Microsoft’s digital voice assistant was introduced on Windows Phone 8.1 back in early April, and since then the company has been working hard to refine the service and launch it globally. On mobile.
But an appearance on the Windows platform is all but a formality.
And now we have an official confirmation. Of sorts. Marcus Ash, the group program manager working on the Cortana project fired off a series of tweets over the weekend, revealing that the software titan was indeed planning to port Cortana to the desktop.
Only after finishing work on the Windows Phone build, that is.
This is what he said on the matter:
“4. After we execute on #1 – #3, we have started to THINK about #Cortana on #Windows so more #Microsoft customers experience her.”
And followed it up with another tweet, saying:
“5. In a future state, the best experience will still be for #Microsoft customers that own all #Windows devices. Best work is on our devices.”
So basically, the idea is to provide a fully featured experience on Windows Phone, first and foremost. This is clearly the top priority for now.
Once this goal is achieved, however, the company will start focusing on other projects for Cortana, including porting the service to Windows 8.1. In case this takes time, and development requires more effort, then the digital assistance might debut with Windows 9.
And judging by how thing are going, chances are that the next full version of the operating system will be the one that arrives with Cortana built in.
This might help the Windows Phone Users. So it might be more Pertinent to post
Windows Phone 8 Development and Hacking > http://forum.xda-developers.com/Windows Phone 8 GeneralWindows Phone 8 General
I do not believe you had a question per se in mind.
Related
Just got this:
Ex-Microsoft Employee Likens Windows Phone 7 To Vista
By Kevin McLaughlin, ChannelWeb
6:42 PM EST Tue. Feb. 16, 2010 Windows Phone 7 has been greeted with largely positive reviews, but one former Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT) employee has struck an ominous chord by comparing it to Windows Vista.
In a Monday blog post, Scott Barnes, a former Microsoft product manager for Windows Presentation Foundation and Silverlight, and now a user experience specialist with Melbourne, Australia-based development firm Readify.net, said Windows Phone 7 is an example of Microsoft trying too hard to create a device that is the opposite of the iPhone.
While the simple Windows Phone 7 user experience will let Microsoft react quickly to mobile market conditions, the delays along the road to Windows Phone 7, and the urgency that Microsoft faced in getting it out the door are reminiscent of the situation that existed before Vista's launch, according to Barnes.
"For me, this is the Windows Vista launch, as after some code resets and downward pressure from above, this is almost exactly the same internal conditions Windows Vista team had before their launch," Barnes wrote in the blog post. During this time, the message from Microsoft management was "get it to market, get it fast and we'll come back around for the bits we wanted to put in place," Barnes wrote.
In light of the repeated delays that both Windows Phone 7 and Vista encountered on their way to market, Barnes' analogy makes sense. But the situation Microsoft faces with Windows Phone 7 is also similar to the one it faced with Windows 7: In both cases, the new releases followed unpopular products that frustrated partners and customers and led them to consider alternatives.
With Windows 7, Microsoft was able to show that Vista was an aberration, and company officials have taken full advantage of the opportunity to talk about the great things that happen when Microsoft and its partner ecosystem are communicating closely.
With Windows Phone 7, Microsoft will have a chance to show it's capable of developing a mobile OS that's vital and fun, something that consumers will crave. But that's actually a far greater challenge for Microsoft, because these are the last descriptions that come to mind when describing Windows Mobile 6.5.
Hi People,
Here is an extract from smartphone mag that has some bad news in it, It seems M$ is starting a fresh and non of your programs will run on WM7. Plus there will be no updates for any current phones, so I dont see much prospects for cooking WM7 that will be of any use for us. Anyway I shall let you read it yourself
Jay
Jim Karpen,
your Web Guide
Read New Windows Mobile Content Every Week day at Smartphonemag.com
Web Guide: Windows Phone 7 Won’t Run Old Apps, Won’t Work on Current Phones
Shocking news this past week about the forthcoming Windows Phone 7 Series. Not only will it not run current apps, but also current phones such as the forthcoming HTC HD2 from T-Mobile may not be upgradeable. This week, I'll point you to more information about this, as well as additional detail about Windows Phone 7 and videos of this software in action.
Current Phones Won't Run Windows Phone 7
windows Phone 7 Series Won't Run Current Apps
The other bit of news was somewhat expected, but still something of a shock: none of your current software will work on a Windows Phone 7 device. According to a post by a Microsoft executive, making a clean break from the past will allow the new phones to be as powerful and user-friendly as possible.
What does that mean? That the developers will need to rewrite their software to work on the new phones. The exec did say that Microsoft will continue to work with partners who plan to deliver Windows Mobile 6.5 devices, and that it will continue to support these products.
The big question is, Will developers bother to rewrite their software? Given that so much of the smartphone action is in the Android and iPhone arenas, they may simply choose to focus on those platforms rather than rewrite their software for Windows Phone 7. An indication of the declining interest in Microsoft's platform may be the recent announcement by Skype that they were pulling their Windows Mobile version of Skype and have ceased development of it.
It is known for quite some time, just say goodbye to our clients to finally kato no one wants their products, they are great clowns of silent men like this Seventh, very ugly and totally sure that will become famous shows blue screen, as gathered from XP
http://www.informationweek.com/news/windows/microsoft_news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=229400796
Screen shots depicting features that may be part of the next version of Windows have leaked onto the Web and show that the new operating system may borrow some features from other Microsoft products, such as Office.
The screen shots, which were posted over the weekend by Neowin and other tech blogs, reveal that the main user interface for Windows 8, at least in its current build, uses an Office-style ribbon that gives users one-click access to a number of features and commands, such as "Share," "View," and "Copy To Folder."
IBM Chairman Emeritus Irving Wladawsky-Berger talks about cloud as the next evolution in computing, saying that it's a response to end-user frustration with complexity.
Pundits are suggesting the design may reflect Microsoft's desire to make Windows 8 a tablet-friendly OS that can compete with Apple's iPad and Google's Android. Earlier this year, Microsoft confirmed that it would build a version of Windows 8 for ARM chips, which have become the processor of choice for most tablet makers due to their light footprint and low power requirements.
Microsoft has not commented on the authenticity of the screen shots. Reaction to the purported redesign was mixed.
To exploit the natural synergy of smartphones and tablets with the cloud, first nail down solid mobile and cloud strategies.
Cloud and Mobile Computing: Better Together
"Looks too messy, and needs to be made smaller and fit more," wrote Neowin reader "Ely", in the blog's comments section. "If they make it smaller, and fine tune it then it will be fine. If not, hopefully you can turn it off," the reader said.
Another reader, "Joshie", said the changes are appealing: "Office with ribbon on auto-hide is one of the most pleasant software UIs I've ever come across, and I think it's a great way to bring menus and toolbars together in an ultimately space-saving style."
Microsoft has not provided a firm release date for Windows 8, and estimates by market watchers range from late 2011 to the 2012 back-to-school season. Most observers agree, however, that the company needs to ship a tablet-capable OS as soon as possible before it falls too far behind Apple and Google in one of the tech sector's hottest markets.
Even longtime Microsoft partner Hewlett-Packard, apparently frustrated by Redmond's failure to produce a tablet OS, recently said it planned to build slates around its own WebOS, which it gained through its acquisition of Palm, instead of Windows.
Microsoft shares were up .37%, to $25.58, in early trading Monday.
First off, it is silly that I cannot post a reply straight into the thread, and have to create a new thread in an unrelated area of the forums, as I am a new user (or have less than 10 posts).
Ok, as regards the Windows RT and lock down of the Desktop Applications development, how do the internal programs get past this block? As per many other comments it would appear that Windows RT is a recompilation of Windows 8 and has many like for like .dll's, etc. If the Office 2013 suite can run under the desktop, is it because Microsoft has signed the app with a certificate that is not available to other developers? Does this mean that under the previous EU ruling they are breaching some law in that they are using resources to give themselves an advantage that other developers cannot take advantage of?
I think the only reason they have locked down Windows RT like this is so that this cheap OS does not eat into their regular Windows 8 sales. Certainly I bought a Windows RT device because it is more compatible with my work habits (due to Office 2013) than the Android and iPads I have used in the past. If I could easily use tools like PuTTY, then there would be little reason for me to use a normal laptop or other device.
I doubt Microsoft really watches these discussions in any serious way, but one of the key reasons I chose Windows RT over Android and iPad is because when I need the flexibility of many windows open at the same time and side by side I can do that, but when I want the uncluttered quick environment then New UI does that as well.
Samsung, with Android, is starting to allow a couple apps together, but try to run an Excel Spreadsheet and read your banking web site at the same time to transpose the figures into your budgeting file, and iPad/Android are tedious but Windows RT is a breeze, it is what Windows does best. Microsoft should understand that apart from everything else they do, they provide an OS and should let developers get the most out of that OS, just like Android and iPad developers can push those OS's.
oucarso econcomy
What's more awesome is that new users can't post outside links either. This might be of interest to you www[dot]makeuseof[dot]com/tag/how-to-jailbreak-your-windows-rt-device-and-run-unapproved-desktop-software/
Thanks for the link
My post came as a result of researching the Jail Break idea, I had not seen that page yet. I downloaded the patch and it worked very well. Pity it does not detail why the program goes to the internet the first time it is run, but I assume it is to get the certificate?
Seems like most posters are really happy to have PuTTY working (which is exactly what I wanted). Is it hard to create a New UI App?, maybe someone just needs to compile PuTTY as a New UI app as a terminal emulator should be pretty straight forward.
While I understand that new Intel chips are just around the corner, Surface RT is only $400.00 (64Gb, Touch keyboard) so pretty cheap, so being able to sit on the couch and browse emails, internet and also manage my Linux boxes is really good.
I can do the same thing on my Android TAB, but it is tedious changing screens all the time. New UI has the same problem, always flicking between all the programs. This is what Windows does best, so don't understand why MS would take away from that tried and true model, except they are probably trying to protect their full Windows 8 investment. Instead what they will find is the Windows RT dies a quick death and that is a wasted investment (if that happens they should have just made a New UI only version and got Office to work within that environment if Office is the main reason for the Desktop in Windows RT).
BY
Fizzip.com
Microsoft has released a new Technical Preview build of Windows 10 at this year’s Build developer conference. Although not all the new Windows 10 features that were announced at Build are available in this Insider Preview release, users will find improvements to Continuum, Cortana and more.
There’s a lot of visual changes on the surface with build 10074, with improvements to the general user experience. The translucent Aero Glass from Windows 7 is making a reappearance on Windows 10, and Microsoft is also adding support for high DPI displays as well.
Multitasking
There are notable improvements to multitasking and switching tasks between tablet and desktop views for users with two-in-one hybrids or tablets. The update makes Continuum more intuitive to tablet users.
“When you close an application in Tablet mode, we take you back to the Start screen instead of the desktop as you would expect when using a tablet,” Microsoft said of the change in a blog post. “You will see general polish on snapping, and the shared divider between two snapped windows now let’s you adjust the size.”
For multitaskers, Snap Assist now supports the ability to close apps.
Cortana
Cortana is now more integrated into the Windows experience on build 10074. You can now start to search for an app within the Start menu, and Cortana will take over. Cortana’s interface has also been revamped.
“The new Windows split view control has been added to Cortana’s left rail, offering quick access to key Cortana functionality like the Notebook, Reminders or Feedback on how Cortana’s doing,” Microsoft said, “This split view control helps anchor Cortana to the rest of the Windows UI and provides navigation consistent with many other Windows first party applications.”
Cortana can also now return results to more types of queries now. You can check for the flight status, perform mathematical calculations, convert units, ask Cortana to tell you a joke, find out the time in a different time zone, lookup definitions, check the weather and stocks, define words and also get tech help.
More updates
The new release also brings with it new updates to the Xbox, Music and Video apps inside Windows 10. The Windows Store Beta app, which is formerly a gay tile, is now a blue tile.
“Apps you purchased on a PC running Windows 8.1 will now show up in the Store Beta on Windows 10 as owned (and vice-versa),” Microsoft said as it is expanding its Store Beta more markets.
Windows Store
The update also adds new system sounds to Windows 10. Additionally, on the Lock screen, Microsoft is adding new learning experiences so Insiders can get the most out of their Technical Preview experience.
“This ranges from tips and tricks on the Lock screen, to helping users discover high quality apps through Start, the Lock screen and Cortana,” Microsft said.
The new Windows 10 build 10074 is now available through Windows Update.
Microsoft brings Android, iOS apps to Windows 10
Company says that it’s “building bridges” to developers on other platforms.
Things have sure changed since 2007.
Aurich Lawson
SAN FRANCISCO—Microsoft announced a four-pronged effort to bring developers and their apps to Windows at its build conference today. One of these prongs—a way for Web developers to present their sites as apps—was already announced at Mobile World Congress earlier in the year.
The second prong is logical but not altogether surprising. In Windows 10, developers will be able to specially prepare existing Windows apps, whether Win32, .NET WinForms, .NET WPF, or any other Windows development technology, and sell them through the Windows Store. Unlike the “traditional” Windows application installation experience, these apps will be guaranteed to install, update, and uninstall cleanly—one of the important things that Store apps do to ensure that users feel confident trying apps out and removing them if they don’t like them. Behind the scenes, virtualization technology will be used to provide this isolation and robustness.
Islandwood and Astoria
The next two prongs are the more surprising: Microsoft is going after Android and iOS developers. With Project Islandwood, iOS developers will be able to take their iOS apps and build them for Windows. Microsoft has developed an Objective C toolchain and middleware layer that provide the operating system APIs that iOS apps expect. A select group of third parties have been using the Islandwood tools already, with King’s Candy Crush Saga for Windows Phone being one of the first apps built this way. King’s developers had to change only a “few percent” of the code in order to fully port it to Windows Phone.
For Android, there is Project Astoria. Rumors of Android apps on Windows have been floating around for some time, and in Windows 10 Microsoft is delivering on those rumors. Astoria will allow Android apps to run in Windows. Specifically, Windows Mobile (and yes, that’s now officially the name for Windows on phones and sub-8 inch tablets) will include an Android runtime layer that’ll let them run existing Android apps (both Java and C++) unmodified. Unlike Islandwood, which will require developers themselves to recompile their software to bring it to Windows, Astoria will in principle work with any old APK, without requiring the developer to do anything but publish the app in the store—as long as the APK sticks to the APIs that Astoria will provide.
As we’ve written before, there are two aspects to Android: there is the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) that’s a mix of GPL and BSD-licensed open source code that anyone can take and fork, and there’s Google Mobile Services (GMS), an ever expanding closed-source set of applications and APIs that Google develops. Applications that need GMS, for example for its geolocation capabilities or its in-app purchasing, will not run on a plain AOSP platform. They’ll need GMS.
When we spoke to Microsoft about Astoria, the company would not tell us what proportion of the AOSP and GMS APIs would be supported, but it did confirm that it wouldn’t be 100 percent; there will be APIs that Astoria does not provide, and accordingly, APKs that use those APIs will not run.
On the flip side, Astoria will offer some integration points with Windows so that Android devs can, with minor alterations, support features like Cortana in their apps.
The broader theme of Microsoft’s work is to make Windows 10 the platform for developers. It will give them one app platform that spans phone, tablet, PC, hybrid, and console, and thanks to the free upgrade for Windows 7 and 8 users, it should be much less fragmented than Windows in the past. The company has the incredibly ambitious goal of having 1 billion users on the Windows 10 family within 2-3 years of launch.
The underlying strategy behind the four bridges is to allow developers to use the code they already have. Microsoft’s intent isn’t to make a BlackBerry 10-style capitulation, where the answer to the app gap is “just use Android apps instead.” Rather, the hope is that developers will still make Windows apps; they’ll just be Windows apps that happen to share a ton of code with iOS or Android apps.
Goodbye Internet Explorer, hey Microsoft EdgeWHAT WE KNOW ABOUT MICROSOFT WINDOWS 10
BY
Fizzip.com