Microsoft's Cortana crosses over to iOS and Android
Due out this year for Android and iOS, the voice assistant will bring some competition to Apple's Siri and the Google Now app.
Look out, Siri. Move over, Google Now. Microsoft's Cortana voice assistant is coming to iOS and Android.
The upcoming launch of a Cortana app will give users of iPhones and Android phones the option of a companion to Cortana on Windows 10 PCs, Joe Belfiore, head of Microsoft's Operating Systems Group, announced in a blog post published Tuesday.
The move is part of the software maker's efforts to better compete in the mobile arena by making its apps and services available to users of the rival devices that have proven vastly more popular than Microsoft's own Windows Phone offerings.
And with Windows 10, due this summer, Microsoft is also looking to make up in a big way for the misfire of Windows 8.
The new Windows 10 Mobile version, for instance, will run Microsoft's so-called universal apps, which are designed to work across all devices. It will also make use of Microsoft's new Continuum feature to automatically switch an app's layout when the phone is plugged into a PC monitor and communicating with a mouse and keyboard.
As part of Microsoft's goal to connect your Windows PC to whichever smartphone you own, Belfiore said Tuesday, a new Phone Companion app will allow you to install and use Cortana for Android and iOS. The app will be available in a few weeks to members of the Windows Insider Program, while the Cortana companion will roll out to Android phones at the end of June and to iPhones later this year.
How will Cortana, Google Now and Apple's Siri all compete or co-exist as your voice assistant? That's up to you. iPhone users will still be able to use Siri as always, and Android users will still be able to rely on Google Now.
In the initial going, Cortana for Android and iOS won't have all the same capabilities as the version on a Windows Phone. For instance, Cortana won't offer voice activation and other handy features, which may lessen its appeal. Both Siri and Google Now are designed to respond to your commands, answer questions and provide information. Google Now is also available for iOS devices since it's baked into the Google search app for iOS.
You also won't be able to use Cortana to open apps or change settings in the Android or iOS editions. And the ability to use Cortana hands-free by saying "Hey Cortana" will still be limited to the Windows Phone and the Windows 10 PC versions.
But Microsoft clearly aims to build and enhance Cortana for Android and iOS as much as possible, so it could eventually turn into a more formidable rival. Neither Siri nor Google Now offer notifications, so there's an advantage for Cortana, which can remind Android and iOS users of meetings, air flights and other activities in your schedule.
Also on the plus side, all the information in Cortana's Notebook, which keeps track of your reminders, interests and settings, will sync with and appear on all of your devices -- desktop and mobile alike.
It's through that integration between Windows 10 and your mobile device that Microsoft is hoping to convince more users to give Cortana a shot. The app will alert you to reminders and act as your personal assistant across both your Windows 10 device and your mobile phone, so you're covered whether you're at your office or on the go.
As a further step toward integration, the Phone Companion app on Windows 10 PCs will help you set up your phone so that all of your content -- documents, music, photos -- will be available on both your PC and mobile device via Microsoft's OneDrive online file sharing.
And in another tidbit, an updated Xbox Music app for Android and iOS will let you freely listen to your music from OneDrive.
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The Best Time to Get Cheap Plane Tickets, According to Google Flights
Google Flights released its 2024 travel trends, including the best time to buy plane tickets for fall and holiday travel.
- Macy has been working for CNET for coming on 2 years. Prior to CNET, Macy received a North Carolina College Media Association award in sports writing.
You can save money on airfare by optimizing both when you fly and when you book plane tickets.
Maybe you're looking to book a flight over the week of Thanksgiving or during the winter holidays. Or maybe you want to plan ahead for your bucket-list trip to Europe. Whatever your travel plans, as you look over flight schedules, you may be wondering: When are the best days to book a cheap flight? Is it cheaper to purchase far in advance or wait till you're closer to your travel dates?
Right on time, Google Flights recently released its key insights on 2024 travel data and trends, including answers to the above questions. Flights and their related prices are constantly in flux. Google aggregated four years of airfare data and trends to provide US travelers with an overarching guide on how to get the cheapest flights possible and what are the best times of year to fly.
Read more: Use Your iPhone to Easily Monitor Flight Delays and Cancellations
When is the cheapest day of the week to fly?
If you're planning to book a flight, especially around the busy holiday season, you are likely trying to find the most budget-friendly option. According to Google Flights, the cheapest flights are available when flying on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with Tuesday being the cheapest day, according to the historical flight data. Flying early- to mid-week can save travelers 13 to 20% on airfare compared to flying on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, with Sunday as the most expensive day to fly.
Do layovers really save money?
It may come as no surprise that flights with layovers are cheaper than nonstop flights, but you may not realize just how significant those savings can be. The Google Flight data shows that travelers can save 25% by booking a flight with a layover instead of a nonstop flight.
Is there a best day of the week to book flights?
While there are certainly cheaper days to fly, there aren't really cheaper days to book. "There's not much benefit to buying your tickets on a certain day of the week," according to the Google report.
Google Flights does state that Tuesdays are typically the cheapest day of the week to book, according to the data, but Tuesday bookings are only 1.3% cheaper than the most expensive day, Sunday.
Is it cheaper to book flights far in advance?
To wait or not to wait? According to Google, it's better to book your travel far in advance, especially if you need to fly on a specific day or time. However, there are some patterns you can analyze to decide whether it's better to wait for lower prices or book now based on specific scenarios, destinations and dates of travel.
For domestic flights, the prices are generally at their lowest between 21 and 52 days before your trip -- with 38 days before departure being the cheapest day to book on average.
For international flights, the prices are generally lowest between 50 and 101 days before your trip, but it's generally best practice to book as early as you can. According to Google, "average prices don't meaningfully drop anytime before departure, but they usually do start to rise within 50 days of the flight itself" when it comes to international travel from the US.
When is the best time to book a flight in every season?
Here's what Google says about the best times to book holiday flights and vacation trips to certain popular destinations.
Thanksgiving: The cheapest domestic flights over the Thanksgiving holiday are usually available between 26 to 59 days in advance, with 45 days out being the cheapest -- meaning it's best to book Thanksgiving flights in early October.
Christmas: The cheapest domestic flights over the winter holidays are usually available between 36 to 72 days in advance, with 58 days out being the cheapest. It's best to book Christmas or holiday travel in the latter half of October.
Summer break: The cheapest domestic flights in July and August are usually available 13 to 43 days in advance, with 21 days before departure being the cheapest day on average to book.
Spring break: The cheapest domestic flights in March and April are available between 33 to 59 days in advance, with 44 days before departure being the cheapest time to book on average.
When is the best time to book a flight to Europe?
International flights to Europe from the US are usually cheaper 50 or more days before departure, with 94 days out being the cheapest day to book on average. As with all international travel, it's generally best practice to book as early as you can.
When is the best time to book a flight to Mexico or the Caribbean?
International flights to Mexico and the Caribbean are the one exception to the broader international trend, according to Google. That's because flights are generally at their lowest between 26 and 68 days in advance, with 44 days out being the cheapest.
What are the top destinations for holiday travel?
Google also released insights on the top-searched destinations for each holiday.
Thanksgiving: The top-searched destinations for trips departing between the dates of Nov. 24 through Dec. 1 include Orlando, Florida; Cancun, Mexico; New York; Tokyo; London and more.
There are more domestic locations represented on the Thanksgiving list.
Christmas and New Year's Eve: The top-searched destinations for trips departing between the dates of Dec. 22 through Jan. 5 include Tokyo; Orlando, Florida; Cancun, Mexico; Miami; New York and more.
For Christmas and New Year's Eve, it appears that people are more interested in traveling abroad based on top Google Flights searches.
For more, check out CNET's picks for the best travel credit cards in 2024. You can also explore the 12 travel essentials you always need to pack and the worst airlines for flight delays and cancellations.
iOS 18 Brings RCS Messaging to Your iPhone, Here's How to Enable It
Now your iPhone will play nice with the Android devices in your life.
- Apple software beta tester, "Helps make our computers and phones work!" - Zach's grandparents
Apple released iOS 18 to the general public on Sept. 16, a week after the company announced its new iPhone 16 lineup, Apple Watch Series 10 and more at its September event. The update brings many new features to your iPhone, including text effects in Messages and more ways to personalize your lock screen. But one new sought-after feature is Rich Communication Services support in Messages -- which Apple barely mentioned RCS messaging at its WWDC presentation in June.
With RCS messaging, you'll be able to enjoy features like typing indicators and the "Delivered" status message while messaging Android users. It'll also help ensure high-quality videos and pictures are sent when texting between iPhone and Android devices.
Read more: iOS 18 Brings These New Features to Your iPhone
Here's how to check if your carrier supports RCS and how to make sure it's enabled on your iPhone.
Does my carrier support RCS messaging?
Most carriers support RCS, but not all. For example, Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile all support RCS on iPhones running iOS 18. If you have another carrier you might not be able to use this feature, but there's an easy way to check.
1. Open Settings.
2. Tap General.
3. Tap About.
4. Tap Carrier.
When you tap Carrier, it will change to IMS Status and show messaging support details to the right. For example, if your carrier supports RCS, you'll see Voice, SMS & RCS. If your carrier doesn't support RCS, you'll see Voice & SMS.
Read more: An Expert's Guide to iOS 18
How to enable or disable RCS on your iPhone
Apple is finally bringing RCS to iPhones with iOS 18.
If your carrier supports RCS, here's how to make sure it's working on your iPhone.
1. Open Settings.
2. Tap Apps near the bottom of the menu.
3. Tap Messages.
4. Tap RCS Messaging under Text Messaging.
4. Tap the toggle next to RCS Messaging.
Now messaging Android devices will feel more like messaging another iPhone -- but you'll still see those green bubbles. And if you want to disable RCS, follow the above steps again.
Why won't RCS work on my iPhone?
If you updated your iPhone to iOS 18, your carrier supports RCS and you enabled it on your iPhone, but RCS isn't working for you, you might need to restart your iPhone.
For more on iOS 18, here's my iOS 18 review, all the ways to customize your iPhone's home screen and our iOS 18 cheat sheet. You can also check out what to know about the iOS 18.1 developer beta.
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Why You Can Trust CNETiOS 18 Is Here and It Brings These New Features to Your iPhone
Apple released the iPhone update on Monday, so you can try these features now.
- Apple software beta tester, "Helps make our computers and phones work!" - Zach's grandparents
- More than a decade of journalism experience
Apple released iOS 18 on Sept. 16, a week after the company announced its new iPhone 16 lineup, Apple Watch Series 10 and more at its September event. The operating system brings a lot of new features to your iPhone, like more ways to customize your home screen and updates to the Messages app.
Read more: Everything You Need to Know About iOS 18
I've used the operating system since it was released in beta after WWDC. In that time, I've explored the features Apple mentioned at its event, and I uncovered a few other features the company didn't mention.
Here's what you should know about the new features and improvements iOS 18 brings to your iPhone.
Customizable home and lock screens
You've been able to customize your iPhone's home and lock screens with widgets and different backgrounds, iOS 18 lets you customize your home screen's apps and layout, as well as your phone's lock screen functions.
During the WWDC Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of software engineering, showed how iOS 18 lets you arrange your iPhone's apps and widgets on your home screen however you want. Previously, these icons would fill your home screen from top to bottom, sometimes obstructing backgrounds you might like. iOS 18 lets you arrange your icons around your background or in any way you want -- something Android has offered for many years.
You can also easily customize the appearance of your app's icons. You can give your icons a dark mode filter, or tint your icons to match your wallpaper.
The operating system also lets you swap out the camera and flashlight functions on your iPhone's lock screen. That way you aren't accidentally turning your iPhone's flashlight on while putting it in your pocket -- but you might open another app instead.
More from WWDC
Updated Control Center
Apple also announced at WWDC that iOS 18 updates your iPhone's Control Center. With the operating system, you can access more controls for things, like whatever music you're listening to and specific apps. You can also change which apps you see, as well as their size, so you have quicker access to the buttons you use more often.
Messages gets an upgrade
Your iPhone's Messages app also gets an update with iOS 18. With the latest operating system, you can schedule messages to send later, react to messages with more Tapbacks and format messages and specific words in your messages with text effects. If you want to emphasize something in a text, you can bold it, underline or use other effects to get your point across.
The OS also brings Messages via satellite to many iPhones. The feature works similarly to Apple's Emergency SOS via satellite feature introduced on the iPhone 14 and 15 series. Emergency SOS is for making an emergency call even if you don't have a signal, but Messages via satellite will let you send a message to anyone, even without a signal. So you can message your spouse or parents to let them know how your camping trip is going.
Apple also brings RCS -- rich communication support -- to Messages, so your iPhone will play nice with your friend or family member's Android device.
Read more: Messages via Satellite Is iOS 18's Most Underrated Feature
Lock and hide certain apps
The Hidden folder always shows shadows of multiple apps, even if there's just one app in the folder.
Letting someone borrow your iPhone can be a nerve-wracking experience, especially if you don't want them to see or access certain apps. iOS 18 lets you lock and hide apps.
If you lock an app, it will then require your Face ID or passcode to unlock and access it. If you just don't want someone to know you have a certain app on your iPhone, you can stash it in a Hidden apps folder in your App Library. This is similar to removing apps from your home screen without deleting them from your iPhone, but it arranges all your hidden apps in one place.
Redesigned Photos app
It can be fun to look at memories in your Photos app, but navigating through the app can be challenging if you take a lot of photos. So Apple redesigned your iPhone's Photos app in iOS 18.
The redesign should make it easier to find specific photos by organizing your photos in more ways, like in categories like Recent Days and Pinned Collections. Photos will also be organized by theme, so if you're looking for photos from a trip, you should be able to find them faster.
The updated Photos app in iOS 18 also lets you filter out receipts and screenshots so they don't clog up your Library.
Read more: Apple Photos Redesign Will Help You Find That Specific iPhone Image
New Camera setting
Apple also introduces a new setting for your iPhone's Camera app with iOS 18. The new setting is called Controls Menu. To find it, go to Settings > Camera > Preserve Settings.
"Preserve the previously used camera tool when expanding the controls menu, rather than showing the list of camera tools," the setting's description reads.
New password manager app
Apple turned its password keychain feature into a full-blown app called Passwords. According to Apple, Passwords safely stores all your credentials in one place. It can also sync your passwords across your Apple devices. That way if you change your Netflix password on one device but not on another, the password will follow you so you don't forget it.
Read more: Apple's New Password Manager App Will Sync Across Devices and Platforms
Apple Intelligence for Siri and more -- on some iPhones
Apple announced that it's rolling out Apple Intelligence, its spin on generative AI, in iOS 18. However, Apple wrote on its website that these improvements will be available only on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max for now.
Apple already released the first developer beta of iOS 18.1, and it brings some Apple Intelligence features to the iPhone's developers.
Apple Intelligence will bring improvements to Siri to make the assistant more capable and helpful, it will allow you to create new images called Genmojis and it will bring new writing tools and capabilities to those iPhones.
Read more: iOS 18 Might Not Bring Apple Intelligence to Your iPhone
AirPods and hands-free Siri interactions
With iOS 18, if you're wearing the second generation of AirPods Pro, you'll be able to interact with Siri by nodding or shaking your head. So if you need to be quiet because the baby is sleeping or your partner is on an important phone call, you can keep Siri working without saying a word.
Notes app upgrades
Apple's iOS 18 also improves your Notes app. The app gets live audio transcripts, collapsible sections to keep the app organized and the ability to highlight certain phrases. You can also solve mathematical problems in the app while you type.
These upgrades are similar to the Notes app upgrades Apple announced for iPadOS 18.
Read more: Apple's iPadOS 18 Gets New Controls, Handwriting Features and Math Notes
Game Mode
According to Facts and Factors, mobile gaming as an industry is expected to grow by over 13% by 2030. And Apple seems to recognize that with the introduction of Game Mode in iOS 18.
Game Mode will minimize background activities on your iPhone to improve your game's performance. It will also have improved responsiveness with AirPods and wireless gaming controllers, Apple says.
iPhone Mirroring
With iOS 18, iPhone users with a Mac can access their iPhone remotely from their Mac. Apple is calling this feature iPhone Mirroring, and it will work in conjunction with the upcoming MacOS Sequoia. So instead of sending a file from your iPhone to your Mac, you'll be able to just access the file right on your Mac without any extra steps in between.
Read more: How Apple Says iPhone Mirroring Will Work
SharePlay screen sharing
SharePlay was introduced with iOS 15 in 2021 and lets Apple users share their screen with other people via FaceTime. And iOS 18 is giving SharePlay an upgrade.
"With enhanced screen sharing capabilities, you can draw on someone's screen so they can see what they can do on theirs, or control their screen and take actions yourself," Apple wrote online.
More ways to organize Mail
Apple said that with iOS 18, your iPhone's Mail app will organize your emails better. Your app will have new categories for things like receipts, newsletters and more. That way you don't have to dig through your emails and find an invitation to a party you forgot to respond to. However, Apple wrote online that these features won't be available at iOS 18's launch.
Tap to Cash
With iOS 18, it's easier to send cash to your friends and family with Tap to Cash. With this feature, you can send Apple Cash directly to others by bringing your iPhones close together, similar to how you can quickly AirDrop a photo or message to someone, or NameDrop your contact information to others, by bringing your iPhones close together.
Updates to Apple Wallet
Speaking of cash, your Wallet app gets an upgrade in iOS 18, too. In the app, you can view your rewards or points balance, and you'll be able to redeem those points with Apple Pay online or in one of your apps. The app also lets you access any installment financing options your bank might offer.
Apple also brings new features to your event tickets in Wallet. Apple wrote online that the new features include, "an event guide combining helpful information about the venue with recommendations from Apple apps."
Wallet also now lets you easily add a chipped debit or credit card to the app. To do so, go into Wallet, tap the plus sign in the top right corner, tap Debit or Credit Card, then tap Continue and Wallet will ask you to bring the chipped card near your iPhone to add that card. If your card doesn't have a chip though, you can tap Enter Card Details Manually across the bottom of the screen.
Safari gets highlights, a redesigned Reader and more
With iOS 18, your iPhone's Safari app can detect important information on some webpages and highlight it for you. For example, directions and quick links to people and movies should be highlighted and easily findable.
Reader will also provide a table of contents and summaries of articles in Safari.
Safari also gets a new feature called Distraction Control in iOS 18. This makes it easy to block banners, some pop-ups and more on websites you visit frequently.
Read more: Safari's Find on Page Function Has a New Home in iOS 18
Topographic maps in Maps
When Apple introduced iOS 17 in 2023, it brought offline maps to your iPhones Maps app. With iOS 18, your iPhone's Maps app will get topographical information, too. Maps also gets detailed hiking trail information, including routes from over 50 US national parks, so you can plan your next hike.
You can also create your own custom hiking or walking routes in iOS 18. And when you create a route, you can download the route and section of the map to your iPhone for use offline, that way you'll always have a map of your area on you when you're out in nature.
Journal app improvements
Apple also said iOS 18 brings some changes to your iPhone's Journal app. The app will let you log your state of mind, as well as help you track your goals. It will also give you certain stats, like writing streaks. You can search within Journal for previous entries so you can find older thoughts and more, too.
For more on Apple, here's my iOS 18 review, our iOS 18 cheat sheet and what to know about Apple Intelligence in the first iOS 18.1 developer beta. You can also check out everything Apple announced at its September event.
