If you want to say goodbye to Cortana one last time within Windows 11, don't update the app. Microsoft began deprecating the Cortana app within the Windows Insider program just a short time ago -- that's programmer-speak for "getting rid of," just like "layoff" or "workforce reduction" is HR-speak for the same thing. You can still open the Cortana app on Windows 11, but be careful. On the top of the app you may notice that Cortana has an update available. If you ignore the update (for now), Cortana should continue to work as she's supposed to for the time being.

Microsoft has begun following through on its promise to kill off Cortana, the AI assistant that debuted in Windows 10. Microsoft's recent Windows Insider build in the Dev channel turns off Cortana, which only appears as an app within the Microsoft Store. If you apply an available update to the Cortana app, that will essentially turn it off: You'll receive a message saying that Cortana has been deprecated -- programmer-speak for turning off a specific feature. Microsoft had made its intentions clear: In June, the company said that it would begin ending support for the Cortana app in August. That doesn't mean Cortana is entirely gone.

I always feel a bond with people who tell me they owned a Zune back in the day. Microsoft's also-ran MP3 player never became a hit, but it was a fabulous little music machine and its influence can still be felt in the company's hardware and software a decade later. Its Surface devices have put a focus on high-quality design since they debuted in 2012, and now Microsoft is using the brand to re-enter the audio market with the Surface Headphones. The Surface Headphones look and feel nothing like a Zune, but Microsoft's attention to detail is still intact. The company didn't just plop out a set of headphones for a quick buck; it spent several years meticulously designing them.

Microsoft has released its updated Cortana app for iOS, which includes a design overhaul and new features, including music and podcasts support, an option to set up Cortana-enabled devices and a so-called conversational experience for the voice assistant. Those might prove especially useful for those who buy Microsoft's Surface Headphones, which will ship next week. Cortana 3.0 has deeper integration with other Microsoft services too. It ties into your email, calendar, reminders, meetings and To Dos, while you can use Cortana to join Skype and Teams meetings. The Cortana 3.0 beta landed on both iOS and Android last month, so it's unlikely Android users will have to wait too much longer to get their hands on the updated app.

Microsoft finally launched its promised overhaul of the Cortana app for iOS this Friday. The Redmond giant kept its word that it will put out a revamped version of its app, which will simplify the way people use its AI assistant. Other implementations included in the update are minor, but they are still conspicuous. Given these changes, does Cortana now match or even surpass Apple's native voice assistant Siri? Microsoft's new Cortana is version 2.0.