# Midweek roundup: a touchscreen Mac, a $13.8-billion Wealthsimple, and ChatGPT's favourite newsroom > The week so far in Canadian tech, five stories we haven't covered yet, and the odd and funny bits worth knowing about. - Published: 2026-10-29T02:26:00.000Z - By: The Circuit Staff - Type: Daily Briefing - Topics: Daily Briefing, Devices, Startups, Policy, Gaming - URL: https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-28-midweek-roundup/ It's been a busy half-week. Here's what you might have missed, five stories we haven't covered until now, and a few things that made us laugh. ## The week so far - **Apple finally made a touchscreen Mac.** The new MacBook Pro with a "PROLED XDR" display starts at $3,999 in Canada and arrives Nov. 6, after an M6 MacBook Pro, a new iMac and an OLED iPad mini earlier in the week. [Everything Apple announced, with Canadian prices](https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-28-everything-apple-announced-canada/) - **Anthropic filed to go public,** and its prospectus lists four Canadian copyright suits and a public offering in Canada. [Read more](https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-26-anthropic-ipo-filing-canada/) - **Wealthsimple raised $425 million** at a $13.8-billion valuation. [Read more](https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-28-wealthsimple-425-million-13-8-billion/) - **Bell sold 49.9% of its towers** to La Caisse for $2.45 billion. [Read more](https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-27-bell-towerco-la-caisse/) - **Microsoft offered buyouts** to about 60,000 staff, including in Canada. [Read more](https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-26-microsoft-voluntary-exit-offer-canada/) - **AirPods Pro now work as hearing aids** in five provinces. [Read more](https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-26-airpods-hearing-aid-canada/) - **Is there a "Canada tax" on gadgets?** Mostly not, except on premium phones. [Our price check](https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-27-canada-tax-gadgets/) ## Five stories we hadn't covered yet **1. Tesla ran out of import quota for the Model 3 Premium.** Tesla has paused Canadian orders for the Model 3 Premium, saying high demand used up its quota for Chinese-built cars, [MobileSyrup reports](https://mobilesyrup.com/2026/10/27/tesla-model-3-pause-import-cap/). Orders resume only if Ottawa issues more quota, expected in March 2027. Its Canadian site briefly showed specs matching the U.S.-built version, which suggests Tesla may switch supply, but that's not confirmed. **2. Ottawa might bring Roblox under its online safety bill.** Canadian Identity Minister Marc Miller told The Globe and Mail he would "absolutely consider" adding gaming platforms to the bill, [MobileSyrup reports](https://mobilesyrup.com/2026/10/27/canada-digital-safety-bill-gaming-platforms-roblox/). He said the planned under-16 social media ban wouldn't apply to games, but that he has told gaming companies to add safety features or risk regulation. **3. YouTube wants Ottawa to count influencers properly.** YouTube Canada is asking Ottawa to create an industry classification for digital creators, who are now lumped in with performing arts or advertising, [The Globe and Mail reports](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/technology/article-youtube-canada-urges-ottawa-improve-data-collection-influencer-economy/). It says creators added more than $2 billion to Canada's GDP last year. "We just do not have great data on the impact of the creator economy in Canada," said Nicole Bell, head of YouTube Canada. **4. Women lead half of Canada's 10 fastest-growing tech companies.** That's a first for Deloitte's Technology Fast 50, [BetaKit reports](https://betakit.com/women-led-companies-dominate-top-ranks-of-2026-deloitte-fast-50/). Women-led firms took second through sixth place, led by Toronto rent-payment startup Chexy. Toronto's Finni Health was first, with four-year revenue growth of 46,754%. **5. Your smart TV may keep watching after you say no.** Researchers at Northeastern University tested the "automatic content recognition" that smart TVs use to identify what's on screen, and found only four platforms (LG's webOS, Google TV on Sony, VIDAA and Fire TV) actually stopped when users opted out, [MobileSyrup reports](https://mobilesyrup.com/2026/10/28/smart-tv-spy-opt-out-acr-study/). Antenna broadcasts were tracked on nearly every TV; Netflix and YouTube weren't tracked on any. The researchers [publish a blocklist](https://watchingthewatchers.github.io/watchingthewatchers/index.html) for TVs that ignore the setting. ## The odd and the funny - **ChatGPT has a favourite tech support desk, and it's a newsroom.** 404 Media says it's being flooded with emails from people whose chatbot told them their banned Instagram account or broken gadget was a story, and that 404 Media could help. Often the chatbot wrote the email too. "Because big tech doesn't do customer service, we are being inundated with AI-generated emails begging us for help," [404 Media writes](https://www.404media.co/chatgpt-keeps-telling-people-404-media-can-solve-their-tech-support-problems/). - **X really wants you to pay.** X started showing users a giant pointing hand aimed at its "promote" button while they write posts. Users called it a jump scare, [TechCrunch reports](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/26/x-is-nudging-users-to-promote-their-posts-with-a-pointing-hand-and-people-are-confused/). - **Meta made a Tamagotchi.** Waddle World is a new AI pet app: raise a pixel-art creature, tell it about your day, and it writes a journal entry with a doodle. Meta insists it's not a chatbot. It's only in the Philippines for now, [TechCrunch reports](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/28/meta-has-a-new-ai-pet-app-called-waddle-world/). - **The 1990s called, and PlayStation answered.** Sony's new Prism Collection brings see-through DualSense controllers and PS5 covers in orange, green and grey, [VGC reports](https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/sony-announces-new-prism-collection-of-transparent-ps5-dualsense-controllers-and-console-covers/). Pre-orders start Nov. 10; Canadian prices aren't out yet. - **Mass Effect fans aren't letting go.** More than 223,000 people have signed a petition asking EA to save the series after BioWare's closure, [GamesIndustry.biz reports](https://www.gamesindustry.biz/223000-people-sign-petition-to-save-mass-effect). Composer Austin Wintory also [posted the music he pitched](https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/grammy-winning-composer-uploads-mass-effect-5-music-following-cancellation-news/) for Mass Effect 5. - **GTA 6 will need a long weekend.** At a reported 210 GB, it takes more than nine hours to download on a 50 Mbps connection. [Our math](https://thecircuit.ca/posts/2026-10-27-gta-6-download-size-canada/) --- See you tomorrow morning with the Daily Briefing.