Today, Microsoft announced a major shift in focus for its personal assistant, Cortana: she's getting out of the consumer gadget business and focusing on productivity. The new version of Cortana will debut with the next major update to Windows 10, expected to roll out in April.
Microsoft is tightening access to Cortana considerably. First and foremost, no more Cortana use for anyone only using local accounts. Cortana access will only be available to those logged in with school work domain accounts or Microsoft online accounts—Windows 10 users sticking to local accounts only will also be out of luck.
The new Cortana's focus will be on a productivity-focused chat UI. Users will be able to review or set calendar items and tasks in natural English as well as query or create emails, set alarms and timers, open apps, and find people or files. She'll also search the Internet for you—using Bing, of course—or offer jokes.
The majority of Cortana's consumer-focused skills are scheduled to get the axe. "Some consumer skills including music, connected home, and third-party skills will no longer be available in the updated Cortana experience in Windows 10," Andrew Shuman, Microsoft's Corporate Vice President for Cortana, wrote in today's announcement.
Microsoft clarified to ZDNet that Cortana apps on iOS and Android will still be able to control home devices and smart speakers. This may not be too helpful, though, since the Android and iOS Cortana apps themselves are being rapidly deprecated.
Looking for a silver lining
We hope to see positives to the drastic tightening of focus on Cortana. A more capable work assistance is great, but we've got our eye on something simpler. The single most common use of Cortana—to the point many people don't know they're using "Cortana" at all—is integrated search from the Start menu. And, frRead More – Source
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arstechnica
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