Microsoft Cortana: Explained

Microsoft Cortana is an intelligent "Vitrual Personal Assistant" developed by Microsoft for Windows Phone 8.1, Microsoft Band and Windows 10.

while it has been out on Windows Phone 8.1 for a while now, as it is not yet fully available in India, many people are unaware of it. "Is it like Siri?", I've been asked by many. The answer is no. Cortana is more like a seamless integration of "Google Now" and "Siri", but better. It is not annoying like Google Now with its untimely "cards" which are more of a nuisance than any help and is rather more proactive than Siri. The idea behind Cortana is to provide the user with concerned information when asked for and be of assistance.

History: Development of Cortana started way back in 2009 by the Bing R&D team led by Satya Nadella. In order to work like an actual personal assistant, Microsoft interviewed real personal assistants to understand the pattern of their work and invented the "Notebook" feature, which I'll get to in a bit. Originally Cortana was only meant to be a codename but a petition on Windows Phone's UserVoice site that proved to be popular made the codename official.

Features: Cortana's features include being able to set reminders, recognize natural voice without the user having to input a predefined series of commands, and answer questions using information from Bing (like current weather and traffic conditions, sports scores, and biographies). Windows 8.1's universal Bing SmartSearch features are incorporated into Cortana, which replaces the previous Bing Search app which is activated when a user presses the "Search" button on their device. Cortana also includes a music recognition service. Cortana can also roll dice and flip a coin by asking the commands "roll a dice" (one die), "roll the dice" (two dice), and "flip a coin", Concert Watch is a feature that helps Cortana determine which bands or musicians you are interested in by monitoring your Bing searches. Cortana also integrates with the Microsoft Band for Windows Phone devices if connected via bluetooth. On the Microsoft Band Cortana can make reminders and bring phone notifications.

Cortana's setup screen

Start off by entering your name so that Cortana addresses you in her response

Since the Lumia Denim series, a software update to the Lumia devices, launched in October 2014, active listening was added to Cortana, enabling it to be triggered with the phrase: “Hey Cortana,” even across the room and without the need to touch the phone. After the trigger phrase is spoken, Cortana can be controlled normally for tasks like setting a reminder, asking a question, or launching an app. 

A major feature of Cortana is the "Notebook" that I mentioned earlier. The notebook, as the name suggests, is the place where the users can store their information such as their locality for timely weather and social event updates, their interests in news and events to provide relevant news articles and stuff like movie trailers, movie schedules, sports updates, etc. The most important thing about this feature is the amount of control the user has over his or her information given to Cortana. Users can add new information or delete old or private information anytime they want from the notebook if they seem it is undesirable for Cortana to know a bit of their information.

There are some other miscellaneous features in Cortana such as being able to predict sports results, but they may differ region-wise so I won't go in detail of that.

Another useful feature available in Cortana is its music recognition service but its availability may differ region-wise

Now, there are two parts of Cortana: The one that's available for Windows Phone 8.1, which is only available on Windows Phone devices, and one that is available in Windows 10 i.e. on the Phone as well as sitting on the desktop in the PC version of the OS.

While the core concept of Cortana remains same throughout the 2 systems, Windows 10 version of the assistant has some upgrades over its predecessor.

Windows 10 has been out for a while, at least in its preview versions, on phones, tablets as well as PCs. Microsoft is aiming to bring the capabilities of Cortana to the entire range of Windows devices.

At its January event, Microsoft first demoed how Cortana would work on the PC along with the phone. Functionality of Cortana remains same but the major addition to its features' list is to be able to perform local searches on the computer it is being accessed on. And with same quality of performance and wit, it does not disappoint! Microsoft tries its best to improve its backend support for Cortana to further improve and enhance its functionality to provide an even better experience. If the user has a Windows Phone device as well as a Windows PC, both supporting Cortana, the contents of the "Notebook" are synced automatically to the other device during setup as well as after any changes being made on any of the devices, thus promising a truly seamless experience.

Here's how Cortana looks like on Windows 10:

Moreover, Cortana is also at your service in the latest browser by Microsoft, Microsoft Edge. Cortana can fetch details from webpages such as an address, an event (and then automatically sync it with your calendar! Pretty cool 'eh?) and to also provide you with the results beforehand as you type your requests in the search bar like information about weather for a place you're searching for or even its directions, depending on the request, of course.

Here's Cortana in Microsoft Edge:

What can I say to Cortana??

Here are a few suggestions:

Task or subject	Some ideas to get you started
Chit-chat	How old are you? Tell me a joke Where are you from?
Calling	Make a call to John at home Call Soumow on speakerphone Call Tomoko Call Raina, home
Texting	Text Dad Message Anna Text Horatio Do you want to get a coffee this afternoon?
Calendar	Put swimming on my calendar for tomorrow Change my 3 pm event to 4 What do I have next? What's happening this weekend?
Reminders	Remind me to pick up my dry cleaning tomorrow Remind me to water the plants when I get home Next time I'm at the supermarket, remind me to buy bananas (if Cortana isn't sure which one you mean, she'll ask) When Jordana calls, remind me to congratulate her on her new column Remind me to call Luther when I leave work
Alarms	Wake me up at 6 am Set an alarm for 5:45 am Turn off my 3 pm alarm Wake me up in 20 minutes
Notes	Take a note Note: left my car on level 4 Take a note: find bird-watching book for Dad's birthday
Music	Play [artists] Put on [playlist] Start playing [song] Play some jazz Play [album] What song is playing?
Maps anddirections	Get me directions to the Eden Project Where am I? How long will it take me to get to Big Ben? Show me a map of 123 High Street How far to Snowdonia? What's traffic like on the way to work?
Places to go	Is there a Starbucks near me? Find a cheap pizza place that's open now Show me highly rated restaurants nearby Is [place] open at weekends?
Weather	Will it rain this weekend? Is it cold out? What's the weather like today? What's the forecast for next week? Is it hot in Paris right now?
Facts	Who is the tallest woman in the world? Who is the president of Portugal? What's the capital of Qatar?
Flights	What's the status of British Airways flight 628? Is Qantas flight 16 on time?
Sport	Latest Premier League scores? Latest Manchester United score When was the last London Irish game?
Finance	Convert 60 pounds to yen How many euros in a pound? How much is a Nokia share? How did the Asian markets do?
Health and fitness	Suggest some weight loss workouts Get me a beginner's Pilates workout How many calories are in a boiled egg? How much protein is in a cup of milk?

 And there's even more!

Be sure to check out more details and features about Cortana and the preview version coming up in Windows 10.

Leave you thoughts about Cortana in comments below. Thanks! 

Microsoft releases Windows 10 Build 10074!

Microsoft has released a new build 10074 as a part of its Windows Insider program to "Fast ring" as well as "Slow ring" users at the Build conference 2015.

This is the first time ever that a build is released simultaneously to fast as well as slow rings, which suggests improved stability over the last build 10061.

Also, ISO's are available for people who prefer a clean install of this build.A subtle change brought in this build is renaming it form "Technical Preview" to "Insider Preview" which, according to Microsoft, emphasizes the importance of the Insiders in the development of Windows.

This build brings a lot of general UX improvements such as a new Live Tile animation for Start in addition to in addition to some performance and stability improvements for Live Tiles and improved support for high resolution displays. There are also some improvements in the Task View and Continuum features.

Among other changes, one of the major ones is a "Visual refresh" for Cortana. Start and Cortana are now more tightly integrated. As you start to search for an app from within Start, Cortana can seamlessly take over and bring back the right result. The new Windows split view control has been added to Cortana’s left rail, offering quick access to key Cortana functionality like the Notebook, 
Reminders or Feedback on how Cortana’s doing. This split view control helps anchor Cortana to the rest of the Windows UI and provides navigation consistent with many other Windows first party applications.

Also updated are the Music preview and Video preview apps and a new Store Beta experience improved over the last build.

As always, there are some known issues that Microsoft is working hard to resolve. Gabriel Aul states in his official blog post:

• Developers cannot enable Developer Mode in the Settings app for installing and testing apps on this build. We’ll enable this in an upcoming build. In the meantime, you will need enable your device for development using the Group Policy Editor.
• There is an issue in this build preventing some games from playing in full screen mode. We’re working to get a fix out via WU as soon as possible.
• The People app continues to crash. We’re planning to release an update for the People app through the Store Beta that fixes this.

Here's WinBeta's exclusive review of the new build. Check it out!

You can read the official blog post by Microsoft here.

Not a Windows Insider yet? You can sign up here.

Microsoft Bulid 2015 developer conference is almost here!

The biggest event from Microsoft for its developers and fans is here!

The Microsoft Build conference 2015 will be held at San Francisco from April 29 - May 1 with the keynote beginning at 8.30 a.m. PT which translates to 9 p.m. IST.

The keynote will be live-streamed here tonight.

Expected announcements include those of upcoming features in Windows 10 ( with a possible announcement of Android app support on Windows 10) and Xbox, Microsoft HoloLens, and upcoming universal Office and other apps for Windows 10. 

So tune in tonight at 9 p.m. on the given link  and join in the fun!

Shopper's Guide: Best budget-friendly smartphones in India-2015

India is a booming market for budget smartphones.
Here are 10 noteworthy smartphones strategically priced around Rs.10000.
[Disclaimer: None of the reviews or rankings are sponsored and are completely unbiased.]
10 - Samsung Galaxy Core Prime

The Galaxy Core Prime comes with a 4.5 inch LCD display with a screen resolution of 480p which provides a pixel density of 218 ppi. The thickness of the device is 8.8 mm and is available in black and white color finishes.

The device is powered by a 1.3 GHz quad-core processor coupled with 1 GB RAM. 

It runs on Android v4.4.2 KitKat OS.

It comes with a 5MP rear shooter with autofocus and LED flash which can record full HD videos at 30 fps. The phone has a 2MP front cam which is sufficient enough for video calling and selfies.

The smartphone comes with 8GB onboard storage capacity which can be expanded to 32 GB via MicroSD card slot.

The phone has a 2000 mAh battery and comes with 3G connectivity and dual SIM feature which is very popular in India.

Verdict: The Galaxy Core Prime is an affordably priced smartphone targeted at 1st time smartphone buyers who want to explore the world of Android and Google services but if you are a die hard Android enthusiast who wants a budget phone, skip this one! 

Buy at Amazon Buy at Flipkart

9 - Lenovo A6000

The Lenovo A6000 features a 5 inch IPS LCD display with an HD resolution and a pixel density of 294ppi.  The device is 8.2mm thick and weighs in at 128g. Powered by 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 quad-core 1.2GHz processor, it feels a tad under-powered due to the !GB RAM pairing. Graphics performance is handled well by  Adreno 306 GPU.

The device comes installed with Android v4.4 KitKat OS bundled with Lenovo's Vibe UI 2.0.

The phone has an 8MP rear shooter with LED flash capable of shooting HD videos and a 2MP front facing snapper.

Inbuit memory is a measly 8GB.

The A6000 is powered by a 2300 mAh battery with 4G connectivity.

Verdict: The Lenovo A6000 is a well-priced powerful Android phone, with great hardware which is both, thin and light, but the device loses points in terms of software. Overall a great phone is somewhat letdown due to the Vibe UI 2.0 which, though better than v1.0, still hinders with the "pure Android" experience which may be an issue for some.

Buy at Amazon Buy at Flipkart

8 - Lava Iris X8

The Lava Iris X8 carries a 5-inch IPS LCD multi touch HD display packed in a 8.6mm thick outfit with a weight of 160g. The Asahi Dragontrail glass makes sure that the screen stays fresh. On the inside, it is loaded with a 1.4GHz octa-core processor sitting on MediaTek chipset. It is aided by a 2GB RAM so that you have the liberty to run demanding tasks. It runs on Android v4.4 KitKat OS.

The device looks similar to the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s with the metal bands surrounding the glass enclosure, which is not a bad thing!

It consists of an 8MP rear shooter with dual LED flash and a front shooter of 3MP

The device comes built-in with 16 GB internal storage and is expandable by additional 32 GB.

The Iris X8 has a battery capacity of 2500 mAh and comes with 3G connectivity.

Verdict: The Lava Iris X8 is a powerful Android phone with a great design. The only concern could be the weight of the device, which in long run could be a pain.

Buy at Amazon Buy at Flipkart

7 - Lenovo A7000

The Lenovo A7000 packs a 5.5-inch IPS HD multi-touch display (720 x 1,280 pixels, 267ppi) in a 7.9mm thick outfit with a weight of 140g, which are very impressive figures considering its size. It flaunts the latest Android v5.0 Lollipop OS, and driven by a 1.5GHz octa-core MediaTek chipset along with 2GB RAM and Mali-T760 MP2 GPU. 

The Lenovo A7000 is armed with an 8MP autofocus snapper and LED flash at the back besides a 5MP wide angle front snapper.

 It features an internal memory of 8GB which is further expandable up to 32GB. The chief USP of the device is the support for Dolby ATMOS software which ensures rich multimedia experience.

The Lenovo A7000 keeps the show running with a 2,900mAh Li-Po battery which is non user removable. 

Connectivity options include both 4G as well as 3G.

Verdict: The main attraction of Lenovo A7000 apart from the impressive specs is Dolby ATMOS technology which is a plus for all the people looking for great multimedia experience. However, the overall build quality of the device feels a bit cheap but it isn't much of a deal-breaker.

Buy at Flipkart

6 - .Micromax Canvas Juice 2

The Micromax Canvas Juice 2 AQ5001 features a 5-inch IPS HD  with294ppi density multi touch display with Corning Gorilla Glass v3.0 protection. It runs on the latest Android v5.0 Lollipop OS which provides access to Google's latest features and apps. Doing duty under the hood is a 1.3GHz quad-core processor paired with a 2GB RAM thereby ensuring smooth performance.

The Micromax Canvas Juice 2 AQ5001 is armed with an 8MP autofocus camera at the back which supports LED flash and can capture HD videos at 30fps. It is accompanied by a 2MP front snapper. It houses an internal memory of 8GB which is further expandable up to 32GB.

The key highlight of the Micromax Canvas Juice 2 AQ5001 is its 3,000mAh Li-ion battery which claims to deliver up to 9 hours of talktime and up to 435 hours of standby time. It can be connected via 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and USB port.

Verdict: The Micromax Canvas Juice 2 lives up to its name providing a great amount of battery life along with some great specs and Android v5.0 out of the box, but as is the case with most of the Micromax devices, the phone might not live up to its expectations and performance may deteriorate over a while.

Buy at Amazon Buy at Flipkart

5 - Microsoft Lumia 535

The Nokia Lumia 535 arrives with a 5-inch IPS display which promises good readability even under the sun and nice viewing from different angles. It sports a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels and a pixel density of 220ppi. 

The Microsoft Lumia 535 has a thickness of 8mm, a weight of 146g and soft rounded edges to provide a better grip. The changeable glossy plastic frame at the back comes in a wide range of colors like green, orange, black, cyan, white and gray.

Under the hood, the Lumia 535 dons a 1.2GHz quad-core processor sitting on Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset and assisted by a powerful 1GB RAM. It ships with the latest Windows Phone v8.1 OS with Denim update. The latest OS provides you access to the large number of familiar and useful Microsoft services such as OneDrive and Office without any additional cost.

The main camera of the Nokia Lumia 535 shoots 5MP stills and supports autofocus, LED flash, 28mm focal length, f/2.4 aperture and ¼ inch sensor. On the front, the smartphone houses another 5MP snapper which is good for selfie obsessed youngsters. It comes with 8GB of onboard memory which can be expanded up to a massive 128GB.

The Microsoft  Lumia 535 comes in a single SIM as well as a dual SIM variant, both models supporting 3G connectivity.

It sips juice from a 1,950mAh Li-ion battery promising up to 11 hours of talk time in 2G networks.

Verdict: The "Microsoft" Lumia 535 is the first offering from the software giant's stable after taking over Nokia completely. It may not be stunning but is extremely impressive considering the price at which it is available. There may be many past reports suggesting the lack of apps on Windows Phone platform but those days are now over and all of the major apps are now user accessible with hundreds of thousands of them being added per day. Also, Windows Phone is the only platform that integrates hardware, software and services so effortlessly which is not at all the case with Android and keeps the user happy in the long term. If you're looking for a change from the ol' Android, consider this one!

 Buy at Amazon Buy at Flipkart

4 - Xiaomi Redmi 2 

The Xiaomi Redmi 2 flaunts a 4.7-inch IPS LCD HD with 312ppi density, multi touch display which offers sharp and rich viewing experience from all directions. The Corning Gorilla Glass v2.0 protection enables it to resist scratches and fingerprints easily. It has a waistline of 9.2mm and a weight of 134g.

The smartphone is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Cortex A53 processor based on 64 bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor. It is paired with 1GB RAM and Adreno 306 GPU to deliver robust performance at everything. It runs on Android v4.4.4 KitKat OS with MIUI 6 on the top.

The Xiaomi Redmi 2 sports an 8MP autofocus OmniVision camera with presets like f/2.2 aperture, LED flash, face detection, 28mm wide angle lens, HDR, touch to focus and geo-tagging. It can record 1,080p videos at 30fps and is accompanied by a 2MP front snapper. It sports 8GB of internal memory which can be expanded up to 32GB.

The Xiaomi Redmi 2 sips juice from a sealed 2,200mAh Li-Po battery and supports QuickCharge 1.0 technology and supports 4G in select markets.

Verdict: The Xiaomi Redmi 2 is the successor to the highly successful Redmi 1 and continues the same trend of offering powerful features at attractive price.However, it is a bit under powered because of an average RAM and Gorilla Glass 2.0 instead of 3.0. Also, due to MIUI, it may ward of "pure Android" enthusiasts, but otherwise, at such a price, this one's up for grabs!

Buy at Amazon

3 - Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)

The Motorola New Moto E or Moto E2 or Moto E (2nd Gen) arrives with a 4.5-inch LCD multi touch display offering a pixel density of 245ppi. At the heart of the device, you can find a Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 chipset bearing a quad-core processor clocked at 1.2GHz. Together with a 1GB RAM the processor guarantees powerful and smooth performance. It sails on Android v5.0 Lollipop OS.

The Motorola New Moto E sports a 5MP camera inclusive of features like LED flash, geo-tagging, HDR and panorama and efficient in recording 480p videos. It has a 0.3MP snapper on the front for selfies and video calling. It has an inbuilt storage unit of 8GB which can be again expanded up to 32GB.

The Motorola New Moto E keeps the show running with a 2,390mAh Li-ion battery and supports 3G connectivity and dual SIM feature. It also comes in a 4G variant with support for select markets.

Verdict: The only reason this device ranks above Redmi 2 is the software. Motorola promises a near "pure Android" experience that doesn't need much getting used to. Specifications wise it may be inferior to the above listed devices but has a promising tech support from Motorola and comes with features such as water and dust resistance and Corning Gorilla Glass 3.0 which resists scratches easily. Overall, it is a budget friendly smartphone that is targeted at the people who want a hassle free Android experience.

Buy at Flipkart (4G) Buy at Flipkart (3G)

2 - Micromax Yu Yureka

 The Yureka comes packed with a 5.5 inch 720p HD display with IPS LCD technology which produces great color accuracy and viewing angles as wide as 180 degrees and a pixel density of 267ppi. It has the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and hence resists scratches and scuffs effortlessly What's credible is that despite having such a huge display, the thickness of the phone is just 8.5mm. The moonstone polish at the back makes it a piece of eye-candy.

It has a 64-bit 1.5 GHz octa-core processor powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chip which is coupled with a 2 GB DDR3 RAM for efficient multitasking. Graphics performance is aided by Adreno 305 GPU.

The main attraction of the device is Cyanogen OS 11 which is essentially a modified and a tweaked version of Android v4.4.4 KitKat OS with a guaranteed update to Android v5.0 Lollipop.

In terms of camera, the Yureka packs a 13 MP autofocus camera with Sony EXMOR CMOS sensor, wide angle lens, f/2.2 aperture and LED flash and a n impressive 5MP front snapper. It captures 1080p videos at 30 fps and 720p videos up to 60 fps.

The phone houses a 16 GB internal memory, expandable up to 32GB.

The phone is powered by 2500 mAh battery and has the usual connectivity options such as 3G, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth v4.0 and micro usb port. It also supports 4G LTE Cat 4 in compatible regions and networks.

Verdict: The Yureka is a great package bundled with excellent specs at a great price. However, it suits best for the people who are tech-savvy and demand a great control over their devices. It is not recommended for people who want their phones to "just work" without having to worry about anything as the potential of the device may be wasted.

1 - Microsoft Lumia 640

The Microsoft Lumia 640 Dual SIM features a 5-inch IPS ClearBlack multi touch display with HD resolution and a pixel density of 294ppi. It comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection and is wrapped in an 8.8mm thick outfit which has a weight of 145g and can be carried around easily. 

On the inside, the Microsoft Lumia 640 Dual SIM is packed with a 1.2GHz quad-core Cortex A7 processor from Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset. It is paired with Adreno 305 GPU and 1GB RAM for smooth performance. It ships with latest Windows Phone v8.1 OS with guaranteed update to the Windows 10 platform when commercially released. The smartphone offers some other useful value additions including free subscription to OneDrive, Office 365 and 30 minutes of Skype voice calls for one year.

The Microsoft Lumia 640 Dual SIM features an 8MP autofocus rear facing camera which is inclusive of features like 1/4” sensor size, continuous shooting, LED flash, 4X digital zoom, BSI sensor, geo-tagging, face detection, touch focus and can record 1,080p movies at 30fps. For selfie and video calling, it houses a 1MP front camera. It comes with an inbuilt memory of 8GB which can be further expanded up to 128GB.

Fuelled by a 2,500mAh Li-ion battery, the Microsoft Lumia 640 Dual SIM claims to provide up to 26.5 hours of talktime and up to 864 hours of standby time over 2G.

 Connectivity options include 3G and dual SIM support.

Verdict:The Lumia 640 is priced extremely well at Rs.10000 considering the specifications and performance. The performance of this device at these specs is sure to match the performance of an Android device double the price. Packed with Microsoft services and the seamless hardware, software and services integration, this one's a steal for sure. So if you're bored of Android phones,this one will do you good in the long run.

Buy at Flipkart

Which one do you think is the best? Leave your suggestions in comments below. Thanks!