Microsoft Pits Cortana Against Siri in New Ad Showcasing Contextual Reminders, Traffic Alerts

Microsoft today launched a new video advertisement that compares its Cortana virtual assistant to Apple's own digital assistant, Siri, showcasing Cortana's contextual reminders and traffic alerts, two functions that Siri does not have.



In the ad, entitled "Siri vs. Cortana: Bigger," Cortana and Siri have a "conversation" where Cortana queries Siri about her new abilities in the iPhone 6 and Siri continually responds that she just "got bigger."

Cortana: Hi Siri, looks like you're in a new phone. Congratulations.

Siri: Yes, I got bigger.

Cortana: Oh, are you more like me now? Can you give reminders based on who calls or texts?

Siri: No, I got bigger.

Cortana: How about traffic alerts? Can you tell people to leave early based on traffic reports?

Siri: No, seriously, I just got bigger.

Cortana: That's okay. Happens to everyone this time of year.

Microsoft first announced Cortana in April of this year. The digital assistant, designed to compete with Apple's Siri, is named after the AI character in the popular Halo video game series and is voiced by actress Jen Taylor. With Cortana, Microsoft aims to emulate real personal assistants, and Cortana will ask questions and monitor user activity to learn more about its users. Cortana, available on Windows devices, can perform a few functions that Siri is not capable of, including scheduling reminders from text messages and mapping out traffic patterns to provide travel recommendations.



Cortana has been starring in a series of anti-Siri advertisements since July, with the first advertisement highlighting context-aware reminders and the second showcasing Cortana's mapping capabilities.



Microsoft has a long history of targeting Apple in its advertisements, comparing its Surface line of products to Apple's iPad and iPhone. Just this week, Microsoft launched a new "Winter Wonderland" ad that pits the Surface Pro 3 against the MacBook Air, highlighting the Surface's kickstand, portability, and touchscreen.

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Posted in 2014 at 07:33PM, November 21

Apple Watch Screen Resolutions: 312 x 390 for 42mm Version, 272 x 340 for 38mm Version

With the WatchKit SDK now in the hands of developers, some new information about Apple's wearable device is coming out, including its display resolution, which was not previously disclosed by Apple.



According to Apple's human interface guidelines, the two separate Apple Watch models have different screen resolutions. The smaller 38mm Apple Watch has a resolution of 272 x 340, while the larger 42mm Apple Watch has a resolution of 312 x 390.





Apple directs developers to provide image assets for different screen sizes "as needed." Developers can use the same image resources as long as they "look good on both screen sizes," but if not, developers will need to provide separate image resources for both devices. Content displayed on Apple Watch "should be the same regardless of the device's screen size," and Apple says developers should "let items expand or contract naturally" to fill available space.



Icons on the Apple Watch will have variable sizes based on screen size and type. For example, the Notification Center icon should be 29 pixels for the 38mm Apple Watch, and 36 pixels for the 42mm Apple Watch. A home screen icon on the smaller device should be 172 pixels, while a home screen icon for the larger Apple Watch should be 196 pixels.





In addition to unveiling information on the device's resolution, Apple's WatchKit guidelines give some insight into how Apple views the device. Apple asks developers to be mindful of certain concepts when creating content for the Apple Watch, including its deep personalization and connection to people via heart rate and activity monitoring.



According to Apple, the Apple Watch aims to "blur the boundaries between physical object and software" through the Digital Crown navigation tool, the Taptic Engine for subtle alerts, and Force Touch, a new touch control system. Thoughtful design, says Apple, "should contribute to this experience of hardware and software feeling indistinguishable."



Apple suggests that all content created for the Apple Watch should be "lightweight," as the device is designed for simple interactions that are "accessible and dismissible quickly and easily, for both privacy and usability." Apps must "respect the context" in which the user accesses them, "briefly, frequently, and on a small display."



Apple's WatchKit development software became available earlier today, as part of the iOS 8.2 beta. The beta can be downloaded from Apple's developer site, and developers are able to immediately begin creating actionable notifications and Glances for the Apple Watch. Tools for creating full Apple Watch apps will be made available next year.

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Posted in 2014 at 07:33PM, November 18

These Android phones have been confirmed to get Lollipop – is yours on the list?

One of the frustrating things for Android users is not knowing when their phones will get the latest Android software pushed out to them... if at all. CNET has put together a handy guide of major Android phones that have been confirmed to get Android 5.0 Lollipop and while a lot of devices have been confirmed as getting the upgrade, some big names are still missing.

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Posted in 2014 at 07:33PM, October 24

Google is already prepping a few major updates for your new Moto 360

The very first Android Wear smartwatches launched earlier this summer, but now that the Moto 360 is finally shipping, it's fair to say that Google's new mobile operating system has officially arrived. Just a couple of months after the reveal of Android Wear, the hardware is already improving, but what about the software? It looks nice, but it's still lacking some important features, which is why Google is going to be continuously updating Android Wear throughout the fall and winter.

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Posted in 2014 at 07:33PM, September 05

Hands-On Installation and Usage of TouchPal's Gesture Keyboard for iOS 8

Following Apple's announcement at its Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this month that iOS 8 would include support for third-party keyboards on a systemwide basis, a number of companies working on the technology indicated that they would be moving forward with plans to support iOS. Among those companies was TouchPal, with quickly released a video showing an early version of its sliding gesture keyboard in action.



TouchPal has now released its first alpha version of its keyboard for iOS 8 to select media outlets, giving a good look at how third-party keyboard will work on iOS 8.





Installation is straightforward, leveraging a traditional App Store app to add TouchPal as an option when adding new keyboard in the Settings app. Once TouchPal is added, users can simply rearrange their installed keyboards in their preferred order, and rotate through each one while in use by tapping the globe key. Users who have activated the emoji keyboard on their devices will be familiar with that process.



Once activated, TouchPal is available anywhere a keyboard is traditionally used, such as in Mail, Messages, Safari, Notes, iWork apps, and third-party apps.





TouchPal's keyboard is similar to the perhaps more well-known one from Swype, allowing users to drag a finger in one continuous motion as they spell out the word. Based on the pattern drawn by the user, TouchPal suggests several options for the intended word, with highest-ranked option highlighted in the middle of the suggestions bar. Hitting the space bar or touching the word accepts the suggestion.



Numbers and common punctuation marks are input right from the main keyboard screen simply by flicking up or down on the proper key. Additional punctuation marks and emoticons are available by tapping the "12#" key at the lower left.



In our testing, there were definitely some glitches, particularly when switching between keyboards, but it is still early in the development process and Apple and third-party keyboard companies will continue to refine their implementations in the coming months leading up to the public release of iOS 8 this fall.

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Posted in 2014 at 07:33PM, June 20

Amazon’s ‘set-top box’ will reportedly be a Chromecast-style dongle

It looks like Amazon is taking a page from Google and not Apple with its soon-to-be-announced TV streaming device that reportedly isn't a set-top box but is instead a Chromecast-style dongle. And unnamed sources tell TechCrunch that not only will the new device resemble the Chromecast but that it may also do Google one better by having "support for streaming full PC game titles, and as such might be able to compete with consoles including the Xbox and PlayStation, instead of just Android-powered living room game devices."

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Posted in 2014 at 07:33PM, March 17

Get ready for unbearable full-screen ads on your iPhone

You know those horrendous full-screen ads that pop up on some news sites? The ones that hover there for a while until you angrily click an "X" to close them and read the article you shouldn't have had to wait to read in the first place? Those are called interstitial ads, and it looks like they're coming soon to an iPhone near you.

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Posted in 2014 at 07:33PM, March 05