Jason Branch

Facebook buys Instagram for $1 Billion

The social media giant Facebook has just finished a deal to acquire popular photo sharing app Instagram. This deal comes off the heels of last weeks android release which was a sure bonus point in the purchase. The billion dollar purchase might be a high price for a company whose last valuation was at 550 million but Mark  Zuckerberg was not taking a backseat to competing buyer Google. Contrary to common opinion Instagram will remain a standalone company with its own branding and design. Founders Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom have an encountered and entrepreneurial dream; being acquired by an industry giant. Nonetheless for a company that generates no revenue one has to wonder why the purchase for such a hefty price? The simple answer is control. The tech power houses Apple, Google, Facebook. Zynga and Yahoo have long been acquiring smaller companies that are on the cusp of interweb fame. This power tactic is as old as the internet itself. To remain competitive in an ever emerging world one has to beat the competition. What better way to beat the competition that to own them. With Facebook know having its own platform for photo sharing there is little left for the social media giant to dominate. The social graph is becoming more interwoven with each acquisition. Who's next to be acquired?

Jeremy Lin signs endorsement with Volvo: Too much, too late?

Jeremy Lin has reportedly signed an endorsement contract with Swedish car manufacturer Volvo. The numbers and intricacies of the deal have yet to be released but the New York star can look forward to being the new face of Volvo's marketing campaign. This deal begs the question is this endorsement too much too late? There is no denying the talent that Jeremy Lin has. Averaging 14 points 6 assists and 3 rebounds for the Knicks as a  starter he has proven to be more than the savior  New York has asked for. Nonetheless one can only speculate that the team has dark days ahead of them with leader of the helm Mike D'Antoni resigning. If one of the best offensively minded coaches can't contain a roster packed with some of the best offensive talent in the NBA where are the Knicks really headed? Unfazed by the fame Lin seems to be dealing with the new found stardom relatively well. The collected 23 year old refuses to flinch to nagging questions during press conferences and frequently takes the blame for a loss when he and his fans know he could have performed better. Surely this is the trophy spokesman any company would want for their brand but is the endorsement passed its prime? With the Knicks fairly below .500 and the Linsanity buzz at its lowest metric reading since the golden child graced the hardwood we have to wonder if the celebration is over. Can his performances be sustained and his success continue or will he be the silhouette of a star that once was with endorsement deals for companies who were victim of the moment. It might be public assumption that the Lin craze has dimmed  and threes nothing to fuss about anymore but this endorsement could not come at a better time. Lin on the verge of losing his starting spot, new coach Mike Woodson, and a struggling record are all propellants in Jeremy Lin's quest to resurrect the defunct Knicks. What a better time to pick a star who is slated to propel a struggling to team into the last playoff spot in their conference and muster a last few regular season wins to excite a city which will only increase his buzz and the legitimacy of the marketing target. Getting the Knicks into the playoffs will once again make Lin a household and cover of newspapers everywhere. Volvo couldn't have picked a better person to reinvent their brand. Perfect Timing  

New Nas "The Don"

The Queensbridge savior returns with a new single of his upcoming album "Life is good". Nas once again flexes over an nontraditional beat proving that he can hang with the new cats and new sound. Beat produced by Salaam Remi, Da Internz and co-produced by Heavy D. Hopefully we can get a release date some time soon.  

Nike opens up Nike Fuelband API to developers for music hacks

Nike recently released a soon to be staple product among athletes the Nike fuelband. In a partnership with startup Backpane Nike will open a beta version of the Nike Fuel API: the software behind the Nike fuelband for developers who are looking to combine music with the Fuelband. The event hosted at SXSW along with Backpane's music hackathon will feature judges with the likes of  President of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Jay Brown, along with reps from Spotify, Pandora, and SoundHound. The fuelband was designed to help athletes and non athletes alike to keep track of movements and exercise while setting personal fitness goals.  The Nike fuelband gives a new meeting to the term personal fitness trainer. Allowing you to check your progress on your mobile phone Nike puts personal accountability at your fingertips. Adding music to the equation from will make many non believers interested giving the fuelband a chance allowing them to workout while listening to their favorite tracks.   Nike always finds a constructive way to innovate, they might have a gem here with the Fuelband.

Big K.R.I.T releases new mixtape: 4Eva N A Day

The long awaited Big K.R.I.T mixtape has finally come. After his debut album being pushed back for an unknown feature K.R.I.T refuses to disclose, he only saw it fitting to hold his fans over with something for the time being. K.R.I.T displays his unique lyrical ability over his staple southern influenced self produced beats. Staying true to his country roots he encourages other to do the same and have pride their region on "Country rap tunes".  Classic K.R.I.T rhyming flow has never been more noticeable than on "Red eye" going back on forth with hardships of maintaining a relationship and a rap career at the same time. K.R.I.T wastes no time discussing trust issues juxtaposed with his temptation and lust, unable to choose between love and music.   Hopefully his debut album will solidify his spot as one of hip hops rising stars but as K.R.I.T says on the tape "I'm not worried about the mainstream, love from the underground is forever". Download HERE Tracklist below

MUST WATCH: STOP KONY CAMPAIGN

Social media has long been a fervent catalyst in social change. Activist Jason Russell has decided to use social media to spur politicians and celebrities to take action against injustice in Uganda. Russell started his "Stop Kony" campaign after meeting a young man by the name of Jacob and hearing his story of poverty and injustice. Jacob like many other children in Uganda is a victim on the tragic environment that vicious war criminal Joseph Kony has created. Kony is the leader of the leader of LRA(Lords Resistance Army) who kidnaps children and trains them to be ruthless killers. Join Russell's fight today and help spread the word around the world. You don't have to be a humanitarian just compassionate about humanity. Too often good causes fall on deaf ears and go unnoticed. As a generation of social technology and advancement let's use our voice to help those who can't speak for themselves. Speak out. Reach out. Watch the video and spread the word. Join the movement and stop injustice today. www.kony2012.com

Jeremy Lin gets a mural

Rising New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin is on top of the world. Averaging 14 points and 6 assists for the current season, the Knicks savior is hitting the cover of every magazine, has the highest selling jersey in the nba store and is rumored to have a looming shoe contract with Nike. Amongst all this new found fame  that he has received, after spurring the Knicks to victory countless times this season, artist TATS Cru has Lin depicted holding up the earth as if he could bare anymore pressure on his 6'3 frame. One can only  hope the rising star continues his on the court success possibly giving the Knicks a chance in the post season this year. Perhaps the hopes of a city are far greater than the weight of the world. (via AnimalNewYork)

Studies show Mac users are more fashionable than PC users

Recent facts prove that you were right. According to studies Mac users are more fashionable than there PC counterparts. The question is quickly becoming an age old debate between Mac and PC users. The onset of the famous Mac vs PC commercials have spanned over four years now and the verdict is finally validated and true, no marketing needed. The debate is over victory conceded.   Bundle's study shows that Mac users on average shop at more expensive, fashionable and savvy stores compared to PC users. After collecting data from 700,000 participants Bundle found that Mac users tend to be more fashion forward and sartorially inclined. One could also attribute this to the sheer fact that Macs significantly cost more than PCs and apple users are just generally more affluent than their counterparts. The study shows on average Mac users are 30% more likely to shop at Barney's New York, Jimmy Choo and Henri Bendel than PC users.  Another factory might be that Macs are more often than not used by designers, video editors, directors, web designers, artist etc. These groups tend to be your taste makers, trendsetters and fashion forward thinkers. A small demographic of Mac users but perhaps this is the driving demographic behind the results of these studies. When's the last time you saw the owner of your favorite clothing brand on a PC ?   (via Bundle)

MTV's app for finding new artist

MTV recently took the beta label off its android/ios app Music Finder. The app dubbed "Music Meter" helps you find and track the buzz around your favorite new or emerging artist. No matter how disappointed you are with MTV that they didn't put your favorite artist at a higher spot in the hottest MCs in the game list they're sure to have you crawling back with this app. Music Finder helps you find that emerging rappers mixtape you've been looking for or that indie band's staple song that you can't get out of your head. Topping more than a million artist in its system Music Finder is sure to have you looking like the musical genius amongst your friends. Music lovers are going to want to make sure to use the app to check tweets, photos and rate their favorite new artist to help spread the buzz. Get the app today.

Modasuite launches online menswear shop

The menswear gods and the tech geeks have teamed up to offer the world a new way to continue being lazy and fresh. Men's clothing company Modasuite has developed a site dubbed "Frank & Oak" that allows subscribers to purchase clothes without leaving there home. The dynamic of ordering in has come so far as to get outfits in bundles online. Subscribers go on the Frank & Oak site and browse preferences, after selecting a couple the site renders selections that it would see best fit for the user. Once a month a newsletter is set out with new selections on sale that a user gets to choose from. The items are shipped to you free of charge and the ones you don't like you send back. Online shopping has been a major factor of retail since the dawn of the interwebs but is this the best thing since the invention of the wheel and spotify or is it just perpetuating universal laziness. That blazer you were so eager to buy and hated the thought of trudging to the mall fall and now be delivered to you for no shipping cost. Traditional retail sites might never be the same again if this model is adopted other manufacturers and retailers. Niche sites like these offer a bigger advantage than your favorite boutique or mall, they cater to your specific preferences. Menswear is forever evolving and this is just a stepping stone for the average man's journey from run of the mill slop wear to sartorially inclined.  Frank & Oak is gives you your own personal Tom Ford or Mark McNairy in the confines of your home. Any menswear or fashion enthusiast is sure to consider this a rare gem.   (Photo via Frank and Oak)

Game controller for ipad and iphone

Video game junkies around the world have been brought a treat to complement Steve Job's brainchild's. Earlier last week tech firm iCade brought the masses an NES inspired controller for the ipad and iphone called "8-Bitty". The controller connects to ipad and iphone via Bluetooth and works just like controllers from years past. Fans of sega genesis and Atari are sure to call this a holy grail imitation from the glory days. The list of compatible games is small but rapidly growing and can be found here. The idea of another device to carry around might be cumbersome in theory but reliving video game heydays is priceless compared with all upscale technology now. Hardcore gamers who are tired of PlayStation and Nintendo handhelds who have become apple product converts are going to fall in love with this device. The 8-Bitty is standard to most video game controllers today with a directional pad, start/pause buttons and 4 action buttons. This is the closest thing a  gamer can hope for next to the remake of Sega genesis or Dreamcast. The 8-Bitty is available now at Thinkgeek for 24.99. (Photo via Pcmag.com)