Tuesday 29 September 2026
Rules & costs
The Reserve Bank lifts the cash rate by 0.25 percentage points to 4.60%.
The RBA's Monetary Policy Board raised the cash rate target from 4.35% to 4.60% on 29 September, its fourth increase this year. It says inflation remains elevated, global energy prices are much higher than it assumed in August, and firms in its liaison report cost pressures and are raising prices or looking to. The Board says it will do what is necessary to bring inflation back to target, including raising the cash rate further if needed.
Why it matters: If you have a variable-rate business loan, overdraft or credit line, expect your lender to review its rates. Check your statements for any change.
Source: Reserve Bank of Australia
AI at work
NSW will make landlords and agents disclose rental ad photos altered or AI-generated in ways that hide faults.
The NSW Government says a bill passed by the NSW Parliament will require landlords and agents to disclose when property images in rental advertisements have been digitally altered or AI-generated to hide faults that could mislead prospective tenants. Businesses that fail to disclose altered photos face penalties of up to $22,000. The same laws limit the personal information landlords and agents can collect from applicants and bring in a standard application form. The Government says they are expected to start in early 2027.
Why it matters: NSW property managers who use AI editing or virtual staging in rental listings should check images don't hide faults or misrepresent rooms before the rules start.
Source: NSW Government
AI at work
Anthropic releases Claude Sonnet 5.5, a faster everyday model that's cheaper to run.
Anthropic says Sonnet 5.5 runs more than 30% faster than Sonnet 5 and costs up to 30% less per task in its testing, because it needs fewer tokens to do the same work. The API price per token is unchanged from Sonnet 5. Anthropic says it's strongest at well-scoped everyday tasks such as documents, slides and spreadsheets, and positions Opus 5.5 for complex work that needs careful judgment. It's available on all of Anthropic's platforms, including AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure.
Why it matters: If your team uses Claude for everyday documents and spreadsheets, results should come back quicker, and tools built on the API won't cost more per token.
Source: Anthropic
Websites
Shopify lets AI agents in a shopper's browser update checkouts and submit them once the shopper confirms.
Shopify says browser-based AI agents can now read and update supported checkout fields on Shopify stores, and submit the checkout after the buyer confirms. When the buyer's input is needed, such as 3D Secure card checks or blocking checkout extensions, control passes back to the buyer. Shopify says the tools use the existing checkout and need no merchant configuration. With its earlier storefront and cart tools, agents can now help with the whole journey, from finding a product to order confirmation.
Why it matters: Shopify merchants don't need to set anything up, but some orders may now be completed by a shopper's AI agent, with the shopper confirming the purchase.
Source: Shopify
AI at work
Google confirms October skills rollout, with different Gems transition dates for personal and work accounts.
Updated 4 October 2026: Skills are reusable custom instructions you can combine in a chat. Eligible Workspace apps begin receiving them on 5 October for Rapid Release accounts and 19 October for Scheduled Release accounts; the Gemini app rollout for work and school accounts starts 13 October. Skills do not sync between the Gemini app and Workspace apps. Personal-account Gems transition from November 2026. Business and enterprise Gems remain until at least 1 March 2027, and education Gems until at least 1 June 2027.
Why it matters: Remaining Gems will migrate automatically within the Gemini app, with supported files. Recreate skills separately in Workspace apps if your team needs them there.
Source: Google Workspace Updates: Skills rollout and Gems transition, 30 September 2026
Software & systems
Google says ChromeOS will get updates and security patches through mid-2034.
In an FAQ for IT administrators about Googlebook OS, its new operating system built on the Android tech stack, Google says ChromeOS devices will keep receiving regular updates and security patches through mid-2034. Current Chromebooks keep getting updates for their supported lifetime under Google's Auto Update policy, and many newer models will be able to move to Googlebook OS. Google says Googlebooks are for personal use for now, with management tools for businesses and schools starting to roll out in the second half of 2027.
Why it matters: If you're buying Chromebooks for staff, check each model's Auto Update date. ChromeOS updates end in mid-2034; for qualifying devices supported beyond that, Google says it will support a move to Googlebook OS.
Source: Google
