Microsoft officially unveils Windows Phone 8.1

2 Apr 2014

At its Build developer conference, Microsoft officially unveiled its new Windows Phone 8.1 operating system featuring a whole range of new features, including Cortana.

Despite seeing early leaks of its new OS online, as well as some of the details, Microsoft can now openly discuss its new features that include a notification location system, called Action Center.

Some of the other features include a new screen-lock system and most interestingly, its new Siri competitor, Cortana.

Previous information about the phone’s AI named after a character in the company’s Xbox franchsie Halo, the Cortana software will give the ability to save information and voice in a notebook-like system and will give allow digital assistant to access information such as location data, behaviours, personal information, reminders, and contact information.  

Other confirmations that were not previously known for Cortana include the ability to extend the software to third-party apps as well as featuring a number of features that resemble Google’s Google Now in a list format with information based on your location and interests.

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Colm Gorey was a senior journalist with Silicon Republic

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