In the early 2000s, accessing the internet was through a dial-up connection which could take anywhere from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes to establish a connection. In 2023, generative AI tools can generate poems, short stories and complex legal and medical documents in a matter of seconds. The pace of technological change is accelerating and it’s reshaping just about every aspect of how we live, work, socialise and play. While Xero’s Future Focus research reveals small businesses are more optimistic, and even intrigued, about the potential of emerging technologies than doom and gloom, many wish there was more education and resources to navigate a rapidly changing world. To help small businesses and their advisors plan ahead, I’ve looked at separating the hype from reality to uncover the top five technology trends that may impact the small business landscape in 2024. Trend #1: The AI-augmented creativity boom This year saw generative AI…

Six Melbourne men including some with alleged links to a suspected Middle Eastern crime family have been charged for allegedly trying to import 10 million illicit cigarettes into Victoria after a 16-month, extensive investigation. The AFP and Victoria Police, under the Victorian Joint Organised Crime Taskforce (JOCTF) with seconded members from the Illicit Tobacco Taskforce, will allege some of the men work for freight and transport logistics companies in trusted positions. The six men will face the Melbourne Magistrates court today (28 February 2024), and face up 10 years’ imprisonment for the alleged importation, which had an estimated value of $15 million. It will be additionally alleged the syndicate attempted to avoid paying millions of dollars in Commonwealth excise. They have been charged as part of the ongoing JOCTF investigation, codenamed Operation Tyers. Search warrants were executed yesterday (27 February 2024) at a number of businesses and homes in Melbourne’s…

Angus McKay, CEO and Managing Director of 7-Eleven Australia, is the 2024 recipient of the NACS Convenience Industry Leader of the Year award for Asia-Pacific. The award will be presented during the Asian Convenience Retail Awards Ceremony at the NACS Convenience Summit Asia, taking place on 5-7 March in Seoul, South Korea. Henry Armour, CEO and President of NACS, said the award recognises and honours the contributions of successful and influential industry leaders who represent excellence, dedication, and influence in the convenience retail community. “Industry progress is not only driven by innovative companies, but by the energies, determination and inspiration of the individuals who lead them.” McKay joined 7-Eleven as CEO in 2016 before being elected as Managing Director in 2020. He is responsible for leading the 7-Eleven team, driving the business strategy, and growing the 7-Eleven brand in Australia. The past year has been an eventful one for 7-Eleven…

Uber Eats customers in Japan can soon have an autonomous robot deliver their food on the streets of Tokyo. Uber announced a partnership Tuesday between robotics firm Cartken and Japanese industrial titan Mitsubishi Electric to launch autonomous sidewalk robots that will start delivering Eats orders in parts of Tokyo beginning next month. Japan will be the first international market to have autonomous delivery available on the Uber Eats platform. Japan, however, is no stranger to embracing robot helpers in the hospitality industry, and many popular restaurant chains have been using robot servers for years now. Cartken’s Model C robots will be delivering the food and navigating the sidewalks of Tokyo, and the operations will be supervised by Mitsubishi Electric as part of the partnership. Cartken’s Model C robots use AI and computer vision technologies to navigate their environments. The sidewalk-traversing robots are designed to avoid obstacles, yield to pedestrians, and stop at…