14 DAY TRIAL // One of the features that Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 operating system version has been long rumored to pack inside is called Cortana, and it should work as a personal assistant, similar to what Apple and Google have to offer at the moment with Siri and Google Now.
Cortana has been said to arrive as part of the aforementioned platform release, but no official confirmation on the matter has been provided as of now.
A recent Bloomberg News article, however, claims that the personal assistant is indeed shaping up nicely, and that it will be powered by Foursquare data.
Apparently, Microsoft has invested $15 million (€11 million) in Foursquare as part of the deal, ensuring access to location data that is not available to other companies out there.
Furthermore, the news site notes that Microsoft’s Zig Serafin has confirmed the fact that the mobile OS will receive a “contextually aware experience,” which leaves little room for interpretation.
Courtesy of data coming from Foursquare, Cortana is expected to provide users with recommendations, discount tips, and other suggestions based on their location, all according to the permissions they set.
Moreover, as The Verge notes, Cortana will be able to read data from applications such as alarms, calendar, weather apps, calls, weather, and the like to deliver context and notifications.
The personal assistant will be voice activated, and it should make a debut sometime in April, when the Windows Phone 8.1 platform version goes official as well. The OS could be showcased to developers in early April at the BUILD conference.
According to some of the latest reports out there, Samsung might launch a Windows Phone 8.1 handset this year, and other vendors could join the party as well. Nokia, for example, is rumored to have at least two such devices under development at the moment, codenamed Goldfinger and Moneypenny.
The Finnish vendor will hold a press event during the MWC 2014 trade fair later this month, but no info on Windows Phone 8.1 devices is expected to be unveiled.