Recently, we wrote about Cortana getting more of a ‘personality.’ Microsoft is continuing on this track and has added functionality to simulate coin tosses and dice rolls. Many of you will realize that this is a rather simple program with a random number generator that you can code in minutes.
But that’s not the point. The point is to make Cortana a bigger presence in your life. Imagine you are with your friends playing a board game, and you need another dice. You can now pull out your Windows Phone and make do with Cortana. This will make your friends interested in your phone, and highlight a way that Cortana makes your life easier. A more realistic and practical example would actually be the coin toss. There are many times where you need to flip a coin with friends to make a decision, but no one has a coin. Well, now you do — as long as you have a Windows Phone.
And that’s the ultimate point, to make sure you have a Windows Phone. By themselves, these little features are not much. But if Microsoft can add a significant amount, in addition to matching technical features of its competitors, this could give a reason to prefer Cortana to Siri or Google Now, and a reason to look at Windows Phone.
Further reading: Cortana, Microsoft, Windows Phone
