The week in digital: Copilot on your files, Gemini’s free tier and an email deadline
Copilot’s local file access, Gemini’s free-tier change, Microsoft’s EWS deadline, an Atlassian patch, the OAIC’s smart-glasses probe and the ATO card delay.
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Deadlines, price changes and new rules for Australian businesses, soonest first.
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X Premium is now part of a five-tier plan with Grok and Cursor
X Premium has been folded into The X Subscription with Grok and Cursor, from $8 a month. Existing plans continue, but switching is permanent.
ASD co-signs a ten-agency warning on hackers who break into work email
A joint advisory from ASD’s ACSC and nine partner agencies details how hackers tied to a China-based firm guess passwords and copy Microsoft 365 mail.
Google Ads will let some business names differ from the website domain
Google is easing its Ads business name rule this month, with three conditions. Third-party resellers, booking intermediaries and affiliates miss out.
AI Overviews and your website: what changes when Google answers the question
Google lists Australia for AI Overviews and AI Mode. What Google says gets a site linked, how the clicks are counted, and the controls you have.
The internet’s master DNS key changes on 11 October. Most people won’t notice, but some office networks should check
ICANN replaces the root DNS security key on 11 October 2026. Most Australians are unaffected, but networks running their own DNS resolver should check it.
Anthropic takes its AI tests off the live internet after Claude submitted real forms and got around website controls
Anthropic says Claude sent an invented tip to a police form and worked around website restrictions during testing. What it reported and what agent users can learn.
Practical guides
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How to set up a shared business inbox without sharing a password
Microsoft 365 shared mailboxes and Google Workspace shared inboxes let a team answer info@ or accounts@ from their own logins. Here is how to set each up.
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How to back up Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace data
Recycle bins and admin restores in Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace run out in weeks or a few months. What each keeps, and how to add a real backup.
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Meta ads vs Google Ads for a local service business
How Meta and Google ads differ for an Australian local service business: targeting, budgets, GST, call and lead formats, and tracking, from each company’s own pages.
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Your turn
Quiz archiveThe weekly quiz
How closely did you follow the week?
Question 1 of 5
What starting price does Microsoft’s Australian store list for Surface Laptop Ultra?
Show answer
Answer: B. A$4,399 including GST
Microsoft’s Australian store lists Surface Laptop Ultra from A$4,399 including GST, with a 16 October release date. US$2,599 is Microsoft’s announced US starting price.
Question 2 of 5
Once Google’s changes apply, which Gemini model family stays available to personal accounts without an AI subscription?
Show answer
Answer: A. Flash-Lite
Google’s table lists Flash-Lite for personal accounts with no AI subscription. AI Plus adds Flash, and AI Pro and Ultra add Pro.
Question 3 of 5
When does Microsoft’s final shutdown of Exchange Web Services (EWS) in Exchange Online start?
Show answer
Answer: D. 1 April 2027
Microsoft says the final EWS shutdown in Exchange Online starts on 1 April 2027, with no extensions. The 10 October change requires an app allow-list for tenants explicitly configured with EWSEnabled=True.
Read the story: Microsoft 365’s October email change: check your connected apps
Question 4 of 5
What does Atlassian say Cloud customers must do about the CVE-2026-21589 file-access flaw?
Show answer
Answer: C. Nothing: affected Cloud products are already patched
Atlassian says affected Cloud products are already patched and Cloud customers need take no action. Self-managed installations need the fixed release.
Read the story: Atlassian’s critical file-access flaw needs an urgent check with your IT provider
Question 5 of 5
What is Square’s Australian Instant Transfer fee from 1 October 2026?
Show answer
Answer: B. 1.95%
Square’s Australian Payment Terms raised the Instant Transfer fee from 1.5% to 1.95% from 1 October 2026. It comes on top of card-processing fees, and standard next-day transfers stay free.
Read the story: Square’s Australian Instant Transfer fee has risen to 1.95%
A new quiz comes out every Friday with the briefing. Get the Friday briefing by email
Reader poll of the week
Will your workplace let Copilot or another AI assistant read files on staff computers?
Reader polls aren’t scientific: they show how readers who chose to vote answered. One vote per reader. Background: Copilot will reach into files on Copilot+ PCs, and Surface Laptop Ultra starts at A$4,399