"There is growing evidence that more people these days don't work from a physical workplace, but work from home or other places," says David Thorns, director of the social science research center at the University of Canterbury.

Amid product delays, management shake-ups, and continuing European legal troubles, Microsoft on Thursday posted nearly US$3 billion in net income for its fiscal third quarter on revenue of almost $11 billion.

The number of 3G (third-generation) mobile subscribers is expected to grow quickly in China, despite getting off to a relatively slow start, according to a telecommunications research firm in Beijing.