Square May Acquire Jay-Z’s Tidal Streaming Service [TECH]

Square Inc., the digital-payment company run by Jack Dorsey, has held talks to acquire the music-streaming service Tidal as part of a push to diversify, according to a person familiar with the situation.

Dorsey has discussed a potential deal with Jay-Z, the rapper and music mogul who acquired Tidal for $56 million in early 2015, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the talks were private. The negotiations may not result in a transaction.

Square declined to comment, while Tidal didn’t respond to requests for comment.

via Bloomberg

VW Says L1 Hybrid Is ‘Most Efficient’ Car in the World [CARS]

I'm a fan! Clocking in at over a 150 miles/gallon, I'm a HUGE fan. Check video of the car here.

FRANKFURT — The green theme of the Frankfurt auto show was consistent throughout the first news media day, and it reached its pinnacle at about noon, when Volkswagen introduced “the most fuel-efficient automobile in the world.”

No one argued.

Calling it, the L1 concept an automobile is something of a stretch, although it does seat two and moves on four wheels. But that’s where convention ends.

The bullet-shape L1 — perhaps the first-generation Honda Insight reinvented? — sips diesel to the tune of 1.4 liters per 100 kilometers (61 miles). It is a hybrid, and the diesel engine is supplemented by an electric motor. The carbon fiber-reinforced body shell weighs only about 280 pounds, and the whole car checks in at about 650 pounds, thanks to its aluminum brakes, carbon-fiber wheels, titanium hubs and ceramic bearings. The fuel tank — tank, indeed — holds just 1.7 gallons of fuel.

The L1 is incredibly small. In photos, it looks like a car. In the metal, it has the appearance of a small plane, to which someone forgot to attach the wings and a tail. Walter de Silva, Volkswagen’s head of design, says the shape “redefines classic and aesthetic vehicle traits. All of its moving parts are integrated so accurately that the body resembles a rocket or jet.”

Ergonomically, the interior offers a 180-degree view of the instruments and controls, and a round start button doubles as a shift lever for the seven-speed Direct Shift Gearbox transmission. For the display screen in front of the driver, VW uses high-contrast OLED (organic LED) technology.

VW says that the L1 hybrid will be available in 2010, in limited numbers.

via NYT

50 Cent Talks About Getting Rich And "The 50th Law" On CNBC [VIDEO]

This was actually pretty entertaining to watch. 50 and Author Robert Greene discuss their book The 50th Power, as well being business savvy. Closer to end 50 explaining that living in Mike Tyson's house helps him with frugality, and living within his means is pretty funny...though he'd have to concede that staying within his means still offers up plenty of wiggle room.

WATCH:

Disney to Buy Marvel for $4 Billion [BUSINESS]

I'm talking 4 comma, 9 zeros. Dot zero. Here we go! LOL Will this change the creative nature of any of the forthcoming films?

LOS ANGELES — The Walt Disney Co. is buying Marvel Entertainment Inc. for $4 billion in cash and stock, bringing such characters as Iron Man and Spider-Man into the family of Mickey Mouse and WALL-E.

Under the deal, which was announced Monday and is expected to close by the end of the year, Disney will acquire the rights to 5,000 Marvel characters. Many of them, including the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, were co-created by the comic book legend Stan Lee.

Disney CEO Robert Iger said Marvel's comic books, TV shows, movies and video games amounted to "a treasure trove of content." Iger said the deal would bring benefits like the ones Disney got from buying "Toy Story" creator Pixar Animation Studios Inc. for $7.4 billion in stock in 2006.

"The acquisition of Marvel offers us a similar opportunity to advance our strategy," Iger said, and "to build a business that is stronger than the sum of its parts."

Read the rest of the story here.

Nike's 'Hyperize' Ad: Durant, Lewis, Iquodala Salute '90s Hip-Hop [VIDEO]

In a hilarious new ad, Nike pays tribute to the glory days of '90s hip-hop (hat tip to AdFreak). The folks at Nike have assembled a faux rap ensemble called the Hyperizers featuring the Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant, the Orlando Magic's Rashard Lewis, the Cleveland Cavaliers' Mo Williams and the Philadelphia 76ers' Andre Iguodala.

Lewis ("Ice-O") sports a Kid N' Play-esque hairdo, Durant ("Velvet Hoop") looks like he stepped out of a Tribe Called Quest video, and Williams ("Fog Raw")...well, his hairstyle is certainly from a simpler time. Actually, the same can be said for some of the lyrics in this ad.

via HuffPo

Sprite Oral Sex Ad Banned In Germany [VIDEO]

Oh the EU!...or ewwww
Might be difficult picking a latter...

UPDATE:
The New York Press reports that a New York City-based director was responsible for the now-infamous Sprite ad, and that the spot was produced without Sprite's permission. The ad is the work of Max Issacson, and was not produced in Germany, according to the NY Press.

The NY Press spoke to John Jones IV, the male model pictured in the video: "The funny thing is, it's a spec commercial--it's not even real," Jones said.

Current TV initially reported that the ad had been banned from the air, for pretty obvious reasons. It combines oral sex and the desire for a refreshing Sprite to create a big finish that has to be seen to be believed. It even beats the climax of this similarly-themed ad.

WATCH: (UPDATE: Original ad was pulled from YouTube due to a copyright claim but you can view below courtesy of Young Turks here.

via HuffPo

Ace of Spades... Recession Proof!

Cristal still sells, but I'm not sure they are not seeing increased demand like boutique champagne brand Armand de Brignac. Ever since the co-sign from Jay-Z in Show Me What You Got video the "Ace of Spades" bottle of bubbly has garnered much attention from rappers across the spectrum. A report in the Independent states that the demand is so high that the winery could sell their 60,000-bottle production run several times over. The brand will reach its maximum production of 82,000 within three years. The Armand de Brignac Cuvees are priced from $300US per bottle and come in three varieties, Champagne Rose, Champagne Blanc de Blanc, and the Brut Gold.

Soon to be a birthday staple. Rawk...let's make it happen!


via Luxist

Recession News: 40,000 Jobs Lost Today

New series of posts called "Recession News" as I am completely amazed at the how badly things are going around the world. Some say its the everything coming to and end...I patiently wait, and try and spend and save as much as I can simultaneously. What good is your savings account if everyone is gone. Anyway, with jobs going like hot cakes just having one will be enough to stunt on a motherfu**ah!

WASHINGTON — The recession is killing jobs at an alarming pace, with tens of thousands of new layoffs announced Monday by some of the biggest names in American business _ Pfizer, Caterpillar and Home Depot.

More pink slips, pay freezes and other hits are expected to slam workers in the months ahead as companies desperately look for ways to survive.

...the mounting toll was visible Monday as roughly 40,000 more U.S. workers got the grim news.

Read the rest of the story here.

Whopper Sacrifice, Burger King's Facebook Promotion: Delete 10 Friends For Free Whopper

I think I may have 10 or so that can go...

Burger King has created an application for Facebook that allows users to delete 10 friends in exchange for a free Whopper.

Taking Klondike's "What would you do for a Klondike Bar?" motif to the next level, Burger King invites Facebook users to sacrifice 10 of their friends on the social networking site for a coupon for a free sandwich:

"What would you do for a free WHOPPPER? Now is the time to put your fair-weather web friendships to the test. Install WHOPPER Sacrifice on your Facebook profile, and we'll reward you with a free flame-broiled WHOPPER when you sacrifice 10 of your friends."

Sacrificed friends show up in a user's news feed. AdWeek offers more details on the promotion.

via HuffPo

New York Times Sells Front Page Display Ads For First Time

Happy New Year everyone! I'm back, and with something some of you might find interesting, I definitely did! Given the prestige of the newspaper I wouldn't expect something like this, but given the financial climate I probably shouldn't have been surprised. I read the article and walked away with the same sentiments as one of the commentators. Taking a guess that the front page would run you about 100k, 100,000 x 365 = 36.5 million. If this can keep folks at work, then more power to you. I guess the worry is that you turn the newspaper into say ad free for all.

NEW YORK — The New York Times, facing falling ad revenue like other newspapers, became the latest paper Monday to run graphical advertising on its front page.

The Times already has been selling such ads on the front pages of its business and other sections since 2006, and it has run tiny classified text ads on the front of its main section before. Graphical advertising, known as display ads, on the main front can command even greater prices, given the visibility.

"This high-impact placement represents an exciting new opportunity for our advertisers," said Denise Warren, chief advertising officer for The New York Times Media Group.

Although front-page ads might have been unthinkable years ago, today they hardly prompt a blink.

"I don't know how sacrosanct that front page is in a newspaper," said Sree Sreenivasan, a journalism professor at Columbia University. "I don't think in this particular economic climate, (you can) hold on to something for the sake of so-called tradition."

Read the rest of the story here.

Jack Daniels Shatter Projections...Recession? What Recession?

Well not quite shattered, but I wanted to tie in my image. I'm going to go ahead and take complete and undue credit for this...JD shots have entered into my order at the club/bar/restaurant as of late, and almost religiously. Though, I think folks stressing out from being so broke with Christmas looming could have something to do with it as well...maybe...

Brown-Forman Corporation reported that diluted earnings per share from continuing operations1 increased 13% to $0.94 and operating income increased 4% to $222 million for its fiscal 2009 second quarter. For the first six months of the fiscal year, diluted earnings per share increased 5% to $1.52, while operating income decreased 2% to $362 million. Adjusting for items in Schedule A of this press release, underlying2 operating income grew 5% for the second quarter and 4% for the first half of fiscal 2009.

Read the whole story here.

Rock Band Commercial Featuring Kobe Bryant, Alex Rodriguez, Tony Hawk And Michael Phelps [VIDEO]

Ode to the classic scene in "Risky Business." where Tom Cruise does the lip sync and dance.

New MacBooks!

Steve Jobs is definitely on his grind! Yesterday unveiling 3 new apple products including the MacBook, MacBook Pro, and 24" LED Cinema Display.

This drops the prices on the existing entry level MacBooks to about a $1000 which is a really good deal, but now you don't have the suped graphics card, and the large glass trackpad, sans button that will let you click anywhere...yeah, anywhere!