I often leave Windows Media Player running in the background while I work or surf the Web. But jumping to that app when I want to change a music track, check the name of a file that's playing, or otherwise interact takes a few extra steps.

Here's how to proceed: With Windows 7, begin playing a file, and click the icon at the lower right. The Media Player window will shrink, and you can move it into a corner of your display while it continues to run. That way, you'll have all of the controls and information nearby.

Alternatively, you can interact with media from within the Taskbar. Just hover the mouse over the Media Player icon. You'll instantly preview the current file and gain control through simple playback buttons.

If you sometimes stream media to networked devices, you may be able to push media directly to your speakers, TV screen, or both. For this purpose, Windows 7 includes a new Play To function that instantly broadcasts media without your having to dig through any menus on those devices.