Giant ratings for World Series Game 7

After game 7's ratings, Fox should be celebrating like the San Francisco Giants.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Wednesday night's deciding game -- which saw the San Francisco Giants beat the Kansas City Royals 3-2 -- brought in an average of 23.5 million viewers.

That total almost doubled last week's historically low-rated game 1, which only brought in 12.1 million viewers. It also made Wednesday's match-up the highest rated World Series game since 2011.

Related: World Series strikes out with lowest Game 1 ratings in history

Game 7's usually bring big ratings, but Wednesday's numbers may have had an extra lift thanks to a close game and a legendary pitching performance by the Giant's Madison Bumgarner.

Viewership grew as the broadcast went into the night, with 27.8 million tuning in towards the end of the game.

Over the seven games of the series, the Fall Classic averaged 13.8 million viewers -- down from 15.2 million this time last year, but up from 12.7 million two years ago. Fox enjoyed victories in the key 18- to 49-year-old demographic six of the seven nights it aired.

The ratings victories were surely appreciated by Fox after a rough start to network's fall slate of programming.

Related: 'Charlie Brown' Halloween is still a ratings treat for ABC

First Published: October 30, 2014: 6:21 PM ET

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GM spokesman becomes 'Chevy Guy' thanks to 'technology and stuff'

"Chevy Guy" Rikk Wilde became a viral sensation bumbling his way through a World Series presentation Wednesday night.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Wilde, or as the Internet has dubbed him "Chevy Guy" was given the duty of presenting Bumgarner with the keys to a new Chevy Colorado at the end of Wednesday night's World Series game 7.

Chevrolet is an official sponsor of Major League Baseball and traditionally the World Series MVP is presented with a car by a spokesman from the company.

It's usually a cut and dry presentation, but Wilde, a Chevy regional manager, was visually nervous which caused him to bumble the lines that he was obviously reading from prepared notecards.

"It combines class winning, um, leading... 'ya know, technology and stuff," Wilde said about the Chevy Colorado during Fox's post game show.

The phrase "technology and stuff" has since taken on a life on its own instantly becoming a hash-tag. Not to mention, Wilde getting bestowed with the moniker "Chevy Guy."

You would think it an embarrassing situation for Chevy's parent company, GM (GM), but the company is having fun with it.

Chevy even sent out tweets early Thursday morning with the viral catch phrase attached.

"A lifelong Kansas City Royal fan, Rikk was still a little emotional over the outcome of a tremendous seven game series," GM said in a statement. "We believe baseball fans in Kansas City and elsewhere can relate with Rikk's authentic emotions."

Regardless of the awkward presentation, Chevy has gained some pretty good social publicity from Wilde, which for the car company is pretty good stuff indeed.

First Published: October 30, 2014: 6:53 PM ET

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Baby Boomers say they aren't moving out of their homes

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

In a survey of 4,000 Baby Boomer households conducted by the non-profit Demand Institute, 63% of Boomers plan to stay in their current home once they retire.

Much of that has to do with the recession. The financial crisis put an end to years of rapid wealth accumulation, causing the typical Boomer household's net worth to fall to $143,000 in 2013 from just over $200,000 in 2007, according to Federal Reserve data.

Related: Why everyone is moving to Texas

Not only that, but this generation is also carrying a lot more mortgage debt. The survey found that the median outstanding mortgage balance for 50- to 69-year-olds was $118,000 in 2013, up from $48,743 in 1992.

"Boomers' nest eggs have shrunk dramatically in recent years," said Jeremy Burbank, vice president at The Demand Institute, the non-profit think tank run by the Conference Board and Nielsen. "Financially, this generation is not necessarily ready for retirement, and half of their assets are tied up in their homes."

Related: How to avoid homebuyer remorse

Not everyone is planning on staying put, however; 37% of the Boomers surveyed said they were planning to make a move.

Nearly half of the movers said they wanted to get a bigger place -- and that they intended to spend more money on it. But with a median net worth of just $40,000, this group was among some of the least wealthy surveyed. In fact, the report found that many of those who were looking to "upsize" were also looking to switch from renting to owning.

Those who said they plan to move into a smaller home were much more affluent, with a median net worth of $322,000, the Demand Institute found.

Related: Asset allocation; fix your mix

Whatever the size of the home, Boomers seemed generally unconcerned about whether or not it would be "aging-friendly" -- even though a whopping three-quarters of them reported having significant health issues, such as cardiovascular conditions, arthritis, obesity and high blood pressure.

And only one-in-five of the movers said they intend to live in senior housing.

Instead, many of those surveyed said they plan to use their money to remodel things like kitchens and bathrooms in order to increase the value of their existing homes.

More than 17% of the 76 million Boomers are already retired and about 10,000 will reach the traditional retirement age of 65 every day for the next 15 years. And even though many Boomers plan to stay in their current homes, the Demand Institute estimates that this generation will purchase about $1.9 trillion in homes over the next five years.

"Their choices will have a real impact on the housing sector in the next several years," said Burbank.

First Published: October 30, 2014: 7:29 PM ET

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Stuck in cycle of debt, domestic violence victims battle banks

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Weeks before the couple separated in January, Kukec says her husband overdrew her Chase bank account by several hundred dollars.

Kukec was staying home with the kids at the time and, without any money of her own, she couldn't pay off the debt, which had grown to $442.68 after fees. By February, Chase reported her to ChexSystems, a company that flags high-risk banking customers.

Kukec had spent years carefully trying to rebuild her credit after filing for bankruptcy protection in 2007.

But now she was saddled with the ChexSystems report and hits to her credit report from an unpaid traffic ticket and toll charges she says her husband received while driving her car. Her husband's attorney declined to comment.

Related: Domestic violence survivors: 'How we escaped'

All of these black marks have left her without a bank account and have made it even harder for her to find a new job, she said.

Kukec and her three kids now rely on food stamps and Medicaid, as well as help from friends and family. She's months behind on rent and utility bills and says her family is dangerously close to being evicted from their home.

"It's one thing to get out, but then what do you do?" she said. "You have to be able to start over."

Domestic violence victim Amy Kukec is calling on Chase Bank to overhaul their procedures for handling accounts of abuse victims.

Kukec's story is all too common.

In an effort to maintain control, abusers often ruin their victim's credit by racking up credit card debt or overdrawing their bank accounts, said Kim Pentico, a senior economic justice specialist at the National Network to End Domestic Violence. Making matters worse is that banks and credit card companies typically have few procedures in place to help victims repair their credit histories.

"It used to be that women leave with the clothes on their back," said Pentico. "Now they leave with the clothes on their back and crushing debt."

It's up to the individual banks to determine how to use ChexSystems' information. Many block flagged users from opening a new account. Other banks offer them only "second chance" accounts, which can come with extra fees and restrictions.

Until she got laid off in 2011, Kukec had spent nearly two decades working in operations at banks and financial firms. Now she is worried the report is hurting her job hunt.

Related: Bank customers -- you're being tracked

ChexSystems says its data is not intended to be used to screen potential hires. But some banks note on their applications that they may view ChexSystems' reports as part of the hiring process.

After a domestic violence shelter settled her debt for her, Kukec spent months trying to convince Chase to remove the negative report to no avail. She has since started a petition on Change.org calling for the bank to overhaul its procedures when dealing with the accounts of victims of domestic violence.

When contacted by CNNMoney, Chase said it sympathizes with Kukec's situation, but that it would violate federal law to remove the report, unless there were fraud claims or police reports to indicate a theft.

That means Kukec can expect the report to remain in ChexSystems' database for a total of five years.

Related: Grieving parents hit with $200,000 in student loans

So far, her Change.org campaign has received more than 3,400 online signatures, some of which are from other victims who said they too have battled financial abuse.

One woman said her emotionally abusive husband closed their joint bank account as soon as she left him — leaving her cut off from any money to pay her bills. When she asked the bank to help her regain access to the transferred funds, officials said there was nothing they could do.

Another victim said her abusive husband took out $25,000 from their joint line of credit when she left him almost seven years ago -- and he never paid it back. (Since the line of credit was held jointly, they were both legally responsible to pay the debt back).

The unpaid debt caused her credit score to fall by more than 200 points. As a result, she could only qualify for a car loan with a 22% interest rate, and she says she has been harassed by debt collectors.

Peggy Radke, a shelter official who has been aiding Kukec in her job hunt, said new regulations are needed to make it easier for victims to settle their debts and move on.

"Every time they turn around they hit a brick wall," she said. "What's amazing is how many of them are actually able to leave."

First Published: October 29, 2014: 6:01 PM ET

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Rents are soaring -- and so are evictions

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Some can't afford their soaring rent, others are getting evicted over minor violations by landlords eager to get higher paying tenants in place.

Rents have risen 7% in the past year, while incomes have inched just 1.8% higher -- making it that much harder for people to afford their housing payments. In fact, the average renter now spends 30% of their income on rent, up from a longtime average of about 25%, according to Zillow.

One big emergency or unexpected expense and it can mean a missed payment -- and an eviction notice.

The Neighborhood Law Clinic at the University of Wisconsin Law School estimates that several million families a year face evictions nationwide. In Milwaukee County alone, eviction notices were up by about 10% in 2013. Statewide, they've risen 10 years straight to about 28,000 a year.

Related: 10 hottest housing markets for 2014

In Georgia, there was one eviction notice filed for every five rental households, more than 200,000 total filings last year. Many cases involved renters who were unable to keep up with rent increases.

Most evictions from Baltimore's public housing are for just causes like failing to pay rent, hoarding and noise complaints, said Shawn Boehringer, chief counsel at Maryland Legal Aid. But other evictions are occurring as some subsidized, low-income buildings are being converted into middle-income or luxury housing.

For the displaced, it can be a long road back. Once renters are out, most landlords don't want them. They often wind up in substandard housing with leaky roofs, broken windows, rodent infestations and no heat, said Boehringer. "It's a tremendous hardship for them."

Even for the solidly middle class, evictions can force families out of familiar neighborhoods and make it harder to rent new homes.

In San Francisco, an influx of thousands of highly-paid tech workers has sent rents soaring and longstanding tenants are being pushed out as landlords seek to make a small fortune by selling their buildings or converting the units into condos.

The city's Rent Board reported 2,064 wrongful eviction appeals during the 12 months ended last June, up 45% since 2011. The total number of evictions have surpassed 5,000.

Tom Gullicksen, the director of the San Francisco Tenants Union, said the same thing happened during the dot-com boom. As a result, the city lost a large number of middle and working class residents.

"But this time is the worst," he said. "It has made the city less diverse, less artistic and, definitely, less cool."

Affordable apartments have been converted into million-dollar condos. Mom-and-pop stores have become expensive boutiques. Teachers, policemen and nurses have moved to places like Oakland and distant suburbs like Concord and Hayward, which are also getting very expensive but are still more affordable than the city.

Related: Most innovative cities

Many of the eviction cases have been for minor violations, often for behavior that was formerly tolerated, like keeping a canary when there is a "no pet" policy or storing a bicycle in the hall, said Deepa Varma, a litigator with the Eviction Defense Collaborative (EDC).

Making matters worse in San Francisco is the Ellis Act, state legislation that allows landlords to escape strict rent control and tenant rights laws by taking rentals off the market for a minimum of five years.

Some owners have invoked the act to clear their buildings out and then sell the vacant apartments as condos.

Related: London overtakes Hong Kong as city with the highest rents

Since February 2013, Evan Wolkenstein, a 40-year old teacher, and four of his neighbors have been fighting Ellis Act evictions on their apartments in the Mission District, where he has lived for almost 10 years.

"Rents have skyrocketed to the point that an Ellis Act eviction is tantamount to an eviction from the city," said Wolkenstein. "People who are not wealthy cannot afford to stay. This effects, naturally, the most economically vulnerable people more profoundly."

First Published: October 29, 2014: 7:12 PM ET

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Regulator calls out student loan industry

Graduates cheer during the Bowie State University graduation ceremony in May 2013.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The report, which doesn't name any individual companies that collect on the $1.2 trillion in student debt, was compiled between March and June of this year.

Related: Do any of these practices sound familiar? Tell us about it.

The agency found these companies would charge borrowers late fees on all their loans when payments for one fell short -- even if the rest were paid in full.

The CFPB spotted lots of other little tricks: minimum payments were overstated and late fees got charged to some borrowers even if they made payments within a grace period. Or servicers might fail to provide necessary information borrowers needed to deduct student loan payments from their taxes.

Related: These nine people are drowning in student debt

In more serious cases, some borrowers who fell behind on payments were told they couldn't dismiss their student loans in bankruptcy even though there's a slim possibility in cases of "undue hardship".

Some debt collectors called borrowers at inappropriately early or late times. The CFPB identified 5,000 such calls during its 45-day examination period. One borrower reported got 48 of them.

Related: Abolish my debt too, Occupy Wall Street!

The agency, born of the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill, said in a statement that firms with questionable practices are contacted for corrective measures. In particularly severe cases, it opens investigations.

First Published: October 29, 2014: 7:46 PM ET

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Time Magazine schooled for 'bad teacher' cover

Educators are incensed over this magazine cover.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Time's November 3rd cover which portrays a gavel about to smash an apple along with the text "it's nearly impossible to fire a bad teacher" has angered teacher unions.

The American Federation of Teachers has posted a petition on its website asking for an apology.

The petition has gained 80,000 signatures since last week, according to an AFT spokesperson.

The AFT's complaint is not with Time's story which focuses on teacher's tenure, but rather just its cover.

"The articles inside the magazine present more balanced view of the issues," said the online petition. "But for millions of Americans, all they'll see is the cover and a misleading attack on teachers."

Related: One way Time Inc. judges writers: advertiser appeal

Time Magazine has responded to the teacher's complaints by opening a forum to those critical of the cover on their own website.

Everyone from AFT president Randi Weingarten to the Badass Teachers Association were able to give their perspectives on the controversial cover.

"America's teachers aren't rotten apples, as Time's cover suggests," wrote Weingarten in the forum. "America's teachers are national treasures, doing the most important job in our country."

While the cover is new, outrage from teachers over a Time Magazine cover isn't.

Back in 2008, teachers were angry with the magazine for its "How To Fix America's Schools" cover.

Time did not return phone calls for comment regarding this story.

Related: Are labor unions on the rise?

First Published: October 28, 2014: 4:10 PM ET

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Apple VP: When we make mistakes, we fix them quickly

Apple VP says company quickly fixed iOS bug.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

When the company released iOS 8.1 last week, there was a bug in the iPhone and iPad operating system that disabled cellular service for as many as 50,000 users. Apple moved fast to release a patch, and on Tuesday Apple VP Greg Joswiak apologized for the mistake.

"We don't make many of them, when we do make them we recover very quickly," said Joswiak on during an on-stage interview at the Code/Mobile conference.

"By the way, our software updates, as you know, get extraordinarily quickly adopted," he added, in a subtle dig at the fragmented Android OS.

Related: 21,000 push Apple to replace 'defective' MacBook Pros

He attributed the error to an issue with the way the software was sent over servers and not the iOS itself.

This isn't the first or last slip-up to hit the company, but how it was handled shows how Apple (AAPL, Tech30) has changed over the years. In the '90s, the company was still struggling and had its share of major missteps.

"Some of it was trying to make cheap products that were trying to chase market share instead of trying to chase experience," said Joswiak. "You make that mistake once in your life, you're not going to make it twice."

In recent years, Apple's approach to perfecting its users' experiences has meant letting other companies make the early mistakes with new technology. Instead of coming out with the newest technology, Apple will pour more time, money and resources into being the best.

"We have this belief that we don't have the necessarily be the first to do something, we have to be the first to do it well," said Joswiak

Related: CVS and Rite-Aid dragging you into a fight with Apple Pay

The Apple Watch is not the first smartwatch, but it is still one of the most heavily anticipated. Apple was pretty late to the mobile payments game, and one of the last hardware manufacturers to adopt the NFC wireless communication technology. But one million credit cards were activated on Apple Pay in the tool's first three days. The company is working with three major credit card networks and six of the largest banks.

The rumor mill loves to speculate about Apple's next big ideas. Perhaps it's as easy as looking at what other companies are already doing, poorly.

First Published: October 28, 2014: 6:47 PM ET

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Facebook spending spree irks investors

A big logo created from pictures of Facebook users worldwide is pictured at a company data center in Sweden.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

That message came loud and clear Tuesday afternoon, as Facebook (FB, Tech30) shares sank nearly 10% in after-hours trading following a conference call in which executives revealed plans to ramp up spending next year.

Chief financial officer David Wehner told analysts that Facebook's expenses in 2015 will rise between 55% and 75% versus the current year.

"We believe that we have very substantial growth opportunities in front of us, and we plan to invest aggressively to capitalize on those opportunities," he said.

Wehner added that Facebook's revenue growth for the fourth quarter of 2014 will slow to between 40% and 47% versus a year prior, down from 59% for the third quarter. He attributed this slowdown to new investments as well as stock-based compensation related to acquisitions the company has already made.

Related: Surprise! Twitter is not Facebook

Chief among those acquisitions is messaging service WhatsApp, which Facebook bought in February for a staggering $19 billion. The company followed that up with the $2 billion purchase of virtual reality firm Oculus VR, and has made a number of smaller acquisitions as well.

Amazon shares took a similar plunge last week as the company recorded another quarter of losses owing to its continued investments in new initiatives.

Wehner said Facebook's increased costs next year will come from a number of areas, including new hires, improvements to its existing service and investments in Oculus and WhatsApp.

The news came as the social network reported third-quarter earnings Tuesday that showcased its continued success in mobile advertising, which made up roughly two-thirds of its $3.2 billion in sales.

Facebook (FB, Tech30) had an average of 703 million users per day on mobile as of last month, up 39% from last year.

Overall, 1.35 billion people -- nearly half the world's Internet users -- logged in at least once a month. That figure was up from 1.32 billion last quarter.

Facebook's shares are already up nearly 50% this year and are trading around their all-time high, buoyed by the company's success in mobile advertising.

Web users are leaving their desktops behind and flocking to mobile devices. January marked the first time ever that Americans accessed the Internet using smartphone and tablet apps more than they did on PCs, according to comScore.

Related: Virtual reality movies are coming

Facebook's challenge going forward will be to generate new revenue streams from acquisitions like Instagram, WhatsApp and Oculus, while continuing to generate user growth.

"This may sound a little ridiculous to say, but for us, products don't really get that interesting to turn into businesses until they have about a billion people using them," CEO Mark Zuckerberg told analysts Tuesday.

Facebook and Google (GOOGL, Tech30) have been investing aggressively in new technology to position themselves for a future in which their current business models become outdated. Google has made headlines this year with a number of purchases, including smart appliance maker Nest Labs and drone maker Titan Aerospace.

First Published: October 28, 2014: 4:53 PM ET

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Buy your own ghost town. Starting bid: $800,000

For sale: Up for auction next week is an abandoned Connecticut mill town

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

On Tuesday, October 28 -- just in time for Halloween -- you'll have your chance.

That's when Johnsonville Village in Connecticut will be auctioned off by Auction.com. Starting bid: $800,000.

The auction price includes eight buildings -- among them a general store, a stable, a chapel, an old mill and a tavern -- on 62 leafy acres of land. The property is about a half-hour drive southwest of Hartford.

Town father Emory Johnson called this 1842 mansion home.

The town is named after Emory Johnson, the former owner of a spinning mill at the heart of the town where fine cotton twine was once made. Eventually, however, the mill succumbed to modernization and closed.

In the 1960s, the mostly abandoned town was purchased by aerospace tycoon, Raymond Schmitt, who wanted to turn it into a tourist attraction.

The old stable is topped by a fancy square cupola.

Schmitt restored some of the buildings and shipped in others -- including the stable and chapel -- to recreate the look and feel of a 19th century Connecticut mill town.

The property now includes the Johnson's original Italianate mansion, a covered bridge, a tavern and other houses.

Under Schmitt's stewardship, couples said their wedding vows in the picturesque chapel and Billy Joel shot his "River of Dreams" music video. More recently, a movie, "Freedom," with Cuba Gooding Jr., was filmed with the town as a backdrop.

Billy Joel used the chapel in his 1993 video "River of Dreams."

After getting into a dispute with town officials of nearby East Haddam over congestion and zoning issues, Schmitt never finished the restoration. He then abandoned the project around 1994 and died a few years later.

The town has stood empty since. Although some say Schmitt's ghost still haunts the grounds.

Fine twine for fishing nets was spun in the town mill.

"The rumor is he loved the place so much that he never left," said Rick Sharga, executive vice president for Auction.com.

His heirs have sold off hundreds of artifacts that Schmitt had collected, including carriages, furniture, trolley cars, and a paddle wheel steamboat.

The town buildings and land were sold to a hotel developer in 2008, which planned to create a resort and senior living facility. But that never panned out due to a lack of infrastructure like public sewers and water service.

A tavern hosted wedding receptions when former owner, Ray Schmitt, ran Johnsonville.

Since then, the vacant buildings have been watched over by a caretaker.

They are mostly structurally sound, said Jim Kelly, the real estate agent with RM Bradley Company in charge of showing the property. There's wear and tear, however, with peeling paint, roof damage and sagging joists. "New England winters will kill you," said Kelly.

Some buildings, like the general store, need work.

He said he doesn't buy into the supernatural, hocus-pocus although a couple of recent incidents -- one that left a reporter with a twisted knee when she fell off some stairs and another when the long-time caretaker stepped on a nail -- gave him pause: Were these just everyday accidents that happen when people trudge around in decaying buildings? Or is Schmitt's ghost trying to sabotage the sale?

Water from the pond powered the old mills.

If it's the latter, it's not working. At a minimum opening bid of $800,000, few bidders will be scared off by the price of this prime Connecticut real estate.

And Kelly counts more than a dozen "serious" buyers, who fall into three main categories: Those who want it for a private estate; those who want to put in more housing; and others who want to establish it as an entertainment facility to shoot movies and such.

The winning bid will likely come in a lot higher than the starting bid. After all, the town was on the market last year for $3 million. There is a reserve price but it's unpublished.

The auction will end at 1 p.m. Eastern on October 30th.

First Published: October 27, 2014: 6:37 PM ET

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U.S. is 65th in world on gender pay gap

LONDON (CNNMoney)

Currently, there's no country in the entire world where a woman earns as much as a man for doing the same job. And it's going to take another 81 years for the gender gap to close, according to a new report by the World Economic Forum.

Sure, the gap is narrowing. Very slowly.

The U.S., for instance, narrowed its wage gap by 1% to 66% in one year "meaning that women earn about two-thirds of what men earn for similar work according to the perception of business leaders," WEF's economist Saadia Zahidi said. The U.S. also ranked 65th in wage equality among 142 countries in the report.

The WEF measured the pay gap by polling CEOs around the world about salaries of their employees. Here are some other findings.

Italian women don't make even half: Italy and Israel made it to the top of the heap in terms of countries that offer the most equal opportunities for women. But a woman earned only 48% of a man's salary in Italy and 47% in Israel.

Burundi is surprise winner: Some of the world's poorest countries lead the equality ranking. Burundi, where four out of five people live below the poverty line, is the top country in women's pay. Women in the tiny African country earn 83% of salaries of the men in the same jobs.

Women earn more in Denmark: Denmark is the only place where women earn on average more than men -- although the difference is just 2%. But that's because there are many more women in better paid jobs. However, even in Denmark, when they are both doing the same job, a woman will earn 71% of what a man makes.

More powerful in Jamaica and Rwanda: Jamaica, Colombia, Lesotho and Fiji are the only four countries with more female legislators, senior officials and managers. In Jamaica, women do 59% of all top level jobs. Rwanda is the only country with more female parliamentarians -- women hold 64 seats in its 100-seat parliament.

Where women work more: Only four countries in the world have higher proportion of women at work than men. In Malawi 85% of women work compared to 81% of men. Mozambique, Rwanda and Burundi show similar trend.

Fewest women in workforce: At the opposite end, Algeria, Iran and Syria have the lowest female participation in the labor force with less than one in five women working outside their home.

Jordanian women lose the most: Economic prospects for women deteriorated the most in Jordan. Ranked 140, the country finished third from the bottom, ahead of only Pakistan and Syria. Yet just last year, Jordan was ranked 128 in workplace opportunities.

School for all: Girls and women have equal access to education in only 25 of the 142 countries.

Norway and Singapore best in developed world: Women's wages come closest to men's in Norway and Singapore, but even there it's still at 80%.

First Published: October 27, 2014: 7:03 PM ET

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21,000 push Apple to replace 'defective' MacBook Pros

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

More than 20,000 people have signed an online petition calling on the company to replace 2011 MacBook Pros that have allegedly been suffering frequent system crashes and graphics failures. A thread on the subject in the Apple Support forum has garnered over 9,000 replies and over 1.7 million views, with users claiming that the pricey machines shouldn't be failing after just two or three years.

"Everyone who bought a macbook pro spent a huge premium... and did not expect to have a manufacturing defect," the petition says.

Mike Calahan, a writer from Los Gatos, Calif., said he and his wife spent $2000 on their MacBook in February 2012, only to have it freeze with increasing frequency over the past few months.

"It got to the point where it just wouldn't boot up," he said. "I started researching whether anyone else had had this problem, and it was all kind of the same situation."

Related: CVS and Rite-Aid are dragging you into a fight with Apple Pay

So far, users say they haven't gotten an official response from Apple on the issue. The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.

The problem appears to relate to the computers' graphics processing unit, and requires a replacement of their logic boards, which typically costs several hundred dollars.

MacBook Pro users complain that a number of the 2011 models are suffering from graphics failures.

First Published: October 27, 2014: 5:17 PM ET

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Elon Musk warns against unleashing artificial intelligence 'demon'

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Musk, who promises to take humans to new heights with space and battery technologies, was especially grounded in his latest caution on artificial intelligence.

He told an audience at MIT on Friday that "we should be very careful about artificial intelligence," warning it may be "our biggest existential threat."

"With artificial intelligence, we are summoning the demon," he said.

"In all those stories where there's the guy with the pentagram and the holy water, it's like yeah he's sure he can control the demon," he continued, to some laughs from the audience.

Musk then cracked a smile: "Didn't work out."

His Tesla (TSLA) electric vehicles and SpaceX rockets, which recently won a multi-billion dollar contract with NASA, have pushed the limits of their respective technologies.

Musk hasn't embraced artificial intelligence, a field of study at MIT and other schools with significant ethical considerations and business potential. He has previously cautioned it is "potentially more dangerous than nukes."

But he has invested in artificial intelligence companies -- because, he told CNN's Rachel Crane recently, he wanted "to keep an eye on them."

"I wanted to see how artificial intelligence was developing," Musk said in the CNN interview. Among his questions: "Are companies taking the right safety precautions?"

Related: Google snaps up artificial intelligence firm

On Friday, Musk was responding to a question about whether artificial intelligence was "even close to being ready for prime time?"

"I'm increasingly inclined to think there should be some regulatory oversight maybe at the national and international level, just to make sure that we don't do something very foolish," Musk said.

Tech entrepreneur Marc Andreessen -- of Netscape fame -- is on the same page. Don't be "freaked out" by Musk's comments, he seemed to say on Twitter.

"Famous last words. Actually, they would be famous ... if there were any humans left alive to hear them," Musk posted in response.

Andreessen replied: "Sadly, that also means you'll get no credit for being right."

First Published: October 26, 2014: 1:45 PM ET

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'Collabition.' 'Decisioning': The worst corporate jargon around

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

For instance, when you're asked to "strategerize a greenfielded, collaborative solution that considers the equities of all stakeholders" you may think you should do something eco-friendly.

But you'd be wrong.

According to one CNNMoney reader from Alexandria, Va., who was asked to do this very thing, what you're really supposed to do is just work with everyone on your project to come up with a solution.

Or consider the role of peanut butter. Unless you work for Skippy, you may wonder what it has to do with anyone's job. But if you ask the numbers guys in your division, they may talk about how "we peanut bread spread the dollars across all segments."

The real meaning? We allocated money to every department (or region or category of expense), according to another reader, who works in the insurance industry.

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg, who teaches at University of California, Berkeley's School of Information, equates corporate jargon with high school slang -- the kind teenagers use to sound like they belong.

"Using it marks you as an insider," Nunberg said.

Plain English seems to be in particularly short supply when there's potential to scare the pants off the rank-and-file.

Quiz: Are you a corporate jargon junkie?

One reader got word that management planned "to leverage internal efficiencies by enlisting external resources, thus driving a reduction in operating costs, thereby enhancing shareholder value."

Translation: Layoffs are coming. That way we can promise to reduce our operating costs, which Wall Street loves! But don't worry -- we'll outsource the old jobs to an outside firm, which may even hire the very same folks who get pink-slipped!

"Good thing no one ever asked how much money we saved, because the answer was none. Our operating costs actually went up," said a CNNMoney reader in Sarasota, Fla., who worked at a company that promised to "leverage" and "enhance"

That may help explain why outsourcing is such big business. An invitation to an industry conference about the practice promised to "have one foot planted in the reality of present day, and the other in the future, so we can develop a realistic roadmap for crossing this chasm from today's tactical efficiency to our utopia of achieving genuine business value and alignment between business operations and corporate objectives."

Plain-English translation: No idea. But utopia sounds nice.

Related: Workaholism: Regain balance before you burn out

Judging from the slew of submissions from CNNMoney readers, there's a long list of words and definitions that you need to know to be an insider these days. Here are 10 of our favorites:

Ideation session: Sure, you could just say you're having a meeting to come up with good ideas for a new project. But why not hold an ideation session to action plan a strategy?

Collabition: Word mash-ups can be fun. Or they can make you cringe. Exhibit A: collabition, an ill-conceived merger of "collaboration" and "competition." It's a close cousin, of course, to coopetition (cooperation + competition).

Onboard: Training new employees is essential. So is persuading colleagues why your proposal is a good one. But "onboarding" them makes it seem so much more ... sporty?

Rightsize: Getting rid of workers sounds like a such a downer. Why not keep things upbeat and say you're "rightsizing" the company.

Decisioning: Making a decision. Really, why is that so hard to say?

Parking lot: When you don't want to talk about something -- say when you're running a meeting and get caught short by a question -- you might say "let's put that in the parking lot."

Level set: When someone says, "let's level set" or "we need to level set with the group" it's akin to saying "we should get together to figure it out."

Unsuck-it.com, which deciphers business jargon, offers another definition: to agree on expectations.

Or you can use it to postpone dealing with something unpleasant, such as when someone questions the wisdom of what someone else says. "Once that phrase gets pulled [in a] meeting, the glaring disagreement is kicked along to be dealt with later," said one reader.

Cadence: Who says marching band has to end when you leave school?

When you're in sales, you might call clients once a month to make sure they're happy. But apparently it sounds much better to tell your team to "establish a regular cadence of outreach with our clients to ensure we are delivering value," a reader wrote.

Updation: Merely an awkward way to say "update." A reader from North Carolina said it began as a joking term when his company was developing its current operating system. Now it actually appears in the operating system as an "action description."

Open/ing the kimono: To reveal or be transparent about something. Several readers nominated this as a contender for all-time worst corporate jargon. Agreed.

Said one reader: "I end up visualizing whoever said it and I really don't want to .... Plus, in my experience, the person then proceeds to lie, which makes the phrase even more abhorrent."

First Published: October 26, 2014: 3:38 PM ET

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Howard Lutnick donates $25 million to college

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Howard Lutnick's philanthropic efforts -- especially since the September 11 attack that claimed hundreds of his New York employees -- got $25 million deeper this weekend.

The gift is his largest to Haverford College. Lutnick's mother died when he was in high school, and his father passed in his freshman year. The school covered his tuition, and Lutnick graduated in 1983.

The donation is the cornerstone of a $225 million capital improvement project and brings his total contributions to the Philadelphia-area liberal arts college to $65 million, the school said.

Lutnick has become known for his donations, and those of the brokerage Cantor Fitzgerald.

Each year on 9/11, the company donates that day's profits to charity. The firm says it has so far made contributions totaling $101 million.

First Published: October 26, 2014: 4:47 PM ET

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The Ebola stocks: Effect of an outbreak

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Some people have considered canceling visits to big theme parks and have aired worries about whether airports and public areas are safe zones.

It's no wonder that investors are assessing Ebola's impact on the economy. Stocks of companies that make drugs that treat the virus have had a wild ride.

It's no small issue. Ebola has killed nearly 5,000 people, mostly in West Africa. The deadly virus has killed one person in the United States and on Friday, a doctor in New York City became the fourth person to have tested positive for Ebola in the country.

One trader, Dave Lutz of Jones Trading, has compiled a list of stocks that are either directly impacted or could be affected by the spread of Ebola.

Canadian biotech firm Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (TKMR)' stock surged in September after the FDA authorized the company's drug for patients with Ebola in the United States. Shares have since pulled back. The company has started limited production of its drug, TKM-Ebola, which will be available in early December.

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (BCRX) is another small biotech company working on a drug that could be used to treat Ebola. Its stock has been on a roller coaster ride lately.

NewLink Genetics (NLNK) is working with the World Health Organization and other agencies on an Ebola vaccine. Its shares have surged 57% in the past month.

Companies that make protective equipment for healthcare workers or provide services to governments have also seen gains. Lakeland Industries (LAKE) said in September that it was boosting production of the protective suits in response to growing demand. It's stock has surged 76% in the last four weeks.

Alpha Pro Tech (APT) also makes protective equipment for healthcare workers. Its stock jumped 5% on Friday alone.

Some investors believe the airline industry is also vulnerable to the outbreak. Concerns about air travel rose this month after a Dallas nurse, who treated an Ebola patient, flew round trip between Dallas and Cleveland before being diagnosed with the virus.

Though airline stocks were hurt earlier in the month, they are now near all-time highs after reporting record setting profits.

Cruise ship operators have also been in focus after a healthcare worker who handled Ebola test samples was quarantined on a cruise ship earlier this month. Shares of both Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) have been under pressure recently.

Hotel chains could also be at risk if worries about Ebola cause people to curtail their vacation plans.

Hilton Worldwide (HLT) and Starwood Hotels (HOT) are on Lutz's list...

...as are amusement park operator Six Flags (SIX) and movie theater company Regal Entertainment (RGC).

First Published: October 24, 2014: 4:39 PM ET

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NYC tabloids keep a straight face on Ebola

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

In the hours before Spencer was diagnosed he had gone bowling, rode the A train and stopped by a meatball shop. But there was not a single pun to be found on New York City newsstands Friday morning. No hysteria and no sensationalism.

Instead newspapers like AM New York went with just the facts. The free daily's front page simply said "Ebola in NYC" and showed a picture of Spencer in a hazmat suit while caring for victims in West Africa:

"We didn't want to be alarmists," said Pete Catapano, executive editor of AM New York. "Obviously it's a scary subject... We wanted to be very direct, very straight-forward."

Related: Syracuse University disinvites journalist over Ebola fears

The Daily News also took a tempered approach with its front page:

The New York Post (which is infamous for its outrageous covers) was a little more brash with its "Ebola Here!" headline, but did stick to just the facts:

"A subject like this... people make jokes about it. That's not our place to do that," Catapano said. "We just wanted to be very respectful, and let the story speak for itself."

Related: EU pledges 1 billion euros to fight Ebola

First Published: October 24, 2014: 5:39 PM ET

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The best time to book your holiday flight is...

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

A new survey shows the lowest prices for domestic airfares are found eight weeks before the departure date, around 19% below the average fare of $496, according to the Airlines Reporting Corporation, a travel industry research group owned by the airlines.

The report, which was based on ticket sales between January 2013 through July 2014, also found Sunday is the cheapest day to buy plane tickets. This Sunday marks nine weeks until Christmas week, so the clock is ticking.

"It's about time we stop believing in the airfare voodoo that Tuesday is the best day to get good ticket prices," said George Hobica, president of Airfarewatchdog.com. The average domestic fare paid on a Sunday is $71 cheaper than on a Monday, the most expensive day, the report showed.

Getting a deal on holiday travel is always hard, but maybe even more so this year, according to Keith Nowak from Travelocity. He said supply and demand is in full effect, giving airlines the pricing power.

Passengers are flying more this year than in the recent past, but airlines aren't adding more seats, he said. "You've got passenger loads growing faster than seats being added. It's clear given the current load factors, holiday planes are going to be full."

Related: Hottest places to travel this winter

The most recent data from the Department of Transportation showed the number of domestic fliers in July was the highest since the end of the recession. U.S. airlines carried 385 million passengers, up 2.1% from 2013.

Here are four expert tips to snag the best deals this holiday season:

Book early. Booking early doesn't always mean better prices, but you're more likely to get the flight and seat you want, especially given the expected high demand.

It's all about value, said Hobica. "You can get a good deal on an ugly, ill-fitting cashmere sweater, or you can pay a little more and get what you want. Flying out at the crack of dawn, jammed in a middle seat is the ugly sweater."

Related: How much should you really tip housekeeping? A travel tipping guide

Be flexible with dates, airports. Put in multiple nearby airports and try different arrival and departure dates when searching for flights.

"You want to open up as many fare options as possible to increase your chances of finding the best deal," said Nowak.

And it's not just about the ticket price. "Smaller airports might have significantly lower parking prices. If you're gone for a week, that can be a lot of savings," he said.

Be persistent. Travelers can hold seats for up to 24 hours without purchasing them with most airlines now, said Hobica, which can make a plane appear fuller than it is and discourage potential fliers.

"People hold seats and then release them. Keep checking the flight, you never know when something might open up."

Travel on the holiday. Flying on the actual holiday tends to bring lower prices. "If you fly late Christmas Eve, on Christmas Day or on January 1, those are always the cheapest days and times to fly," said Hobica.

Related: $134,700 one-of-a-kind trip for fashionistas

Consider Europe. If visiting grandma in the states isn't a requirement, travelers can find cheap affair to Europe right now, said Hobica.

"And if you are in the mood to splurge, business class seats are 50-60% cheaper to Europe during the holidays."

First Published: October 24, 2014: 3:01 PM ET

08.36 | 0 komentar | Read More

NYC tabloids keep a straight face on Ebola

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

In the hours before Spencer was diagnosed he had gone bowling, rode the A train and stopped by a meatball shop. But there was not a single pun to be found on New York City newsstands Friday morning. No hysteria and no sensationalism.

Instead newspapers like AM New York went with just the facts. The free daily's front page simply said "Ebola in NYC" and showed a picture of Spencer in a hazmat suit while caring for victims in West Africa:

"We didn't want to be alarmists," said Pete Catapano, executive editor of AM New York. "Obviously it's a scary subject... We wanted to be very direct, very straight-forward."

Related: Syracuse University disinvites journalist over Ebola fears

The Daily News also took a tempered approach with its front page:

The New York Post (which is infamous for its outrageous covers) was a little more brash with its "Ebola Here!" headline, but did stick to just the facts:

"A subject like this... people make jokes about it. That's not our place to do that," Catapano said. "We just wanted to be very respectful, and let the story speak for itself."

Related: EU pledges 1 billion euros to fight Ebola

First Published: October 24, 2014: 5:39 PM ET

08.36 | 0 komentar | Read More

The Ebola stocks: Effect of an outbreak

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Some people have considered canceling visits to big theme parks and have aired worries about whether airports and public areas are safe zones.

It's no wonder that investors are assessing Ebola's impact on the economy. Stocks of companies that make drugs that treat the virus have had a wild ride.

It's no small issue. Ebola has killed nearly 5,000 people, mostly in West Africa. The deadly virus has killed one person in the United States and on Friday, a doctor in New York City became the fourth person to have tested positive for Ebola in the country.

One trader, Dave Lutz of Jones Trading, has compiled a list of stocks that are either directly impacted or could be affected by the spread of Ebola.

Canadian biotech firm Tekmira Pharmaceuticals (TKMR)' stock surged in September after the FDA authorized the company's drug for patients with Ebola in the United States. Shares have since pulled back. The company has started limited production of its drug, TKM-Ebola, which will be available in early December.

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (BCRX) is another small biotech company working on a drug that could be used to treat Ebola. Its stock has been on a roller coaster ride lately.

NewLink Genetics (NLNK) is working with the World Health Organization and other agencies on an Ebola vaccine. Its shares have surged 57% in the past month.

Companies that make protective equipment for healthcare workers or provide services to governments have also seen gains. Lakeland Industries (LAKE) said in September that it was boosting production of the protective suits in response to growing demand. It's stock has surged 76% in the last four weeks.

Alpha Pro Tech (APT) also makes protective equipment for healthcare workers. Its stock jumped 5% on Friday alone.

Some investors believe the airline industry is also vulnerable to the outbreak. Concerns about air travel rose this month after a Dallas nurse, who treated an Ebola patient, flew round trip between Dallas and Cleveland before being diagnosed with the virus.

Though airline stocks were hurt earlier in the month, they are now near all-time highs after reporting record setting profits.

Cruise ship operators have also been in focus after a healthcare worker who handled Ebola test samples was quarantined on a cruise ship earlier this month. Shares of both Carnival (CCL) and Royal Caribbean Cruises (RCL) have been under pressure recently.

Hotel chains could also be at risk if worries about Ebola cause people to curtail their vacation plans.

Hilton Worldwide (HLT) and Starwood Hotels (HOT) are on Lutz's list...

...as are amusement park operator Six Flags (SIX) and movie theater company Regal Entertainment (RGC).

First Published: October 24, 2014: 4:39 PM ET

08.36 | 0 komentar | Read More

The best time to book your holiday flight is...

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

A new survey shows the lowest prices for domestic airfares are found eight weeks before the departure date, around 19% below the average fare of $496, according to the Airlines Reporting Corporation, a travel industry research group owned by the airlines.

The report, which was based on ticket sales between January 2013 through July 2014, also found Sunday is the cheapest day to buy plane tickets. This Sunday marks nine weeks until Christmas week, so the clock is ticking.

"It's about time we stop believing in the airfare voodoo that Tuesday is the best day to get good ticket prices," said George Hobica, president of Airfarewatchdog.com. The average domestic fare paid on a Sunday is $71 cheaper than on a Monday, the most expensive day, the report showed.

Getting a deal on holiday travel is always hard, but maybe even more so this year, according to Keith Nowak from Travelocity. He said supply and demand is in full effect, giving airlines the pricing power.

Passengers are flying more this year than in the recent past, but airlines aren't adding more seats, he said. "You've got passenger loads growing faster than seats being added. It's clear given the current load factors, holiday planes are going to be full."

Related: Hottest places to travel this winter

The most recent data from the Department of Transportation showed the number of domestic fliers in July was the highest since the end of the recession. U.S. airlines carried 385 million passengers, up 2.1% from 2013.

Here are four expert tips to snag the best deals this holiday season:

Book early. Booking early doesn't always mean better prices, but you're more likely to get the flight and seat you want, especially given the expected high demand.

It's all about value, said Hobica. "You can get a good deal on an ugly, ill-fitting cashmere sweater, or you can pay a little more and get what you want. Flying out at the crack of dawn, jammed in a middle seat is the ugly sweater."

Related: How much should you really tip housekeeping? A travel tipping guide

Be flexible with dates, airports. Put in multiple nearby airports and try different arrival and departure dates when searching for flights.

"You want to open up as many fare options as possible to increase your chances of finding the best deal," said Nowak.

And it's not just about the ticket price. "Smaller airports might have significantly lower parking prices. If you're gone for a week, that can be a lot of savings," he said.

Be persistent. Travelers can hold seats for up to 24 hours without purchasing them with most airlines now, said Hobica, which can make a plane appear fuller than it is and discourage potential fliers.

"People hold seats and then release them. Keep checking the flight, you never know when something might open up."

Travel on the holiday. Flying on the actual holiday tends to bring lower prices. "If you fly late Christmas Eve, on Christmas Day or on January 1, those are always the cheapest days and times to fly," said Hobica.

Related: $134,700 one-of-a-kind trip for fashionistas

Consider Europe. If visiting grandma in the states isn't a requirement, travelers can find cheap affair to Europe right now, said Hobica.

"And if you are in the mood to splurge, business class seats are 50-60% cheaper to Europe during the holidays."

First Published: October 24, 2014: 3:01 PM ET

08.36 | 0 komentar | Read More

NBC's Dr. Nancy Snyderman to resume work in November

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

In an internal memorandum on Wednesday, NBC News president Deborah Turness said the crew would be taking some more time off work, adding, "We very much look forward to their return next month."

The timing is noteworthy because Dr. Snyderman's apparent violation of a voluntary quarantine scared some members of her New Jersey community and stoked a major controversy earlier this month. Questions about her credibility have lingered, and she has not addressed those questions publicly.

The additional time off-air seems to be an effort to "put some space between her and this story," as one television blogger described it.

Snyderman was covering Ebola in Liberia with a crew that included a freelance photojournalist, Ashoka Mukpo, who was infected with Ebola. Mukpo was brought to the U.S. for treatment, and Snyderman and the other crew members said that upon return to the United States, they would voluntarily stay home for three weeks.

"We'll approach this very cautiously and probably more judiciously than other people because we want to send the right message," she said on NBC's "Today" show.

But Snyderman was subsequently spotted outside her New Jersey home, resulting in local news coverage that went national within a matter of days. The state of New Jersey decided to make the quarantine mandatory, which Snyderman eventually acknowledged in a statement read on "NBC Nightly News."

"Members of our group" violated the quarantine guidelines, she said, calling herself "deeply sorry for the concerns this episode caused."

Snyderman has had no further comment. The three-week quarantine period ended on Wednesday evening, according to Turness, and the members of her team "remain healthy and symptom-free, which is a great relief to all."

While in Liberia Dr. Nancy and her team delivered first class, first-hand reporting from the front lines of this tragic and monumental story," Turness said in the memo. "Their subsequent departure from Monrovia, their return to the U.S. and period of quarantine has been a challenging time. We have encouraged them — and they have agreed — to take some time off with their families and friends to help restore some normalcy to their lives."

Turness added, "We very much look forward to their return next month."

The memo also expressed joy about Mukpo's condition. Earlier this week he was said by his doctors to be "Ebola-free" following treatment at a medical center in Nebraska.

In an interview on Wednesday's "Nightly News," Mukpo did not express regret about his work in Liberia.

"As a journalist, and as somebody who had a relationship to that country, it's not something that I will look back on and say, you know, it was the wrong decision to do," Mukpo said.

"I think it's important in life to take risks for things that you believe in," he added. "But it's also important to keep yourself safe. So, I mean, it's hard to call Ebola a learning experience. But I think that I'm gonna walk away from this with some important lessons for the future."

Related: Dallas hospital hit by Ebola losing patients and money

Related: Rush limbaugh thinks 'they' think we all deserve Ebola

First Published: October 22, 2014: 6:33 PM ET

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This Halloween costume costs $1.6 million

The Million Dollar Morphsuit retails for $1.6 million, and is sure to turn heads at any Halloween party.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The Million Dollar Morphsuit is encrusted head to toe with 70,000 diamonds. While the costume is currently locked away in a vault in London, it can be purchased by anyone willing to shell out £1 million ($1.6 million).

The price tag might be scary, but the costume is pretty glamorous.

The company used its signature "morphsuit" as the base -- a skin-tight spandex suit that covers the entire body, including the head -- and bedazzled the silver suit in diamonds of various carats.

The costume is "a bit heavy" and can be hard to see out of given all the bling, said Gregor Lawson, co-founder of MorphCostumes. "It's probably not the most comfortable of our offerings, but if you roll the head part down, you can still be covered 90% in diamonds."

Related: The $12,500 24-carat gold slide for your kid

The Invisible Cowboy Premium Costume costs $2,500 and the Giant Zombie-Killing Overkill sells for $25,000

For those not willing to shell out six figures on a costume, the company has other options in its high-end "WTF" line.

Overkill, The Giant Zombie-Killing Robot costume promises to turn the wearer into "a living legend" and sells for $25,000. The robot-looking costume has laser effects, legs with stilts, a one-piece torso with LED lighting, controllable finger sheaths and a giant headpiece. It's also equipped with a fan.

The custom-fit Invisible Cowboy Premium Costume costs $2,500 and has a head that can move in all directions.

While these costumes take Halloween spending to the next level, Americans will be celebrating the holiday in record numbers this year. The National Retail Federation reported more than two-thirds of Americans will buy a costume and spend a total of $2.8 billion on their outfits this year.

Related: Pricey Hermès bags 'reek like a skunk'

Of course, MorphCostumes has more affordable options. The company has more than 300 costumes with an average price of $30-$45.

Lawson said the typical customer is generally male, between 16-24 years old and loves the anonymity that a morphsuit can offer.

"It's like having X-ray vision, you can see out, but they can't see in. They are completely encased and people say, 'oh my god that's the coolest thing I've seen.'"

First Published: October 22, 2014: 5:40 PM ET

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World Series strikes out with lowest Game 1 ratings in history

The ratings for Game 1 of the World Series weren't a home run.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Tuesday night's opening game of the Major League Baseball World Series brought in 12.1 million viewers for Fox, making it the lowest rated game 1 and the fifth lowest rated World Series game of all time.

The game, which saw the San Francisco Giants stomp the Kansas City Royals 7-1, rated a 3.4 among viewers aged 18 to 49, down 15% from last year's Series, a match-up of the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals.

Alternatively, this year's Series includes the small market Royals. They haven't been in the World Series since "Back to the Future" was in theaters.

Kansas City tuned in. Game 1 scored a huge 48.2 overnight in Kansas City. In San Francisco, however, it rated a 29.3 overnight.

Related: Fall TV: the good, the bad, and the incomplete

These ratings weren't a home run for Fox, but they didn't go down swinging either. The 12.1 million viewers meant Fox still beat most other programming on Tuesday, and the network actually won the night in 18-49 demo.

The network has been struggling so far this season with some of its highly marketed shows like "Red Band Society" and "Utopia" failing to find an audience, so it's safe to say Fox hopes the numbers grow over the potential seven game series.

The World Series opener ranked behind last June's NBA Finals Game 1, which brought in 14.9 million viewers, and last week's Thursday night regular season NBA game, which brought in 16.1 million viewers alone.

Related: NFL scores huge ratings despite scandal

First Published: October 22, 2014: 8:02 PM ET

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Will your retirement savings last?

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The short answer is yes. Although there's no official benchmark for the appropriate margin of safety, I think most advisers would say that an 80% to 90% probability of success is about right for most people.

Fall below 80% and you could find yourself short on money later in retirement. Shoot for a chance of success higher than 90%, on the other hand, and you may end up sitting on a big pile of savings very late in life.

That may not sound like a bad thing, but it could mean that you lived more frugally than you had to during your career and stinted more than necessary in retirement. In other words, you might have been able to spend more freely and enjoy yourself more during both your working and retirement years.

That said, there are some caveats to the probability numbers that advisers generate with their retirement planning software -- or that you can get on your own from calculators like those in my Retirement Toolbox. One major caution: your chances of success can drop pretty dramatically if your nest egg's value takes a sharp dive. Given the stock market's recent volatility, that's a possibility to keep in mind.

Before I get into the nuances surrounding these projections, however, I'm going to briefly explain Monte Carlo simulations.

Related: Investing smart in a rocky market

Named after the famed casino in Monaco, Monte Carlo simulations attempt to incorporate the variability of real life into financial projections. The adviser plugs in such information as how much you saved, how much you're saving on an ongoing basis (if you're still working), how you invest that money, when you plan to retire, how much you plan to withdraw from your savings once you retire and how long you estimate you'll need your savings to last.

Once all this information is entered, the software or calculator creates hundreds or even thousands of different scenarios, or pathways, that your nest egg could take. Some reflect conditions in which the market performs well and inflation remains tame; others factor in a market crash and higher inflation. In some of these scenarios, you run out of money early in retirement. In others, you may never run out. But in most, the length of time your dough lasts falls between these extremes.

So, for example, if you're 55, plan to retire at 65 and want your savings to support you at least until age 95, you would plug in all the information about your savings, investments and projected spending, the software would crunch the numbers and...voila! It will tell you the probability that your savings will sustain you to 95.

If your savings isn't able to generate the income you need to support your spending until age 95 in 15% of the scenarios the software runs, then your probability of success is 85%. If you run short in 30% of the scenarios respectively, your probability of success is 70%.

Now for those nuances.

The results you get when you run Monte Carlo simulations seem very exact, but remember: They're long-term projections based on the assumptions you plug in. So they're not as precise as they seem. No one really knows how the markets will perform over the next 10, 20 or 30 years. Or what inflation will do. Or whether you'll be able to stick to your savings plan or face large unanticipated expenses in retirement (such as larger-than-expected health care costs).

Related: Why women are losing the retirement savings game

So you want to try to keep your assumptions as reasonable as possible -- that is, no 10% or 15% annual returns or overly aggressive investment asset mixes, no unrealistic savings rates or a retirement budget that not even an ascetic could stick to. And you should think of the percentage chance of success more as a possibility than a guarantee.

You can see how your chances of success might rise or fall if you (or the markets) behave differently. Save more during your career, and you'll see the probabilities rise. Likewise, if you tone down spending in retirement.

Keep in mind too that the percentage probability of success that everyone focuses on tells you only whether you'll be able to draw a given amount of income up to whatever age you plug in. It doesn't tell you how much of your savings will be left at that point.

So you may have an 85% chance of success and have $1 of savings left at age 95 in some scenarios. In others, you could have an 85% chance of success and still have nearly as much money as you started with at retirement -- or more.

That's important to know because you're probably better off spending more earlier in retirement than ending up at an advanced age with a huge savings balance, unless you're really set on leaving a big stash to your heirs.

You need to be especially careful if your portfolio's value takes a large hit, especially just before or early in retirement. For example, a 65-year-old who plans to follow the 4% rule -- that is withdraw 4% of his nest egg's value initially and adjust that amount annually for inflation -- could easily see the chances of his portfolio lasting 30 years drop by 25%, if his portfolio took a 20% dive on the eve of retirement. The combination of the investment loss and withdrawals would so deplete the value of the portfolio that it can't recover sufficiently even when the market eventually turns around.

Related: The 3 biggest risks every retirement saver should know about

Given how much your probability of success can fluctuate for any number of reasons, you should have your adviser rerun the simulations -- or rerun them yourself -- every year or so, using more current information about your age, savings balances and such.

You don't have to alter your plans if your odds of success rise or fall just a bit in a given year. But if you notice that the probability has been trending steadily downward over time -- or has suddenly plunged in the wake of a severe market downturn -- then you want to re-examine what you're doing and make adjustments to get back on track, such as saving more if you're still working or paring your spending for a while if you've already retired.

The key, though, is to create a retirement income plan and manage it over time, so you can make relatively small corrections along the way, rather than letting things slide and then having to deal with a crisis.

So kudos to you for planning in the first place, and for arranging your financial affairs so that, at this point at least, you appear to have an excellent shot at a secure retirement. If you keep monitoring your progress and stand ready to make tweaks when necessary, chances are your prospects will remain that way.

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.

More From RealDealRetirement.com:

Investing smart in a rocky market

How smart an investor are you? Take this quiz

How to build a $1 million IRA

Are you diversifying or di-worse-ifying?

First Published: October 21, 2014: 7:21 PM ET

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Warren Buffett loses $2 billion in two days

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Buffett is known for shunning the quick buck and focusing on the long-term performance of his investments. He'd best not change that this week.

His Berkshire Hathaway (BRKB) investment house holds big pieces of Coke and IBM, both of which have taken a drubbing in the past two days.

He took a $1 billion hit on Coke (KO), which fizzled 6% on Tuesday after the company reported earnings that didn't live up to expectations. Even worse, Coke said it doesn't expect a much better 2015.

Coke is one of Buffett's largest investments. He holds 400 million shares and his son Howard sits on the beverage company's board. And he likes the products too. Buffett is often seen enjoying Cherry Coke.

Related: Battle of the billionaires: Warren Buffett vs. Jack Ma

The pain started on Monday for Buffett. IBM (IBM, Tech30), another top holding, lost $1.3 billion as the stock plunged. The company is looking for a reboot after reporting disappointing earnings and shedding its chip unit at a major loss.

The stock dropped 7% on Monday after then news was announced and slid again on Tuesday. It is off nearly 13% so far this year, and Buffett's company holds over 70 million shares.

Buffett has made a lot of headlines this year for his misses. His investment in British grocery chain Tesco (TSCDY) has also spoiled, dropping nearly 47% this year.

But it's not all bad news for Berkshire.

Investors are sticking with their icon. Berkshire stock climbed slightly on Monday and Tuesday, and is up more than 17% this year -- far outpacing the broader market.

IBM and Coke may be struggling, but Buffett's largest position, Wells Fargo, has climbed 11% this year.

And despite the recent market dip, Buffett has been buying. He said in an interview earlier this month that he was shopping, adding, "the more stocks go down, the more I like to buy."

First Published: October 21, 2014: 6:30 PM ET

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Joseph Weisenthal leaves Business Insider to join Bloomberg

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

The move is surprising considering that Weisenthal was one of the first members of Business Insider and is a prominent part of the site's newsroom and operations.

It also comes during a hiring spree and new strategy at Bloomberg, which is grabbing up high-profile talent for coverage across all platforms.

Bloomberg TV did not specify a launch date or time slot for Weisenthal's show, but afternoon is likely, given his focus on market news.

It is expected to hire roughly a dozen people to work with Weisenthal on the markets section of its web site.

In recent months, Bloomberg has hired The Verge's co-founder Joshua Topolsky. It has also upped its political coverage by bringing on journalists John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, who head up the company's digital coverage while hosting a politics show for Bloomberg TV.

Related: The Future of Media

Known on Twitter by his handle "The Stalwart," Weisenthal is well known for his prolific work ethic usually starting everyday with his signature tweet, "what'd I miss?"

"We are sad to say goodbye to Joe, but we will always encourage our colleagues to pursue great opportunities," Business Insider CEO Henry Blodget said in an e-mail to staff.

Blodget also announced the news to Business Insider's New York staff, prompting a round of applause for Weisenthal. The site has not identified a replacement for him.

A statement from Bloomberg also mentioned Weisenthal's dedication to breaking news and legendary competitiveness, which I experienced firsthand as a former employee of Business Insider.

"I had no interest in leaving Business Insider, and I'm incredibly proud of what's being built there," Weisenthal said in a statement. "But what's going on at Bloomberg is truly exciting. I couldn't pass up the opportunity."

First Published: October 21, 2014: 8:42 PM ET

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Why Chicago is mandating coding education

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has made K-12 computer science education a priority.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel believes the language of the future is code writing -- and he wants every kid in Chicago to be prepared.

In a room full of techies at the Internet of Things World Forum last week, he didn't talk about Chicago's chief data officer or the city's smart parking and LED street lights. Instead, he emphasized the Windy City's commitment to computer science and coding education.

"In three years time, you can't graduate from high school in the city of Chicago if you didn't take code writing and computer science," said Mayor Emanuel in conversation with Cisco CEO John Chambers. "We're making it mandatory."

Emanuel first announced the city's five-year plan for computer science education last December. In three years, Chicago public high schools will require a foundational computer science course in order to graduate. In five years, at least 50% of its high schools will offer AP computer science courses.

Related: 6 things to know about STEM

Computer science is one of the top paying college degrees -- and yet only 2.4% of college students graduate with degrees in the field (a number that's declining). Moreover, out of 3.6 million AP computer science exams taken in 2012, only 3,000 were taken by African American and Hispanic students, according to Code.org.

Chicago has roughly 600 public schools that educate 400,000 kids -- the majority of whom are African-American (39.7%) and Hispanic (45.2%).

Improving access to coding and computer science classes could open doors for low-income students, and Chicago officials believe it's not limited to high school education.

While roughly 25 states allow advanced computer science to count as math or science credits, Code.org says Chicago's plan is the most comprehensive.

This year, the city partnered with Code.org to incorporate computer science lessons into the curriculum of 25 elementary schools.

Related: The future of tech: your local library

"I believe kids start dropping out of college in third grade. They don't drop out freshman year. They don't quit junior year. Our responsibility is to make sure they're ready for third grade at three years old," Emanuel said.

This summer, 150 K-12 teachers (from roughly 30 Chicago high schools, 20 middle schools and 20 elementary schools) took professional development courses to learn how to incorporate computer science into their teachings.

At the elementary school level, kids can be introduced to the fundamentals of computer science through activities.

"Just having kids jump into computer science at the high school level, they don't have a good context for it," said Cameron Wilson of Code.org. "Having them exposed early and building on concepts year after year is really important."

First Published: October 20, 2014: 5:12 PM ET

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