With only two days remaining until Windows 10 finally makes its way to consumers, Cortana is among the operating system's most enticing offerings. The virtual assistant, conceived to give Siri on iOS a run for its money, was previously confirmed for Windows 10, Android, iOS, and Xbox One. Now, thanks to a forthcoming Parallels virtualization software update, it seems to be infiltrating Mac OS X.
Parallels has an extensive history of letting Mac users run Windows software without rebooting, unlike Apple's own proprietary virtualization software, Boot Camp. Though it has since been deleted, MacRumors found a snapshot of a web page today indicating that a new edition of Parallels is on its way, bringing with it a slew of new features, including Cortana.
What's more, using Parallels 11, Mac users will be able to take advantage of Cortana's "Hey Cortana" command, and presumably some of its other functions, while Windows 10 is suspended in the background OS X applications are in use.
While it is not yet evident which of Cortana's features will be supported in Parallels, if it's anything like its role in Windows 10, you can expect web, file and app search, calendar event management, weather and news headlines, and a number of other services to constitute its repertoire.
Revealed earlier this year for Windows 10, Cortana is presently available on Windows Phone 8.1 and Microsoft Band. The digital assistant is voiced by Jen Taylor, who also voices the character of the same name in the Halo video game series.
With an emphasis on the Bing search engine, Cortana is commonly revered for distinguishing itself from Siri due to its ability to ask users questions and dynamically observe their behaviors in order to learn more about them.
While Windows 10 is set to launch on Wednesday, the release date for Parallels 11 remains unclear. Parallels 10, however, is compatible with Windows 10, albeit with less attractive features.
Get a daily look at what’s developing in science and technology throughout the world.