Cortana for desktop Microsoft is bringing its mobile digital assistant, Cortana, to the desktop. Cortana has been available on Windows Phone 8.1 for a while already, and it works similar to Apple's Siri or Google Now on Android. On the desktop, Cortana will be the central location for searching your local machine and the Web, either by voice or typing in your query. Another interesting feature of Cortana is its Notebook that you can customize to fit your interests, which helps Cortana get "smarter" over time. You can add interests from Bing news, sports, weather, and more. It even has a setting that allows you to activate it by voice just by saying "Hey Cortana." Out with the Charms bar and in with notifications One of the more annoying features in Windows 8 is the Charms bar. It's hidden and pops up annoyingly when your mouse pointer is at the edge of your screen. That annoyance is gone, replaced by Continue Reading
