Microsoft’s Cortana virtual assistant might be sprouting a ridged forehead soon, with the ability to speak Klingon on command for Windows Phone users.
As SlashGear notes, Microsoft is launching the Lumia 830 Windows Phone in the United Kingdom this week, and is also a sponsor for the Destination Star Trek convention in London, so Cortana’s new capabilities make for an obvious tie-in.
Unfortunately, Cortana is far from speaking Klingon with fluency. She’ll utter a phrase when you ask her to, but she can’t hold a conversation or translate from other languages. And as one Neowin commenter points out, her pronunciation is all wrong. (You can see it in action on Nokia UK’s Vine feed.)
In addition to speaking Klingon phrases, Cortana will also respond to certain Star Trek-themed phrases, such as “Beam me up” and “Set phasers to stun.” For now, though, it’s unclear exactly when Cortana’s next party trick will be widely available.
The story behind the story: It’s worth noting that Google has talked for years about building the Star Trek computer. Turns out it was easier than expected. ngeD Qap Cortana.