The news is making the rounds around the world and is becoming increasingly insistent. Indeed, it seems that Microsoft is ready to take up Apple‘s challenge once again, responding with innovation.
This time it is about Tell me Bing. Let’s see what it’s all about.
Tell me Bing: Cortana voice assistance.
From the countless innovations going on, voice assistants will play an ever-increasing role, so Microsoft cannot shy away from creating an ad hoc one, even if it means taking inspiration from the giant Apple. Indeed, it is often the case that the Cupertino giant paves the way for others by introducing applications that can simplify the mobile experience. For this reason, Microsoft’s response seems obvious to us. Rumors speak of a new Microsoft project that traces Siri and Google Now. Its name will be Bing Tell me, voice assistance that will automatically and immediately respond to questions asked, yet it is a privilege we have already seen with Apple and Google:
- Siri, introduced by Apple on October 4, 2011 and officially launched on October 12;
- Google Now, unveiled on April 29, 2012 and officially launched on July 9, 2012.
The rumor tells us that in April, at the Build 2014 conference, the Bing Tell Me voice assistant will debut in Beta version for some Lumia devices in accordance with the Windows Phone update.
Initially, in fact, it will be an application supported exclusively by Windows Phone 8.1 and only in the fall will it arrive on iOS devices and desktop PCs running Windows 9. The platform will answer to the name of Cortana, known as the artificial intelligence of the famous video game Halo, and, in the English version, will be voiced by actress Jen Taylor. A real trump card, that of Microsoft, which aims to satisfy its “faithful” by exploiting as a gimmick – including advertising – precisely the video game most loved by virtual lovers. Obviously, it will not be able to remain an application in the mold of others, but its concept will be supplemented by elements that can differentiate it on the market and make it more competitive.
It will not have the function of assisting exclusively but will become the nerve center of the shell of services capable of:
- Interface with Bing and all other services;
- Support versions of Windows Phone, Windows and Xbox One operating systems;
- Improve in real time through access to Bing’s information warehouse;
- activate with the simple Bing Tell Me voice command, guessing questions about weather and directions, such as
“… will it rain today?”
“… when’s my next meeting?”
“… how do I get to the American Airlines Arena?”
Cortana will be able to interact with the user intelligently, “side-by-side with his or her mind” and act not only as a reminder for appointments and meetings but also as a source of entertainment, answering curious questions.
In any case, these are currently rumors that have not yet been made public, but we like to think that something new is coming soon in the vast technological landscape.
The big three heads of Apple, Google and Microsoft, once again, have found themselves colliding. What will be the next moves?
We await further developments and await April 2014 for Microsoft’s “rebirth.”
