Blog

How frustrating to be the mayor of a small town without good broadband access today. Imagine trying to entice businesses or entrepreneurs to a region where the best Internet option is the slow DSL most of us discarded nearly a decade ago for faster speeds.

The “broadband market” in much of the US happily provides snail-speed connections at inflated prices when compared to many of our peer nations. Cable and telephone companies see little reason to upgrade these networks—the low population density does not lend itself to quickly recovering investments.

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Article

1/7/2010 12:15 AM ET



(RTTNews) – Symetra Financial Corp., a life insurance company, revealed in an amended filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission that it estimates pricing its initial public offering of 27 million shares of its common stock in the range of $12 to $14 per share.

Bellevue, Washington-based Symetra is selling 17.25 million shares and selling stockholders are offering 9.74 million shares in this offering. Symetra said it has applied to list its common stock on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “SYA”

Symetra currently expects the proposed maximum aggregate offering price to be $434.7 million, including 4.05 million shares issuable upon exercise of underwriters’ over-allotment option. The company had earlier estimated maximum proceeds of $575 million from the offering.

The company also clarified that it will not receive any proceeds from the sale of shares by selling stockholders. The net primary proceeds from the offering is expected to be approximately $208.3 million, with the company planning to use it for general corporate purposes.

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Barclays Capital Inc. are acting as joint book-running managers and as representatives of underwriters.

According to the filing, Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRKa: News ), White Mountains Insurance Group, Ltd., Franklin Mutual Advisers, LLC, Caxton Associates LP, Vestar Capital Partners and Highfields Capital Management LP hold notable stakes in the company.

Assuming full exercise of over-allotment option, Berkshire and White Mountains each will beneficially own 21.8% stake after the offering. The two largest stockholders each owns 26.88 million shares of the company.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2009, Symetra posted net income of $96.2 million and generated total revenues of $1.27 billion, compared to $27 million and $1.1 billion, respectively, in the same period in 2008.

With Symetra expected to be the first company to come public in 2010, the IPO market started its count of expected rollouts. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based DynaVox Inc., a provider of speech generating technology, and Beijing-based IFM Investments Ltd., a provider of real estate services, are waiting in the wings following their IPO filings.

DynaVox, which plans to sell up to $125 million worth of Class A common stock, intends to list its stock on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “DVOX”, and IFM Investments, which estimates to sell up to US$184 million worth of ADSs, plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “CTC”.

Share Investor Links

Share Investor Blog – Stockmarket & Business commentary

Share Investor New Zealand Business News– Get more business news

Discuss this topic @ Share Investor Forum – Register free

Share Investor’s Daily Forex Updates

Recommended Amazon Reading

	Security Analysis: Sixth Edition, Foreword by Warren Buffett (Security Analysis Prior Editions) by Benjamin Graham Buy new: $47.25 / Used from: $46.96 Usually ships in 9 to 11 days
	The Four Filters Invention of Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger by Bud Labitan Buy new: $33.25 / Used from: $43.89 Usually ships in 24 hours

From Amazon – Apple iPod touch 32 GB (3rd Generation) NEWEST MODEL

Samsung’s pico projecting W9600 gets a brief hands on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Article

You’ll be familiar with the LG eXpo and its specs already — which include a slideout QWERTY keyboard and 1GHz Snapdragon under the hood — but we thought we’d go try the handset out for ourselves and tell you what we thought. Construction on this little machine was plenty sturdy to withstand the bumps associated with its unusual shape, while the keyboard slider mechanism had a reassuring feel to it. On the whole our impression was that you’ve got a middle of the road modern phone with a sales hook that depends on just how into projecting your images you are. Trust us, the sharp and large picture you may hope for from this device is possible only in very limited circumstances — even a moonlit night seems likely to mess with your enjoyment of the attached pico projector’s output. For the most part, you’ll have to be content with either watching 14-inch movies with the curtains drawn, or projecting ill-defined naughty pictures on the whiteboard while the teacher isn’t looking. Even if neither of those sounds like your kind of thing, feel welcome to peruse the hands-on gallery below.

LG eXpo projector hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Article

Okay, so it isn’t the HP Slate, but this Qualcomm Snapdragon-powered, Android-running Mini is definitely a departure from all the netbooks they’ve been putting out lately. At this point, this is just a concept and the white plastic chassis is far from pretty or final, and frankly it just looks like a last generation HP Mini. The 10-inch resistive touch display was responsive to finger taps from what we could see in our brief fondling. Oh and the Android we know and love was, you know, running. It all looks interesting, but for now we were way more impressed with Lenovo’s Skylight. Video coming soon.

HP Mini Android smartbook hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Article

Panasonic invited us to a sneak peak of 3D at its booth tonight and representatives from DirecTV were there showing off its new 1080p 3D HD demo feed. The quality was pretty good and quite enjoyable. There were no noticeable compression artifacts in the demo loop which included soccer, College Football, Avatar, Toy Story 3, and a few documentaries with awesome architecture and breathtaking views of mountains and ocean wildlife. We also had the chance to speak with the DirecTV technical staff which told us that the 1080p24 3D signal doesn’t take any more bandwidth than 2D content at the same resolution and frame rate. We were told the demo was indeed real and that we were actually watching the signal you’ll be able to watch in June — after your existing set-top gets a simple firmware update and assuming you have a 3D HDTV, that is. We have to say this is something we’re looking forward to and with every demo we become more convinced that 3D is actually going to take off.

Eyes-on with DirecTV 3D originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Article

Continue reading MyFord dash and Sync App Ecosystem hands-on

MyFord dash and Sync App Ecosystem hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Article

Dell’s laptop and desktop lineups may hog all of the attention, but the company’s range of LCDs have proven to be contenders over the years. Not one to shy away from the professionals in attendance, the company has today released its first-ever WQHD monitor: the 27-inch UltraSharp U2711. Boasting a native 2,560 x 1,440 resolution, this beast just may pack enough pixels to sway you back into the single-monitor camp. Dell’s also trumpeting the unit’s “billion-color depth and IPS technology,” and the 6-millisecond response time, 1,000:1 contrast ratio, 350 nits of brightness and a 12-bit internal processing help to round things out. For the pros who make ends meet by editing photos or video, you’ll probably enjoy knowing that this one boasts a 110 percent color gamut, factory-tuned Adobe RGB and sRGB modes (alongside a color calibration report), custom color adjustments and a smattering of mounting options.

You’ll also find just about every port known to man: HDMI 1.3, DisplayPort, DVI-D (x2), VGA, composite, component, USB (x4) and an 8-in-1 multicard reader. ‘Course, the actual aesthetics are nothing to write home about, but again, this one’s being targeted at end users who care less about the bezel and more about true-to-life pixel performance. We had a chance to toy around with the new beast, and frankly, we were mesmerized. Without an in-house color calibrator, we can’t speak for those who need oodles of numbers and bar charts to tell if a monitor is performing correctly, but we can say that the panel was remarkably sharp, crisp and accurate — more so than our (much adored) 24-inch 2408WFP, that’s for sure. Be prepared to catch this one next month with an MSRP of $1,049.

Dell goes pro with 27-inch UltraSharp U2711 WQHD LCD monitor (hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Article

Aluratek hasn’t been one to really rival the mainstays in the digiframe and e-reader markets, but the outfit’s latest portable media player looks atypically slick. Boasting an expansive 8.9-inch display and an almost slate-like look, the Cinepal arrives with 4GB of inbuilt memory, an SD / SDHC expansion slot, 720p display and a built-in Li-ion good for up to six hours of continuous use. Aside from playing back WMA and MP3 jams, it’ll also handle DRM-laced DivX files along with the usual assortment: AVI, VOB, DAT, MPEG, H.264, MKV, JPEG, etc. Best of all, the player is priced at just $179, and it’ll be available next month for the Yanks who care.

Continue reading Aluratek tempts with 8.9-inch 720p Cinepal PMP

Aluratek tempts with 8.9-inch 720p Cinepal PMP originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Article

Continue reading Acer rolls out new budget-focused Core i3 and Core i5 Aspire laptops

Acer rolls out new budget-focused Core i3 and Core i5 Aspire laptops originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

Buy This Item: [Click here to buy this item]

Article

VERNON — Vernon Business Development Corp. directors have signed a performance/loan agreement that could bring 100 jobs to town. The agreement was signed with Tangarie Alternative Power. Jan Bonner, BDC administrative assistant, said the papers …

Exploratorium After Dark

Tomorrow the Exploratorium in San Francisco will be hosting their first Thursday of every month series called The Exploratorium After Dark. This month’s theme is “Resolution” as in New Year’s Resolutions, however this resolution will follow along a more scientific definition, that being the “ability of our sensory ability to resolve two (or more) things as distinct from one another.”

There are over seventeen Art and science installations demonstrating a myriad of optical and tactile phenomena, including Mark Lottor’s Cubatron that graced Black Rock City this past year. If you’ve seen the Cubatron from across the playa and attempted to place it somewhere within your field of vision as you moved towards it, you understand how this optical resolution thing can work.

Melissa Alexander who organizes “After Dark” regularly participates in Burning Man and told me that the Exploratorium has a history of showing works by local artists of all kinds and there are quite a few pieces they’ve shown that were first seen on playa. The artists’ work from Burning Man tends to resonate with the kinds of work the Exploratorium has supported historically. There are some interesting parallels between the Exploratorium and Burning Man. At one time the Exploratorium was one of the few places in San Francisco that supported the kinds of artists who tend to work interactively and with technology, and the people interested in the Art and exhibits featured there are typically participants who are from a diverse cross section of the population.

The event is tomorrow so get there early to get in. The exhibits typically run from 6:30 to 9:30 and this is a one day event. The Exploratorium is at the Palace of Fine Arts, 3601 Lyon Street San Francisco.

Resolution
Thursday, January 7, 2010
6:00–10:00 p.m.
Bar opens at 6:00 p.m.
http://exploratorium.edu/afterdark/

Sharpen your senses at Exploratorium After Dark.

From sharpness to saltiness, distinguishable differences are the basis of perception. Discover the role resolution plays in how we see, hear, taste, and feel, and how our minds synthesize sensations into an understanding of the world.

Play with perception through special exhibits, build a pinhole camera, or behold your tiny surroundings in the Tiltshift-o-scope. Experiment with illusions, monkey with magnification, and size up your taste buds with a supertaster test. Explore the exquisite optics of Yumito Awano’s drinking straw sculptures and see days slip by in Ken Murphy’s A History of the Sky. Throughout the evening, thousands of LEDs will light up Mark Lottor’s Cubatron with spectacularly dynamic patterns.

for more information go to http://exploratorium.edu/afterdark/

Hope to see you there!

The era of 4G – WiMAX, basically – is dawning and the Overdrive from Sprint is the first creation in that brave, fast world. Sprint called out all the great ones, from Hesse, the CEO, to Ballmer, the other CEO, as well as a Frank Caliendo, that guy who does voices.

The device, which is shaped like a squarish hockey puck, is being touted as a hotspot away from your hotspot. It streams a 4G connection out of a package about as big as a stack of drink coasters.

We grabbed some photos of the characters in question and Sprint showed some of their funny commercials for the new device. Look for them because they’ll actually be good. The premise is that with the new overdrive four random people will enter your life to mooch your network – and never leave. Look for the bathroom scene.

No pricing or availability, but look for it soon in a WiMAX-capable area near you.

Crunch Network: TechCrunch obsessively profiling and reviewing new Internet products and companies

Audio from the Microsoft Keynote delivered at CES 2010 on Wednesday, January 6, 2010 in Las Vegas, NV.

 
Show Details:

Listen now:

Click the player below to stream this show to your browser: 

Subscribe:
Subscribe directly using your preferred podcasting tool:

Or, copy and paste this URL into a podcasting tool: http://feeds.feedburner.com/MajorNelsonblogcast

Download Latest Episode:

Download the latest episode to your computer or preferred device

New from electronics maker Parrot comes the AR.Drone, a Wi-Fi helicopter with dual cameras and augmented-reality video streaming, that you control using your iPhone or iPod Touch. Although the RC flyer is still in the prototype stage, Parrot has been demonstrating it at the 2010 CES show in Las Vegas. The AR.Drone features four rotors and interchangeable hulls for flying both indoors and outside. Built-in flight stabilization technology keeps the drone steady while you use your iPhone’s motion sensors to steer it remotely over the craft’s Wi-Fi network…

Tags: AR.Drone,
Augmented Reality,
CES 2010,
CyberQuad,
Helicopter,
iPhone,
iPod touch,
MEMS,
Remote Control

Related Articles:

• Parrot RKi8400 car stereo designed with iPhone in mind
• Parrot’s Bluetooth Hands-free Speakerphone accessory
• Visual Voicemail lets you see important messages at a glance
• Parrot announces sleek Philippe Starck designed wireless speaker system
• Parrot’s MINIKIT Slim hands-free speakerphone
• Bluetooth Wireless speakers can redefine the living space

Sony and Panasonic have announced a new technology that would increase the capacity of a single-layer Blu-ray disc from 25GB to 33.4GB. The new technology, dubbed i-MLSE (Maximum Likelihood Sequence Estimation) evaluation index, is achievable using existing Blu-ray laser diodes, and can subsequently be added to existing Blu-ray players with a firmware upgrade…

Tags: Blu-ray,
Panasonic,
Sony

Related Articles:

• Sony 8.5GB Double Layer recordable DVD launched
• Panasonic begins pilot production of 50-GIGABYTE Blu-ray Discs
• Netflix streaming coming to Sony PS3
• Sony release next generation Dual Layer burners
• New Sony rechargeable battery charges faster and lasts longer
• PS3 Wireless Controller Keyboard from Blaze

If I had to make a list of the most boring and thankless household jobs – then ironing would definitely be in number one spot. So anything that can make that tiresome task a little easier is worth a look. Panasonic’s new 360° Quick Multidirectional iron promises to not only reduce ironing time but it also makes side-to-side movements easier and can be used in any direction. ..

Tags: Consumer Electronics,
Ironing,
Panasonic

Related Articles:

• The Electrolux condenser tumble dryer uses steam to make ironing easier and saves on dry cleaning bills
• Iron with autolift
• A shirt-ironing machine from Siemens
• Ironman
• Pre-order Iron Man on Blu-ray
• New process for iron production cuts emissions by 90 percent

Eco Factor: Low-cost hearing aid runs on solar energy.

Statistics point out that over 600 million people in the world have a hearing impairment, but only 8 million use hearing aids. Reasons range from the high cost of hearing aids to non-availability of electricity to charge these devices. Howard Weinstein has created a device that can help transform the lives of deprived hearing-impaired individuals living in rural areas of the world.

(more…)