A June report from ZDNet covering an alleged virtual assistant designed as Halo ’s Cortana, the series’ ever popular AI coordinator, cropped up in recent updates on Microsoft’s projects. The software, currently named Cortana, is being designed to replace MS’ TellMe for Windows Phones, but it will also be available for PC and Xbox One.
CNET’s July interview with Microsoft Bing boss Stefan Weitz affirmed the company’s intent to compete with Apple’s well-known Siri app: “We could come out with something now like [Apple], but it wouldn’t be state of the art,” he said. “There are teams working hot and heavy on this right now.”
Microsoft’s newly announced buyback campaign targeting second through fourth-generation iPads only adds fuel to the anti-Apple fire, as does its purchase of Nokia , a rival (rival in the same sense that a butter knife rivals a chainsaw in a contest of clear-cutting) device-manufacturer.
The question is, though, when will Microsoft unveil a new phone shaped like Master Chief’s helmet?