Monday, July 16, 2007
Vizio 42" Widescreen LCD HDTV w/ Digital Tuner, VW42LHDTV10A
They say offshoring is bad, but if this were made in the USA it would cost more than twice as much. Heck at this price, buy one for the bathroom too!
$946.00
The 37" is $668.00- now who can't afford that, Raise your hand?
Chismillionare says "I plan on giving them as stocking stuffers this Christmas!"
Do-It-Yourself Pensions- 401(k)'s to start offering annuities
Searching for a guarantee? Now add a guaranteed for life payment as one of your asset classes.
By KELLY GREENEJuly 14, 2007; Page R1
New products are helping people turn part of their 401(k)s into a steady paycheck in retirement. Here's how they work -- and what to watch for.
A number of companies are introducing products that for the first time allow workers to invest in annuities through their 401(k)s, the heart of many Americans' retirement savings. A 401(k), for the most part, is easy to understand and set up. But it doesn't offer a simple mechanism for creating a steady income in retirement. Annuities, by contrast, have long offered a way to generate a paycheck in later life but tend to be complicated, expensive and a general pain in the neck to shop for.
SHOPPING FOR A VARIABLE ANNUITY
The new products, in theory, offer the best of both worlds. Though currently offered at only a few dozen companies, the 401(k) option gives employees the ability to direct a portion of their 401(k) investment each month toward purchasing an annuity. Doing so can be cheaper than buying an annuity on the retail market (say, through an insurance agent or financial planner).
The new products, in theory, offer the best of both worlds. Though currently offered at only a few dozen companies, the 401(k) option gives employees the ability to direct a portion of their 401(k) investment each month toward purchasing an annuity. Doing so can be cheaper than buying an annuity on the retail market (say, through an insurance agent or financial planner).
GUARANTEE -- BUT AT WHAT PRICE?
Insurers sell two main types of annuities: fixed and variable. Fixed annuities are either immediate, which means a lump-sum payment is made up front in return for set payments over a specified period or for life; or they are deferred, meaning they are purchased either with a single payment, or with installments, invested over time before the payments start. Fixed annuities offered in 401(k)s generally are deferred, with your money mainly invested in bonds and other fixed-income securities. Variable annuities, also either immediate or deferred, are typically invested in a portfolio with a sizeable chunk of equities, meaning their value and income-payment level can vary based on those investments' performance.
Insurers sell two main types of annuities: fixed and variable. Fixed annuities are either immediate, which means a lump-sum payment is made up front in return for set payments over a specified period or for life; or they are deferred, meaning they are purchased either with a single payment, or with installments, invested over time before the payments start. Fixed annuities offered in 401(k)s generally are deferred, with your money mainly invested in bonds and other fixed-income securities. Variable annuities, also either immediate or deferred, are typically invested in a portfolio with a sizeable chunk of equities, meaning their value and income-payment level can vary based on those investments' performance.
Taxes for deferred annuities (including those in 401(k)s) generally are not owed until the payments are made. Those payments generally are taxed at ordinary income rates.
Although both fixed and variable annuities are available in 401(k)s, so far most employers offer only one or the other. So it's important to know the relative advantages or disadvantages of both
Although both fixed and variable annuities are available in 401(k)s, so far most employers offer only one or the other. So it's important to know the relative advantages or disadvantages of both
Record Efficiency for Plastic Solar Cells
Researchers find a new way to make cheap and flexible photovoltaic cells
A new process for printing plastic solar cells boosts the power generated by the flexible and cheap form of photovoltaics. Initial solar cells made with the technique can, according to a report in today's issue of Science, capture solar energy with an efficiency of 6.5 percent--a new power record for photovoltaics that employ conductive plastics to generate electricity from sunlight. Most photovoltaics are made from conventional inorganic semiconductors.
Flash Drive and SD reader in one!!!!
DataTraveler Reader
Now you can store, transfer and read files all in one affordable, convenient device. DataTraveler® Reader from Kingston® is a standard USB Flash drive with an onboard expansion slot to read SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCplus™ and with adapter (not supplied), miniSD, microSD, RS-MMC, MMCmobile™ and MMCmicro™ cards. The all-in-one form factor of USB Flash drive and card reader makes DataTraveler Reader ideal for users wishing to minimize the amount of devices they carry.
Now you can store, transfer and read files all in one affordable, convenient device. DataTraveler® Reader from Kingston® is a standard USB Flash drive with an onboard expansion slot to read SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCplus™ and with adapter (not supplied), miniSD, microSD, RS-MMC, MMCmobile™ and MMCmicro™ cards. The all-in-one form factor of USB Flash drive and card reader makes DataTraveler Reader ideal for users wishing to minimize the amount of devices they carry.
Riding on Eggshells?
JULY 23, 2007
Nissan Motor (NSANY ) says fabric coated with the thin translucent inner lining of eggshells is super comfortable.In January it introduced a textile coated with eggshell membranes as an option on its special-edition Bluebird Sylphy, making it standard for the midsize sedan in May. To develop the coating, it tapped Japan's Idemitsu Techno Fine, which uses membranes harvested from the discarded eggshells of a mayonnaise maker. The powdered membrane is applied to the cloth used for seats, head rests, and door trimmings. Idemitsu claims the coating absorbs moisture and reduces static electricity. It already markets the fabric for use in shoes, clothes, panty hose, and bedding.Japanese sumo wrestlers apply eggshell membrane directly to their skin to get rid of scars—a practice that originated with traditional Chinese healers. Nissan hopes the qualities it's claiming for the membrane-coated fabric will lure female car buyers. The move is also part of a push to incorporate more eco-friendly materials into its vehicles, says spokeswoman Pauline Kee. Other carmakers, too, have played up the natural origins of their auto interiors to bolster their green credentials: DaimlerChrysler (DCX ) uses coconut fibers, hemp, and sisal to stuff seats and head rests. Mitsubishi Motors has developed a bamboo-based plastic. And Ford (F ) is experimenting with seat foam made from soybeans.By Kenji Hall
Popular Mechanics Debunks Five Myths About Corvette SS
Rumors continue to swirl around Corvette's supercar, the SS (concept car shown here), which is still under development. Popluar Mechanics purportedly puts some of these rumors to rest:
1. The SS will have a manual transmission. False: the blown engine is too powerful for the manual; it will come with an automatic.
2. It will come with twin turbochargers, producing some 650 hp. False: it will use a single blower.
3. Only 3000 of these vehicles will be produced. True.
4. It will cost $100,000. True: The price might even climb to $125,000.
5. Chevy will drop the current high performer, the Z06, from its lineup. Who knows?
1. The SS will have a manual transmission. False: the blown engine is too powerful for the manual; it will come with an automatic.
2. It will come with twin turbochargers, producing some 650 hp. False: it will use a single blower.
3. Only 3000 of these vehicles will be produced. True.
4. It will cost $100,000. True: The price might even climb to $125,000.
5. Chevy will drop the current high performer, the Z06, from its lineup. Who knows?
Going to the mouse not all bad?
Cigar Bar Opens in Walt Disney World
Cigar-smoking fathers dreading the family trip to Orlando have reason to rejoice: Walt Disney World now has its very own cigar bar.
Fuego by Sosa Cigars opened in June on Disney's Pleasure Island, the adult-oriented area of the iconic Florida theme park. Fuego sports a bar that looks like a slab of melting ice, seating for around 30 people and a complete selection of alcoholic beverages.
A smoky, boozy bar may seem like an odd fit for Disney, best known for smiling children, charming music and an image reminiscent of America in the 1950s. Smoking is prohibited throughout much of Walt Disney World, and since 2000 Disney has allowed smoking only in designated smoking areas. In the Magic Kingdom, for example, there are 14 designated smoking areas, including "the alcove behind the clock tower" in Adventureland.
Sosa Cigars is part of the Arturo Fuente Cigar Family, and the Sosas have run a cigar shop in Disney for the past decade called Sosa Family Cigars, which stocks 80 cigar brands, humidors and cigarettes. Sosa is the only spot in Disney where one can buy tobacco products.
From the July 3 issue of Cigar Insider.
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