When Microsoft shipped Windows 10 a little more than a year ago, the new OS was the first desktop operating system to feature a natively integrated digital assistant called Cortana, which first made its appearance on Windows Phone 8.1 a year before. On Windows 10, Cortana can be easily found on the task bar, though the digital assistant is probably more useful and easy to use when you’ve trained yourself to forget about familiar user interaction models. Indeed, Cortana really shines when you learn to use it through simple voice commands.
On Windows 10, Cortana can be easily found on the task bar, though the digital assistant is probably more useful and easy to use when you’ve trained yourself to forget about familiar user interaction models. Indeed, Cortana really shines when you learn to use it through simple voice commands.
After a little more than one year in the market, it’s still not clear if Cortana really changed the computing habits of Windows 10 users in a meaningful way, even though Microsoft has been working hard to make the digital assistant more useful. Starting with the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Cortana is now available above your lock screen, and it can also help you recall key information and create more visual reminders with the addition of photos.
But for those of you who still rely on written notes, post-its and alarms to remain organized during their day-to-day activities, Microsoft is sharing today three Cortana use cases that could make your life a little bit easier during this holiday season.
The first tip is using Cortana reminders, which can be easily created via voice commands. Cortana reminders have become pretty handy as you can now add many details such as location, time, contacts and pictures, allowing you be as precise as possible.
The next feature may not be very well known by Cortana users, but you can actually use the digital assistant to create lists: this can be quite useful for those of you who like managing shopping lists or to-do lists. As usual, using your voice is the most straightforward way to proceed, though you can also use written commands as seen below:
If you plan to travel during the holidays, Cortana can automatically track your flight by checking your flight confirmations if you allow it to. Otherwise, you can also enter a flight number in the search box and Cortana will find your flight’s status for you.
Last but not least, you can use all these Cortana features on your mobile device, though the iOS and Android apps are not available on all markets for now. Moreover, be aware that Cortana is still only available in 13 countries for now, though we hope that Microsoft will bring its digital assistant to more markets soon.
