Surface Earbuds are Microsoft’s voice-focused true wireless option

As was rumored earlier this year, Microsoft has been working on smart earbuds -- it unveiled the Surface Earbuds Wednesday. They're touch and voice-enabled with omnisonic sound, and boast a pair of mics in each bud. They come with a charging case and...

Amazon enlists 30 companies to improve how voice assistants work together

Just because you have an Amazon device doesn't mean you should be limited to interacting with Alexa -- or so Amazon believes. Today, the company announced a new Voice Interoperability Initiative. The goal is to work with other companies so that users...

Microsoft contractors listened to what people told their Xbox consoles

Microsoft contractors reportedly listened to Xbox owners too. Earlier this month, we learned that contractors heard audio snippets from Skype calls and Cortana interactions. Now, Vice reports that Microsoft contractors also listened to audio picked u...

Microsoft says humans will still transcribe Cortana and Skype audio

Just like seemingly every other major tech company with a voice assistant or voice chat service, it emerged that Microsoft contractors were listening to Skype and Cortana recordings. Apple, Google and Facebook have temporarily halted similar efforts,...

Microsoft contractors listen to some Skype calls and Cortana commands

Microsoft is the latest company charged with listening to its users calls and voice commands. A report by Vice found that contractors are listening to bits of conversations collected through Skype's translation service. Some contractors are also list...

‘Halo’ TV series has its Cortana ahead of early 2021 premiere

While Showtime took forever to start filling in details for its Halo TV series, it's clearly eager to make up for lost time. The broadcaster has announced that Natascha McElhone (of Ronin and Californication fame) will portray both the legendary Cort...

Standalone Cortana app available to Windows Insiders

Microsoft has been distancing Cortana from Windows for months. First, it split the virtual assistant from search in Windows 10. Then, a beta version of a standalone Cortana app appeared on the Windows Store. And starting today, Windows 10 Insiders ar...