Back in 2013, we heard the rumors that Microsoft could be looking to introduce a voice assistant feature to their Windows Phone handsets which has been codenamed Cortana, after the AI in the Halo franchise. One of the interesting features is that Cortana will have an always-listening mode much like the Moto X meaning that users will not have to press any buttons in order to activate it, making it pretty convenient. In any case according to the latest rumors from MSFTNerd, it seems that Cortana will be voiced by none other than Jen Taylor, the same voice actress for Cortana in the Halo video games, and that the voice assistant feature will be released to Windows Phone devices this April.
Given that the Build conference is scheduled around that time as well, it would not be a stretch of the imagination to think that is when Microsoft will be taking the opportunity to announce the new feature. As expected Microsoft is rumored to be introducing Cortana across its range of products and services, such as the Bing app for iOS users, the Xbox One, and possibly even Windows users in the Windows “Threshold” update which has reportedly been scheduled for 2015. In any case it’s not completely out of the question to think that Microsoft is developing a voice assistant feature of their own, but as to whether it performs as advertised is the better question.
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