15 Things You Can Do With Cortana

Transcription

1 15 Things You Can Do With Cortana How-to Geek SCV COMPUTER CLUB DECEMBER 14, 2016

2 What is Cortana Cortana is one of Windows 10 s most visible new features Made the leap from Windows Phone to the desktop Isn t just a voice assistant Can also type commands and questions Cortana provides a lot of passive information Notify you when you need to leave to make an appointment on time.

3 Set Reminders Times Places People Remind me to get started Can remind you at a specific time When you get to a specific location When you need to talk to a specific person When to take your meds Take a 10-minute break

4 Set Reminders

5 Set Reminders

6 Set Reminders

7 Use Natural Language Speech find pictures from august find documents about Windows to find pictures from the months of August or document files related to Windows Easier to use than old Search

8 Use Natural Language Speech

9 Identify a Song Like Siri, Google Now, etc. Cortana can listen to a song playing near you and identify it. Say what is this song? and Cortana will use your microphone to listen to the music and match it to a specific song. Works well with recorded music but won t necessarily work with live music.

10 Identify a Song

11 Search Web With Chrome or another search engine Ask Cortana for something it doesn t know how to answer, will open default web browser and perform a Bing search Can change default browser to Chrome, Yahoo, or DuckDuckGo But will also use Bing to search

12 Search Web Can make Cortana use Google instead or another search engine Chrometana extension for Google Chrome (Chrome app store) When Cortana directs Google Chrome to a Bing search results page, Chrometana will automatically redirect that search to Google or your search engine of choice, forcing Cortana to perform Google searches. Only works if Chrome is your default browser

13 Change Your Search Engine Settings System Settings

14 Search Web

15 Perform Calculations and Conversions Can also do this in Search Box Ask Cortana for the answer to a math calculation * Or enter a unit conversion like 55 uk pounds to usd Also works for currencies as well as other types of units

16 Perform Calculations and Conversions

17 Track Flights & Packages Cortana can track flights using the flight number and packages using their tracking numbers Enter a flight or package tracking number into the Cortana search box OR Use copy-and-paste View the current status

18 Track Flights & Packages

19 Find Facts Cortana uses Bing to provide direct answers to common questions Similar to Google s Knowledge Graph what is the tallest building in the world? who is the president of the United States? Get an immediate answer

20 Find Facts

21 Check the Weather weather will show you the weather at your current location, weather in [location] will show you the weather in another city

22 Check the Weather

23 Ask for Driving Directions Ask for directions to [location] Cortana will open the included Windows 10 Maps app with directions to your location of choice

24 Ask for Driving Directions

25 Set Alarms Supports alarms, not just reminders. set alarm for [time] Will create an alarm Alarm is saved in the Alarms & Clock app, where you can manage your alarms.

26 Set Alarms

27 Launch Programs launch [program name] If you have the Hey Cortana voice shortcut enabled You can just say Hey Cortana, launch Google Chrome to your PC and it will automatically open that app.

28 Launch Programs

29 Send Built-in Mail app and accounts configured Say send to get started, OR Something more specific like send to pete Must be a person in your contacts

30 Send

31 Create Calendar Events add meeting at Thursday 2pm to calendar Cortana automatically fills in info you ve provided Also can say add meeting Cortana will ask for more details

32 Create Calendar Events

33 Just Chat Like Siri, can chat about things and respond to silly questions tell me a joke sing me a song surprise me where s clippy? Cortana Easter Egg resurrects Clippy as your personal digital assistant do you like clippy?" Cortana responds that yes, she likes Clippy "He taught me how important it is to listen."

34 Just Chat

35 Just Chat

36 Get a List of Comments / Help Ask Cortana for help See list of things you can do with Cortana

37 Get a List of Comments / Help

38 Other Options Sport scores Provide predictions Dictionary definitions Translations Microsoft will likely add new features and improvements in upcoming updates

39 Other Options Microsoft will likely add new features and improvements in upcoming updates Microsoft is currently bringing Cortana to Android and iphone. When the Cortana apps launch for these other mobile platforms, you ll be able to use Cortana on non-windows smartphones, too. Reminders and other Cortana features will follow you everywhere, too.

40 Questions