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MICROSOFT ANNOUNCED ITS updates for both its mobile operating system (OS) and desktop service, Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 8.1.
At Microsoft’s developer conference BUILD, Microsoft executive, Joe Belfiore, revealed the two new updates at the event’s keynote speech.
Windows Phone 8.1 will be released to the public in the “next few months” although certain phones with it installed installed could be out sooner.
Alongside a new look, the biggest feature announced for Windows Phone was Microsoft’s long awaited personal voice assistant Cortana, which replaces the OS’ traditional search function.
Sharing a number of similarities with Apple’s Siri and Google Now, Cortana takes note of everything you share with it including reminders, interests and locations, to provide relevant suggestions and reminders.
For those who don’t want the personal assistant to note everything you do, its notebook feature allows you to allow or block Cortana’s access to specific information and functions.
Similar to Google Now, it can also remind you of events – and remind you when certain events clash – find places, schedule reminders and responds to natural language.
Cortana is only launching as a beta in the US first before it expands to the UK and other countries in the coming months.
Other features included in the update are an action centre – effectively a notification centre with toggle buttons for airplane mode and other services – and ‘Wi-Fi sense’, which allows your phone to connect to free wifi hotspots as well as share your home wifi connection without giving away your password.
It also features an improved navigation and keyboard service, the latter having fast-typing capabilities similar to Swype for Android.
Windows 8.1
The update to Windows 8.1 wasn’t as major as its mobile equivalent, instead opting for small updates to help improve the experience for keyboard and mouse users.
Some of the updates include making the taskbar visible on both the Start screen and tiled apps – so it’s easier to switch between desktop and tiled apps mode – tiles are easier to select and modify using the mouse, and a power button on the Start screen for easier shutdown.
This update will arrive on 8th April as an automatic download.
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Master Chief will be delighted to have Cortana back!
Didn’t she go crazy and try to kill everybody in the end ?
Nah, she saved Chief from a nuke, ending her life in the process.
And now, born again on Windows mobile.
I’m betting she will be resurrected for halo 5
I bet you it still won’t be able to understand a Cork accent.
Who would – bar corkians… ;-)
Your a Langer bhoy in her deepest Cork accent ;-)
They can tweak the phone all they want, but until it greatly improves it’s App Store, Windows Phone will continue flounder behind Apple and Samsung in sales.
Totally agree White Fang, I had a Nokia Lumia for over a year! Was a great phone, but the App Store is so so so barren!!
I went for a Lumia recently as my iPhone 3GS had it. I was prepared for the poor app store, but I have to say that I’ve been pleasantly surprised. All the major apps are there and the phone itself is awesome. The Nokia apps and camera are just incredible. Perhaps a lot of the IOS games are not there all right, but I think there is some momentum behind the device now and we’ll see a large growth of apps this year.
I’ve had no regrets in making the jump to Windows phone.
Google Now is the only one of these things that works well. Had to download it as Siri is rubbish.
It couldn’t recognize the word “Foot” the other day. Spent ages shouting “Foot” at my phone. The other cinema goers were not best pleased.
Think I’ll stick with XP
On my second Lumia ..and can’t see swapping back anywhere near an Android system that now resembles XP for malware. Between Nokia’s camera apps & media browser, i have all i need for integration/remote control with the desktop too ..a paltry app store is fine too just means there’s 50 less copies of flappy turd to sift through.
Said I’d try a windows phone in December after having storage issues with android. Threw the lumia in the bin last month and got an iPhone.
Worst apps ever – if you were even lucky enough to find them – and most by dodgy developers. The amount of rubbish that came up in my Facebook news feed was ridiculous, the app forces crappy pages by the developer into your feed and there is no getting rid of them.
Constantly crashing apps and repeatedly having to hard reset the phone made it difficult to find anything good about the damn thing!
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