\Most of Tesla’s Supercharger team was caught up in recent layoffs, leading to countless questions about the future of EV charging. Even if you’re a die-hard, paying-blue-check, all-in-on-$TSLA, Elon-can-do-no-wrong superfan, it’s awfully hard to find a silver lining around the news that most—if not all—of Tesla’s Supercharging team was caught up in the company’s latest round of layoffs.  Last night, The Information reported that roughly 500 people in Tesla’s charging division are being cut from the company, including its senior director and head of new products. A quick perusal of LinkedIn, Reddit, X and other social media platforms shows scores of people who worked on the charging team at Tesla announcing their layoffs. All of them seem utterly (and understandably) stunned that they had to. (Emails and direct messages to several current and former Tesla officials have gone unanswered.) Moreover, Musk’s own memo to the troops doesn’t provide much information or reassurance about the future of…

7-Eleven Japan is enhancing its in-store advertising with artificial intelligence (AI), introducing AI-based digital ads at 500 c-store locations, reported IoT World Today. The retailer is implementing vision detection technology from Sony Semiconductor Solutions (SSS), which uses AI to “detect when a customer sees digital signage, counting how many people stop to look at the advert and how long they spend looking at it. The placement and content of these adverts are then adapted based on this information to increase the reach and impact of in-store advertising,” wrote IoT World Today. The system does not recognize or identify individuals to ensure customer safety and privacy while collecting information. Walmart also plans to implement in-store AI that helps track inventory and alert employees to sell something before it goes bad or if would sell faster with a discount, according to CNBC. The program will be piloted in Canada soon. The new in-store technology,…

In a statement issued on Friday, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said “It’s clear that there are still more conversations to have, and that will take significantly more time.” In April 2022, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) formally published its proposed rules banning menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, which was followed by a notice-and-comment period for stakeholders and the public to weigh in on the proposals. NACS filed formal comments opposing prohibition on behalf of the convenience store industry. The ban was first delayed in December 2023, and plans to finalize the ban in March never materialized. In published remarks, administration officials stated that they were still committed to implementing a ban. Menthol cigarettes account for approximately 34% of cigarette sales. “This rule has garnered historic attention and the public comment period has yielded an immense amount of feedback, including from various elements of the civil rights and…

Beers, pizzas and other everyday items are cumulatively costing Australians an additional $1bn, with new Reserve Bank research revealing how much businesses, and their customers, can save, as major banks and payment service providers charge exorbitant transaction fees. The transaction fee rort, which forces many businesses to recoup costs by charging customer surcharges, has also prompted RBA governor Michele Bullock to step in, with the central bank threatening a regulatory crackdown unless uptake in least-cost routing (LCR) is boosted. LCR refers to the practice where payments default to the least expensive processing network, rather than the pathway set by the bank or payment service provider. According to the fresh RBA research, the cost of accepting debit card transactions — Australia’s most popular payment method — is nearly 20 per cent lower for businesses that have LCR enabled. Businesses, and their customers, with annual debit payments between $100,000 and $10m receive…

Step into Domo 39 in St Peters and look up: there’s an artwork crafted from 10 kilograms of rice on the ceiling. It’s a clue to this cafe’s specialties: the triangle shapes evoke onigiri (Japanese rice balls) found in the nearby fridge and the soft-serve cones topped with swirls of “rice cream”. If you’ve been to Japan, you’ll feel a happy sense of deja vu at Domo 39. That’s because this grab-and-go eatery pays tribute to konbini: the nation’s famously great convenience stores. If you’ve never witnessed the around-the-clock glow of Japan’s 7-Eleven, Family Mart and Lawson stores, you might wonder how these shops have gained culinary hall-of-fame status in a land also renowned for sushi temples and Michelin-starred omakase restaurants. You might find the answers on Google (which surfaces articles such as “Every amazing thing you’ve heard about Japanese convenience stores is true”) or if you have the travel…

An app that is designed to help reduce food waste while also assisting Australian consumers to save money at the supermarket was launched in July. Gander, which is considered an Australian-first, connects shoppers with discounted food items nearing their expiration dates, helping to reduce both food waste in-store, and grocery bills. The team at Gander have partnered with Spanos IGA and Country Grocers to launch the app in Queensland and Victoria. One of the Gander co-founders, Tim Brown, said retailers typically had to rely on shoppers sporadically finding a markdown in store while doing their shopping. “Therefore, on average less than half of the food marked down in stores is sold, leaving the rest tobecome surplus,” he said. “For retailers, reduced food can cost them 7 per cent of their turnover. At a time when margins are being squeezed, this is revenue sitting on their shelves that local shoppers would…