History Cortana - as Microsoft has created a murderer Siri and Google Now

From a technical point of view, Cortana could not be born 500 years, but that has not stopped Microsoft to submit its now. Despite the fact that Apple has of Siri, and Google has Now - other digital assistants to mobile devices, the Microsoft went its own way, taking the best from each of the platforms. Cortana works based on artificial intelligence of the 26th century, the eponymous character in the Halo and will make its debut in the mobile OSes Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1.

Cortana is constantly exploring and tracks your habits and preferences, and is positioned as the personal digital assistant. It helps you organize your day by searching the web and analyzing your requests. Cortana will be the main tool to search, beginning with Windows Phone 8.1.

Cortana - is probably the most humane, so to speak, the voice assistant of all. This is a major improvement in Windows Phone, which was developed over the past two years.

We translated for you into the Russian language the history of the voice assistant Cortana, who was published on The Verge few days earlier. Sit down comfortably.

Such an unusual name for a voice assistant accidentally suggested Windows Phone program manager Robert Howard, who voiced the idea at a meeting. "It was just a rough version of the name," - says Marcus Ash, Windows Phone Program Group Manager. "At first we did not want to use it in the final version."

Surprising fact that Cortana is called that way, rather than, say, Microsoft Digital Assistant Home Premium, considering Microsoft love for a long confusing names. In the weeks before the announcement, Cortana could be called Naomi, Alyx or in some other way, but the leak and the petition helped users Cortana title win in this competition.

Name Cortana is directly related to the game Halo universe and goes well with the stated goal of Microsoft: to create the most realistic and humane digital assistant. Cortana in Halo has always been, and will now always in your smartphone, if you do, of course, want.

Platform competitors, like Google Now, dig deeper into the data on your device - often, this is what you I need, but this is not always, and you begin to irritate those endless notices about everything light. In addition, you may be concerned about the fact that the assistant knows about you too much (Google Now) or do not know about you practically nothing (Siri). Microsoft has managed to find an optimal solution in the form of a "notebook" where you can note the key information about themselves, who should know Cortana.

At Cortana is a real notebook, as if she were your present secretary

This simple idea has inspired Microsoft to create a «Notebook», a service that stores only the data for Cortana, who do you think yourself fit. This is not a checklist, but just the information that is known about you digital assistants. "It is her opinion of you, but you can always correct him and say," No, actually I do not want you to read my e-mail "- Ash explains. "So you have complete control over what Cortana knows about you, everything is absolutely transparent."

Notebook data stored in the cloud, and you can share with your Notebook certain information. Cortana concept as a digital assistant with a notebook in his hand, but not terrible "stalker" was adopted from the very initial stage of development. It works naturally, learning your habits and preferences, and always before you find any of the information, check the data in the Notebook.

When you first Cortana, you need to start to answer some questions, such as name, eating habits, favorite film genre, and so on. After that, the service will start its work, and you can access it using the search button. You can see the most relevant information, such as flights, sports results - it looks like the cards in Google Now. And that data is the most accurate, you can always make changes to the Notebook software, so that Cortana has current information about you.

This is a real information center, which can be mounted on your home screen as a live tile or used with the new Action Center, which brings together all notifications in the Notification Center on iOS. For example, if your favorite football team scored a goal, then Cortana will let you know. If you find yourself in another country, it will download the latest information on the currency and the weather. And if in your text message or e-mail will be a phrase like "let's meet at 8 pm," that Cortana will quickly create a calendar event or notification.

Another feature Cortana - is the ability to create triggers on IFTTT service type. It looks something like this: "Remind me when I called my wife, talk to her about Kevin." And Cortana will create a reminder that sound when you call his wife or she'll call you.

It's cool, but Cortana is surprising even when performing simple tasks much more. If you ask "What's the best restaurant in the area?", Then Cortana does not provide you with a list of places with a rating of Yelp both of Siri, she chooses one a place with a better rating, and show it to you. The difference is that you might ask, "What are bestrestaurants"In the plural, that is not the same thing as"besta restaurant"In the singular. Impressive when you say «call it» (call back - approx. lane) or «give me directions» (how to get there -. approx. per.) and Cortana without question understands that you have in mind is the restaurant that she had just found. It is seen as a thing of the future.

In Windows Phone 8.1 Cortana looks like a simple animated circle, but it does not mean that it is so primitive, it also has its own personality. Cortana can, as of Siri, respond to simple human questions like "Who is your father?" (In this case, she will answer "From a technical point of view, it would be Bill Gates"). On the other Cortana requests capable of delivering at least witty answers, as well as one of the 16 express emotions with the help of animation. Of course, it will not be rereadings from an emotions to respond to every inquiry, but according to Microsoft, in the future she will learn to enjoy the achievements of your favorite sports team with you. "In Cortana laid a lot of material and we plan to give it the shape of the future", - says Ash.

In the development of Cortana, Microsoft actively worked with the developers of the Halo 343 industries and actress Jen Taylor, that the voice of Cortana in Halo, and in Windows Phone 8.1. "She was instrumental in the development of Cortana», - he says Ash. At first, the voice of Taylor will be used in answering the type of chit-chat (simple conversation chatter - approx. trans.). For example, if you ask what happened to Master Chifom (the protagonist of the game universe of Halo, a lane.), You get a voice response Taylor. On the other requests answers Cortana artificial synthesized voice, like the voice of Jen Taylor. (By the way, if you want to have some fun, enter the settings your name as Master Chief - and see what will happen).

Within two years, until there was a working, not just the Microsoft to create digital assistant - the company has used its enormous achievements the past five years. Thus, Cortana Bing runs on servers and voice aid development was closely with Bing command. It's like a Now and service search engine Google - neotdlimye each other things.

I met with some Bing team members who worked on the Cortana and it can be seen that they are happy with what they have. Although Microsoft Bing transforms into a platform and the service is perceived by all as well as the revision of the current product, Cortana same - something completely new. The underlying technology, such as the treatment of human speech and association objects from the real world with the virtual, of course, have been used in Cortana, but they are not designed for a specific product. Imagine that Bing - this house, and Cortana - a bright red sports car that stands in the garage.

To accelerate the development of Cortana, Mike Kalkano, development manager at the Bing, joined to work on voice assistant 18 months ago and Cortana was his first major project. "When I came here, my approach has been to consistently combine all the services together," - said Mike. "Everyone who worked on this project had a doll Cortana and we collected all the dolls in one place in our office and exchanging phrases like: "Oh, this guy with us, he also has a doll Cortana ».

These close ties between Microsoft divisions persisted throughout the development process. Bing team spent so much time with the guys from the Windows Phone division, that in the end began to think that the job Kalkano - local bar in Bellevue, Washington. "We are getting along with the Windows Phone team... We lived together for a project and work as a unit and what we do now - is just the first version." This can be considered a good example of the philosophy of "Unified Microsoft», presented by former CEO Steve Ballmer is shortly before the resignation - all departments should cooperate with each other and not to make war between a.

Cortana - the first big test for the Bing services and is one of the main reasons that Microsoft conducts a preliminary beta testing. over time, the system should wise up and become a perfect, especially for speech recognition technology. That is why, Cortana is currently only available in the United States. A few days before the release of Windows Phone 8.1, developers are still correct deficiencies Cortana. Vish Vadlamani, the Bing program manager, said that for several days in a row is open from 7 am until half-past eleven the night processing gigabytes information available on the Bing servers and hopes that his work will not be lost in vain: "This is to some extent exciting and at the same time scary," - Vish recognized.

Cortana would not have appeared without the Bing platform from Microsoft

"We see that this artificial intelligence will find its application far beyond the Windows Phone», - says the director of Bing, Stefan Weitz. But exactly where Microsoft will use Cortana - remains a mystery. But it is known that the third-party applications can work in conjunction with Cortana, and she would be able to process requests such as «Hulu (video streaming service - approx.. Lane), show me the latest episode of "Modern Family" (original title - Modern Family, the American TV series, approx. trans.) - and this team really launch an application that will show you the latest episode of "Modern Family" - similar to the Xbox voice search, by the way. Combined with clever reminders and triggers, is a good example of how useful can be a function of, if done correctly.

In Microsoft already know what is the platform from Apple and Google and implemented the best of Siri and Google Now in its development, packed This user-friendly interface - and now Cortana can be an excellent element for the development of the entire Microsoft ecosystem (Windows, Xbox, Other products).

Soon, Bing home page is updated, it will appear on the notice and other information to be displayed in the form of "live tiles" as in Windows Phone. Naturally, each user will see different information, adapted specifically for him. And do not forget that Microsoft has millions of Kinect users, hundreds of millions of Windows computers, as well as the competitive mobile operating system Windows Phone. So far, Cortana's voice can be heard only from his pocket, but very soon it will be heard everywhere.