The only funds you need in your portfolio now

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

A lot of people have the mistaken impression that to successfully invest for retirement you've got to assemble a portfolio of at least a half dozen or more mutual funds or ETFs.

That's nonsense.

The number of funds you own isn't nearly as important as the types of securities your funds own. And if you choose funds that hold a broad range of stocks and bonds and work in synch with each other, you can put together a well-diversified portfolio with two or three funds, or in some cases, just one.

Of course, some advisers will suggest that you're missing out unless you spread your money among all manner of exotic investments (which they're more than happy to sell you). But the more complicated your portfolio is, the more expensive and more prone to blow-ups it's likely to be -- which also increases the odds that it will generate subpar returns.

Related: Get your portfolio ready for 2015 and beyond

Which is why I suggest that as you review your investment strategy for the New Year and beyond, you consider a streamlined approach that allows you to get by with lower fees and fewer funds.

How few? Below you'll find my recommendations for three simple but effective diversified retirement portfolios consisting of three funds or less.

THE THREE-FUND DIVERSIFIED PORTFOLIO

To create this portfolio, simply invest in the following three funds (or their ETF equivalents): a total U.S. stock market fund, a total international stock market fund and a total U.S bond market fund.

Do that, and you'll gain exposure to virtually every type of publicly traded stock in the world (large and small, growth and value, domestic and foreign, all industries and sectors), as well as the entire U.S. investment-grade taxable bond market (short- to long-term maturities, corporates, Treasuries and mortgage-backed issues).

You can buy such funds and ETFs directly from any number of investment firms, including biggies like Fidelity, Schwab and Vanguard, all of which sell their own funds and ETFs or those of other firms, such as iShares, or both. If you're working with an adviser, he or she can buy these funds on your behalf.

Related: The best way to invest for retirement income

The annual fee you'll pay will vary depending on which firm's funds or ETFs you choose. (If you go with ETFs, you may also incur a brokerage charge, although several firms are currently waiving commissions and transaction fees on at least some ETFs.)

But you should easily be able to assemble a portfolio for an annual fee of 0.20%, or $20 per $10,000 invested, if not less. If you invest through an adviser, he or she will charge a separate fee.

THE TWO-FUND DIVERSIFIED PORTFOLIO

This portfolio is identical to the one above, except for one difference: it skips the total international stock fund.

Some pros may argue that jettisoning foreign stocks makes no sense, especially since we live in such a global world. But others, including Vanguard founder and low-fee zealot Jack Bogle, argue that you can get along fine without international shares.

I'm agnostic on this issue. Diversifying internationally should typically make your portfolio a bit less volatile since foreign markets don't always move in synch with U.S. stocks. But holding foreign shares isn't likely to offer shelter during major meltdowns, as virtually all markets move together in times of extreme duress.

If for whatever reason you're antsy about owning foreign shares or you just like to keep it simple by sticking to domestic equities, I don't think going with a USA-all-the-way portfolio is going to interfere with you achieving your goals.

THE ONE-FUND DIVERSIFIED PORTFOLIO

If you really don't want to be bothered putting together a portfolio, then a target-date retirement fund may be the solution. You choose a fund with a target year that roughly corresponds to the year you plan to retire (2015, 2020, 2025, whatever) and you get a ready-made mix of domestic and foreign stock and bond funds suitable for someone your age.

What's more, the fund automatically follows a "glide path," shifting into bonds each year and becoming more conservative as you approach and enter retirement.

You may end up paying a slightly higher annual fee for this portfolio-in-a-fund than you would by putting together the two- or three-fund portfolio option above. But you should easily be able to keep your annual expenses below 1% a year. And if you go for an all-index-fund target fund like Vanguard's, you'll pay less than 0.20% annually.

Related: Ditch the "Number" and find a realistic retirement savings goal

If you go with the two- or three-fund portfolio, you'll also have to decide how to divvy up your money between stocks and bonds. That's largely a matter of balancing your appetite for risk (which you can determine by completing a risk tolerance questionnaire) against the size returns you'll need to build an adequate nest egg or, if you're already retired, assure that your savings will sustain you throughout retirement. By plugging different blends of stocks and bonds (as well as different spending rates) into this retirement income calculator, you can get a good sense of which mix is right for you.

Since stocks and bonds typically don't deliver identical returns from year to year, you may have to rebalance your two- or three-fund portfolio to restore it to the right mix. Every few years or so, you may also want to reassess your risk tolerance and goals, just to make sure you're still okay with whatever stocks-bonds mix you originally set.

But aside from this sort of routine maintenance, you really don't need to do much with any of these portfolios. Just sit back and reap the benefits of the broad diversification each has to offer.

Walter Updegrave is the editor of RealDealRetirement.com. If you have a question on retirement or investing that you would like Walter to answer online, send it to him at walter@realdealretirement.com.

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Crippling hack forced Sony to use old BlackBerrys

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Executives also used the tried-and-true tactic for relaying messages: a phone tree.

CEO Michael Lynton told the Wall Street Journal Tuesday that it took him more than a day to fully understand the severity of the attack.

It was crippling.

Hackers stole troves of data, leaking movies and internal documents exposing private company memos, along with employees' salaries, Social Security numbers and health information.

Plus, the company's entire computer system was down during the week of Thanksgiving. Here's some of the ways workers coped, a Sony spokesman told CNNMoney:

• Execs set up a phone tree, so they could update each other about the hack. One person would relay the message to the next person on the "tree."

• Employees used personal cellphones, Gmail accounts and notepads.

• Paychecks were cut manually.

• Old BlackBerrys, which operate on a different server, were revived to send emails.

The FBI has presented evidence that North Korea was behind the hack. It came just before Sony was about to release "The Interview," a comedy about a plot to kill North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un.

But some security experts hackers and people familiar with Sony's computer networks aren't so sure it was North Korea that pulled it off.

Related: What we know about the Sony hack

First Published: December 30, 2014: 8:34 PM ET

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Stocks: 4 things to know before the open

Click on the chart for in-depth market data.

LONDON (CNNMoney)

Here are the 4 things you need to know before the opening bell rings in New York:

1. Futures bounce: U.S. stock futures are pointing to modest gains to kick off Wednesday's session.

This year the Dow Jones industrial average is trading up nearly 9%, the S&P 500 has gained about 13% and the Nasdaq has rallied by more than 14%.

2. International markets overview: European markets are moving higher in a shortened trading day.

Investors in China gave stocks a year-end boost, while many other Asian markets were closed for the holidays.

Buoyed by new trading rules, policy action to support the economy and hopes of more stimulus, the Shanghai Composite was the world's best performing major market in 2014, climbing more than 50%.

Related: Fear & Greed Index

3. Economic update: It's a light day for economic news, with just weekly jobless claims due out from the U.S. Department of Labor at 8:30 a.m. ET.

4. Tuesday market recap: It was a down day for U.S. stocks Tuesday. The Dow slipped 0.3%, the S&P 500 dropped 0.5% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq shed 0.6%.

Related: The only funds you need in your portfolio now

Related: Billionaire David Einhorn says investing is harder than poker

First Published: December 31, 2014: 5:11 AM ET

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Wealthy Russians aren't buying U.S. homes anymore

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Deep-pocketed Russian buyers have been disappearing since last spring when international sanctions were imposed on Russia.

Over the past few years, Russian buyers have been responsible for some of the flashiest purchases in New York, according to Gabby Warshawer, research director for CityRealty, a website specializing in New York City sales.

Among them: the record breaking $88 million purchase of a Central Park West condo by Ekaterina Rybolovlev, the daughter of billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev; composer, Igor Krutoy's $48 million purchase of a duplex in the Plaza Hotel and the $38 million purchase of an apartment in Time Warner Center by businessman, Andrei Vavilov.

"This year, we haven't seen any of those chart-topping sales," said Warshawer.

Related: New York's most expensive rental costs $500,000 a month

Russian buyers were driving the ultra-high-end market in Florida as well, according to Danny Hertzberg, a Coldwell Banker agent with The Jills Group in Miami Beach.

The most expensive sale in Miami's history was a home that sold for $47 million in 2012 to an unidentified Russian buyer. But even that paled in comparison to the $95 million sale of Donald Trump's Palm Beach palace in 2010 to Dmitry Rybolovlev, the father of Ekaterina, the woman who bought that $88 million condo on Central Park West.

Donald Trump's Maison de l'Amitie in Palm Beach, Fla. sold to Dmitry Rybolovlev in a record-breaking deal.

Last spring, however, all of those deep-pocketed Russians seemed to disappear, said Hertzberg.

"It felt like it changed almost overnight," he said.

Related: 10 least affordable rental markets

The big drop off occurred right after the Russian government tightened its currency restrictions, making it difficult for Russian nationals to move large sums of money out of the country. It's now even getting to be a challenge for some to transfer the small amounts of cash they need to pay real estate taxes and maintenance costs, Hertzberg said.

It's difficult to know just how much of an impact the pullout of Russian buyers will have on markets like New York, said Warshawer. Not only do fair housing laws make it almost impossible to accurately track a buyer's nationality, but the buyer's identity may also be concealed since many of the most expensive properties get bought and sold through middle men and limited liability companies.

However, New York appraiser Jonathan Miller, of Miller Samuel, isn't too concerned.

Related: New York's multi-million dollar condo sales keep soaring

"I kept hearing about Russians dominating New York's high-end market but they never really did," he said. "They just had the highest profiles."

But Hertzberg notes, the Russian buyers play another role, too. Like many other foreign clients, they were much more bullish on the U.S. real estate market during the housing bust than Americans were.

"Russians were willing to go well beyond what others would pay for trophy properties," said Hertzberg.

He thinks the rich Russian buyers will come back quickly if they can find a way to extract their wealth from the mother country.

"I hear from some Russian clients that the decline of the ruble has made them even more eager to buy here," he said.

First Published: December 29, 2014: 5:53 PM ET

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Stocks: 4 things to know before the open

Click chart for in-depth premarket data.

LONDON (CNNMoney)

Here are the four things you need to know before the opening bell rings in New York:

1. Futures stumble: U.S. stock futures are pointing to a soft start as the price of oil continues to fall.

Crude oil futures are trading below $53 a barrel as worries about a global supply glut resurface.

Energy stocks, including Transocean (RIG), were under pressure in premarket trading.

Oil prices have nearly halved this year on concerns about elevated supplies and weak global demand, and this has dented investor confidence over the past few months.

Related: Fear & Greed Index

2. International markets: It's a sea of red across global markets.

European markets are losing ground in early trading as investors consider the potential consequences of an upcoming election in Greece. Stocks in Athens were down slightly.

Major Asian markets closed lower. Japan's Nikkei index dropped 1.6% on its final trading day of the year, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng closed with a loss of 1.1%.

Related: Japan's stock market peaked 25 years ago

3. Economic updates: The Case-Shiller 20-city index, which measures the health of the U.S. housing market, will be released at 9 a.m. ET.

The Conference Board's consumer confidence index comes out at 10 a.m.

4. Monday market recap: Stocks were little changed Monday -- with the Dow Jones industrial average down 0.1%, the S&P 500 up 0.1% and the Nasdaq steady -- but the indexes remain on track to post healthy gains for 2014. The Dow and S&P indexes are currently trading near record highs.

First Published: December 30, 2014: 5:06 AM ET

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Russian banks starved for cash as funding crisis worsens

LONDON (CNNMoney)

The country's financial sector is under tremendous stress from the plunging value of its currency combined with Western sanctions imposed over Russia's actions in Ukraine.

Starved of international funding sources, Russian banks are finding it tough to lend to local companies, threatening to hurt the country's already fragile economy.

Related: Russian economy shrinks for the first time since 2009

Last week midsize lender Trust Bank collapsed and authorities rushed to its aid. The Russian central bank will provide up to 99 billion rubles ($1.7 billion) in loans to prop up the institution. It will also lend about $470 million to the bank that is overseeing the bailout of Trust.

Finance minister Anton Siluanov said the government would also boost capital to state-owned banks VTB and Gazprombank. VTB is one of the country's biggest lenders.

But Russian banks will need even more support. Western sanctions enforced over the Ukraine crisis have cut Russian companies off from European and U.S. funding sources.

"Banks need to provide finance to companies that are under sanctions or are unable to go to capital markets," said Sergey Voronenko, associate director at Standard & Poor's. So the banks will demand more help from the government, he said.

Related: Russia crisis hurts these Western brands the most

The rate at which banks lend to each other for short periods, known as the interbank lending rate, has spiked in Russia. Overnight rates are around 18%, which shows that even financial institutions are wary of lending to each other -- intensifying their reliance on government handouts.

Voronenko said banks and large corporations will need to refinance to repay almost $100 billion in foreign debt next year.

The depreciating ruble is making that extremely difficult. The currency has lost about 40% of its value against the U.S. dollar this year, leading some foreign companies to halt sales of their products in Russia.

Related: Russia empties the vault to prop up ruble

It's also prompted Russians to pull money out of their bank accounts. Voronenko said there's been "panic-driven deposit outflow" in December and Russia banks could face even tougher and more unpredictable operating conditions in 2015.

So far this year the Russian central bank has burned through more than $110 billion in foreign currency reserves to help prop up the ruble.

The economy contracted for the first time since 2009 in November and the country - which relies heavily on energy export revenues - is on track for a much sharper slowdown next year if oil prices remain low.

Still, Berenberg chief economist Holger Schmieding is confident Russia can prevent a systemic banking crisis even if there is capital flight given current circumstances.

He believes the government has the means to recapitalize banks and help companies meet foreign debt obligations.

However, he said that to ward off a serious recession, Russia has to act to lift sanctions.

"The only thing Russia could do to ease a [deep] recession and to prevent further massive capital flight is to retreat from Ukraine," said Schmieding.

Related: Russia's debt closer to junk status

First Published: December 30, 2014: 5:08 AM ET

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'The Interview': $15 million, 2 million streams

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Sony Pictures said Sunday that the scandalous Seth Rogen comedy was "rented or purchased online more than 2 million times" between Wednesday, when it was released, and Saturday.

The totals do not include Sunday, when Rogen and others held a live-tweet session to further promote online streams of the movie.

"Total consumer spending through Saturday for The Interview online is over $15 million," Sony said in a statement. Earlier, studio executives would only say that rental numbers were strong.

That's far more than the movie made in theaters -- despite sold out showings in a patchwork of theaters across the country. Through Sunday, "The Interview" is expected to make about $2.8 million at the 331 independently-owned theaters that have been showing it since Christmas Day.

This is about in line with industry expectations. Had it opened in the 2,000 to 3,000 theaters it was originally scheduled to be in, the movie would have made far more. But security fears scuttled that release two weeks ago and led to a hybrid in-theater and at-home release plan.

That's how Sony (SNE) un-canceled the movie last week, with the help of independent theaters and online stores like Google (GOOG)'s YouTube. (Some of the big theater chains would have considered showing the movie, but they objected to online distribution while the movie was in theaters.)

To put the sales figures so far in context, the movie's budget was about $44 million, and that does not include any of the marketing costs.

In other words, Sony still has a long way to recoup its costs. But it determined that announcing the online sales figures would bolster its decision to release the movie online and would generate further interest in renting.

Sony did not break out how many of the two million were rentals and how many were sales. It's also not clear exactly what kind of deals Sony cut with its online partners, but most of the revenue will likely go to the studio.

A source with knowledge of the arrangement said most of the digital sales were made through Google's YouTube and Google Play.

The results may be a glimpse of Hollywood's future. Studios aren't going to abandon theaters en masse -- far from it. Studios and theater chains generally have a mutually beneficial relationship.

But analysts say that digital distribution will gradually, almost inevitably, become more important to the studios over time.

Related: Watching 'The Interview' online was absurdly amusing

In addition to YouTube and Google Play, the movie was initially available through Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30)'s Xbox video store and a dedicated Sony web site.

At 1 p.m. Sunday, it was also made available through Apple's iTunes store, a development first reported by Re/code. Rental through iTunes costs $5.99, the same price as through the other sites.

The addition of Apple (AAPL, Tech30) is noteworthy because an earlier distribution deal between Apple and Sony fell apart last week.

"The Interview" is still not available through Sony's PlayStation video store. The PlayStation Network has been plagued by an apparently unrelated outage in recent days.

Related: You won't get hacked by streaming 'The Interview' online

And to encourage more rentals of the movie, Rogen, his co-star James Franco and co-director Evan Goldberg held the live-tweet session Sunday afternoon. It was a twist on the notion of "social TV."

One Twitter executive dubbed the social networking site "the world's biggest movie theater." The site has been promoting the live-tweeting session extensively.

In a statement about the weekend box office numbers, Rogen said, "The fact that people actually left their houses when they had the option of staying home is amazing."

Related: What we know about the Sony Pictures hack

First Published: December 28, 2014: 2:37 PM ET

17.42 | 0 komentar | Read More

AirAsia shares slide after plane vanishes

HONG KONG (CNNMoney)

Company shares trading in Malaysia closed down nearly 8%, recovering from an early decline of more than 12%.

The search for the missing plane, which lost contact with air traffic controllers early Sunday morning, has resumed in the shallow waters of the Java Sea between the islands of Belitung and Borneo.

CEO Tony Fernandes addressed the crisis on Twitter, saying the low-cost airline will do whatever it can to help.

"This is my worse nightmare," Fernandes said. "My only thought(s) are with the (passengers) and my crew. We put our hope in the SAR operation and thank the Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysian governments," he wrote, referring to the search-and-rescue effort.

Related: AirAsia CEO takes to Twitter fast in wake of tragedy

Led by the outspoken Fernandes, AirAsia pioneered the low-cost airline model in Asia, delivering rapid growth as it undercut bloated legacy carriers in the region. The airline offers few free perks, and saves money by encouraging passengers to check themselves in.

Fernandes has been with the company since its earliest days. In 2001, the former music executive and several partners bought the unprofitable air travel business -- it owned just two planes -- for 1 Malaysian ringgit, or around U.S. $0.25.

The airline is strongest in Southeast Asia, where it has built a huge network of routes between Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. AirAsia is frequently named the best low-cost airline by industry group Skytrax, an distinction it won again in 2014.

The carrier's workhorse aircraft is the Airbus A320, a narrow-body model that is ideal for short and medium-range routes between Asia's regional airports. The missing plane is an Airbus A320-200, a variation that offers an extended flight range.

The airline boasted a clean safety record until the disappearance of Flight 8501, which departed from the Indonesian city of Surabaya. The missing aircraft was operated by AirAsia's affiliate in Indonesia.

Related: Search resumes for missing AirAsia Flight

First Published: December 28, 2014: 9:18 PM ET

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Stocks: 3 things to know before the open

LONDON (CNNMoney)

U.S. markets are poised for a pretty flat start to trading Monday as investors pause after a recent record-breaking run.

Here are the three things you need to know before the opening bell rings in New York:

Related: Fear & Greed Index

1. Futures flat: U.S. stock futures are little changed early Monday, indicating a lackluster start to the trading session.

This follows gains across major U.S markets on Friday. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% to close at a fresh record. The Nasdaq jumped by 0.7% and the Dow Jones industrial average inched up 0.1%.

There are no major economic releases slated for Monday.

2. Greek vote: Investors will be watching a crucial vote to confirm a new president in Greece on Monday. The main Greek stock market index was down by 8% before the vote.

If parliament fails to choose a new president, this will trigger snap elections that could bring a popular anti-austerity party to power. Syriza has vowed to renegotiate the terms of Greece's bailout package and reverse many of the reforms that have helped the country return to economic growth.

Related: CNNMoney's Tech30

3. International markets: European markets are mixed in early trading.

Asian markets also closed with mixed results. Japan's Nikkei index finished with a 0.5% loss.

AirAsia shares dropped sharply in Malaysia as investors reacted to the disappearance of a passenger jet bound for Singapore with 162 people on board.

First Published: December 29, 2014: 5:15 AM ET

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AirAsia CEO takes to Twitter fast in wake of tragedy

Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia.

(CNNMoney)

"This is my worse nightmare," CEO Tony Fernandes posted on Twitter as a search and rescue operation was underway. "My only thought(s) are with the (passengers) and my crew. We put our hope in the SAR operation and thank the Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysian governments," he wrote, referring to the search-and-rescue effort in the Java Sea along well-trafficked shipping routes.

That was one of a dozen tweets Fernandes sent or retweeted in the first 12 hours after Flight 8501 lost contact with air traffic controllers. The Airbus A320-200 was headed to Singapore from Indonesia with 162 on board, the airline said.

The posts were retweeted tens of thousands of times. Meanwhile, hashtags like "#AirAsia" and "#QZ8501," the flight's aviation code name, trended worldwide.

The CEO's messages were aimed at families of the passengers, his staff and the public.

"I as your group ceo will be there through these hard times. We will go through this terrible ordeal together and I will try to see as many of you," Fernandes wrote.

"Our priority is looking after all the next of Kin for my staff and (passengers). We will do whatever we can. We continue to pass information (as) it comes."

He called his team "all stars" and urged them to "be strong, continue to be the best. Pray hard. Continue to do your best for all our guests. See u all soon."

"I am touched by the massive show of support especially from my fellow airlines. This is my worse nightmare. But there is no stopping," he wrote.

The airline's official social media account responded, too. It posted regular updates to Twitter and Facebook. AirAsia changed its logo on social media from red to grey.

Fernandes has been with the company since its earliest days. In 2001, he and several partners bought an unprofitable air travel company -- it owned just two planes -- and turned it around, according to his company biography.

AirAsia's approach was in contrast to the way Malaysia Airlines handled the disappearance of its Flight 370 earlier this year. Malaysia Airlines was criticized by the passengers' families, who said they were given little information, and that some of what they were told was false.

Both companies are based in Malaysia.

--CNN's Yousuf Basil contributed to this report

First Published: December 28, 2014: 11:53 AM ET

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'The Interview': $15 million, 2 million streams

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Sony Pictures said Sunday that the scandalous Seth Rogen comedy was "rented or purchased online more than 2 million times" between Wednesday, when it was released, and Saturday.

The totals do not include Sunday, when Rogen and others held a live-tweet session to further promote online streams of the movie.

"Total consumer spending through Saturday for The Interview online is over $15 million," Sony said in a statement. Earlier, studio executives would only say that rental numbers were strong.

That's far more than the movie made in theaters -- despite sold out showings in a patchwork of theaters across the country. Through Sunday, "The Interview" is expected to make about $2.8 million at the 331 independently-owned theaters that have been showing it since Christmas Day.

This is about in line with industry expectations. Had it opened in the 2,000 to 3,000 theaters it was originally scheduled to be in, the movie would have made far more. But security fears scuttled that release two weeks ago and led to a hybrid in-theater and at-home release plan.

That's how Sony (SNE) un-canceled the movie last week, with the help of independent theaters and online stores like Google (GOOG)'s YouTube. (Some of the big theater chains would have considered showing the movie, but they objected to online distribution while the movie was in theaters.)

To put the sales figures so far in context, the movie's budget was about $44 million, and that does not include any of the marketing costs.

In other words, Sony still has a long way to recoup its costs. But it determined that announcing the online sales figures would bolster its decision to release the movie online and would generate further interest in renting.

Sony did not break out how many of the two million were rentals and how many were sales. It's also not clear exactly what kind of deals Sony cut with its online partners, but most of the revenue will likely go to the studio.

A source with knowledge of the arrangement said most of the digital sales were made through Google's YouTube and Google Play.

The results may be a glimpse of Hollywood's future. Studios aren't going to abandon theaters en masse -- far from it. Studios and theater chains generally have a mutually beneficial relationship.

But analysts say that digital distribution will gradually, almost inevitably, become more important to the studios over time.

Related: Watching 'The Interview' online was absurdly amusing

In addition to YouTube and Google Play, the movie was initially available through Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30)'s Xbox video store and a dedicated Sony web site.

At 1 p.m. Sunday, it was also made available through Apple's iTunes store, a development first reported by Re/code. Rental through iTunes costs $5.99, the same price as through the other sites.

The addition of Apple (AAPL, Tech30) is noteworthy because an earlier distribution deal between Apple and Sony fell apart last week.

"The Interview" is still not available through Sony's PlayStation video store. The PlayStation Network has been plagued by an apparently unrelated outage in recent days.

Related: You won't get hacked by streaming 'The Interview' online

And to encourage more rentals of the movie, Rogen, his co-star James Franco and co-director Evan Goldberg held the live-tweet session Sunday afternoon. It was a twist on the notion of "social TV."

One Twitter executive dubbed the social networking site "the world's biggest movie theater." The site has been promoting the live-tweeting session extensively.

In a statement about the weekend box office numbers, Rogen said, "The fact that people actually left their houses when they had the option of staying home is amazing."

Related: What we know about the Sony Pictures hack

First Published: December 28, 2014: 2:37 PM ET

15.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

AirAsia shares slide after plane vanishes

HONG KONG (CNNMoney)

Company shares were off by more than 10% in the opening minutes of trading in Malaysia.

The search for the missing plane, which lost contact with air traffic controllers early Sunday morning, has resumed in the shallow waters of the Java Sea between the islands of Belitung and Borneo.

CEO Tony Fernandes addressed the crisis on Twitter, saying the low-cost airline will do whatever it can to help.

"This is my worse nightmare," Fernandes said. "My only thought(s) are with the (passengers) and my crew. We put our hope in the SAR operation and thank the Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysian governments," he wrote, referring to the search-and-rescue effort.

Related: AirAsia CEO takes to Twitter fast in wake of tragedy

Led by the outspoken Fernandes, AirAsia pioneered the low-cost airline model in Asia, delivering rapid growth as it undercut bloated legacy carriers in the region. The airline offers few free perks, and saves money by encouraging passengers to check themselves in.

Fernandes has been with the company since its earliest days. In 2001, the former music executive and several partners bought the unprofitable air travel business -- it owned just two planes -- for 1 Malaysian ringgit, or around U.S. $0.25.

The airline is strongest in Southeast Asia, where it has built a huge network of routes between Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia. AirAsia is frequently named the best low-cost airline by industry group Skytrax, an distinction it won again in 2014.

The carrier's workhorse aircraft is the Airbus A320, a narrow-body model that is ideal for short and medium-range routes between Asia's regional airports. The missing plane is an Airbus A320-200, a variation that offers an extended flight range.

The airline boasted a clean safety record until the disappearance of Flight 8501, which departed from the Indonesian city of Surabaya. The missing aircraft was operated by AirAsia's affiliate in Indonesia.

Related: Search resumes for missing AirAsia Flight

First Published: December 28, 2014: 9:18 PM ET

15.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

New York City may ban Styrofoam cups

At issue in NYC is whether polystyrene, commonly known as Styrofoam, can be effectively recycled in a way that doesn't cost too much.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Currently, most Styrofoam products used in the city end up in landfills.

At issue now is whether polystyrene, commonly known as Styrofoam, can be effectively recycled in a way that doesn't cost too much.

New York passed a law last year restricting the sale and use of cups, food containers and packing materials made out of polystyrene. It will apply to restaurants, coffee shops, food carts and various other establishments.

But the ban was put on hold to first give manufacturers and the city time to see if they can come up with a way to recycle the material.

If the city deems polystyrene recyclable, it will begin processing it at a recycling facility in Brooklyn.

If it decides it cannot be recycled, the ban is expected to go into effect in July.

A decision is expected soon.

A ban would put New York City in the same league as San Francisco, Seattle, San Jose and Portland, all of which have restrictions on Styrofoam containers.

Related: California bans plastic grocery bags

Dart Container, one of the leading makers of foam cups, counters that polystyrene can be recycled in an economically feasible and environmentally effective way.

Dart has proposed a plan that would guarantee that all of New York's foam products will be recycled for the next five years -- at no cost to city, according to a statement from Michael Westerfield, the company's director of recycling.

Westerfield added that businesses stand to gain "millions in revenue" by recycling polystyrene, though he did not elaborate on how the proposal would be funded.

Related: How green is your state?

However, critics disagree that recycling is a good option.

A study by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that there is no safe and cost-effective way to recycle polystyrene and that a ban is the only option.

In 2013, San Jose, California, found that polystyrene cannot be recycled because of its low market value and the risk of food contamination.

In pointing out the possibility of the upcoming ban, a recent Goldman Sachs (GS) report said it would be good news for Berry Plastics Group (BERY), which makes cups out of a material similar to polystyrene that is recyclable.

Dunkin' Donuts, the coffee and donut chain with many locations in the city, will likely be a big buyer of Berry's Versalite hot and cold cups, the report says.

Goldman estimates that Versalite could generate an additional $10 million in revenue next year for Berry Plastics.

The investment bank said its sources suggest that New York is likely to ban the use of foam containers sometime over the next 12 months.

First Published: December 27, 2014: 10:00 AM ET

17.42 | 0 komentar | Read More

Time travel with Cuba's Frankenstein cars

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

But she doesn't work for any government. Instead, she sells her photos of cars and trucks -- usually vehicles that have not yet been revealed to the public -- to car magazines and auto enthusiast web sites hungry for even a camouflaged glimpse of an upcoming model.

Generally speaking, automakers don't appreciate what she does.

But lately she's found a friendlier place to indulge her passion for automotive photography, a place where the cars are ancient and often decrepit but people are eager to show them off: Cuba.

New cars, in this communist country, which has been under a U.S. trade embargo since the early 1960s, are difficult and expensive to acquire. But passionate -- and largely impoverished -- owners have kept the now ancient American cars that were on the road before the embargo still rolling with a mixture of grit, ingenuity and whatever parts they can gather.

The cars are often hard to recognize after decades of repainting and modification, but there are some classics under all that body work.

"It might have 10 coats of house paint on it to keep the rust from spreading," Priddy said.

A lot of old American cars in Cuba, like this 1957 Ford Fairlane, are now used as taxi cabs.

In most cases these automobiles are, literally, a mere shell of what they used to be. While the body might be that of a 1957 Ford, the engine is more likely from a Mercedes-Benz (DDAIY) or a Peugeot. Even the body itself might even have been significantly changed. Cars are stretched for new roles as taxicabs. Roofs might have been cut off to turn hardtops into a convertibles.

Often, cars like this 1957 Chevrolet Bel Aire, have engines taken from later European cars.

Priddy went to Cuba in 2013 as part of a cultural exchange program and quickly became drawn to the island's time-warp car culture. She then organized a car-focused cultural exchange trip of her own earlier this year taking with her, among others, auto company executives, an automotive museum curator and a retired car magazine art director.

The emphasis is on keeping cars like this 1952 Chevrolet running not on keeping them in original condition.

The group visited Cuba's national car museum in Havana and spent a couple of days with members of the city's biggest car club.

Cars like this 1952 Buick are often passed down through families.

"They're so happy for people to have an interest in their cars," she said.

There are Russian, French and Asian cars on the roads of Havana, she said, and they're usually much newer than and in better shape than these American models, but it's clearly General Motors (GM), Ford (F) and Chrysler (FCAM) products for which people have the most affection.

This is a 1952 Plymouth but little of the original car may remain underneath.

"They love their American cars," she said.

This 1958 Ford Prefect was a model not sold in the United States.

Even though these cars are hardly in original condition, their owners are proud of the machines and the lengths to which they've gone to keep them running.

This 1951 Chevrolet has clearly been through some changes.

For the relative few who have real money to spend, American car parts can be had through couriers who buy the parts in the United States and simply bring them in their luggage on trips to Cuba.

In her normal professional life, Brenda Priddy takes photographs like this one of a Chevrolet Silverado being tested in the desert before it had been unveiled to the public.

So far, Priddy has taken over 50,000 photos of Cuba's cars and is planning another Cuban car tour later this year.

Related: Criminal's muscle car collection auctioned for $2.5 million

Related: 10 most expensive cars sold at Pebble Beach

Related: Most powerful American cars

Experts from Hagerty Insurance assisted with identifying the cars shown in these photographs.

First Published: December 26, 2014: 3:07 PM ET

17.42 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jim Beam born to Jack Daniels

Jim Beam Leathers was born on November 14, to Jack Daniels Leathers and Lydia Leathers.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

But for one Louisiana family, baby Jim Beam will fit in quite well. His father, Jack Daniels Leathers, 31, is also named after a stiff drink.

It's somewhat of a tradition for the family, he told the Houma Courier in Houma, Louisiana, earlier this week.

The day Leathers was born, his father happened to be drinking a glass of the well-known whiskey and suggested the name, Leathers told CNNMoney. His mother agreed, after calling a local store to double check the correct spelling. (His birth certificate actually reads: Jack Daniel's Leathers.)

And when Jack's own son was born on November 14, he wanted to keep booze in the family name.

"It builds character to be a little different," he said.

Fortunately his wife, Lydia Leathers, 23, thought it was a good idea. In fact, the couple discussed naming a son Jim Beam on their very first date.

And if more children come along, they already have some names on tap. Evan Williams, after the bourbon, for a boy, and Sherry if it's a girl.

Related: Why this whiskey costs $38,000 a bottle

Related: There's a black market for beer. And it's bad for drinkers

First Published: December 26, 2014: 4:41 PM ET

17.42 | 0 komentar | Read More

New York City may ban Styrofoam cups

At issue in NYC is whether polystyrene, commonly known as Styrofoam, can be effectively recycled in a way that doesn't cost too much.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Currently, most Styrofoam products used in the city end up in landfills.

At issue now is whether polystyrene, commonly known as Styrofoam, can be effectively recycled in a way that doesn't cost too much.

New York passed a law last year restricting the sale and use of cups, food containers and packing materials made out of polystyrene. It will apply to restaurants, coffee shops, food carts and various other establishments.

But the ban was put on hold to first give manufacturers and the city time to see if they can come up with a way to recycle the material.

If the city deems polystyrene recyclable, it will begin processing it at a recycling facility in Brooklyn.

If it decides it cannot be recycled, the ban is expected to go into effect in July.

A decision is expected soon.

A ban would put New York City in the same league as San Francisco, Seattle, San Jose and Portland, all of which have restrictions on Styrofoam containers.

Related: California bans plastic grocery bags

Dart Container, one of the leading makers of foam cups, counters that polystyrene can be recycled in an economically feasible and environmentally effective way.

Dart has proposed a plan that would guarantee that all of New York's foam products will be recycled for the next five years -- at no cost to city, according to a statement from Michael Westerfield, the company's director of recycling.

Westerfield added that businesses stand to gain "millions in revenue" by recycling polystyrene, though he did not elaborate on how the proposal would be funded.

Related: How green is your state?

However, critics disagree that recycling is a good option.

A study by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that there is no safe and cost-effective way to recycle polystyrene and that a ban is the only option.

In 2013, San Jose, California, found that polystyrene cannot be recycled because of its low market value and the risk of food contamination.

In pointing out the possibility of the upcoming ban, a recent Goldman Sachs (GS) report said it would be good news for Berry Plastics Group (BERY), which makes cups out of a material similar to polystyrene that is recyclable.

Dunkin' Donuts, the coffee and donut chain with many locations in the city, will likely be a big buyer of Berry's Versalite hot and cold cups, the report says.

Goldman estimates that Versalite could generate an additional $10 million in revenue next year for Berry Plastics.

The investment bank said its sources suggest that New York is likely to ban the use of foam containers sometime over the next 12 months.

First Published: December 27, 2014: 10:00 AM ET

15.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Time travel with Cuba's Frankenstein cars

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

But she doesn't work for any government. Instead, she sells her photos of cars and trucks -- usually vehicles that have not yet been revealed to the public -- to car magazines and auto enthusiast web sites hungry for even a camouflaged glimpse of an upcoming model.

Generally speaking, automakers don't appreciate what she does.

But lately she's found a friendlier place to indulge her passion for automotive photography, a place where the cars are ancient and often decrepit but people are eager to show them off: Cuba.

New cars, in this communist country, which has been under a U.S. trade embargo since the early 1960s, are difficult and expensive to acquire. But passionate -- and largely impoverished -- owners have kept the now ancient American cars that were on the road before the embargo still rolling with a mixture of grit, ingenuity and whatever parts they can gather.

The cars are often hard to recognize after decades of repainting and modification, but there are some classics under all that body work.

"It might have 10 coats of house paint on it to keep the rust from spreading," Priddy said.

A lot of old American cars in Cuba, like this 1957 Ford Fairlane, are now used as taxi cabs.

In most cases these automobiles are, literally, a mere shell of what they used to be. While the body might be that of a 1957 Ford, the engine is more likely from a Mercedes-Benz (DDAIY) or a Peugeot. Even the body itself might even have been significantly changed. Cars are stretched for new roles as taxicabs. Roofs might have been cut off to turn hardtops into a convertibles.

Often, cars like this 1957 Chevrolet Bel Aire, have engines taken from later European cars.

Priddy went to Cuba in 2013 as part of a cultural exchange program and quickly became drawn to the island's time-warp car culture. She then organized a car-focused cultural exchange trip of her own earlier this year taking with her, among others, auto company executives, an automotive museum curator and a retired car magazine art director.

The emphasis is on keeping cars like this 1952 Chevrolet running not on keeping them in original condition.

The group visited Cuba's national car museum in Havana and spent a couple of days with members of the city's biggest car club.

Cars like this 1952 Buick are often passed down through families.

"They're so happy for people to have an interest in their cars," she said.

There are Russian, French and Asian cars on the roads of Havana, she said, and they're usually much newer than and in better shape than these American models, but it's clearly General Motors (GM), Ford (F) and Chrysler (FCAM) products for which people have the most affection.

This is a 1952 Plymouth but little of the original car may remain underneath.

"They love their American cars," she said.

This 1958 Ford Prefect was a model not sold in the United States.

Even though these cars are hardly in original condition, their owners are proud of the machines and the lengths to which they've gone to keep them running.

This 1951 Chevrolet has clearly been through some changes.

For the relative few who have real money to spend, American car parts can be had through couriers who buy the parts in the United States and simply bring them in their luggage on trips to Cuba.

In her normal professional life, Brenda Priddy takes photographs like this one of a Chevrolet Silverado being tested in the desert before it had been unveiled to the public.

So far, Priddy has taken over 50,000 photos of Cuba's cars and is planning another Cuban car tour later this year.

Related: Criminal's muscle car collection auctioned for $2.5 million

Related: 10 most expensive cars sold at Pebble Beach

Related: Most powerful American cars

Experts from Hagerty Insurance assisted with identifying the cars shown in these photographs.

First Published: December 26, 2014: 3:07 PM ET

15.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jim Beam born to Jack Daniels

Jim Beam Leathers was born on November 14, to Jack Daniels Leathers and Lydia Leathers.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

But for one Louisiana family, baby Jim Beam will fit in quite well. His father, Jack Daniels Leathers, 31, is also named after a stiff drink.

It's somewhat of a tradition for the family, he told the Houma Courier in Houma, Louisiana, earlier this week.

The day Leathers was born, his father happened to be drinking a glass of the well-known whiskey and suggested the name, Leathers told CNNMoney. His mother agreed, after calling a local store to double check the correct spelling. (His birth certificate actually reads: Jack Daniel's Leathers.)

And when Jack's own son was born on November 14, he wanted to keep booze in the family name.

"It builds character to be a little different," he said.

Fortunately his wife, Lydia Leathers, 23, thought it was a good idea. In fact, the couple discussed naming a son Jim Beam on their very first date.

And if more children come along, they already have some names on tap. Evan Williams, after the bourbon, for a boy, and Sherry if it's a girl.

Related: Why this whiskey costs $38,000 a bottle

Related: There's a black market for beer. And it's bad for drinkers

First Published: December 26, 2014: 4:41 PM ET

15.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Natural gas prices plunge in mild winter

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The diminished demand has pushed prices below $3 per British thermal unit (BTU) on the futures market Friday for the first time since 2012. Prices are down about 33% since Thanksgiving.

"We don't have any weather," said Stephen Schork, an energy analyst and trader in Villanova, PA. "Natural gas is the most weather-sensitive commodity there is."

Schork added that government data released last week showed a growing surplus in natural gas supplies.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimated in October that residential fuel bills will fall 5% this winter as households use less natural gas for heating, compared with last year's unusually frigid temperatures (remember the Polar Vortex?)

Still, natural gas prices in the futures market aren't always indicative of what consumers pay.

That's because gas companies lock in prices for the commodity well in advance, to protect themselves from volatility in the market. In addition, some natural gas suppliers charge their customers a fixed rate, so those buyers won't see any difference in prices.

Roughly half of American households use natural gas for heating and cooking. The biggest factor in determining household heating costs is consumption.

U.S. consumers are enjoying lower energy prices across the board with oil and gasoline prices also tumbling to record lows.

Energy prices have been depressed in recent years amid a glut of supply from unconventional sources in the United States and Canada. The continued malaise of European and Asian economies has also kept global energy demand low and contributed to falling prices.

Related: $2 gas is becoming more widespread

Related: Is 2015 the year when the oil crisis ends?

First Published: December 26, 2014: 2:38 PM ET

17.42 | 0 komentar | Read More

Time travel with Cuba's Frankenstein cars

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

But she doesn't work for any government. Instead, she sells her photos of cars and trucks -- usually vehicles that have not yet been revealed to the public -- to car magazines and auto enthusiast web sites hungry for even a camouflaged glimpse of an upcoming model.

Generally speaking, automakers don't appreciate what she does.

But lately she's found a friendlier place to indulge her passion for automotive photography, a place where the cars are ancient and often decrepit but people are eager to show them off: Cuba.

New cars, in this communist country, which has been under a U.S. trade embargo since the early 1960s, are difficult and expensive to acquire. But passionate -- and largely impoverished -- owners have kept the now ancient American cars that were on the road before the embargo still rolling with a mixture of grit, ingenuity and whatever parts they can gather.

The cars are often hard to recognize after decades of repainting and modification, but there are some classics under all that body work.

"It might have 10 coats of house paint on it to keep the rust from spreading," Priddy said.

A lot of old American cars in Cuba, like this 1957 Ford Fairlane, are now used as taxi cabs.

In most cases these automobiles are, literally, a mere shell of what they used to be. While the body might be that of a 1957 Ford, the engine is more likely from a Mercedes-Benz (DDAIY) or a Peugeot. Even the body itself might even have been significantly changed. Cars are stretched for new roles as taxicabs. Roofs might have been cut off to turn hardtops into a convertibles.

Often, cars like this 1957 Chevrolet Bel Aire, have engines taken from later European cars.

Priddy went to Cuba in 2013 as part of a cultural exchange program and quickly became drawn to the island's time-warp car culture. She then organized a car-focused cultural exchange trip of her own earlier this year taking with her, among others, auto company executives, an automotive museum curator and a retired car magazine art director.

The emphasis is on keeping cars like this 1952 Chevrolet running not on keeping them in original condition.

The group visited Cuba's national car museum in Havana and spent a couple of days with members of the city's biggest car club.

Cars like this 1952 Buick are often passed down through families.

"They're so happy for people to have an interest in their cars," she said.

There are Russian, French and Asian cars on the roads of Havana, she said, and they're usually much newer than and in better shape than these American models, but it's clearly General Motors (GM), Ford (F) and Chrysler (FCAM) products for which people have the most affection.

This is a 1952 Plymouth but little of the original car may remain underneath.

"They love their American cars," she said.

This 1958 Ford Prefect was a model not sold in the United States.

Even though these cars are hardly in original condition, their owners are proud of the machines and the lengths to which they've gone to keep them running.

This 1951 Chevrolet has clearly been through some changes.

For the relative few who have real money to spend, American car parts can be had through couriers who buy the parts in the United States and simply bring them in their luggage on trips to Cuba.

In her normal professional life, Brenda Priddy takes photographs like this one of a Chevrolet Silverado being tested in the desert before it had been unveiled to the public.

So far, Priddy has taken over 50,000 photos of Cuba's cars and is planning another Cuban car tour later this year.

Related: Criminal's muscle car collection auctioned for $2.5 million

Related: 10 most expensive cars sold at Pebble Beach

Related: Most powerful American cars

Experts from Hagerty Insurance assisted with identifying the cars shown in these photographs.

First Published: December 26, 2014: 3:07 PM ET

17.42 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jim Beam born to Jack Daniels

Jim Beam Leathers was born on November 14, to Jack Daniels Leathers and Lydia Leathers.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

But for one Louisiana family, baby Jim Beam will fit in quite well. His father, Jack Daniels Leathers, 31, is also named after a stiff drink.

It's somewhat of a tradition for the family, he told the Houma Courier in Houma, Louisiana, earlier this week.

The day Leathers was born, his father happened to be drinking a glass of the well-known whiskey and suggested the name, Leathers told CNNMoney. His mother agreed, after calling a local store to double check the correct spelling. (His birth certificate actually reads: Jack Daniel's Leathers.)

And when Jack's own son was born on November 14, he wanted to keep booze in the family name.

"It builds character to be a little different," he said.

Fortunately his wife, Lydia Leathers, 23, thought it was a good idea. In fact, the couple discussed naming a son Jim Beam on their very first date.

And if more children come along, they already have some names on tap. Evan Williams, after the bourbon, for a boy, and Sherry if it's a girl.

Related: Why this whiskey costs $38,000 a bottle

Related: There's a black market for beer. And it's bad for drinkers

First Published: December 26, 2014: 4:41 PM ET

17.42 | 0 komentar | Read More

Time travel with Cuba's Frankenstein cars

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

But she doesn't work for any government. Instead, she sells her photos of cars and trucks -- usually vehicles that have not yet been revealed to the public -- to car magazines and auto enthusiast web sites hungry for even a camouflaged glimpse of an upcoming model.

Generally speaking, automakers don't appreciate what she does.

But lately she's found a friendlier place to indulge her passion for automotive photography, a place where the cars are ancient and often decrepit but people are eager to show them off: Cuba.

New cars, in this communist country, which has been under a U.S. trade embargo since the early 1960s, are difficult and expensive to acquire. But passionate -- and largely impoverished -- owners have kept the now ancient American cars that were on the road before the embargo still rolling with a mixture of grit, ingenuity and whatever parts they can gather.

The cars are often hard to recognize after decades of repainting and modification, but there are some classics under all that body work.

"It might have 10 coats of house paint on it to keep the rust from spreading," Priddy said.

A lot of old American cars in Cuba, like this 1957 Ford Fairlane, are now used as taxi cabs.

In most cases these automobiles are, literally, a mere shell of what they used to be. While the body might be that of a 1957 Ford, the engine is more likely from a Mercedes-Benz (DDAIY) or a Peugeot. Even the body itself might even have been significantly changed. Cars are stretched for new roles as taxicabs. Roofs might have been cut off to turn hardtops into a convertibles.

Often, cars like this 1957 Chevrolet Bel Aire, have engines taken from later European cars.

Priddy went to Cuba in 2013 as part of a cultural exchange program and quickly became drawn to the island's time-warp car culture. She then organized a car-focused cultural exchange trip of her own earlier this year taking with her, among others, auto company executives, an automotive museum curator and a retired car magazine art director.

The emphasis is on keeping cars like this 1952 Chevrolet running not on keeping them in original condition.

The group visited Cuba's national car museum in Havana and spent a couple of days with members of the city's biggest car club.

Cars like this 1952 Buick are often passed down through families.

"They're so happy for people to have an interest in their cars," she said.

There are Russian, French and Asian cars on the roads of Havana, she said, and they're usually much newer than and in better shape than these American models, but it's clearly General Motors (GM), Ford (F) and Chrysler (FCAM) products for which people have the most affection.

This is a 1952 Plymouth but little of the original car may remain underneath.

"They love their American cars," she said.

This 1958 Ford Prefect was a model not sold in the United States.

Even though these cars are hardly in original condition, their owners are proud of the machines and the lengths to which they've gone to keep them running.

This 1951 Chevrolet has clearly been through some changes.

For the relative few who have real money to spend, American car parts can be had through couriers who buy the parts in the United States and simply bring them in their luggage on trips to Cuba.

In her normal professional life, Brenda Priddy takes photographs like this one of a Chevrolet Silverado being tested in the desert before it had been unveiled to the public.

So far, Priddy has taken over 50,000 photos of Cuba's cars and is planning another Cuban car tour later this year.

Related: Criminal's muscle car collection auctioned for $2.5 million

Related: 10 most expensive cars sold at Pebble Beach

Related: Most powerful American cars

Experts from Hagerty Insurance assisted with identifying the cars shown in these photographs.

First Published: December 26, 2014: 3:07 PM ET

15.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Natural gas prices plunge in mild winter

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The diminished demand has pushed prices below $3 per British thermal unit (BTU) on the futures market Friday for the first time since 2012. Prices are down about 33% since Thanksgiving.

"We don't have any weather," said Stephen Schork, an energy analyst and trader in Villanova, PA. "Natural gas is the most weather-sensitive commodity there is."

Schork added that government data released last week showed a growing surplus in natural gas supplies.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimated in October that residential fuel bills will fall 5% this winter as households use less natural gas for heating, compared with last year's unusually frigid temperatures (remember the Polar Vortex?)

Still, natural gas prices in the futures market aren't always indicative of what consumers pay.

That's because gas companies lock in prices for the commodity well in advance, to protect themselves from volatility in the market. In addition, some natural gas suppliers charge their customers a fixed rate, so those buyers won't see any difference in prices.

Roughly half of American households use natural gas for heating and cooking. The biggest factor in determining household heating costs is consumption.

U.S. consumers are enjoying lower energy prices across the board with oil and gasoline prices also tumbling to record lows.

Energy prices have been depressed in recent years amid a glut of supply from unconventional sources in the United States and Canada. The continued malaise of European and Asian economies has also kept global energy demand low and contributed to falling prices.

Related: $2 gas is becoming more widespread

Related: Is 2015 the year when the oil crisis ends?

First Published: December 26, 2014: 2:38 PM ET

15.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Jim Beam born to Jack Daniels

Jim Beam Leathers was born on November 14, to Jack Daniels Leathers and Lydia Leathers.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

But for one Louisiana family, baby Jim Beam will fit in quite well. His father, Jack Daniels Leathers, 31, is also named after a stiff drink.

It's somewhat of a tradition for the family, he told the Houma Courier in Houma, Louisiana, earlier this week.

The day Leathers was born, his father happened to be drinking a glass of the well-known whiskey and suggested the name, Leathers told CNNMoney. His mother agreed, after calling a local store to double check the correct spelling. (His birth certificate actually reads: Jack Daniel's Leathers.)

And when Jack's own son was born on November 14, he wanted to keep booze in the family name.

"It builds character to be a little different," he said.

Fortunately his wife, Lydia Leathers, 23, thought it was a good idea. In fact, the couple discussed naming a son Jim Beam on their very first date.

And if more children come along, they already have some names on tap. Evan Williams, after the bourbon, for a boy, and Sherry if it's a girl.

Related: Why this whiskey costs $38,000 a bottle

Related: There's a black market for beer. And it's bad for drinkers

First Published: December 26, 2014: 4:41 PM ET

15.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Stocks: 3 things to know before the open

Click on the chart for more market data

LONDON (CNNMoney)

Here are the 3 things you need to know before the opening bell rings in New York:

1. Futures firm: U.S. stock futures were pointing to a positive open though a quiet session was expected to close out the shortened trading week.

On Wednesday, the Dow Jones industrial average inched higher to notch its second straight finish above 18,000. The S&P 500 closed relatively flat, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.2%.

There are no major earnings due out Friday and no economic updates either.

Related: Fear & Greed Index

2. Oil rebounds: Crude oil ticked up in electronic trading Friday to trade above $56 a barrel. Oil prices have suffered sharp falls this year as a combination of abundant supplies, a strong U.S. dollar and weaker demand from Europe and Asia deterred buyers.

Related: Saudi Arabia: We'll never cut production

3. Ruble stabilizes: Russia's battered currency regained some poise Friday following a series of interventions by the government and central bank this week to halt a worsening financial crisis.

Related: CNNMoney's Tech30

4. International markets overview: Most markets in Europe and Asia remained closed for holidays. Chinese stocks were the standout in Asia, with the Shangahi Composite rallying 2.8%.

First Published: December 26, 2014: 5:40 AM ET

17.42 | 0 komentar | Read More

Google fights Marriott's plan to block Wi-Fi hotspots

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Marriott (MAR) and the hotel lobby American Hospitality & Lodging Association asked the FCC this summer to allow hotels to deploy equipment that prevents people from turning their phones into Wi-Fi hotspots.

In order to avoid pricey hotel Wi-Fi charges, many guests opt to use their data allotment from their cell phone provider, connecting their laptops to the Internet via their smartphones.

At Marriott connection rates start at $14.95 per day. For $19.95, guests get "enhanced high speed Internet" which includes video chatting, downloading large files and streaming video.

In its petition to the FCC, Marriott and the hotel lobby argued that guests can use their smartphones or Mi-Fi devices to launch an attack against a hotel's Wi-Fi network or threaten other guests' privacy (by stealing their credit card data or other personal information). They also said that those gadgets can interfere with the hotel's Wi-Fi, slowing down speeds for other customers.

"If a hotel is powerless to address such activities to ensure the security and reliability of its Wi-Fi network on its premises, both the hotel and its guests would suffer," Marriott said in its filing.

Related: 5 ways to make your Wi-Fi faster

Most of the 21 responses to Marriott's request basically boil down to this: The hotel industry simply wants to keep charging people exorbitant rates for Wi-Fi.

"If a customer arrives at a hotel with her own Mi-Fi device and the hotel interferes with the customer's connection to that personal hotspot, the hotel can effectively force the customer to purchase the hotel's Wi-Fi services to gain access, even though the customer has already paid her mobile operator for personal hotspot capability," said Microsoft (MSFT, Tech30) in a filing to the FCC opposing Marriott's request.

Google (GOOGL, Tech30) agreed. In its filing the search giant said blocking access to personal Wi-Fi hotspots "would undermine the public interest."

The wireless industry lobby and other wireless providers have also asked the FCC not to accept Marriott's request.

Related: Netflix speeds jumped 51% this year

Related: Verizon is killing off 3G

First Published: December 25, 2014: 8:37 AM ET

17.42 | 0 komentar | Read More

For moviegoers, 'patriotic duty' to see 'The Interview'

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Ever since the movie studio was crippled by a cyberattack on Nov. 24, it has been on the defensive. Last week, after hackers objecting to the content of "The Interview" threatened American moviegoers, Sony (SNE) canceled the movie's Christmas day release in 3,000 theaters from coast to coast.

But now the scandalous Seth Rogen comedy has been resurrected. Yesterday it went on sale on the Internet. Today it's coming out in 331 independently owned movie theaters, some of which have already reported sell-out crowds -- perhaps the best Christmas gift Sony could have wished for.

Rogen showed up at a midnight screening in Los Angeles to celebrate the movie's unlikely release. "If it wasn't for theaters like this and people like you, this wouldn't be" happening, Rogen said, adding an expletive for good measure.

Related: Sony Streams 'The Interview' online

A few hours later, the movie opened at the Cinema Village theater in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of New York City. Some of the film's fans waiting in line said "The Interview" wasn't just holiday entertainment, but a "patriotic duty" in defense of freedom of expression.

"It is a celebration of the constitution. It's very important to show that any idea can be expressed," said Willie Jasso, who was first in line.

The comedy, which has received mixed reviews, is about an assassination plot against the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un. It is widely believed that the cyberattack was partly related to North Korea's fury over the movie, which the country has called an "act of war" by the United States. Hackers invoked 9/11 in a Dec. 16 message warning Americans to stay away from theaters playing the movie.

But on Thursday morning the mood at Cinema Village was festive rather than fearful.

"It did not seem like a credible threat anyone could carry out, and now it's even less likely," said Mark Rosenzweig, another patron at the theater.

The FBI and local law enforcement have worked with movie theaters on steps to ensure security at screenings of the movie.

Top-selling movie rental on YouTube

While some movie buffs lined up on Christmas morning, many others shrugged off the release -- and that's a point that a spokesman for President Obama made in a statement on Wednesday.

"People can now make their own choices about the film, and that's how it should be," White House deputy press secretary Eric Schultz said.

So now the question becomes: how many people will really pay to see "The Interview?"

It's too soon to know how many tickets have been sold. And a Sony spokesman reaffirmed on Thursday morning that the company will not be releasing any immediate data about the number of online rentals.

The movie is available for a $5.99 rental through YouTube, Google (GOOGL, Tech30) Play, Microsoft's (MSFT, Tech30) Xbox video store, and a special web site set up by a startup called Kernel.

The sites do not provide video view counts for movie rentals, but on Thursday morning "The Interview" was listed as the No. 1 seller on YouTube and Google Play.

Related: Watching 'The Interview' online: absurdly amusing

Kernel said there was "tremendous demand" shortly after the 1 p.m. ET release on Wednesday.

"Tremendous" is the same word that Charles Roark, the owner of the Hollywood Cinema in Martinsville, Va., used to describe anticipation for "The Interview."

"We are one of only two theaters in Virginia to get the movie, and the phones have been ringing off the hook for advanced sales, as well as customers flooding the doors," he said, calling sales "more brisk than nearly any previous movie we've ever shown."

'Essential' for this movie to come out

The simultaneous physical and digital release plan was stitched together in recent days. It came over the objections of some of the big movie theater chain owners, which are reluctant to have movies rented on the Internet while they're still on big screens.

A spokesman for the National Association of Theater Owners declined to comment.

One of the chain owners' concerns is pirating, and sure enough, "The Interview" started to show up on illegal file-sharing websites by Wednesday night. The New York Times reported that a Chinese-subtitled version has the title translated as "Assassinate Kim Jon-un."

The smaller theaters that agreed to show the movie Thursday were aware of the digital distribution plan ahead of time.

Steve Mason, a co-owner of the Cinémas Palme d'Or in Palm Desert, Calif., said he had been requesting to show "The Interview" ever since the big movie chains backed away from plans to release it last week.

His cinema now has two showings of the movie on Thursday evening.

"Independent theaters are fearless. We are in it for the love of film," Mason said in an email to CNNMoney. "We would never back down from showing this movie or any other one."

Michael Lynton, the Sony Pictures CEO, sounded similarly confident in a video message to staff on Wednesday that was obtained by CNN.

"It was essential for our studio to distribute this movie, especially given the assault on our business and on our staff," Lynton said.

"This film represents our commitment to our filmmakers and free speech," he added. "While we couldn't have predicted the road this movie traveled to get to this moment, I am proud our fight was not for nothing, and that cybercriminals were not able to silence us."

Lynton also emphasized that "we continue to seek other partners and platforms to further expand the release."

Those other partners could be the big chains, or they could be digital distributors like Netflix (NFLX, Tech30).

A Sony spokesman declined to comment Thursday on reports that Netflix might stream the movie to its subscribers in the coming weeks or months.

--CNN's Pamela Brown and Rosa Flores contributed reporting.

First Published: December 25, 2014: 12:09 PM ET

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Watching 'The Interview' online: absurdly amusing

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Sony Pictures created an unprecedented event on Wednesday by releasing the controversial comedy on the Internet ahead of its Christmas arrival in theaters.

Partly out of patriotic duty, partly out of fan-boy curiosity, I rented the movie on YouTube for $5.99 right after it came online at 1 p.m. ET.

Truth be told, I was a bit hesitant to hand over my credit card, given the cyber-attack against Sony and persistent threats from hackers. (There was no real reason to worry, however.)

Renting the movie was a snap -- YouTube made "The Interview" easy to find, and moments after I paid, a receipt was sent to me via email.

Fifteen minutes in, the movie was streaming without any incident. There was no choppiness, no sluggishness, and it felt just like watching a movie on Netflix or HBO.

As for the experience itself, I've never seen anything like it.

The 1 p.m. release had the feel of a communal event, with other reporters live-tweeting and live-blogging the whole thing -- an instance of the "social TV" phenomenon applied to film.

"BuzzFeed newsroom at a standstill, transfixed, watching 'The Interview,'" BuzzFeedBiz deputy editor Tom Gara tweeted, tongue at least partly in cheek. "This is our moon landing."

Knowing that some of the cast and crew members were also participating also added a whole new level to the viewing.

"Take a picture of yourself watching it and I'll "LIKE IT," one of the film's stars James Franco tweeted during the early afternoon.

Truth be told, it was hard to separate "The Interview" the movie from the hacking news and freedom of expression issues surrounding it.

Would I have cared about the movie at all, were it not for the cyber-attack, the hackers' threats, the resulting cancellation last week, and then its resurrection this week?

Maybe not.

In the end, "The Interview" turned out to be what it was originally intended to be: a so-so gross-out comedy by Rogen and Franco.

However, the absurdity of the moment, along with the feel of a new viewing experience coming together, made it something quite memorable.

First Published: December 24, 2014: 4:13 PM ET

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