Backyard water parks. Hedges shaped like animals. A six-person Jacuzzi bath with mood lighting. When it comes to adding value to a high-end home, an amenity with a large price tag doesn't guarantee a return on investment. Sometimes, a customized modification can actually reduce a home's value. But that can be a tough sell to high-end homeowners. #housing   #renovations   #realestate   http://cnnmon.ie/1rVaHp0

Are you human? Do you hate reading distorted text? #Google   has some good news for you. The Internet giant is doing away with the random combinations of blurry letters and numbers that it has used to keep robots from pretending to be human. http://cnnmon.ie/1I1aqFG

America's #energy  industry is battling #OPEC  with a ferocity not seen since the 1980s. So far, it's not backing down. The #oil  cartel's decision last week not scale back on production was widely seen as an attempt to choke off the U.S. shale boom. OPEC figures that by driving down oil prices, North American producers will collapse. But those who came to get rich in America's 21st Century oil rush shouldn't start packing their bags just yet. http://cnnmon.ie/1rV8u7c

#Target allows customers to use Apple Pay through its mobile app, but to pay with your phone in-store, you'll have to wait for their release of CurrentC with other retailers. http://cnnmon.ie/1y81Bp0

Following a vast hacking attack that targeted #Sony Pictures, several of the Hollywood studio's films, including Brad Pitt's "Fury" and the remake of the musical "Annie," have become available on illicit web sites.
Screener copies of at least five unreleased Sony films have made their way online, according to Variety. http://cnnmon.ie/1y7Yn53

#Moody's has cut Japan's debt rating by one notch, warning that policymakers will struggle to boost growth and get debt levels under control at the same time.
http://cnnmon.ie/1y7XR7c

Remember how excited you were when the price of gasoline dropped below $3 a gallon? Now, for a few lucky drivers, its price has fallen below $2. The lowest gas in the nation could be found at the OnCue gas station on 44th and Shields in Oklahoma City. Regular gas was selling for just under $2 there on Wednesday. #gas   #gasprices  http://cnnmon.ie/1rV0g4S

It's that time of year again. Santa is making his list and checking it twice. And #Google  too is getting in on the list action. The Internet giant has compiled the most searched for, or top trending, #toys   in November. It's a pretty good measure of what parents will be buying, er, I mean what #Santa  will be hauling down the chimney this year. http://cnnmon.ie/1wlkWE7

#SteveJobs   has come back to life in the form of a videotaped deposition to be presented at a trial. The question and answer session took place in April 2011 -- just six months before the #Apple   co-founder's death. It was made public for the first time Monday. During the deposition, the attorney representing a large class of #iPod   owners asked Jobs questions about Apple's attempt in 2004 to limit the iPod's compatibility with music sold by rival music stores. http://cnnmon.ie/1rUTd6s

Dramatic swings in the #junkbond market often provide a valuable warning to investors. During times of turmoil, investors pile into ultra-safe U.S. government debt and rotate away from far riskier junk bonds.
http://cnnmon.ie/1y7YRrK

Retailers are keenly aware that shoppers don't have to wait until they get into their offices on #CyberMonday to begin shopping the web. Online shopping picked up days ago, and climbed even on Thanksgiving day, when online sales climbed 14% over last year, according to IBM. http://cnnmon.ie/1zHDufb

When Janay Rice was ready to speak, almost everybody was ready to listen.
All manner of media outlets were vying to be the first to interview Rice, the wife of former Baltimore Ravens running back #RayRice. Janay's decision to stay with Ray after he violently struck her in an Atlantic City casino elevator -- and after video of the incident instigated weeks of national news coverage -- drew considerable attention earlier this year. http://cnnmon.ie/1y7UMDW