BUSINESS

Managers should be warned of burning out employees by excessive use of mobile devices outside work hours, consultancy firm Kelly Executive has said.

The market had been looking for an interim profit of just over $US8 billion for the six months to June from Rio Tinto.

The Dow fell 500 points, with a whack of that happening in the final minutes to make it the worst day since the dark times of late 2008 after Lehman Brothers collapsed.

Taking note of the emerging trend that site contributors are migrating out of Wikipedia, founder Jimmy Wales revealed on Thursday that the web-based encyclopaedia is implementing tweaks that hopefully would lure fresh entry providers.

By Rudi Filapek-Vandyck, Editor FNArenaI joined Twitter. Not because I am curious what this celebrity has to say about her kids, or to read that another one is waiting for a connecting flight, impatiently.

After a vicious blog post from Google's chief legal officer David Drummond that accused Microsoft and Apple of conspiring against Android, Microsoft isn't taking the high road but is firing back with tweets and blog posts.

Broker businesses that do not harness the growing power of internet lead generation are likely to suffer in an increasingly cluttered market, according to Money Quest.

The Aussie saw an extreme move lower overnight as markets sold out of risk instruments. We could see a small bounce from 1.0400 which is an absolutely crucial level for the Aussie dollar, but traders will continue to focus on the downside. A break of 1.0400 could set up a medium-term move to below 0.9800.

By Greg PeelThe Dow fell 512 points or 4.3% while the S&P fell 4.8% to 1200 and the Nasdaq fell 5.1%.All talk in the market yesterday morning was as to whether activity on Wall Street on Tuesday night and Wednesday night had signalled a capitulation bottom.

The AUD is significantly lower this morning as risk aversion trading takes centre stage.

- Norfolk reiterate earnings guidance at AGM- Update highlights the resilience of group earnings- Moelis sees value, retains a Buy ratingBy Chris ShawNorfolk Group ((NFK)) provides integrated electrical, communications, heating and air conditioning and fire protection services, management concentrat...

US jobless claims (new claims for unemployment insurance) fell by 1,000 to 400,000 in the latest week. Economists had tipped a reading around 405,000. The four-week average has fallen to the lowest levels in over four months.

The Australian dollar has sunk to 5 week lows as risk aversion grappled the markets on Thursday, extending its weekly loss to 5.3%. In a day where there was no other movement than to the downside, the local session saw a move from 1.0770 to 1.0650 and close to another 2 cents were erased over the course of the evening.

U.S. stocks plunged in the biggest selloff since the financial crisis, driving the Dow Jones Industrial Average down more than 500 points, as investors appeared to lose faith in the ability of the world's policy makers to revive the global economy and stave off a rolling debt crisis in Europe

AFTERNOON REPORT (4.30pm AEST)The local share market came under more selling pressure today, falling to 13 month lows as investors fretted over the health of the global economy and as a fall in tourism arrivals showed our strong dollar is continuing to have a negative impact on parts of our economy. Key US jobs data due out tomorrow night also kept many out of the market, with institutional buyers not willing to commit until it's clear how many jobs the world's biggest economy added i...

NSW households wanting to cut down on their electricity bills using solar will be left in limbo for almost a year according to documents released today.

Australia has earned the new title "Next Golden State" for all the right reasons. However, is the mining sector boom benefiting all or just a few?

Senior Vice-President David Drummond didn't mince words in his post on Google's official blog against the "bogus patents" filed against Android's partners including Samsung by rival Apple.

It might appear that I'm not supporting initiatives that protect and save the environment but this is not the case. I am and I do. For instance, at home we've installed solar power, put in a grey water system, planted drought tolerant native plants and buy organic fruit and vegetables and buy recycled products wherever possible - for instance, recycled paper and wood products. And in the office we're careful about our carbon footprint and are mindful of unnecessary waste. I'm confida...

Australia’s Gold Coast’s office vacancy saw the highest level of demand in over three years, resulting in a long-awaited and much welcomed drop in vacancies, new research shows.

Australia's biggest gold producer Newcrest Mining Ltd (ASX: NCM) has reported that nine of its staff were killed in a helicopter incident in Indonesia on Wednesday.

From the SWAT-style armed raid on the raw milk buying club known as Rawesome Foods, clandestine video footage is starting to emerge. Although the footage is shaky and low quality (from a cell phone), it shows law enforcement thugs stealing raw milk, cheese, vegetables and even mangos from the Rawesome Foods store and loading them up into a large truck.

By Greg PeelThe Dow closed up 29 points or 0.3% while the S&P gained 0.5% to 1260 and the Nasdaq jumped 0.

As a keen observer of social and regulatory change, it has not escaped me or many of our readers that a revolution is occurring in the ways that business is being conducted. New usages of the internet, social media and smartphone technology are the impetus for a huge structural shift in the economy.

The notion of having the same job for life and a high sense of loyalty towards employers is a quaint concept that is long gone, according to workplace experts.

Thinking of buying in the Land of the Free? Jodie Hannaford has some do's and don'ts for prospective investors.

Over half of executives in the food and drink industries do not measure the return on investment (ROI) they get their use of social media, according to a global just-food survey.

Retail sales fell unexpectedly in June as consumers continued to watch every dollar amid jittery global economic conditions and worries about higher interest rates.

Don't miss out! Nominations for the Australian HR Awards close tomorrow, Friday 5 August at 5pm.