Microsoft's Cortana voice assistant headed to Android and iOS late June

Microosft has announced that it will make its Bing-powered Cortana voice assistant available as standalone apps for rival Android and iOS devices. Cortana is one of the hallmark features of Windows 8.1 for Phones and will be a key component of Windows 10 on the desktop.

Microsoft expects to make all the queries and features of Cortana on Windows available to Android and iOS devices when the apps launch late June. This means that rival phones will have the ability to enjoy a key feature of Windows 10 for Phones before the new OS comes to market. For iOS users, this means they now have a choice of three voice assistants on the platform with Siri, Google Now and Cortana available on their devices.

Source:  Microsoft Blog via The Verge

Microsoft's Cortana is invading iOS and Android devices this Fall

You gotta love Microsoft's new direction of making sure their best software is available to users on any device and any platform. It seems their voice assistant Cortana is being readied to transcend platforms and has been confirmed to be headed to iPhones, iPads and Android devices as well as Windows 10 PCs.

Cortana is expected to come as a standalone app to rival operating systems in the fall (sorry, no BlackBerry version is planned). This will give users on iOS and Android anoter option to Siri or Google Now.

Source: The Verge

Amazon's Echo is a standalone voice assistant you can boss around

Got to hand it to Amazon, eh? Days after announcing same-day delivery service for Prime members in Vanvouver and Toronto, they now  revealed a standalone personal assistant.

Echo looks like a speaker but is actually a connected voice assistant like Apple's Siri, Google Now and Microsoft's Cortana. As shown by the cringeworthy ad above, it is triggered by the 'Alexa' word and can be engaged in a number of ways.

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Scarcity driving price of Microsoft's Band wearable way up

Microsoft recently released their first modern wearable device, the cross platform Microsoft Band for US $ 199. The device has over 10 sensors and is geared towards health tracking but is also flexible enough to manage email, notifications and for Windows Phone users, has a mic for interacting with the Cortana personal assistant. Since it is only available in Microsoft Stores in the US as well as online, the scarcity of the device has them selling on eBay for up to US $500. What sets this wearable apart from the rest is that it works on iOS, Android and Windows Phone.

Here's something to consider if you're jonesing for this wearable, it comes in three sizes. Simply buying one from eBay doesn't guarantee the Microsoft Band would fit. No word when this will be made available outside the US, but if Microsoft is serious about making an impact in the health and productivity wearable space, they need to take advantage and have this device out in time for the holiday shopping season.