Microsoft is preparing to ship its Windows Phone 8.1 update with two significant changes: a notification center and a Siri-like personal assistant. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans have revealed to The Verge that the company is currently beta testing copies of Windows Phone 8.1 internally, with plans to fully detail its features at the Build Developer Conference in April, 2014. A highly requested notification-center feature will be added to the software, and we’re told it’s enabled by swiping down from the top of the screen in a similar way to iOS and Android.
New quick settings are exposed by a short swipe from the top, and a longer swipe will display a full notification history in current beta versions of Windows Phone 8.1. Both additions address some highly requested features in Windows Phone. Another key feature in the upcoming 8.1 update is the inclusion of "Cortana," a personal digital assistant. Microsoft has been testing Cortana for a number of months, and we understand it will replace the existing Bing search on Windows Phone to allow users to interact using voice or text input. We’re told it’s similar to Google Now and Apple’s Siri technology, with conversational interaction and the ability to learn location context and data from the phone. Like Google Now, it will automatically remind you when a meeting is approaching and how long you’ll need to reach an appointment.
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