Some like it Hot

Have I got a HOT topic for you. No, not hot pants. It's hot corners in Windows 8. Yes, I know. I could go on and on with "hot" jokes and I very well may. You've been warned.
You should have heard by now that Windows 8 was designed for touch as well as mouse. If you are a desktop/mouse user, somethings will seem kind of foreign to you. Touch users will find it much more intuitive. This is the point in the conversation where I'd usually say, "sorry Mac lovers, you're out of luck." But not today. Mac users will likely be familiar with hot corners. They will also be thrilled to know that they have made their way into Windows 8.
There are four corners of your screen. Each corner has a function. When you move your mouse to the corner, a thumbnail or the Charms will be visible.

1. Top-right:  Charms (or Win+C). Move your mouse down and select the charm you want.
2. Bottom-right:  Charms (or Win+C). Move your mouse up and select the charm you want.
3. Bottom-left:  Start menu. When the thumbnail appears, do NOT move your mouse to the thumbnail to click. Instead, click the corner that made the thumbnail appear.
4. Top-left:  Recently used and open apps. In Windows 8, applications are those things you see on the left of the Start screen. You know, the live tiles and what not. Also, the desktop (where you have your open programs, folders, etc.) is an application. Again, do NOT move your mouse to the thumbnail to click. Instead, click the corner that made the thumbnail appear. One click will open the most recently used. A second click will open the next, and again for the next. Get the idea? If that's not enough, I have more for you. If the thumbnail is too small, click and drag it to the center of your screen. You'll get a bigger view. If you let go of the mouse, the app will open. If it's not what you're looking for, move the app back to the top-left corner.

For either hot corner on the left side, when you see the thumbnail, move your mouse up/down to the center and a bar will open with thumbnails of your open apps and the Start menu. If you click and drag an app on the side bar to the middle of the bar, it will snap to the left side of your screen, creating a sort of split-screen effect. This allows you to have your Mail app open as you work on your desktop.

Don't forget that there is no "close" button on apps. To close them, place your mouse cursor at the top of your screen. When the pointer turns to a hand, click and drag the app to the bottom of your screen.
Whew! I made it to the end of this article without another "hot" joke.