Cortana News (Coming from the inside) (OP being updated)

[Vitor Salvatore Pierce]

Guys, look: Exclusivo: Confira uma pr?via da Cortana em Portugu?s | WinCentral

 

[David P2]

Turns out us in the UK won't get Jen Taylor. :sad:

See here: http://forums.windowscentral.com/cortana/298617-no-jen-taylor-uk.html

I've double checked and it's genuine. Here's hoping we can set it all to UK but use US English for speech....

 

[Pete]

Talderon, how's cortana being enabled on UK?

On a UK set phone, she'd just pop in the app list? Show up as an app update? Notification? Cortana takes over control and introduces herself?
We all know how it goes when you change your region to US and she is available on reboot. But what happens in this case?

If you run the search tool and type "Cortana Settings", you'll be able to get to the hidden settings screen where you'll be told that Cortana isn't available in this region. I keep checking in the vain hope that the "on" switch will become activated.

 

[DavidinCT]

Thank you so much for validating what I've been saying all along. There's always the guy who wants to argue that, "No, it's a beta!"

I PARTLY disagree here. Sure the code in the versions are the same and your seeing the same code going down on retail models but, When the DP started, it was final code but, more like a public beta/preview. As you seen, many updates for 8.1, namely bug fixes, not really feature extras or anything like that.

Final code sure but, I still see it (like a lot of people at Microsoft does too),as more of a PUBLIC beta more than final They can only do SO much testing in house, after that they cant figure out big bugs till it gets in everyone's hands. As Microsoft said when you downloaded it, This is "as-is" software. And I would bet Microsoft has a team just to watch forums like this and make notes on issues, then try to repo them.

So sure, final software but, a bunch of bug fixes before public release(NOT DP, release on phones)....Hmmmm, sounds like a beta to me, no ?

And know what, I'm good with it..... If Microsoft can make Windows Phone pretty much BUG free with my help in some way, then it's all good

 

[hopmedic]

Disagreeing with truth doesn't make it untruth. This isn't something I just made up. It comes from Microsoft people, as quoted, and other sources as well.

Bug fixes come to Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, and formerly Windows XP every month. By your definition they are still in beta. No. It doesn't matter what the audience is, bug fixes will come when bugs are found. That doesn't make something beta.

 

[Victoroos]

I just asked Marcus nicely how the progress of binging Cortana to UK is going, and he said that they are still on schedule . He is a nice guy

 

[Kram Sacul]

Turns out us in the UK won't get Jen Taylor. :sad:

See here: http://forums.windowscentral.com/cortana/298617-no-jen-taylor-uk.html

I've double checked and it's genuine. Here's hoping we can set it all to UK but use US English for speech....

If that is indeed true that Cortana in the UK will just be the robotoicTellMe voice with an English accent then I'm very disappointed. Part of the fun of interacting with Cortana is hearing her personality come through various responses. Without those personal touches you might as well be talking to Google Now or any other emotionless Siri clone. The least they could do is hire an English voice actor to record lines. Looks like we won't even get that.

 

[neo158]

If that is indeed true that Cortana in the UK will just be the robotoicTellMe voice with an English accent then I'm very disappointed. Part of the fun of interacting with Cortana is hearing her personality come through various responses. Without those personal touches you might as well be talking to Google Now or any other emotionless Siri clone. The least they could do is hire an English voice actor to record lines. Looks like we won't even get that.

Remember that the TellMe voice was used in the US until they replaced it with Jen Taylor, the same thing will happen here in the UK.

 

[David P2]

Remember that the TellMe voice was used in the US until they replaced it with Jen Taylor, the same thing will happen here in the UK.

Let's hope you're right. Would be pointless releasing it here without the correct voice to go with it.

 

[Kram Sacul]

Remember that the TellMe voice was used in the US until they replaced it with Jen Taylor, the same thing will happen here in the UK.

Nope. Cortana has always used Jen Taylor (when 8.1 DP was released and the demo during Build 2014). All they've done is re-record some line readings to be have more emotion. Unfortunately they still use the old TellMe voice for names, weather, e-mail, etc. It's very jarring.

It really isn't that hard to bring in Jen Taylor to do some UK specific line readings and jokes. The old TellMe voice with a English accent just isn't going to cut it with a lot of people. Cortana isn't Cortana unless Jen Taylor is the one doing the voice.

 

[neo158]

Nope. Cortana has always used Jen Taylor (when 8.1 DP was released and the demo during Build 2014). All they've done is re-record some line readings to be have more emotion. Unfortunately they still use the old TellMe voice for names, weather, e-mail, etc. It's very jarring.

It really isn't that hard to bring in Jen Taylor to do some UK specific line readings and jokes. The old TellMe voice with a English accent just isn't going to cut it with a lot of people. Cortana isn't Cortana unless Jen Taylor is the one doing the voice.

Then we'll have to agree to disagree. Cortana is Cortana whoever voices it and the only thing it has in common with Halo is the name, unless you think that a 3D model of Cortana will pop out of your phone whenever you use it. The point is that Microsoft made an almighty **** up when they mentioned who was doing the voice, if they hadn't mentioned it then no one would care. Are you seriously expecting Jen Taylor to be a polyglot in order to localise Cortana to every country in the world?

Also no one stated that the TellMe voice would be used in the UK as a fact, except you and if you read the article:

http://www.phonearena.com/news/Cort...t-voice-actress-on-handsets-in-the-UK_id58615

Slightly different headline than "No Jen Taylor in the UK", wouldn't you agree?

 

[Silviu Bogusevschi]

Then we'll have to agree to disagree. Cortana is Cortana whoever voices it and the only thing it has in common with Halo is the name, unless you think that a 3D model of Cortana will pop out of your phone whenever you use it. The point is that Microsoft made an almighty **** up when they mentioned who was doing the voice, if they hadn't mentioned it then no one would care. Are you seriously expecting Jen Taylor to be a polyglot in order to localise Cortana to every country in the world?

Also no one stated that the TellMe voice would be used in the UK as a fact, except you and if you read the article:

Cortana to have a different voice actress on handsets in the UK

Slightly different headline than "No Jen Taylor in the UK", wouldn't you agree?

People definitely are expecting way too much. It's just an assistant (with a bit of personality), not a person who is supposed to have best voice in the universe and, ultimately, to marry you.

 

[LSDigital]

Why not? you bought her after all
And this is THE AI!

 

[Silviu Bogusevschi]

Why not? you bought her after all
And this is THE AI!

Who knows, probably in 200 years we will marry to some AI, but currently we do not

 

[Kram Sacul]

Then we'll have to agree to disagree. Cortana is Cortana whoever voices it and the only thing it has in common with Halo is the name, unless you think that a 3D model of Cortana will pop out of your phone whenever you use it. The point is that Microsoft made an almighty **** up when they mentioned who was doing the voice, if they hadn't mentioned it then no one would care.

Exactly. Without Jen Taylor doing the voice it might as well be called Bing Now, not Cortana. Why was getting the actual voice actor to do the voice a **** up? It generated excitement and it makes a cute connection between two MS products. People actually care about the damn thing now. Why are we even discussing this? lol

Are you seriously expecting Jen Taylor to be a polyglot in order to localise Cortana to every country in the world?

For English speaking countries, yes. Especially English countries that are familiar with the character. Why not? Is there an anti-Jen Taylor movement out there I'm not aware of?

Also no one stated that the TellMe voice would be used in the UK as a fact, except you and if you read the article:

Cortana to have a different voice actress on handsets in the UK

Slightly different headline than "No Jen Taylor in the UK", wouldn't you agree?

The headline mentions voice actress. Actual article doesn't. It's still a disappointment as the UK will not be getting the real deal.

 

[Silviu Bogusevschi]

Is there an article somewhere, which states that Cortana in UK will not have a natural voice? I still don't understand why it should be Jen Taylor, if another person with a better British accent could voice her? Sounds like a Halo fanboyism and silliness.

 

[David P2]

Is there an article somewhere, which states that Cortana in UK will not have a natural voice? I still don't understand why it should be Jen Taylor, if another person with a better British accent could voice her? Sounds like a Halo fanboyism and silliness.

Not that I know of... even Talderon didn't know until very recently, according to his Twitter feed.

 

[Silviu Bogusevschi]

Not that I know of... even Talderon didn't know until very recently, according to his Twitter feed.

We will see next week. I'm very very sure it (sorry, she) will have a natural voice, just like in the US.

 

[hopmedic]

Here we are back to getting off the track of this thread's subject.... Cortana NEWS, not Cortana's voice.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Closed since OP no longer works for Microsoft.