How Much Are You Really Paying for Your Smartphone?

from the Rap Up

Ever wonder why phone companies are able to sell you those purdy little smartphones for $199 and then impose a 2-year contract on you? Unbeknownst to many, the price of the phone is actually a down payment. The phone cost after 2 years amounts to thousands. If you own a smartphone, click on the photo above to see how much you’ll end up paying at the end of your initial contract. If you plan on trading in that Nokia 2600 for a smartphone, scan the map and pick your poison.

Barack Obama at NAACP Convention: Stop Making Excuses, Black Kids Need Aspirations Beyond ‘Ballers and Rappers’

From Bossip Staff

Barack Obama spoke at the annual NAACP convention and we have the highlights below

Happy Friday Everyone - I just wanted an excuse to post this

Everyone Involved In This Really Should Be Ashamed of Themselves

Cee-Lo |MTV Music

So Really Coke.......cheesy CGI = "Open Happiness". Lets not focus on the random ass artists featured in this thing (Cee-lo dress like a zebra...either lol...or groan). I'm just glad Janelle Monae is getting a paycheck of some kind.

Speaking of Twitter - Where the Hell is TWEET!!!!

I would have to say that there isn't anyone in the game I am checking harder for than Tweet. Every since she stepped on the scene in 2002 becoming the "Southern Hummingbird" of the industry i have been a stan. Few artist exhibit such grace and charm and true execution of talent.......as well as "grown woman swag"....mmmm.......so sexy....but damn...where the hell is Tweet. In 2008 she was rumored to release "Love Tweet" on umbrella records, even doing a brief promo stint and releasing a few singles that showcased her amazing vocals, but didn't much make an impact by way of mass consumerism. However, now this album has become urban folklore and Tweet is missing a golden opportunity to re-ignite her comeback.

I was mad when "Call me" became the official calling card of Verizon Wireless only because the commerical flagrantly took onus over the artist and her product branding the song as a gingle for Verizon even though it was her hit. However, times have changed and in the age of Twitter, Tweet is missing a golden opportunity for her own "follow me". Since its is so popular, she would have no problem aligning her persona with something that has already permeated into the pyche's of millions of social networkers. So essentially, she would be reaking the benefits of a brand that has extended itself into pop culture. Tweet and your people!!! GET IT TOGETHER - the industry is missy your contribution ma and we def need some true soul singers to step up to the plate and show these youngins how it use to be and needs to be done.

The Foreign Exchange & Friends Got That 'Purple' Stuff

"The Foreign Exchange - Purple Flip" [Featuring ?uestlove, Zo! and Carlitta Durand - Soon to be featured on my STL 09 Mixtape coming soon ]
==> LISTEN/DL <==

by Soulbounce

It would seem that Nicolay and Phonte of the Foreign Exchange know absolutely nothing about taking a break, since they manage to drop bonus after bonus with every blink of the eye. Today's gem harkens back to Prince's most purple era, and they are joined by frequent collaborator Zo! and Carlitta Durand with additional keys and vocals, respectively, with none other than ?uestlove on the percussion. As noted on FE's official site they "decided to share it with our fans not only as a token of appreciation, but also as a way of paying respect to one of our last living musical geniuses."

Twitter Expected to Make $144 Milli by 2010

By Bossip Staff

Sensitive Twitter info has been leaked by a website which shows the new Internet craze expected to rack in $144 million by 2010. TechCrunch, a technology blog, got hold of some very internal sensitive information about Twitter’s goals for the next couple years!

Twitter has a targeted revenue run rate of $140 million by the end of 2010, with the expectation it would record its first revenue — a modest $400,000 — in the third quarter of this year, according to a document TechCrunch published that it said was sent by a hacker.

Dated February, the document was labeled a Financial Forecast and outlined how Twitter expected to take in $4 million in revenue by the fourth quarter and maintain $45 million of cash in the bank.

By the end of 2013, Twitter hoped to sign up 1 billion users, post $1.54 billion in revenue, employ 5,200 people and make $111 million in net earnings, according to TechCrunch.

TechCrunch, which said it negotiated the publication with Twitter itself, added in the report that the document was unofficial and “certainly no longer accurate.”

Twitter was not immediately available to comment on the projections. The document published by TechCrunch did not provide details about how Twitter planned to get the revenue.