You can use Cortana as your virtual assistant without using voice commands. Turn off Voice Activation for Cortana first and then follow these instructions.

Does this sound eerily familiar to you? You're not alone; this is Cortana by another name, from the voice commands to the dedicated hotkey to the little on-screen microphone.

SAN FRANCISCO — You might not know when you use a Windows Phone with Microsoft’s new Cortana personal digital assistant, but lots and lots of computing is happening silently to make it all ...