“The Cortana app on Android is the companion to your Windows 10 PC, extending Cortana’s functionality across any device you carry, everywhere you go”, said Susan Hendrich, principal program manager for Microsoft Cortana, in an August 24 announcement.
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Named for the artificial intelligence character in the Halo videogame series, Cortana became a far more visible presence when Microsoft released its Windows 10 operating system on July 29.
Cortana for Android has gone into public beta, bringing Microsoft’s sass-talking personal assistant to smartphones running Google’s OS.
Microsoft offers Cortana as a rival to Google’s Google Now and Apple Inc.
Microsoft said that Cortana on Android is only available in the United States.
Just for Android in U.S. As much as Cortana competes for attention against Google Now and Siri, Microsoft is not afraid to take on Google Now on its own native environment – Android.
While most Cortana features will be available on Android, some have been limited to Windows only, at least for now. Give it a shot and see whether you’d rather have a virtual assistant with a personality handling your chores.
Cortana allows you to do a range of nifty things, such as making it easier to invite your friends to play games on the Xbox One with simple voice commands.
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Microsoft plans to roll out the Android app in other worldwide markets later this year. Meanwhile, Microsoft is working to drum up developer support for Cortana. “Cortana is a front and center experience in Windows 10 that users can engage with via natural language”. The beta version is now available only to those who are in the US but Microsoft is said to have been planning to make it available in more countries in the future. “For example, in China we understand how important air quality is to local residents, so part of Cortana’s job is to track data on air quality and actively provide that information to customers in China”.
