Business Diary: We were working from home – honest, boss

Orange knows what all last week's snowbound workers were doing: its customers sent an unprecedented 984,000 picture messages on their phones on Thursday alone – double the normal. Most showed people larking about in the snow.

Times to pick on someone their own size?

News International vocally criticised Google, with Rupert Murdoch attacking the news aggregator for refusing to pay him for content. So no surprise The Times has already begun blocking aggregators. Strangely it has started with a small one – NewsNow – rather than Google. A case of picking your battles?

Comedian having a laugh with the B-list

Comedian John Bishop's PRs sure earn their money: a triumphant release arrives on his appointment as compère of Raw 2010, a shindig for the North-west's "leading 350 entrepreneurs". The only one we've heard of is Theo Paphitis. Still, you've got to start somewhere.

Argyle: an unlikely promotion challenger

Good news for Plymouth Argyle, if not Middlesbrough or Blackpool. Equifax has given each Championship club a credit score. The Pilgrims are top with a score of 85 out of 100, while Boro and the Seasiders come bottom, on zero.

Cracking up over a pension nest egg

Problems loom for the Department for Work and Pensions' forthcoming workplace pension scheme: National Employment Savings Trust, or Nest. Critics warn many members of the scheme will lose means-tested benefits, and their nests will be empty.

Number of the day: 5 per cent

The bumper December rise in retail sales analysts expect the British Retail Consortium to announce tomorrow