Microsoft had to go through a blizzard of regulation, but it is now the proud owner of a world leader in video games. 

What happened: After nearly two years and multiple regulatory challenges, Microsoft closed its US$75 billion acquisition of gaming company Activision Blizzard — maker of hit games like Call of Duty and Candy Crush — after British regulators gave the deal a final go-ahead. 

Just in time for the holidays, Amazon is rolling out tools designed to get you to spend more. 

Driving the news: Amazon is testing a new ‘Buy Again’ feature aiming to persuade customers to make repeat purchases based on their order history, part of the company’s latest effort to drive up sales amid a post-pandemic slump, per the Wall Street Journal.

Your new 23andMe results just came in! 80% Scotch-Irish. 20% Greek. 100% hacked.

What happened: Popular genetic testing website 23andMe is requiring users to reset their passwords after the personal information and details around the genetic ancestry of up to 7 million people leaked last week. Hackers are now trying to sell the data on the dark web.

If there’s ever a modern-day Mad Men reboot, it’ll likely feature less cigarette smoking and whiskey drinking, and more inputting prompts into chatbots.

What happened: Meta has begun rolling out AI ad-generation tools to advertisers across its platforms, allowing ad creators to generate backgrounds, automatically adjust creative assets to fit different types of posts, and create and edit multiple versions of ad copy.  

The tech industry hopes you’ll consider making AI gadgets a regular wardrobe fixture. 

Driving the news: Tech firms, startups, and entrepreneurs are launching a slew of wearable AI-powered devices, racing to be the first to bring AI to the consumer hardware market, per Axios.

Yachts and mansions are nice, but these days, Silicon Valley executives are chasing something money can’t buy: Time.  

Driving the news: The who’s who of Big Tech, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, are leading a Silicon Valley effort to crack the code to longevity, per The Economist. 

Apple’s iPhone 15 is officially the hottest release of the fall. And no, we’re not talking about its lightweight frame, USB 3.2 port, and exciting new button… 

What happened: One week after the release of the latest iPhone models, thousands of customers are reporting their phones are literally too hot to handle. The overheating issues seemingly affect Apple’s premium iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models, not the base model.

Amazon’s new check-out concept means Canadian sports fans will still pay $13 for a beer, but at least they won’t have to wait in line for it. 

Driving the news: Just Walk Out, Amazon's checkout-free shopping system, is coming to Canada later this fall, with the technology rolling out at stadiums in Toronto and Calgary.

While not quite as star-studded at the White House’s AI summit, the who’s who of Canadian tech companies have agreed to new rules concerning AI. 

What happened: A handful of Canada’s biggest tech companies, including Blackberry, OpenText, and Cohere, agreed to sign on to new voluntary government guidelines for the development of AI technologies and a “robust, responsible AI ecosystem in Canada.”

OpenAI's latest ChatGPT update bestows the AI chatbot with the gifts of speech and sight.

What happened: ChatGPT can now converse with users — across five chipper voice options — and process images to help answer questions. The features will be available to paid users within two weeks and to those of us who are AI freeloaders in the near future.