I am one of the 2.8 million “Windows Insiders” testing and using Microsoft’s new Windows 10 operating system on my three laptops. Two of them are Microsoft’s Surface tablet/laptop machines and one is an older Lenovo. The following quote is from the web site WinBeta.org.
“The Windows Insider project has proven to be something of an unmitigated success story for Microsoft. As announced during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) there are now over 2.8 million Windows Insiders across the world, and from this number over 900,000 pieces of feedback have been received. “
One of the major new features of this operating system is “Cortana”. This feature is also on the Lumia Denim version of Windows Phone operating system.
Just like the article “Considering Cortana” by Scott Bekker in the March 2015 issue of Channel Watch magazine, I think Cortana is going to revolutionize the technology world. She is going to be big.
Scott notes in his article:
“The spunky personal digital assistant from Microsoft, Cortana, is about to hit the big time. … The global desktop platform takes Cortana beyond me-too status into groundbreaking UI [universal intelligence] territory.”
Wikipedia defines Cortana as:
“Microsoft Cortana is an intelligent personal assistant developed by Microsoft for Windows Phone 8.1,[2] Microsoft Band,[3][4] and Windows 10.[5]
It is named after Cortana, an artificial intelligence character in Microsoft's Halo video game series, with Jen Taylor, the character's voice actress, returning to voice the personal assistant's US-specific version.[6]”
Microsoft describes Cortana as:
“Cortana is your personal assistant on your Windows Phone [and PC, Tablet]. She's there to help make things easier for you and keep you up to date on the things that matter to you.
Whether it’s to keep you looped in with your world or help you manage your everyday life, Cortana is there for you.”
“Check out these topics for more info about Cortana and the ways she can help.”
See the following links: http://www.windowsphone.com/en-US/how-to/wp8/cortana/meet-cortana
In addition Microsoft blog notes the following about Cortana in the new Windows 10 operating system for the desktop and tablet computers.
“Cortana started in April of 2012 as part of early thinking about what the future of search should be on mobile phones. We saw an emerging set of trends around the personalization of your experience due to the sheer amount of things your phone knows about you – your location, the people you communicate with most, your favorite apps/services, etc. We thought this was a bigger idea than just mobile, and this capability should be available across all of our devices – from mouse and keyboard, to touch – and that it should utilize what we knew about patterns and anticipate and meet those needs. We didn’t want to build one digital assistant for everybody, we wanted to build one digital assistant for you. Cortana learns you, knows you, and respects you.” http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/2015/02/10/how-cortana-comes-to-life-in-windows-10/
There are several other competitors in the market place. The largest in SIRI by Apple Computer. However, given the base of Windows machines installed and used by businesses worldwide, I think that Cortana will be far more prevalent than competitors on tablets/desktops when Windows 10 is released to the general public. It will probably be on Windows Server 10, Azure Server and other enterprise level systems as well.
Some ways Cortana on the Windows phone can be used are noted by Scott in his article.
“In the car with Bluetooth, Cortana is incredibly useful. I regularly task the phone through Cortana to simultaneously run GPS directions and play music and Cortana handles incoming phone calls and texts with hands-free aplomb.
The ability to create appointments is handy for work, and Cortana does a good job with things like noticing airline confirmation e-mails and tracking flights in the background.”
I am finding Cortana on my Windows 10 operating system to be an easier way to search than opening the Internet Explorer browser and using Bing.com. The results are the same but the interface is simpler.
This change is especially true if you use the voice activated “Hey Cortana” feature. It takes a bit of getting used to but once used it is hard not to have it (for example when I use a non-Windows 10 machine).
When using this new technology, I think back to the incredible things which were accomplished using much less computing power. One example was the moon landings in the late 1960’s. Another was the Journey and landing on the asteroid EROS. EROS Adventure, Journey to an Asteroid is an EPub which includes over three hundred photos that show just how incredible that accomplishment was. Imagine how much more could have been accomplished using technology such as Cortana, had it been available on these missions.
The rapid increase in the development of software and hardware technology is truly mind boggling. Now we have the new Microsoft Surface Hub and Microsoft Hololens. These and other technologies, such as Cortana, will revolutionize our world. I look at this rapid advance in technology from different perspectives in my EPub entitled World Collapse or New Eden, 101 Expert Predictions about Your World and Where They are Today.
However, we do need to have a discussion about jobs, employment and education going forward into this new world. If technology continues to advance as quickly as it is today, we desperately need to redefine what our educational systems, employment systems and global society is going to look like. It seems that many of our top corporate and political leaders resist the call for such a discussion. It is, however, very clear, that educational and employment systems designed for the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries will not work in the 21st century, with such advanced technology.
It is extremely apparent to me that Cortana and software technology like “her” are going to continue to fascinate and amaze us. As both hardware and software continues to evolve in such fields as medicine, communications, computers, transportation and robotics, we need to change the way we think about how we interact with technology and what our role in a global society will be. We have a very bright future ahead from a technology standpoint, and as Bill Gates talks about in his November 1995 book, we need to look at and discuss the road ahead.
As millions of computers and tablets convert to Windows 10, which includes Cortana, I have no doubt that most users will have my experience with the software. It is very useful and will become a large part of our life. I agree with Scott, Cortana is going to be big.
Sincerely,
H. Court Young
Author, publisher, speaker and geologist
Promoting awareness through the written word
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