When the Iveco brand became part of CNH Industrial, it joined a global group producing vehicles and equipment for transport, agriculture and construction that meet the requirements of customers around the world. [ + ]

Worldwide sales of mobile phones to end users were flat in the third quarter of 2014, according to IT researchers Gartner, Inc. However, sales of smartphones to end users grew 20.3% to reach 301 million units.

The Queensland Government's advertising campaign - Stay safer up there, switch off down here - urging people to turn off the mains power before entering a ceiling space has hit home with tradies and home occupiers alike. [ + ]

By next year, the world's mobile worker population is expected to swell to 1.3 billion, representing 37.2% of the total workforce. That's a lot of workers on the roads, in the field, making house visits and in remote locations from oil platforms in the Gulf to mines in the Arctic. [ + ]

Wireless, unified network infrastructure, unified management, security, the Internet of Things (IoT) and SDN in the enterprise will be some of the key trending topics in 2015, according to Allied Telesis's annual industry trends analysis and predictions for 2015. [ + ]

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced $445,000 funding for Reposit Power to trial an on-grid solar photovoltaic (PV) energy storage and trading system. [ + ]

As many as 43% of workers aged 18-24 admitted to faking a sick day in the past 12 months, according to an online poll of 1035 Australian workers. [ + ]

Powertec, Australian distributor of the Nextivity Cel-Fi 'smart repeater', has warned consumers about purchasing signal boosters online, claiming that they are most likely not approved for use on local networks. [ + ]

The Fair Work Ombudsman is urging employers and employees to check the pay rates and entitlements that apply over Christmas and the New Year.

New laws are making it easier for licensed tradespeople to work across state borders. The laws that came into effect on 1 December promise to cut red tape for small business. [ + ]

The NBN Co will acquire elements of the Optus hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) cable network in a bid to hasten the rollout of the National Broadband Network, said NBN Co CEO Bill Morrow. [ + ]

A major new study for the European Commission has found considerable potential safety benefits and low costs for the installation of electronic data recorders (EDRs) in cars, vans and trucks.

Master Builders Australia has spoken out about the recently released National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) data, highlighting that there are only one-third the apprentices in the pipeline to meet the current and future skill needs of the building and construction industry. [ + ]

Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities are now open for SPARC International Lighting Event 2015, to be held from 27-29 May at the Sydney Exhibition Centre, Glebe Island, in Sydney. [ + ]

The outlook for the jobs market in 2015 appears positive, with employer intentions to hire at the highest level since 2012, according to the Hudson Report Employment Trends, as released by global talent solutions company Hudson. [ + ]