Cortana can now automatically remind you of commitments made in emails

[midian182]

While Cortana is just one of many Digital Assistants available, these AI’s still aren’t very proactive when it comes to assisting users. But that’s about change for Microsoft’s virtual helper. Now, Cortana will automatically remind you of commitments you’ve made in emails.

The “suggested reminder” feature started rolling out to Windows 10 users yesterday. Thanks to machine learning, Cortana can now scan emails and pick out sections where you promise to do something by a certain date, or arrange to meet someone at a specific time. The day before the event, Cortana will issue a reminder via a popup.

Precisely when the reminders appear depends on the timing of an event. If something’s due by the end of the day, it will arrive at 3 p.m., while anything set for a future date will see the reminder appear at about 11 a.m. the day before.

Anything that Cortana thinks is a reminder but isn’t totally sure will be stored in her Notebook, which users can check every now and again.

The feature will no doubt raise some privacy questions, but it isn’t switched on by default. Users must sign in to Cortana, give communications consent, and connect their Outlook.com, Office 365 work, or Office 365 school account to the connected services section in Cortana’s Notebook.

Suggested Reminder is currently restricted to the US and only works with Microsoft email accounts, though the company says support for other email services is on its way. It will eventually arrive on Cortana for iOS and Android, too.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/68113-cortana-can-now-automatically-remind-you-commitments-made.html

 

[Skidmarksdeluxe]

And yet M$ tries to assure us that all emails are private and confidential. The problem is they alway forget to state who the privacy and confidentiality is for, because it certainly isn't for the senders or receivers.

 

[Uncle Al]

The simple fact that they are constantly scanning my correspondence is highly disturbing, now to have the automatically latch on and take some form of action is over the top, ESPECIALLY with this new Secretary that was just sworn in!

 

[mattfrompa]

Techno panic. Want privacy? It's like cord cutting. Give up some/ a lot of convenience for more control.
https://www.privacytools.io/ But I know, it's much easier to just say how bad of a job everyone else is doing!

 

[Teko03]

Service: Google reads G-Mail Inboxes --- User response: Cool! Check this out!
Service: Microsoft reads your Inboxes --- User response: They're taking everything from me! They're going to kill me! They're evil!!!

I love how no one questioned the fact that 99% of Alphabets revenue in Q4 came from it's Google business...a company that charges $0 for everything. But apparently it's okay that they make billions from advertising to you and selling your personal information...

Point is, this is how these stupid digital assistants works. They track you, they collect information on you to better...assist you. And if you don't like it...you turn it off? Cortana can be disabled, Google Now can be disabled....relax.

 

[Trillionsin]

Another method of ''accidentally" storing your information... as redundant as it may be.

 

[Kibaruk]

Service: Google reads G-Mail Inboxes --- User response: Cool! Check this out!
Service: Microsoft reads your Inboxes --- User response: They're taking everything from me! They're going to kill me! They're evil!!!

I liked this first part. Sadly what comes next is as close as verbal diarrhea as it gets.

I love how no one questioned the fact that 99% of Alphabets revenue in Q4 came from it's Google business...a company that charges $0 for everything. But apparently it's okay that they make billions from advertising to you and your personal information...

Point is, this is how theses stupid digital assistants works. Track track you, they collect information on your to better...assist you. And if you don't like it...you turn it off? Cortana can be disabled, Google Now can be disabled....relax.

Google for business actually charges per user, monthly. So it's not all free, only home usage.

But yeah, anyone who uses gmail and let's say... book a flight and you get an email, google now will remind you of your flight, without you even telling it to do so.

 

[mbrowne5061]

If you're using any free email service, I promise you that they are already scanning your emails and have been since day one. It is how they make money, by building ad profiles on you. Not like it is difficult to do either. Email might as well be plaintext; nothing encrypted. Only difference now is at least you're getting a little more than 'free email' in exchange for looking at ads. Now you're getting something a little more useful.

If you want a private email, go build your email server. If you want secure email, sign up for Proton or Tutanota. If you want private and secure, go build your own encrypted email server.

 

[DelJo63]

Reminders belong in a Calendar where the user has control. Another example of MS overreach.

 

[DelJo63]

BTW: This is a blatant admission that Office 360 is a failure :grin:

 

[mattfrompa]

BTW: This is a blatant admission that Office 360 is a failure :grin:

wtf are you talking about?

 

[DelJo63]

wtf are you talking about?

I let the rude and obnoxious go fishing for themselves...

 

[Don Jewell]

All these people be like "Micro$oft is reading all of my emails! This is a violation of my privacy!" But...they aren't. It's a feature of Microsoft's digital assistant that you have to go in and PHYSICALLY turn on. It then scans your email for things like "I will send those letters to you tomorrow"
So, relax.

 

[mattfrompa]

I let the rude and obnoxious go fishing for themselves...

Easy to dismiss an unsupported claim
And my first comment was intended to indicate more surprise than attitude.