Two intriguing functions in Microsoft Outlook, Play My Emails and the Daily Briefing, are scheduled to receive updates that add new Cortana-powered AI to functions that go far beyond just email. Microsoft's AI assistant, Cortana, has moved from being an integral part of Windows to more of an assistive technology. Outlook has been the main beneficiary, however, new Cortana-powered intelligence is coming to Teams, and to the Cortana app within Windows 10 as well. One of the problems with Microsoft's parade of new features is simply keeping track of the timeline. The Daily Briefing functionality debuted in preview mode a year ago, but at the Microsoft Ignite conference it's now becoming officially available for Microsoft 365 users with Exchange Online mailboxes.

Do you thrive on Outlook email, but wish you didn't have to stare at your PC or phone to catch new messages? You don't have to... if you have the right devices. Microsoft's Cortana assistant now lets you check for new Outlook emails using your voice if you're using Windows 10 or a Harman Kardon Invoke speaker and have set your language to US English. If you've used similar features with voice assistants like Siri, it behaves in a similar way: you can ask if there are new messages, get a summary of what's new and (most importantly) offer a short reply if it makes sense.