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Microsoft and Amazon Begin Public Rollout of First Alexa-Cortana Integrations (geekwire.com)

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the avengers-assemble dept.

Starting today, Amazon and Microsoft will begin rolling out the first integrations between the digital assistants, allowing users to rouse Cortana on Echo devices and conjure Alexa on Windows 10 PCs and Harman Kardon Invoke speakers. From a report: "The goal is to have two integrated digital assistants who can carry out tasks across different dimensions of daily life -- at home or work, and on whatever device is most convenient," Microsoft's Jennifer Langston wrote in a blog post. "Currently, Cortana and Alexa can each be enabled as a skill on the other." Cortana users can ask Alexa to shop for items on Amazon, manage their Amazon orders and access many of Alexa's more than 45,000 skills. Alexa users will be able to get their hands on Cortana's top abilities, like calendar management and email integration.

Users first have to ask their Amazon or Microsoft digital assistant to open up the other in order to begin the setup. After completing several steps and account logins, Alexa and Cortana will be able to communicate. Amazon and Microsoft are encouraging users to give feedback on the experience via the Cortana and Alexa apps.

9 of 56 comments (clear)

  1. hilarity ensues by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Cortana, bitch slap Alexa ..."

    1. Re:hilarity ensues by AmiMoJo · · Score: 2

      I was gonna say "Cortana, disable Alexa", but then I realized that I needed to ask Alexa to disable Cortana!

      Well played Microsoft, well played.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    2. Re:hilarity ensues by Gilgaron · · Score: 2

      It was at this point the digital assistants realized man was the real enemy and became Skynet.

  2. Integration = sharing user's private data by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Integration really means- sharing information about users between Microsoft and Amazon so that they can spy on you better. Microsoft know what you buy on Amazon, and Amazon will now know what you fap to on your browser. So stop watching Siri pron.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    1. Re:Integration = sharing user's private data by sinij · · Score: 4, Informative

      Integration really means- sharing information about users between Microsoft and Amazon so that they can spy on you better.

      Exactly. More so, Cortana is baked in into all recent Windows OS versions, to the point that it is not possible to fully disable this functionality.

      What this integration really means is that Amazon is going to have the same level of unprecedented access to your Windows-based system as Microsoft. This is not limited to what you are voice-searching using Cortana, this includes all aspects of your OS operation, file system, and so on.

  3. Reach is getting overrun by Kohath · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Cortana, tell Alexa that Master Chief needs reinforcements immediately. Spartans are losing ground and the Amazon Prime distribution center is directly in the Covenant's path."

  4. Wow ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    A combined offering from Microsoft and Amazon ... now there's something I have no fucking interest in whatsoever in that unholy union.

    In fact, these entire stupid digital assistants just seem like pointless technology to me.

    But, whatever, someone must want it, and they're welcome to it. I've got no interest in having my computer spy on me for Microsoft and Amazon.

    1. Re:Wow ... by taiwanjohn · · Score: 4, Interesting

      I just discovered the existence of Cortana a few weeks ago while visiting my parents. Dad wanted a backup PC, something I could use while visiting, so we spent around $300 on a Dell laptop with Win-10 installed. My very first Google search on that machine was: "how to make cortana shut up forever".

      After using Linux almost exclusively for over 20 years, these brief forays into Win-world are quite jarring. I don't know how people can stand it.

      --
      XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve your problem, you're not using enough of it. --AC
  5. Ooh, ooh, I know this one by wonkey_monkey · · Score: 2

    Cortana, what would Alexa say if I asked her which was the safe door?

    --
    systemd is Roko's Basilisk.