Cortana

Microsoft has a new update for its Outlook mobile app that targets users who prefer speaking rather than typing when it comes to getting things done. The update brings Cortana to the app in a big way, enabling users to ask questions about their agenda, schedule meetings, and other tasks, as well as using voice to search through their emails and related content. The update is only available on iOS for now, however.

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The day has come to wave a tearful farewell to Cortana, at least if you were a user of Microsoft's assistant apps for iOS and Android. As warned, after today the Cortana mobile app "will no longer be supported," Microsoft says, as it reins in its assistant tech to Windows alone.

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Of all the major AI-powered smart assistants, Microsoft's Cortana was singular in being the only one based on an existing character. It seems, however, that it's fated to return and remain in its Halo universe as Microsoft slowly pushes it out of its other non-gaming incarnations. It really isn't news that Cortana's mobile presence will be ending this month but now the app for Android and iOS is reminding users to prepare for its demise.

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Microsoft has been slowly removing Cortana from devices and platforms but this latest bit of news might be the most damning move it has done. While other devices or platforms only had Cortana as an added feature, Microsoft smart assistant is the very essence of the Harman Karon Invoke smart speaker. With Cortana's upcoming departure, it will downgrade the speaker into just a Bluetooth audio accessory, presuming you get it updated before the end of June, that is.

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As Microsoft continues to narrow Cortana's scope and turn it into an AI assistant that's primarily used in Microsoft 365, the company has made the decision to drop pretty much all of Cortana's consumer integrations. Today, Microsoft outlined a roadmap for Cortana's end of support, and it begins in September with the company pulling the plug on all third-party Cortana skills. Not long after, we'll see the Cortana app vanish and its integration with the Harman Kardon Invoke speaker end as well.

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Today the folks at Microsoft responsible for updating Windows released Windows 10 version 2004, also known as Windows 10 May 2020 Update. This update should be downloaded immediately if you do not already have your computer set to download Windows updates immediately. This version of Windows 10 has a wide variety of bug fixes and performance upgrades, including all those fixes included in the previous cumulative updates to Windows 10, version 1909.

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Microsoft has announced an upcoming update to its Cortana personal assistant, one that will bring enhanced security and new capabilities, as well as the removal of consumer skills. The announcement will no doubt upset some users who will need to switch to the mobile version of the assistant for these skills. The changes will arrive in the Windows update scheduled for release this spring.

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Microsoft's Cortana was special to some extent. Of all the popular AI voice assistants, it was the only one with a face, based on a pre-existing character from the popular Halo franchise. Unfortunately, neither that nor Microsoft's technologies was enough to keep it from becoming almost irrelevant. While the company will still keep its own AI agent alive at least on Windows, it is officially though still informally declaring it dead on Android and iOS.

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Microsoft plans to stop supporting the Cortana mobile app in select markets starting in early 2020, the company quietly revealed on its support website. It's unclear how broadly the app will be removed -- based on Microsoft's message, it will happen in at least three countries. Microsoft's personal assistant will remain available on Windows 10, of course.

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Cortana is about to get a lot more chatty, with Microsoft launching a new Play My Emails feature for its assistant at Ignite 2019 today. The new Outlook mobile feature is joined by a new voice for Cortana, adding a masculine option to the existing feminine voice the assistant first debuted with.

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If you're looking for new Windows 10 features to get excited about, you might want to look past this year's second major update. Currently dubbed the 19H2 update based on when it's expected to roll out, the next Windows 10 feature release will be a more somber affair, focusing on polish and stability to address the growing number of complaints users have about the OS. That does also means that next year's first major release, a.k.a. Windows 10 20H1, might have more exciting news, including a new Cortana that isn't just more conversational but also more available to users.

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Last week, word surfaced that Microsoft, as with Apple, Google, Amazon, and Facebook before it, was using human contractors to listen to some Skype and Cortana audio clips. Though other big tech companies have paused these practices in light of consumer concerns, Microsoft has taken a different route, updating its privacy policy to explicitly state that people are listening.

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