Microsoft throws down gauntlet on personal assistants by pitting Cortana against Siri

While Apple put the mobile personal assistant in the mainstream four years ago with Siri, the competition is now gunning for the top spot. Microsoft, whose Cortana personal assistant is powered by Bing, ships with Windows Phone 8.1 and apparently has a wider breadth of contextual search features.

Microsoft's resorting to 'comparison' ads by showcasing features available to Cortana that Siri doesn't have or can't do. What's weird is that we have an entry level Lumia being pitted against a more expensive iPhone 5s. Should be interesting to see where all this is headed once iOS 8 is released and Siri's new functions are finally revealed.

Intel introduces smart earpiece to rival Google Glass

Intel wants to turn you into the next Tony Stark/Iron Man, or at least make you feel like one. The tech giant introduced a new wearable concept called Jarvis. The smart earpiece can be seen to take on Google Glass without the need of the attention-grabbing glasses. The hardware is designed to listen to your voice commands as you make appointments, set reminders, and check messages. Of course, it replies to you, too. This personal assistant just needs you to say the magic words: “Hello, Jarvis.” There is no word on the price at the moment but expect a 2014 release for this device.

Source: Engadget