Harman Kardon Invoke Cortana Speaker

Anonymous
2020-03-04T03:48:09+00:00

Okay, I made the mistake of buying 4 Invokes for $50 at the Microsoft Store. I first bought two and really like them and then bought two more.  I have two of them set up.

I love the sound quality (it's better than the Echo Dots and Google Homes that I also have) and I've been pretty happy with them. I use them for listening to the radio (via TuneIn), setting timers, and as my alarm clock.

I have also set up reminders and they showed up in my Windows PC as a notification. That's something that I don't think Alexa or Google Home can do.  Really neat!  I also like Cortana's personality.

But I made the mistake of waiting too long before setting the other two up. I have been trying since December 2019 to set them up using both my Windows 10 PC and an Android phone. The setup app can connect to the speakers and then have the speakers connect to my WiFi network. Everything seems to be going well but the set up process never finishes.

After connecting to WiFi, the speaker tells me it needs to update the system software/firmware and to please wait. Eventually, the speakers tells me that something went wrong and that I should start the setup process over again.

I keep repeating the setup process and the same thing happens. It seems like it is trying to update the software/firmware to the latest version but a server is down or something so it can never finish the set up process.

Can someone from Microsoft please tell me if it is still possible to setup my two remaining Harmon Kardon Invoke speakers?  Is the server responsible for setting up and updating the Invoke still operating?

If not, is there any way I can manually update the firmware on the Invokes to the latest? There is a USB port on the Invoke that is supposed to be used for "service". Can this be used to update the firmware?  Is there a firmware file available for download?

If the server is down, can Microsoft put the server back up again so I can set up my remaining two Invokes?  I received no warning that this would happen.  Perhaps you host the server on your Azure Cloud services?  That would seem like the perfect place to do it.  It shouldn't take up too much resources as it would just spin up when needed.  Please restore the server even if it's only for a limited time.  Just give us a warning when it will go down so we would have time to set up our speakers before its too late.

I tried emailing Harman Kardon but I can tell they won't be of much help.  Any help or information would be greatly appreciated.  These are brand new speakers and I would just hate for them to be useless right out of the box.  And I wish that Microsoft wouldn't give up on Cortana like this.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Cortana and search

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

101 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2020-08-03T01:54:13+00:00

    So now due to Microsoft's inability to stick with anything, I am forced to use a phone powered by Google and an assistant powered by Amazon. It's infuriating!

    Android of course works better with Google services but has roadblocks everywhere for integrating everything I have tied to Microsoft. Now due to Cortana being ditched I have to go with a another assistant for home automation and general life productivity, probably a third ecosystem in Amazon's Alexa. This is a really **** move and it forcing me to now potentially abandon not just Cortana but a range of other apps and services I use with Microsoft. It's even worse now that the Duo is coming, as it just complicated everything for me and makes me question where to go next.

    I don't like Google and I don't like the look of their devices. So I guess now my only option is Echo Show 2 and a variety of other devices. Alexa seems to work better with Microsoft calendars etc. What bums me the most is that everything I have is tied to Microsoft both at home and at work and now I am forced to further complicate everything just to get things done. Microsft To-Do doesn't ingergrate properly with either Google Assistant or Alexa and that's just one app and one thing out of many. Alexa has terrible apps, the alexa app is slow and buggy and poorly designed from UX standpoint. Reports also suggest that Alexa will continue to be integrated with the new boring, business-only Cortana.

    The convergence of home and office life and productivity makes this move even more ridiculous. Microsoft are destroying themselves internally by continually dismantling services and breaking people's ability to have one OS to do everything. Their ecosystem is so broken now I don't see a real future for them in the long term. Things just work better when the services and OS match and are integrated. When we still had windows phone things were so simple and easy. Consumer bleeds over into office more and more everyday due to BYO etc. If they think they can do this in reverse good luck to them but burning consumers again and again is not the way to build brand loyalty.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2020-08-02T22:57:51+00:00

    I 100% agree with this. 

    My problem is....even if I wanted to use this just as a Bluetooth Speaker...IT'S NOT PORTABLE??!!!

    Other speakers are. If this was JUST a speaker...I would have never gotten it. No matter how it sounds. It requires set up. My other speakers can be charged and placed inside/outside. This requires an outlet...so only one scenario.

    ...And I am not sure about anyone else...but my Invoke doesn't hold Bluetooth connectivity very well. It will be truly useless..

    --D

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2020-08-02T01:55:53+00:00

    Nothing they do in consumer pays off and Satya doesn't care.

    It's a shame as they had some really good ideas.

    My only hope is a business class phone... That isn't a phone...a third alternative to the big two that is somewhat defanged from gooble's evil grip.

    Alexa?  Why would they bother... They only sold twelve of these and we are all in this room!

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2020-08-01T07:26:55+00:00

    Don't you think a more reasonable outcome would have been an Alexa firmware update? You'd still have your speaker functionality and a wealth of additional options. 

    I'm super bummed, I don't have a want or need for a Bluetooth speaker or rather 3 of them. I emailed a torrent of abuse off to Harman Kardon today and while fault lies mostly with Microsoft, there must be a way to transition these to Alexa instead.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  5. Anonymous
    2020-08-01T06:54:36+00:00

    I know it’s contrary to popular views but I’m absolutely thrilled at this news. I’m glad I hung on to my two Invokes after all. 

    Being in the UK, Cortana was generally poor here anyway.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments