Windows 10 preview ushers in new Cortana app with chat-based interface, DigiTech Geeks Mobile Computing News

By -
Windows 10 preview ushers in new Cortana app with chat-based interface

Windows 10 has witnessed the release of another preview build for the update due to land in the first half of 2020, and the big change here is what Microsoft’s describing as a new experience with Cortana.

Build 18945 has been released to testers in the fast ring, and sees the digital assistant being turned into a separate app within Windows 10 (you may recall that the beta version of the application was spotted in the Microsoft Store in June). And as was previously indicated, Cortana features a new chat-based interface that facilitates natural language queries. At the moment, though, this is only for testers in the US.

Most of the features Cortana could previously handle are still here, but some important new functionality has been added. Microsoft notes: “We have updated Cortana with new speech and language models, and significantly improved performance – making it faster and more reliable than ever before.”

The ‘Hey Cortana’ screen has been made more subtle and streamlined, so it represents less of an intrusion on what you’re currently doing on the desktop, and Cortana now supports both light and dark themes in Windows 10.

Cortana

In the blog post introducing the preview, Microsoft stresses that this Cortana app is still in beta, so you may well see glitches (as ever), and not all functions that used to be accessible from Cortana are here – but more will be added over time, naturally.

All the key core features are here, though, such as using Cortana to open apps, manage lists, set timers or reminders, along with Assistant conversations, Bing answers, and so forth.

Slow rollout

As mentioned, this new Cortana beta is only available to Windows Insiders in the US, and even then, there’s a phased rollout, so you may not see it just yet. As time goes on it will be deployed more widely, and outside the States.

Microsoft has described the pace of the rollout as slow, but hopefully it won’t be too sluggish, and other territories won’t have to wait too long to get their teeth into this major change.

Build 18945 also introduces some accessibility improvements including Narrator delivering a better experience when reading out messages in Outlook or Windows Mail.

Windows Subsystem for Linux has also been tweaked with some useful bits and pieces such as the addition of global configuration options.



Click here to read full article.




Download our Android App for all the latest Tech News: Click here to download our DTG Android App
#DigiTechGeeks #DTG

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What Is the “System Volume Information” Folder, and Can I Delete It?

By -
Image
What Is the “System Volume Information” Folder, and Can I Delete It? On every Windows drive—even external USB drives—you’ll find a “System Volume Information” folder. You’ll only see it if you have Windows set to  show hidden files and folders , but it’s always there. So what is it for? Why Can’t I Open the Folder? On drives formatted with  the NTFS file system , this folder’s permissions are set to prevent everyone from accessing the folder, even users with Administrator permissions. Double-click the folder and you’ll see an error message saying the “location is not available” and “access is denied.” This is normal. That’s because Windows uses this folder for certain system-level features. The permissions are set to prevent users—and programs without the appropriate permissions—from tampering with the files inside and interfering with important system functions. What Is It For? Among other things, Windows stores  System Restore points  in the System Volume
Read more

The best early January sales and deals for 2020 that are live now , DigiTech Geeks Mobile Computing News

By -
Image
The best early January sales and deals for 2020 that are live now The best early January sales 2020 Jump straight to the New Year deals you want... Phone and tablet deals Wearable deals Computing deals Audio deals Gaming deals TV deals Smart home deals Camera deals Home deals The January sales 2020 have arrived early. Sure, we still need to get through New Year's Eve – and many Boxing Day sales are still going strong – but a wealth of New Year deals have dropped already.  In fact, there are some brilliant offers to be had if you've got a load of Christmas cash and gift cards burning a hole in your pocket – but scouring the sales can be a slog.  Rather than leaving the warmth of your home, or spending hours on the internet while your family are in another room, we've done the hard work for you. We've searched through the most exciting early January sales to bring you the very best New Year deals available now. Below, you'll find the biggest
Read more

With no good Black Friday iPad deals, it's time to turn to the Android side , DigiTech Geeks Mobile Computing News

By -
Image
With no good Black Friday iPad deals, it's time to turn to the Android side The Black Friday iPad deals are never any good, but in 2021 they've somehow failed to clear that laughably low bar, and we've still been surprised by just how poor the Apple-tablet discounts are this year. Seriously – we're talking just $50 / £50 off super-power iPad Pros , and sometimes no discounts at all on entry-level or Mini tablets – and this outlook very likely won't change for the Cyber Monday iPad deals . If you were wanting to buy a new iPad in the Black Friday sales, it might seem like you're plum out of luck. (Not in the US or UK? Scroll down for deals in your region). It's not all bad news though, not as long as you're willing to try new things (and aren't committed to the Apple ecosystem already). That's because there are a few worthy tablet Black Friday deals on Android slates that make them much, much more tempting than an iPad. Sure, sure, sure: i
Read more