Microsoft may be turning the dreams of fanboys everywhere into a reality by putting Cortana, the sexy AI companion from the "Halo" franchise, into the pockets of Windows Phone users. Well, just Cortana's voice, at least.
According to a report published by MSFTnerd, Microsoft's long-rumored Siri-like voice recognition software will be voiced by Jen Taylor, known for her work as the voice of Cortana in the "Halo" video game series.
The blog also writes that the personal assistant feature is activated by the phrase "Bing, tell me ... " and that it responds to requests about weather, calendar appointments, directions and probably more. The report claims Cortana "will launch first in beta on Lumia this April for US developers" and says Microsoft plans to extend the feature to American Xbox One and Windows users in 2015, with an international launch expected in 2015 and 2016.
Like the "Halo" character, the Windows Phone feature will learn and adapt as it is used, so interactions become more natural and conversational over time (similar to what Siri aims to do for iPhone users and Google Now for Android users), according to ZDnet.
While she might not reach the ingame Cortana's levels of artificial intelligence (or wear the skimpy outfit), Microsoft's response to Siri and Google Now is expected to add improvements to the voice command capabilities currently in place for Window Phone and Xbox One users.
Most famous for her work as Cortana, a role she's held for over a decade, Jen Taylor has lent her voice to the roles of Zoey in the "Left 4 Dead" series, various roles in "Dota 2," as well as Princess Peach, Toad and Toadette in several Mario games and spinoffs.
Neither Microsoft nor Jen Taylor were immediately available to comment on this story.