Got bot? How to put it to work with Microsoft's Cortana Skills Microsoft made a big deal of Cortana skills at its Build developer conference earlier this year – the business of creating voice interactions with users via the digital assistant built into Windows 10 and also available for iOS and Android. Why does the company consider this strategic? The answer was given by a presenter at …
>or is this "because it's Microsoft"?
Nope, it's because I have no need of it on a desktop but can't properly get rid of it without resorting to dirty hacks that risk instability.
>voice-driven input
Have fun with command line syntax on that one.
Call me old fashioned but I can do things far faster with a KB and mouse without the need for resource stealing. I want an off button for Cortana that means off, no services loaded.
Working in an office full of people muttering, then talking, then shouting at their PCs? Its bad enough in a busy time with work colleagues all on the phone at the same time.
Can you imagine life at home with family and friends muttering, then talking, then shouting at their phones PCs/TVs, radios etc?
Its exactly the kind of thing the pointy Headed Manager and the HR droids would think is fantastic, along with Yammer, Tibber, in-house "social networking" in general and performance Reviews with mandatory but completely arbitrary Goal Setting and Performance Objectives, touchy-feely HR communications that make it obvious they give not a toss.
I now want to kill something
Anyone remember those Infocom text adventure games in the 8-bit days? I remember at least one of them that if you typed 'kill,' it would respond with (self), then have your character do exactly what it sounds like.
Can we tell Cortana to kill? (self), I mean.
Edit: Yes, you too, Siri, Alexa, and OK Google. Off with the lot of you.
The Register 
Biting the hand that feeds IT
Copyright. All rights reserved © 1998–2024
