One of the standout new features found in Windows 10 is the addition of Cortana. For those unfamiliar, Cortana is a voice-activated personal assistant. Think of it as Siri, but for Windows. You can use it to get weather forecasts, set reminders, tell you jokes, send email, find files, search the Internet and so on.

One feature aimed at making Cortana a staple of your Windows 10 experience involves being able to summon the digital assistant using nothing but your voice with a simple "hey, Cortana" command. The only thing is, at least as of right now in the technical preview, you have to enable this feature.

To activate "Hey, Cortana," click in the search box located in the Taskbar.

When the Cortana window comes up, click on the settings icon on the left side of the window.

The fourth option in the list of Settings will enable Cortana to respond when you call it by voice. Slide the switch to the "On" position.

Then click on the button titled "Learn my voice" and follow the prompts. Make sure you're in a quiet area when doing so, ensuring Cortana can properly hear you.

You can now go about using your computer as you normally would, and whenever you need Cortana to perform a task, start by saying, "Hey, Cortana," followed by your command. I've found you have to continue with your command immediately after the activation prompt, instead of waiting for Cortana to load and indicate that it's listening.

Windows 10 has a release date of July 29, and is a free upgrade for Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 users.