Microsoft's Siri-rival Cortana appears on video and she wants to get to know you

| at Tuesday, March 4, 2014 | Leave a comment
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Microsoft's Siri-rival Cortana appears on video and she wants to get to know you

In the Halo series, Cortana was a learning AI character (credit: UnleashThePhones)

Microsoft's Siri-like personal assistant app 'Cortana' is perhaps the most anticipated new coming to Windows Phone 8.1 feature and here it is in its first public appearance in a detailed video clip.

The UnleashThePhones website has posted a two-minute demonstration of the app, which will also be Microsoft's answer to Android's excellent Google Now is shown promising to 'make your life a little easier.'

Upon opening the app users will apparently be required to input a Microsoft account before Cortana - named after a character from the Halo game series - seeks to discover more about its owner.

Users will be asked to choose a nickname, input data about how they like to spend their evenings, what their food preferences are, as well as favourite activities and topics they'd like to stay updated on.

If you Build it...

Once the set up is completed, Cortana will ask users how it can be of assistance, giving Windows Phone fans the opportunity to ask questions, request playlists, set alarms and more.

It seems the app will be accessed from a Start screen Live Tile, but will also be availably by pressing the soft Bing search key beneath the touchscreen.

That's enough from us, though, you can take a peek at Cortana yourself in the video below, although we're sorry to say her voice hasn't been revealed just yet.

Microsoft's Windows Phone 8.1 update is due to arrive next month at the company's Build conference. It has already announced Facebook Messenger and dual-sim functionality will join the party.

The company is also thought to be adding a Swype-like keyboard as well as fingerprint scanning tech.


Source : techradar[dot]com

iOS 7.1 release date reportedly launching this week or early next week

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iOS 7.1 release date reportedly launching this week or early next week

iOS 7.1 should be the end of this annoying 'white screen of death' glitch

The general public is waiting for the iOS 7.1. release date that's supposed to bring new features and fix a bunch of annoying bugs.

Thankfully, this major update is being readied for later this week or early next week, according to Apple enthusiast website Daring Fireball.

This is based on the fact that Apple is said to be requiring iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch users to install iOS 7.1 in order to stream its first iTunes Festival in the US at SXSW.

Since the iTunes Festival's US debut is next Tuesday at the Austin music, film and tech conference, Apple is expected to push the major update to iOS users any day now.

iOS 7.1. changes

iOS 7.1 has had a long four-month beta, but it promises to make a few design tweaks and end glitches that drive people crazy.

Its "call" and "end" button icons are small and round instead of large and rectangular. Apple also replaced the ugly reddish-orange Power Off slide bar with a translucent bar and white button.

More important than these UI changes are the bug fixes. Expect the final release notes to finally address the annoying white screen of death issue that randomly soft resets iOS devices.

iOS 7.1 is the first paint job for Apple's fresh coat that was iOS 7. Even bigger changes are expected as part of iOS 8.

Maybe by then we'll see a quick way to access WiFi, Bluetooth and Do Not Disturb setting by holding down their respective icons in Control Center.

  • In addition to iOS 8, see what's in store for iPhone 6

Source : techradar[dot]com

Ashton Kutcher isn't working on Lenovo smartphones afterall

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Ashton Kutcher isn't working on Lenovo smartphones afterall

Ashton Kutcher is sticking with Lenovo tablets for now

Lenovo has sent TechRadar a statement clarifying that actor Ashton Kutcher is not helping the company develop smartphones.

This runs directly contrary to a report last week that claimed the That '70s Show, Punk'd and Jobs star was acting as a product engineer and directly influencing a new line of Lenovo phones.

The news was originally attributed to Lenovo Chief Marketing Officer David Roman, but now it seems he may have been misquoted.

In reality, "the development agreement Lenovo has with Ashton Kutcher is for tablets only, and not for smartphones," Lenovo Executive Director of External Communications Ray Gorman told TechRadar.

Punk'd and confused

Kutcher has been involved with the tech world for some time, having funded some big-name start-ups and co-founded an investment firm for that purpose.

He signed on with Lenovo in 2013 as a spokesperson and product engineer, helping out on the company's Yoga Tablet line.

In last week's report Roman was quoted as saying, "I know on one level, it sounds corny, but it is real … He not only sees himself as an engineer, but he is an engineer. If he sees a problem, he wants to solve it."

It seems that sentiment still applies, but only to Lenovo's tablets and not its smartphones.

We've asked Gorman for further clarification regarding this mix-up and will update here if hear back.

  • The Lenovo Vibe Z is the firm's latest smartphone - here's TechRadar's analysis.

Source : techradar[dot]com

Lenovo says Ashton Kutcher is actually not working on smartphones

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Lenovo says Ashton Kutcher is actually not working on smartphones

Ashton Kutcher is sticking with Lenovo tablets for now

Lenovo has sent TechRadar a statement clarifying that actor Ashton Kutcher is not helping the company develop smartphones.

This runs directly contrary to a report that last week claimed the That '70s Show, Punk'd and Jobs star was acting as a product engineer and directly influencing a new line of Lenovo phones.

The news was originally attributed to Lenovo Chief Marketing Officer David Roman, but now it seems he may have been misquoted.

In reality, "the development agreement Lenovo has with Ashton Kutcher is for tablets only, and not for smartphones," Lenovo Executive Director of External Communications Ray Gorman told TechRadar.

Punk'd and confused

Kutcher has been involved with the tech world for some time, having funded some big-name start-ups and co-founded an investment firm for that purpose.

He signed on with Lenovo in 2013 as a spokesperson and product engineer, helping out on the company's Yoga Tablet line.

In last week's report Roman was quoted saying, "I know on one level, it sounds corny, but it is real … He not only sees himself as an engineer, but he is an engineer. If he sees a problem, he wants to solve it."

It seems that sentiment still applies, but only to Lenovo's tablets, and not its smartphones.

We've asked Gorman for further clarification regarding this confusion and will update here if hear back.

  • The Lenovo Vibe Z is the firm's latest smartphone - here's TechRadar's analysis

Source : techradar[dot]com

Apple granted patent for flexible, curved iPhone with virtual buttons

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Apple granted patent for flexible, curved iPhone with virtual buttons

Who wouldn't like a little more room on their iPhone? (credit: USPTO)

Apple has been granted a panted that, among other things, exposes the company's possible plans for a flexible, curved iPhone with virtual buttons.

The patent was originally filed in 2011 and first surfaced in March 2013, but as of now it officially belongs to Apple.

The images from the patent, first seen a year ago, show a curved iPhone with a wraparound display that grants it extra surface area able to display five apps per row.

The hypothetical new iPhone can use multiple cameras to track users' faces and adjust the display accordingly.

Virtual buttons

In addition the patent covers virtual buttons, which would be a first for an Apple mobile.

Apple has long stood by its physical home button, and the volume and lock buttons have always seemed essential as well. But this patent shows that the input configuration of Apple's iPhones may not be as cemented in gospel as one might have thought.

The volume control in this version is still on the left side, but has some added functionality. For example the volume level would be visible at all times, and touching the virtual buttons in a certain way could expand the control to span the entire left side of the phone, giving users finer control.

In addition the lock button's functionality could hypothetically be controlled using touch gesture's on the phone's sides.

Now that Apple's been granted this patent, will we see all these features in the iPhone 6? It seems unlikely, but you never know.


Source : techradar[dot]com

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