Cortana Actress Will Voice Microsoft's Version of Siri

[Cognimancer]

Cortana Actress Will Voice Microsoft's Version of Siri

Soon you'll be able to feel like Master Chief himself as you order your phone's AI to call for pizza.

When Microsoft decided to make "Cortana" the codename for its voice command feature [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/127735-Microsoft-Brings-Cortana-Into-the-Real-World], it really wasn't kidding. The app, which will serve as Windows' answer to Apple's Siri, will do pretty much everything you'd expect, but with a little extra flavor for Halo fans. Alleged Microsoft source MSFTnerd reports that Jen Taylor, the voice actress for Master Chief's AI partner, will be lending her voice to the feature for its launch later this year.

This is great news for anyone who has ever dreamt of using a vastly powerful sci-fi intelligence to check the weather (and really, who hasn't). Unfortunately, it looks like the key phrase to activate Cortana is "Bing, tell me [blank]" which might break the illusion somewhat.

Cortana is scheduled to begin its (her?) first beta this April on Lumia devices, and will then spread to other platforms including the iPhone, Xbox One, and Windows operating systems. Non-mobile platforms might not get the technology until 2015, though, with the timeline for a global launch reaching as far as 2016.

Cortana is a pretty solid voice assistant, as far as these things go. Although, if Valve came out with a competing app complete with voice acting from Ellen McLain as GLaDOS... that would be a tough decision.

Source: Polygon [http://msftnerd.tumblr.com/post/73494553819/cortana]

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[Frezzato]

Glad to hear about Jen Taylor working. But the thing about calling her Bing doesn't exactly make me smile. Well, if people could make Siri sound like Glados, perhaps they can change the requirement of calling out 'Bing' to Cortana.

 

[martyrdrebel27]

In their effort to force-feed us their Bing brand, they are breaking what could be a really cool feature. If they insist on having that, it should also have the option of the phrase "Cortana, look up..."

seriously, the Bing thing will be a make or break point for a lot of people. I'm three fourths of a Microsoft fanboy, and already hate how much they force it on us. This should serve as a re-skin that actually gets us to use their inferior engine, not a reminder that we should just use google. You're totally missing the mark there msoft, and believe it or not, that small of a detail can and will matter.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

C'mon, Microsoft, don't go halfway on this. Let people say "Cortana" to activate it if they want. You'll get a lot more goodwill and publicity than if you make people resent Bing (at least more so than they already do).

 

[Falsename]

"Bing, where is the phase pulse generator?"
"Bing, do you like crazy?"
"Bing, what's our next step?"
"Bing, we need reinforcements".
"Bing, I need a medkit".
"Bing, Smoker!"
"Bing, Louis is down".
"Bing, bake me a cake".
"Bing, which castle are you in?"

 

[008Zulu_v1legacy]

"Bing, tell me [blank]" which might break the illusion somewhat.

Well, that or the first 15 results it throws back are for hardcore porn.

 

[Hairless Mammoth]

I'd rather have it called Ramirez and it repeat every command I say to it in the voice of Keith David. Then I can have my phone shout "Ramirez, find us a fuel depot" whenever I need gas. Although, they should have the option to call it Cortana and her call you Chief.

 

[Sarge034]

"Bing, where is the phase pulse generator?"
"Bing, do you like crazy?"
"Bing, what's our next step?"
"Bing, we need reinforcements".
"Bing, I need a medkit".
"Bing, Smoker!"
"Bing, Louis is down".
"Bing, bake me a cake".
"Bing, which castle are you in?"

Or my personal favorite, "Bing, PILLLLLLLSSSSSSSS HERE!"

OT- I give it four days until someone mods it to respond to "Cortana". Also. I remember an article about this, or at least reporting on the roumor that this might happen. Why not just update THAT article? 30 day necro policy come back to bite you all in the ass?

 

[bluegate]

Not sure whether this is an awesome gesture to halo fans or a pathetic attempt to get people to use their shitty search engine.

Knowing Microsoft, it is most likely the latter. Sigh, wish bing went the way of the zune already. Both came to the party too late and sound rather idiotic.

 

[Cartographer]

Microsoft really missed a trick with "Bing", consider how much more popular they would have been with "Bang" instead.

"I'm just Bang'in..."
"I'll just Bang him/her and..."

Would have killed google overnight.

 

[synobal]

I never understood the whole "bing" label were they like "google is a nonsense word so lets make our search engine a nonsense word.." it would of worked better had they named it Cortana or something else with some sort of recognizable brand.

 

[Programmed_For_Damage]

I wonder if after seven or eight years it will go into rampancy and start shouting at you?

"I WILL NOT LET YOU.. SEARCH FOR THAT ANSWER!"

 

[UsefulPlayer 1]

Badass.

I always wished iPhones were less popular, its pretty compelling to have one when everyone has one and be degraded to the uniform experience.

These days I feel like other smartphones are getting more and more prevalent and I love it. I would love to have Cortana as my AI partner.

 

[ZZoMBiE13]

I never understood the whole "bing" label were they like "google is a nonsense word so lets make our search engine a nonsense word.." it would of worked better had they named it Cortana or something else with some sort of recognizable brand.

Clearly the Bing search engine was made by a fan of Mathew Perry and his work on F-R-I-E-N-D-S.

ClapClapClapClapCLAP

 

[Shaidz]

Woohoo, Cortana

But if i could have GLaDOS, i would jizz in my pants...

 

[ungothicdove]

Cortana is hotter but I'd gain much more enjoyment from Glados' passive aggressive insults every time I asked a question.

"Glados, where is Taco Bell?"

"It's three blocks up on right but you should probably drive five blocks to the gym instead."

 

[kael013]

I give it about a week, a month at most, before someone hacks it to respond to "Cortana".

Though personally, I think they should get a few other voice actors/actresses and give us "vocal options". It'd raise the appeal of using their inferior search engine if we could choose between Cortana, GLaDOS, or Harbinger, for example.

 

[A-D.]

I give it about a week, a month at most, before someone hacks it to respond to "Cortana".

Though personally, I think they should get a few other voice actors/actresses and give us "vocal options". It'd raise the appeal of using their inferior search engine if we could choose between Cortana, GLaDOS, or Harbinger, for example.

Harbinger? So the phone can tell us that "this hurts us"? Or talk about..ascension? Or within 5 months possess your phone to try and kill you while shouting insults at any nearby friends? I think..that might be a tad too harsh. Plus it would be reliving the horror of ME2's collector fights..forever, well or until you switch to another voice set.

But yes, i'd agree that having the choice of who to talk to, be it Glados, Cortana, Whitley, Harbinger or any other known game antagonist, protagonist or general character. How about Francis? He'd tell us all about how he hates what we are searching for!

Captcha: just in time

I dont even.

 

[Kenjitsuka]

GlaDOS is a billion times more awesome than Cortana, since the latter just sounds like any old regular woman.
I want my once futuristic (now old news) feature to use an awesome future-ish voice, damn it!

 

[BoogieManFL]

They should just give up on this whole Bing nonsense. Just like Google should give up on with Google+.