Microsoft has introduced some new tools that should help Cortana become even more useful and come to even more devices. Launching in private preview is that Cortana Skills Kit, which will enable developers to easily create new Cortana skills. Microsoft has also launched the Cortana Devices SDK, which allows manufacturers to integrate Cortana into smart devices of all kinds.
While only currently only available to a handful of partners, the Cortana Skills Kit already looks promising, with Microsoft noting that it should even make it easy for developers to use code from Alexa skills they've already created to make Cortana Skills. From Microsoft:
The Cortana Skills Kit will allow developers to leverage bots created with the Microsoft Bot Framework and publish them to Cortana as a new skill, to integrate their web services as skills and to repurpose code from their existing Alexa skills to create Cortana skills. It will connect users to skills when users ask, and proactively present skills to users in the appropriate context. And it will help developers personalize their experiences by leveraging Cortana's understanding of users' preferences and context, based on user permissions.
For more on how partners are already working with Skills Kit, check out Microsoft's full blog post. Cortana Skills Kit is expected to be more broadly available to developers in February 2017.
Meanwhile, Cortana Devices SDK looks like it will help deliver Cortana to all kinds of new devices. We've already seen one example of what's coming from Harman Kardon as part of this endeavor, and it's likely we'll see even more hardware partners jump on board over time. All of this comes on the tail of Microsoft announcing that Cortana is coming to Windows 10 IoT devices with screens (i.e. your refrigerator) soon as well.
In any case, it's clear that Microsoft is looking to further throw its hat into the AI ring by making Cortana more useful as a digital assistant with even more skills in more places. That said, what would you like to see from Cortana in the future? Or perhaps a better question is where?
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
Windows 7 far from dead at large organizations despite end of support
Windows 7 reached end-of-life on January 14, but a new study finds that it's far from dead and buried at large organizations. In a study of 60,000 organizations, security ratings firm BitSight found 90 percent of companies with more than 10,000 workers are still running the aging OS.
Could Microsoft go with Qualcomm for a Surface Go 2? You bet.
The first low-cost laptops built on top of the forthcoming Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c confirm our suspicions that an ARM-based Surface Go 2 is possible. Here is what that would mean and why it would be good.
Review: Acer's late-2019 Swift 5 refresh is (mostly) a winner. Here's why.
The previous version of Acer's Swift 5 was a letdown, but a late-2019 refresh has seemingly turned things around and set the lightest 14-inch laptop back on the right path.
Digitize your photos with the best photo scanner you can buy
Confused by the scanner market? You're not the only one. We've rounded up the best right here based on price and performance so you can make an easier final decision.
