14 DAY TRIAL // One of the most appealing features that Microsoft has included in the Windows Phone 8.1 operating system version is Cortana, the digital personal assistant that can help users do more with their devices, easier.
Cortana comes integrated into various parts of the platform, but developers can also build their applications so as to take advantage of the digital personal assistant for a better overall experience.
With Windows Phone 8.1 available for download since April, developers have had enough time at their disposal to build such applications, and Microsoft has decided to present some of them to its users.
One of these is Cortrends, a third-party app built upon Bing’s “popular now” topics, capable of providing users with access to info spanning from world news to pop culture.
Courtesy of the aforementioned Cortana integration, users can ask the assistant to deliver “Cortrends first,” so as to receive access to what’s trending in order of popularity. Similarly, if you say “Cortrends third,” she will deliver the third-most searched topic of the day.
“Of course, you can also launch Cortrends as a stand-alone app. It will automatically show you the most popular topics being searched on Bing, then give you more information,” a recent post on Nokia Conversations explains.
Foursquare is another application that takes advantage of Cortana integration, allowing users to check in at their favorite places by simply saying “Foursquare, check in.”
“You can also ask her to inform you of any specials that any nearby shops, services and restaurants are offering, show what’s trending, and where you stand on the leaderboard compared with your friends,” said blog post explains.
MixRadio also enjoys Cortana integration, allowing users to easily launch their personalized radio station by simply saying “MixRadio, play me.” Moreover, you will also be able to say “MixRadio, skip” in order to move to the next track.
Skype is another app that can take advantage of Cortana on Windows Phone 8.1 devices, enabling users to easily place a video or phone call by simply saying “Skype, video call [name of contact],” or “Call [name of contact] on Skype.”
Moreover, users will also find it easy to compose tweets on their smartphones with the use of Cortana, by simply saying “Twitter, new tweet,” so that Cortana could launch the application. Next, you can either speak or type the desired message.
“If she doesn’t transcribe your voice exactly, repeat the message or edit the text the old-fashioned way. And if you want to add a photo, simply tap the camera or photo icon,” said blog post adds. Moreover, Cortana allows you to easily search something on Twitter, it seems.
Windows Phone 8.1 users can learn more on the apps that work with Cortana by launching the digital assistant, hitting “see more,” and scrolling down to Apps.