Cortana smart personal assistant spotted on Windows 10

Voice commands are on their way to Microsoft's forthcoming operating system, judging by a screenshot published on Neowin. The image, which shows the Cortana icon in the Windows 10 toolbar, was shared by a user in China and authenticated by the website.

Voice commands are on their way to Microsoft's forthcoming operating system, judging by a screenshot published on Neowin. The image, which shows the Cortana icon in the Windows 10 toolbar, was shared by a user in China and authenticated by the website.

Introduced in spring 2014, Cortana is Microsoft's smart digital personal assistant for Windows Phone and is an alternative to Google Now, Apple's Siri, and Samsung's S Voice. For the time being, Cortana is available exclusively on Windows Phone 8.1 and only in English for users in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia.

Microsoft is expected to detail the new consumer features of Windows 10 at a dedicated press event in late January, according to The Verge.

Currently available in a technical preview, Windows 10 will be compatible not only with the PC but with a wide range of other devices including Xbox consoles, smartphones, tablets and even connected appliances. Microsoft also plans to offer a unified, cross-device apps platform.

The exact release date has not been announced, but the final version is not expected to be available until spring 2015 at the earliest.