New Windows 10 update adds Cortana languages and simpler reminders

Microsoft is today rolling out a new Windows 10 update to its "fast ring" testers that's largely focused on Cortana, the operating system's built-in personal assistant. First, Cortana is expanding its list of supported languages to include Spanish (Mexico), Portuguese (Brazil), and French (Canada). Those are in addition to the 11 languages that Cortana already understands and speaks in various regions across the globe.


Another new feature allows Cortana to remember things for you without also needing a specific due date attached. So Microsoft's assistant is both quicker and easier to use, requiring less information to store something — reminders, a book title, to-dos, etc. More details can always be added later, and the Windows team says that "Cortana will be able to retrieve these upon request, just like a real personal assistant would" in a future build.

Microsoft is also simplifying Windows 10's logon / lock screens by combining them into one. You know, like a smartphone. Before, each could have a different background picture. Now it's the same one across both. The latest fast ring update also addresses some bugs, but as you might expect, it also comes with a handful of known issues that Microsoft aims to fix before these new features make their way to customers worldwide.