker ECDREAM’s latest small form-factor desktop looks more like a smart speaker than a PC… and I guess you could use it like one if you wanted to. That’s because the ECDREAM DreamOne V6B is a mini-tower that has a speaker built into the base, as well as a built-in microphone. So thanks […]
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Now you can use Cortana to talk to Alexa… or vice versa
Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Samsung all have virtual assistant software that you can interact with by voice. While there’s a lot of overlap in features, there are some things you may be able to do in one that you cannot do with another. So when Microsoft and Amazon announced plans last year to let their Cortana […]
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Android now supports Alexa, Cortana, or Google as default assistant
Long-press the home button on most recent Android devices and it’ll bring up Google Assistant, allowing you to search by voice, ask questions, set reminders, play voice games, and perform many other tasks. But Android also lets you disable the feature if you don’t use it… or use a third-party assistant if you’d prefer. Up […]
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The first Cortana-powered smart speaker launches Oct 22nd for $200
As expected, the Harman Kardon Invoke speaker goes on sale this Sunday for $200. While there’s no shortage of smart speakers on the market, this is one is kind of special, because it’s the first to use Microsoft’s Cortana voice assistant. It’ll go up against Amazon’s $99 Echo speaker and Google’s $129 Google Home. But […]
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Cortana learns to speak to smart home devices
Microsoft’s Cortana voice assistant is built into every PC that ships with Windows 10. You can interact with Cortana by voice or by typing a question or request. And it does many of the same things other voice assistants including setting reminders, providing news or weather updates, or telling jokes. There’s also support for third-party […]
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Harman Kardon’s Cortana speaker coming Oct 22nd for $200 (probably)
Amazon currently dominates the smart speaker space it helped create, although Google is trying to catch up and Apple wants in. But so does Microsoft… and it looks like you may finally be able to buy a speaker with Microsoft’s Cortana voice assistant soon. The company first announced it was working with third-party hardware makers […]
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Coming soon: use Cortana on an Echo, Alexa on a PC
Amazon and Microsoft have announced that their voice assistants are learning to talk to one another… and you. By the end of the year you’ll be able to use Cortana features on just about any device that supports Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant. And Alexa features will also be available through Cortana. But the implementation is […]
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Microsoft Dictate brings Cortana’s speech recognition to Office
The last few versions of Microsoft Windows have had built-in support for speech recognition, allowing you to control some PC functions with your voice and to dictate text for input in various applications. But the service isn’t as accurate as the speech engine that powers the Cortana voice assistant software included in Windows 10. So […]