Microsoft unveils Cortana digital assistant, reinstates Start menu

San Francisco: Microsoft has unveiled its long-awaited answer to Siri and Google Now, called Cortana, named after the artificial intelligence character from the company's flagship video game franchise Halo. Microsoft's Joe Belfiore, head of Windows Phone product and design, unveiled the personal assistant software for Windows Phone onstage at the company's annual Build conference in San Francisco.The voice-controlled app is being launched in beta for Windows Phone 8.1 -- rolling out over the next few months -- and will expand beyond the US to the UK and other countries over time.The app uses both the firm's search engine Bing and data stored on the handsets to make personalised recommendations and carry out tasks, such as setting reminders and powering vocal updates to one's calendar.The voice behind the software is of Jen Taylor, the voice actress of the character from the Halo series.During the demo, Belfiore showed off Cortana's ability to respond to dynamic questions about weather, sport scores, and search engine queries like food calorie counts.The virtual assistant also offers the ability to ask less factual questions. For example, Belfiore set a reminder to ask his sister about her new dog, meaning whenever he is texting her or talking to her on the phone, Cortana will know to fire off the reminder.A user can also use the VA to access their calendar, email, contacts and browsing history. For instance, the app can offer to schedule a flight if it spots a message received from a travel booking service, and flag news articles it thinks the user will be interested in.However, if some of the inferences it makes are wrong the user can enter a "notebook" function to amend the rules it follows."The point is the user is in control of his or her relationship with Cortana," Belfiore said.During the event Microsoft also announced that the company will not require manufacturers to pay a licence fee to install Windows 8 and Windows Phone on devices featuring screens smaller than 9in (22.9cm), which could help them compete against the rise of Google's operating systems.It also confirmed that the forthcoming Windows 8.1 update would be offered as a free upgrade from April 8. It features user interface changes including the ability to access the system's taskbar from any screen.The 8.1 update now comes with a new action center that displays stats like Facebook notifications and battery information and a refreshed start screen.There have been some changes to the Start Screen and the lockscreen. Users can now set any image as their Start Screen background and it will take up the background on a Live Tile, instead of the solid colours in the previous version. The company has also updated the Store app, the Calendar app and also the incoming call interface to easily allow you to switch to a Skype video call from a regular phone call.At the same time Microsoft has also introduced a new feature called Wi-Fi Sense which learns about nearby wifi networks and automatically connects you to local hotspots. The service also provides a way to share wifi networks with others without revealing a password.Skype is also integrated in new ways in the 8.1 update. Users can now switch directly to a Skype voice or video call from within phone calls.