Microsoft's Cortana digital assistant launches on iPhone and Android

From InfoWorld: After a brief beta testing period, Microsoft's Cortana assistant is available for everyone on the iPhone and Android phones.

Though Cortana lacks the deep operating system hooks of Android's Google Now and iOS's Siri, it could still be a useful companion for users of Windows 10 PCs. For instance, you can set time- or location-based reminders from the Windows 10 taskbar, and have those reminders pop up on the phone.

Cortana works better if you give it more access to personal data in Windows 10. Setting up the Windows Mail app allows Cortana to track flights and inbound packages, and you can specify favorite sports teams, weather locations, and news topics of interest in Cortana's Notebook menu on the PC.

Cortana is arguably the centerpiece of Windows 10, but on mobile devices it never had much chance of luring people away from the iPhone and Android. So instead, Microsoft is taking the opposite approach, hoping Cortana's availability on those platforms will help keep people attached to their PCs.

Although Cortana is now available on more platforms, not all versions are created equal.

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