Business Diary: Do what we say, not what we do

Good to see Guardian News & Media sticking to its guns – having told anyone who will listen there is no future in charging for online journalism, it is canvassing opinions from users of PaidContent, the digital news website it owns. It wonders if they'd like to pay £249 a year for the service. The U-turn may be linked to the £4m write-down GNM has taken on PaidContent, which it bought two years ago.

No more newsprint with your shopping

On the topic of charging for online newspapers, Ocado has become an early victim of Rupert Murdoch's desire to make the net pay. Until this week, the shopping service has been delivering a free copy of The Times with its groceries. Now that deal has come to an end and Ocado is instead offering a week of free access to the paper's online version.

Will HSBC's minions follow their boss?

How long before HSBC moves lock, stock and barrel to the Far East? Chief executive Michael Geoghegan is due to start working out of Hong Kong shortly and last night used Sky TV to fire a parting shot at the Government's taxation of the City. The bank has always denied Geoghegan's move is a precursor to its headquarters moving too, but watch this space.

Gates sends Twitter into a spin

You know how Microsoft software often seems to carry little bugs when it is first launched? Well guess what happened yesterday when Bill Gates made his debut on Twitter – that's right, the whole thing crashed for hours on end. A bit more beta testing next time please Bill.

Americans don't quite get British chocolate

Of all the media coverage of Cadbury's takeover by Kraft this week, we have most enjoyed a short film on the BBC website, in which an intrepid reporter tries – and fails – to persuade New Yorkers of the delights of the British firm's famous Curly Wurly. If only Cadbury had flooded the US with the product a few months ago, Americans would have been protesting about the Kraft takeover too.

Number of the day: £716m

The total debt of Manchester United, according to the accounts that its holding company filed yesterday.

businessdiary@independent.co.uk