Microsoft is putting its artificial intelligence Copilot tool at users’ fingertips.The tech giant said in a Thursday (Jan. 4) blog post it is adding a button to the Windows keyboard that will activate Copilot, a move that marks Microsoft’s first keyboard layout change in nearly 30 years.The change is also part of Microsoft’s goal of making AI “seamlessly woven into Windows from the system, to the silicon, to the hardware,” Microsoft Consumer Chief Marketing Officer Yusuf Mehdi wrote in the post. “This will ...

Apple has reportedly agreed to settle a lawsuit that accused the company of allowing scammers to exploit its gift cards and retaining stolen funds.The settlement was reached after Apple and the plaintiffs agreed on material settlement terms with the assistance of a mediator, and it will now be presented to U.S. District Judge Edward Davila for preliminary approval, Reuters reported Wednesday (Jan. 3).Apple did not immediately reply to PYMNTS’ request for comment.The lawsuit alleged that scammers would conta ...

To drive subscriber growth and better hold its own against streaming competitors, Disney is turning to consumers’ affinity for other parts of its portfolio to drive Disney+ adoption.The media giant shared in a post to its Disney Parks Blog that starting Wednesday (Jan. 3), Disney+ subscribers receive a free dining plan with a four-night Walt Disney Travel Company package, which includes a resort stay and theme park admission. The move enables the company to use park visitors’ enthusiasm for the in-person of ...

At the start of the month, the CEO of Walmart explained challenges in predicting the post-holiday sales outlook for 2024. Meanwhile, Amazon is mastering the art of balance by cashing in on ads, inserting them into Prime Video content from Jan. 29 onward. During an interview with CNBC on Dec. 6, Doug McMillon rang up concerns about consumer spending, citing elevated credit card balances and tightened household budgets and casted doubt on the extent of their expenditures despite their recent resilience. “If w ...

Apple can resume selling its latest smartwatches in spite of a recent import ban.A federal appeals court on Wednesday (Dec. 27) paused that ban, CNBC reported, allowing the tech giant to once again sell its Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches.The ban went into place last week following a ruling by the International Trade Commission (ITC) order that found the blood oxygen sensor in the devices had infringed on intellectual property from medical technology firm Masimo.“The motion for an interim stay is granted to th ...

Amazon has apparently set a date for adding ads to its Prime Video content.The company will begin introducing commercials to movies and TV shows for viewers in the U.S. beginning Jan. 29, Deadline reported, citing a letter to subscribers.The change will come to customers in the U.K., Germany and Canada on Feb. 5, followed by France, Italy, Spain, Mexico and Australia later this year.The letter said Amazon is adding “limited advertisements” to allow Prime “to continue investing in compelling content and keep ...

Amazon has set the date for Prime Video’s addition of advertisements into the viewing experience, as streaming companies increasingly find new ways to drive revenue from their content libraries.The eCommerce giant informed subscribers in an email that it will add ad breaks starting Jan. 29, charging an extra $2.99/month for the option to continue watching content without these interruptions, according to The Verge.“We aim to have meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers,” the c ...

The New York Times filed a lawsuit against Microsoft and OpenAI, alleging copyright infringement.The newspaper claimed the tech companies used its content without permission to develop their artificial intelligence products, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Wednesday (Dec. 27).Neither Microsoft nor OpenAI immediately replied to PYMNTS’ request for comment.In its own article about the lawsuit, The New York Times said that the suit accuses the two companies of “using the Times’s content without payment ...

Apple is appealing a ban that threatens its $17 billion smartwatch business.The tech giant filed a challenge to the ban imposed by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) — the result of a patent dispute — at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, Bloomberg News reported Tuesday (Dec. 26).In addition, the report said, Apple filed an emergency motion asking that the ban be stayed while the court considers the appeal.The move came after the White House — seen as Apple’s last hope in avoiding ...

In a bold play to score big in the sports content arena, Amazon is rumored to be eyeing an investment in Diamond Sports Group, aiming to become the MVP of regional sports programming. Meanwhile, in the retail financing league, Walmart has extended its partnership with Affirm to let consumers bag now, pay later at self-checkout.Amazon’s Attempt to Score Big Although Diamond Sports Group had money problems earlier this year, it is bouncing back. According to a Monday (Dec. 18) Wall Street Journal report, the ...