SecondMarket opened up its private company stock marketplace in early 2009 and gave employees at hot startups something they never had before – an organized place to sell their stock even before the company went public or was acquired. For the first time the company is releasing information on private company buy/sell demand and completed transactions.
Most companies don’t like SecondMarket one bit, at least at first blush. Companies don’t want random outsiders holding their stock before they’re public. And they don’t like some employees having liquidity events before others, it tends to screw around with morale. And there are also legal and tax issues. Stock options must be priced at “fair market value” or both the employee and company face tax consequences. The board of directors usually sets the common stock price at a fraction of the preferred price. But when there are verified third party purchases on places like SecondMarket, the companies have to use those sales as a guide. The result is higher priced options for all employees.
But we’ve seen a big evolution in startup stock dynamics over the last year. Companies like Facebook and Zynga have created controlled secondary markets for their employees to sell stock, generally at around 65% of the preferred price. Yelp seems to be doing the same. Giving employees a way to “take some money off the table” isn’t such a bad thing after all. Think of it as releasing some of the steam in the pressure cooker.
So about that data. → Read More
This is technically a DIY project, but I don’t know how many people are actually capable of doing this modification. What’s so scary about it? I dunno, shoehorning a Core Duo processor into a Sony Vaio UX17, one of the smallest netbooks available. Obviously this is a one off, so don’t expect to see it for sale any time soon. → Read More
I try to stay active in the “video games cause this or that” debate, because usually it’s stodgy old men with conflicts of interest and think all games are Doom, talking about how a 15-year-old kid took a gun to school because Grand Theft Auto told him to. That’s easy to fight. But when they’re right, they’re right: it seems that kids in the UK are spending so much time indoors with their screens that they’re increasingly developing complications of vitamin D deficiency. In other words, they’ve got rickets. → Read More
Make found these wonderful floating space robots designed to fly in formation in zero gravity. How do they do it? These things, called Spheres, use compressed air to spin in place – but not as fast as you see here. → Read More
I don’t care how you feel about magician David Blaine. Watch the TED video after the jump where he tells the story about his journey to break the breath holding world record. It’s fascinating and he’s actually a good storyteller. But be warned, you’ll probably spend the next 20 minutes watching the video and gaining respect for David Blaine. I did. → Read More
Finding a case for your computer is easy. Finding one that unique and still protects your computer can be a whole different story. Sure, leather is nice. Neoprene protects really well, and there are assorted other products that will protect your Mac Book, but they all look the same. Here’s your chance to use something that’s custom and unique – the BookBook. Based on the concept of hiding in plain sight, the BookBook case resembles an antique leather bound book, aged and distressed by years of contact. → Read More
Yeah, this is likely the best thing you’ll watch today. That is, of course, if Borderlands stole the last few months from you. → Read More
There are people beta testing OnLive out there, and of course after our various looks at the remote gaming service (and my repeated statements of skepticism) we try to keep up to date. PC Perspective has a nice, lengthy write-up of the beta, which you should read in its entirety if you’re particularly interested. However, the reduction of PC Per’s sauce is this: for certain games, and for certain gamers, it may just be a good solution. But for power players it just isn’t an option. → Read More
Short version: Razer’s newest is more right-hand-oriented than ever and has a couple extra buttons. But while it may fit some hands better than the Death Adder, I don’t think it’s a definite improvement. That said, it’s worth a look if you haven’t found “your” mouse yet. → Read More
Everyone is familiar with the traditional EKG – you lie in the hospital bed, the leads connected to your body, and recording your heart rate and other vital statistics. But what if it was all wireless? What if you didn’t need to be in the hospital stuck in bed to be monitored? → Read More
Everyone is awaiting Apple’s tablet device. Some people (like me) won’t shut up about it. Others (like Paul) won’t shut up about shutting up about it. And while no one is exactly certain what its main use will be, there are no shortage of signs pointing to a definite role as a new way to consume written media. And several old-school publishers seem to be tripping over themselves to get on board the device as print media continues to wither. Personally, I’m excited about the possibility of a resurgence of long-form journalism. And while I’m skeptical as to just how well any device can change our growing collective desire for faster content over better content, I hold out hope because of the way I currently use my Amazon Kindle.
The Kindle, while not the Apple Tablet, is an excellent device for doing one thing: reading. And when matched with the super-fast bookmarking service Instapaper, it’s perhaps the ultimate long-form article reader. And an update this week made it ever better. → Read More
So… “Data Logger Visualization Technology.” That’s a long and uninformative name. Technology that visualizes… data. Data that was at some point logged. What they’re trying to say is that they loaded up a real race car with monitoring gadgets and took note of a bunch of data — steering, throttle, G-force, and all that stuff — and logged it into a file. This file can be read by Gran Turismo 5 and produce essentially a 1:1 recreation of an actual real-world lap.
Sure, you could race your own ghost, but why would you, when you can race Michael Schumacher’s? → Read More
http://cdn.livestream.com/grid/LSPlayer.swf?channel=crunchgear&clip=pla_72a83ffc-930e-49c8-9061-2165c71a8040&autoPlay=false Watch live streaming video from crunchgear at livestream.com Here is our live video interview with Casey Hudson of the Mass Effect 2 team. Enjoy! → Read More
During the 2010 GSM World Mobile Congress, TechCrunch Europe will be returning to Barcelona for yet another interactive and live-video-streamed session featuring some of the most innovative and interesting mobile startups and investors in Europe.
We are releasing a limited number of early bird tickets now – please go here to get yours!
To submit your idea for a speech/presentation, apply to be a panelist, or apply to pitch your startup please contact editorial via email.
To enquire about sponsorship opportunities only contact Petra(@)TwistedTree.co.uk. → Read More
So this doesn’t really serve any practical purpose, but it’s definitely cool. One of the frequent contributors to Make just created a captive ring demonstration using an aluminum rod and a lathe. Pretty neat stuff. [via Make] → Read More
This is a story about Louie, a municipal sanitation worker. It’s called “Garbage Men.” It’s fiction. It takes place on January 27, 2010, the day and date of the big Apple announcement. It has mild profanity because that’s how people talk. \Alarm rings at 3:30am\ Louie: God damn it. After 10 years this doesn’t get any easier. → Read More
Like this – except, you know, with cell phones. If you were planning on buying two Verizon Palm Pixi Pluses (or, if you’re feelin’ nutty, one Palm Pre Plus and one Palm Pixi Plus), get excited. It looks like you’ll be walkin’ out of the Verizon store with a bit more cash than you expected. Yesterday afternoon, Palm sent us a note to confirm the pricing of the Pixi Plus and Pre Plus – which, as we expected, will set you back $100 and $150 respectively. Tucked inside that same e-mail, however, was one little detail we overlooked. → Read More
Sony has been working on the development of efficient bio-batteries since 2007, but the company hasn’t really come close to commercialization so far. The batteries, which exist as prototypes, can be recharged not by using methanol as fuel but glucose. And it makes sense, as a single bowl of rice contains the same energy as 96 AA batteries.
And using the bio-battery in real products might soon become reality, it seems. This week, Japanese toymaker Takara showcased a few radio-controlled toy cars that are powered by the Sony battery. Power is generated by using enzymes to break down glucose found in sugary drinks. Cola, juice, soda and sports drinks can be used, as long as the liquid contains around 7% glucose. → Read More
Not sure how we missed this robotic vacuum but this bugger uses lasers to scan your room and grab dust and lint as it goes. It’s quite cute how this little fellow does everything the Roomba does but, seemingly, it does it better. One more video after the jump. → Read More
Yes, Garbage Pail Kids. In 7-foot wall form. If you thought yesterday’s Star Wars Fathead was expensive at $100, then you may balk at the thought of spending $150 on a larger-than-life Garbage Pail Kids poster. → Read More
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