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The return of Clippy! Microsoft says more about their digital assistant Cortana

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40hz:
Clippy is baaaaack! But this time, he's gotten a major overhaul and a new name (Cortana) - and is no longer restricted to helping you figure out how to use Office.

I have very mixed feelings about this new feature Microsoft will be introducing into their Windows 10 OS.



I have to admire the implicit hubris in the assertion that Microsoft knows "what's great for customers."

Maybe it's me, but the "yes-buts" are drowning out the "sounds-goods" right now. And I find the constantly repeated "your" to somewhat suspect considering Microsoft's track record on issues such as privacy and square dealings with their customers.

The Register has an article on it here.

tomos:
I'd be open to trying it, but wary about what exactly it's 'learning'.

wraith808:
So, I have iOS devices.  And I really am starting to *hate* Siri.  Why?  Because their need to make it 'learn' and aggregate data gets in the way of it's usefulness.  And there's no way to opt out.

It seems they hobble adoption by those that might be open to using it.

An example... I have standup everyday, and sometimes I'm driving.  So it seems like a perfect use for Siri.  You program in a number for stand up, and when it's time- you say call standup, right?  But if there's no data reception at the time, it says "I can't take commands right now" because it needs to consult the aggregate data.  To call one of my contacts.  And then... what is it doing with the aggregate data of me calling a personal contact?

Things that make you go hmmm...

40hz:
^Considering how well the spell check suggestions work on my iPhone, I had very little in the way of hopeful expectations when it came to Siri. And I soon discovered it wasn't unreasonable for me to feel that way about it.

I especially appreciate the way Siri sometimes pops up without being asked. I lost several critical moments in a presentation I was recording thanks to my not noticing Siri was waiting for me to ask it to do something - and suspended the recording app I was using in order to do so. Which I don't get. The phone was just sitting on the table in front of me - completely untouched - when it happened.



Siri is a rather pretty bit of coding. But it's also (from my experience) rather useless. I guess you could say Siri is 'pretty useless.'

At least AFAIC.

Curt:
... that we can build a personal assistant, ..., who knows your patterns, your behaviour, what you want, and predictions...
--- End quote ---

 if I am scared by Google wanting to know everything about me,
guess how scared this Microsoft assistant is making me!


Is Cortana funded by some American anti-terror agency?  :-\

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