Last month we revealed that Toshiba would be adding a nifty feature to its laptops in the form of a dedicated physical button that would launch Cortana. Sounds like a pretty awesome idea, doesn’t it? Turns out that accessory maker Satechi has a similar idea as well and has recently launched their own dedicated Bluetooth button.
Unlike Toshiba’s option which we can only assume is built into the laptop itself, Satechi’s button will exist as a separate device. Like we said it is a Bluetooth button so it will have no issues connecting with your laptop, PC (if you have Bluetooth), or even your mobile device. This means that instead of saying “Hey Cortana” whenever you want to launch the voice assistant, you can just press the button instead.
According to Satechi, “Instead of users needing to turn on the “Hey Cortana” feature, which actively listens to the environment and therefore drains battery, users can opt to use the BT Cortana Button to conserve battery life and stay hands-free.” They have even suggested novel ways of using the button, like hanging it on a keychain, attach it to a steering wheel, bicycle handlebars, and so on.
We’re not sure if this button will work with iOS and Android devices when Cortana launches on them, but even if it doesn’t you can still use it with your PC or Windows Phone handset. The device is slated to go on sale in August where it will be priced at $22.99.
Filed in . Read more about Cortana, Microsoft, Satechi and Windows 10.