ICYMI: Why Cortana Could Replace Windows (April 18, 2016)

Welcome back from the weekend! Here's the news to set you up for a week of productivity.

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The biggest story of Friday: This counts more as a trend to keep your eyes on, but we're intrigued by the article "Could Cortana Replace Windows One Day?" The foundational premise is not a surprise -- operating systems are not that important because attention and activity have moved to a computing experience best defined as "a system of apps and cloud-based data that a user can access from anywhere."

But the next step is: writer Patrick Gray points out that Cortana is Microsoft's play for dominance in a post-OS world. By making Cortana available across both desktop and mobile platforms -- something that neither Apple nor Google has done yet -- Microsoft is hoping to become the default in voice-activated computing and digital assistance.

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The most useful news:

Manage Windows 10's Optional Features through the control panel.

How to prevent people from knowing you've read their iMessage.

Get Android N on your Nexus device right now.

Look up the MAC address on your Windows PC.

Here's how to adjust the Taskbar setting in Windows 10.

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And here's what we've been publishing:

Hands On with Settings App Changes in Windows 10 Mobile Build 14322 — This week Microsoft delivered the first new Redstone build of Windows 10 Mobile in three weeks.

ICYMI: Microsoft Is Suing the Government for Privacy Rights (April 15, 2016) — Microsoft has filed suit against the Justice Department, saying that Section 2705(b) of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act gives too much power to the U.S. government and violates the constitutional rights of Americans. There are also very real business impacts to these government queries.

Turn Your Microsoft Band into a Remote Control for Your Tesla — A new app for Windows Mobile called Band for Tesla, supposedly turns the Microsoft Band into “a remote control for your Tesla Model S.” 

Tweet It! Gets Microsoft Band Tile Support — A big update to the Tweet It! app this week has brought Microsoft Band-specific support. When you enable the Microsoft Band option, a Tweet It! tile will be installed on the Band and all Tweet It! notifications will show up there.

Two How-Tos to Make Taxtime Easier — Tax Day is Monday, April 18, 2016. For those of you who will be spending the weekend working out your 1040s, here are a few how-tos to bookmark for future reference.