Microsoft has applied to patent a mind-controlled interface, so you may soon be able to open and control an app just by thinking about it.

The patent called ‘Changing an application state using neurological data’ was published last week and describes a device that can read human brain waves via electroencephalography (EEG), a technique often used in a clinical setting that involves placing electrodes along a user’s head. The data collected would then be used to launch and control an application.

TechRadar

I really think Microsoft is on a different path with Cortana.