A beta version of Microsoft’s Cortana virtual assistant is coming to Android this July
Microsoft has already announced its plans to bring its Cortana virtual assistant to Android, and now we’re getting a few more details as to when we can expect the new app. The company has just revealed that beginning in July, a beta version of Cortana will be available for download on Android devices.
As the company previously stated, the Cortana for Android app won’t be as fully featured as the app baked in to Windows Phone devices. Instead, the app will serve as a way for your Windows 10 PC and other Microsoft devices to sync easily with your Android smartphone or tablet to accomplish tasks that many other services can’t. Microsoft explains:
On your Android phone you can ask Cortana to remind you to walk the dog at 8pm in the evening, and then when you’re watching a movie your Xbox will interrupt playback to let you know it’s time to take the dog out.
Just recently, Google announced that Now on Tap would be released with Android M, which offers users an easier way to get information more quickly. Additionally, the folks over at SoundHound released its Hound Beta app for Android, toting impressive voice recognition technology that might prove useful to users. It will certainly be interesting to see exactly how Cortana for Android fares against the competition, and if cross platform integration will be enough for it to prove itself worthy in the Android and iOS space.
The company hasn’t given us an exact release date, but it looks like we won’t have to wait much longer to try out the virtual assistant.
E3 Streams: ‘The Long Dark,’ ‘Yooka Laylee,’ and more!
E3 2015 is officially underway and the gaming world’s been set ablaze. Xbox One backwards compatibility! A Final Fantasy VII remake for PlayStation 4! There’s also a metric ton of brand new games. JXE Streams is giving you the opportunity to chat directly with the developers from the E3 show floor starting today at 1PM ET. We’re going to have the devs behind The Long Dark, Zodiac, The Banner Saga 2, and Yooka-Laylee live on Twitch.tv/Joystiq.
Where can you watch these streams? Right here in this post! Want to chat with us? Go to Twitch.tv/Joystiq.
If you want to follow along with our E3 streams, here is our complete schedule for Tuesday, June 16th:
1PM ET/10AM PT: The Long Dark with Hinterland Games. A brilliant survival game, The Long Dark was just confirmed for Xbox One.
1:30PM ET/10:30AM PT: Zodiac with Kobojo. Featuring the talents of Final Fantasy Tactics composer Hitoshi Sakamoto and Final Fantasy VII writer Kazushige Nojima, this is a brand new RPG.
2PM ET/11:00AM PT: The Banner Saga 2 with Stoic Studio. The sequel to one of 2014’s most fascinating strategy games.
3PM ET/12PM PT: Yooka-Laylee with Playtonic Games. A spiritual successor to Banjo Kazooie made by many of the former Rare developers behind that series.
[We’re playing all games in 720p via OBS.]
ICYMI: Head-mounted Minecraft, CGI celebrities and more
It’s the very first episode of In Case You Missed It, where we surface the weird and wacky news that may have been buried by yesterday’s big headlines. Today we’re covering some of our favorite stories from Monday: The HoloLens headset at E3, what’s happening with the first solar-powered flight around the world and CGI modeling using paparazzi photos.
And from the cutting room floor, a handful of little gems we just didn’t have time to include: The Sony hack that ushered f-bombs onto British daytime TV and this video story on using emoji for passwords.
Let us know about any cool tech or internet stories that you stumble across by using the #ICYMI hashtag and tweeting @engadget or @mskerryd.
Filed under: Announcements, Misc, Gaming, Transportation, Internet, Sony, Microsoft
The Xbox One’s revamped interface is all about speed and community
When Microsoft said it had a new Xbox One user experience in store at E3, it wasn’t joking around. The company has unveiled its redesigned console interface, and it has very little in common with the tile-based UI you use today. The focuses here are on speed and community — there’s a quick menu for some of your most common tasks, and a prominent activity feed shows what your friends are up to. Oh, and Microsoft’s Cortana voice assistant will play a big role on the Xbox, too. You can tell the system to handle certain duties (such as starting a party) at any point, even while you’re playing. Microsoft hasn’t said just when the new experience arrives beyond “soon,” but the tech giant has historically rolled out these bigger Xbox updates late in the year.
Check here for everything happening at E3 2015!
Filed under: Gaming, Microsoft
Source: Microsoft
Now you can stream Xbox One games to Windows 10 computers
Microsoft announced that, starting today, Xbox One users running Windows 10 and who are members of the preview program will be able to try the company’s new Game Streaming feature. It does exactly what it sounds like, allowing users to stream their console games to a remote computer. In fact, the feature actually mirrors the full console so you can also access the home screen and apps however you won’t be able to stream movies, music or other protected content. What you will have access to is virtually every Xbox One title — save for the ones that require a Kinect or other specialized hardware.
You’ll also need to have the same Xbox Live account set up on both the console and PC, as well as a Gold subscription, if you want to hop into a multiplayer game or use voice chat. And speaking of multiplayer, if you want to run a local multiplayer game but don’t want to deal with a split screen, Game Streaming will allow one person to play on the console while the other plays on the PC. But don’t bother asking for keyboard/mouse compatibility, Microsoft has also announced it won’t be coming — you’ll need a wired USB controller on the PC.
[Thanks, Nate aka Ghostofmumbles]
[Image Credit: Matt Sayles/Invision/AP]
Filed under: Gaming, Microsoft
Source: Xbox One Forums
Xbox at E3: The big news and what it means for you
Xbox 360 backwards compatibility. A new $150 “Elite” controller. A mind-blowing Minecraft for HoloLens demo. Fallout 4, Halo 5, Tomb Raider, Gears of War and even more Gears of War. Microsoft had a lot to show off at its E3 2015 event, so let our team on the ground recap what we’ve seen and offer some initial thoughts on it before we move on with today’s other big events.
Rare’s next game is ‘Sea of Thieves’ for Xbox One and Windows 10
Rare isn’t just banking on 30 years of nostalgia; it has a brand-new franchise on the way called Sea of Thieves. Announced today for Xbox One and Windows 10, it’s looking like the pirate sim we didn’t get from Assassin’s Creed. Rare described the game as its most ambitious effort ever, as the player dives in first-person to a shared adventure. As one would expect from Rare, it’s all very stylized and cartoony, which you can get a good look at via the trailer (embedded after the break.) There’s no word yet on a release date, but we’ll be looking for it on the show floor and you can sign up for more updates on the official website.
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/1z48qvGsA_0?rel=0
Check here for everything happening at E3 2015!
Filed under: Gaming, Microsoft
Source: Sea of Theives
Skype’s web chats now work on your Chromebook
As of today, you no longer need a relatively pricey PC to chat on Skype when you’d rather not break out your phone — a cheap-and-cheerful Chromebook will do the trick. In addition to expanding the Skype web beta worldwide, Microsoft has introduced instant messaging for both Chrome OS and Linux users. It’s not the video or voice calling you’re looking for, but it means that you can stay in touch with Skype-obsessed family members without having to switch devices or services. The messaging platform is based on the open, video-capable WebRTC standard, so don’t be surprised if you’re eventually holding face-to-face Skype conversations on that Chrome machine.
Filed under: Internet, Microsoft
Via: The Next Web
Source: Skype
Xbox One ‘Rainbow Six Siege’ will come with both ‘Vegas’ games
To accompany today’s news that Xbox One will soon be backwards compatible with Xbox 360 games, Ubisoft just announced that Rainbow Six: Vegas and Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 will be free for anyone that buys the latest game in the franchise, Rainbow Six: Siege. Although no one has explained exactly how this’ll work, all Xbox 360 games will need to be downloaded (rather than played by disc), so you’d assume Seige will arrive with download codes for both titles. Ubi is the second developer to announce such a deal today, as Bethesda is giving away Fallout 3 with Xbox One copies of Fallout 4. Hopefully this becomes a trend of sorts — it’d make a nice change from having to buy all those “definitive” editions, wouldn’t it?
Check here for everything happening at E3 2015!
Filed under: Gaming, Microsoft
Source: Engadget Live Blog
Microsoft shows off ‘Minecraft’ built specifically for HoloLens
At its E3 2015 event, Microsoft has given us a new demo of Minecraft built specifically for its HoloLens augmented reality headset. As we’ve guessed since the hardware originally appeared, the creative world-building game is a perfect fit for the futuristic hardware. The demonstrator at first controlled the experience with an Xbox One controller, then just used his hands in the air to play, and could peek around, above and through his creations simply by moving around in real space. A little awkward to watch, sure, but the live feed showed us a simulated HoloLens feed so we could follow along. We still don’t know when we’ll be exploring its combination of real and virtual worlds for ourselves, but Microsoft promises more information at the MineCon event that starts July 4th. If you missed it in the stream, check out our gallery to see how it all looks.
It’s official: @Minecraft is coming to Microsoft #HoloLens. #XboxE3 pic.twitter.com/VSyAlmdu2s
– Microsoft HoloLens (@HoloLens) June 15, 2015
Microsoft HoloLens introduces all new ways to game with mixed reality, including “Minecraft” on HoloLens, a fully-featured version of “Minecraft” that allows players to explore the game world in full 3-D.
Check here for everything happening at E3 2015!
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Microsoft
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