If you're new to AirPods, considering buying a pair, or just want to pick up some new tips.
AirPods and AirPower: Everything We Know
Microsoft Launches New Cortana vs. Siri Ad Showing Off Context-Aware Reminders
Microsoft today launched a new commercial comparing its new Cortana virtual assistant to Apple's virtual assistant Siri, demonstrating how the former is able to perform contextually-aware tasks using a number of services.
Titled "Happy Anniversary", the commercial shows Cortana and Windows Phone 8.1 running on the Nokia Lumia 635 as the narrator makes commands related around a wedding anniversary. First, the narrator asks Cortana to remind him to wish his wife a happy birthday he next time she calls, as the voice assistant schedules a reminder around the call. Meanwhile, Siri does not comply to the request.
The narrator then asks Cortana to remind him to get roses when he comes near any flower shop, while Siri once again does not comply. Finally, Cortana automatically gives a traffic reminder prompting the narrator to leave before traffic delays, as Siri finishes by saying "Now that is a smart phone."
This is the first time that Microsoft has demonstrated its new Cortana voice assistant against Siri, however the company has used Siri's voice to poke fun at the iPad in the past. Cortana was originally announced in April alongside Windows Phone 8.1, as Microsoft touted the virtual assistant's ability to tie reminders and tasks around people and locations. Notably, a Windows Phone manager said last month that the company wants Cortana to be "pervasive" among mobile platforms, perhaps indicating that Microsoft could expand Cortana to iOS and Android.
Titled "Happy Anniversary", the commercial shows Cortana and Windows Phone 8.1 running on the Nokia Lumia 635 as the narrator makes commands related around a wedding anniversary. First, the narrator asks Cortana to remind him to wish his wife a happy birthday he next time she calls, as the voice assistant schedules a reminder around the call. Meanwhile, Siri does not comply to the request.
The narrator then asks Cortana to remind him to get roses when he comes near any flower shop, while Siri once again does not comply. Finally, Cortana automatically gives a traffic reminder prompting the narrator to leave before traffic delays, as Siri finishes by saying "Now that is a smart phone."
This is the first time that Microsoft has demonstrated its new Cortana voice assistant against Siri, however the company has used Siri's voice to poke fun at the iPad in the past. Cortana was originally announced in April alongside Windows Phone 8.1, as Microsoft touted the virtual assistant's ability to tie reminders and tasks around people and locations. Notably, a Windows Phone manager said last month that the company wants Cortana to be "pervasive" among mobile platforms, perhaps indicating that Microsoft could expand Cortana to iOS and Android.
[ 275 comments ]
Top Rated Comments
(View all)
60 months ago
Having played with Google Now on my Samsung S4, Cortana at the Microsoft store and used Siri on my iPhone 4S, Siri is the slowest and least accurate...by far.
60 months ago
Cortana is far batter than Siri in my experience. Although, Google Now is also better than Siri too. What happened to Siri Apple?
60 months ago
Ugh, still using the old voice even though they're depicting iOS 7. But more glaringly, I create location based reminders primarily with Siri, what are they talking about?
They're talking about what you see. You can't set Siri to remind you of something at general locations, only specific locations. Siri can't remind you of something the next time you speak with someone.
60 months ago
Interesting how the tables have turned on the Mac vs PC commercials. It's now Microsoft that makes them.
60 months ago
All this add really highlights (along with Samsungs) is that Apple is still the bar to which all other companies aspire. Do some of these other phones have better features? Of course they do, yet Apple is still, after all this time, the one to beat.
Remember all those forgotten about phones that were 'iPhone killers'? Remember all those people who said YEARS ago that Apple was doomed and were done for?
Apple has set the bar and is still sitting happily on top after all this time.
Remember all those forgotten about phones that were 'iPhone killers'? Remember all those people who said YEARS ago that Apple was doomed and were done for?
Apple has set the bar and is still sitting happily on top after all this time.
60 months ago
We have to let go of this notion that for Apple to win, Microsoft has to lose,
Steve Jobs,
:apple: Macworld, August 1997
Steve Jobs,
:apple: Macworld, August 1997
60 months ago
This might actually be a great software, but I'd be a lot less biased if they didn't directly compare their phone to the iPhone. Especially the Siri voice basically literally saying "I'm such a bad phone, the Lumia is much better" is just uncreative and dumb. It's really lazy advertising in my eyes.
60 months ago
Siri is the worst. doesnt even give you a chance to think of what you wanna say while you are at it without being thrown off with gibberish
google now is more smooth in that area even tho i disabled both asap. no use for it as you end up spell checking and correcting stuff that takes longer than just typing it yourself
google now is more smooth in that area even tho i disabled both asap. no use for it as you end up spell checking and correcting stuff that takes longer than just typing it yourself
[ Read All Comments ]
For this week's giveaway, we've teamed up with Tap to give MacRumors readers a chance to win one of the company's wearable keyboard setups, which Tap believes will be the keyboard of the...
Eve (formerly known as Elgato) was one of the first companies to come out with HomeKit accessories when HomeKit was announced in 2014, and since then, Eve has been expanding its portfolio of...
There are a few notable flash sales going on today, including a discount on a refurbished model of Apple's HomePod smart speaker. The speaker is on sale for $234.99, $115 off from its...
Apple is teaming up with Chinese payments company Ant Financial Services Group, along with several local banks, to offer local customers interest-free financing on iPhones in China (via Reuters)....
OWC this week announced a neat and tidy solution for quickly disconnecting multiple drives from any OWC dock, with the release of a free Dock Ejector utility.
The Mac app lives silently in...
Well-known cable and accessory maker Monoprice today introduced a new sale on Thunderbolt cables, with discounts reaching as much as 35 percent off of original prices during the limited-time event....
Parallels this week debuted a new promo bundle for both new and current users, offering a chance to buy or upgrade to Parallels Desktop 14, and then get ten other Mac apps for free. New owners can...
Over the past few weeks, a handful of users have reported receiving the message "an error occurred" when attempting to load the "For You" tab in iTunes, which provides personalized...
