Jay-Z - American Boy Live (Video)

The God MC Jay-Z was in Cork, Ireland. He performed a remix to Estelle’s ‘American Boy’.

2008 BET Awards Special

Thursday night the créame of hip hop r&b scene, met at the 2008 BET awards. Lots of awards were presented as every year and several artist came interpreted their latest hits like Usher, Lil Wayne, Alicia Keys, Chris Brown, Kanye West and more, all performances below , enjoy !!!!!!!!!!!

**Pre-Show**
V.I.C - Get Silly (Remix)
Sean Kingston - There's Nothing
Shawty Lo -Dey Know
Hoy Stylz Feat. Yung Joc - Lookin Boy

**Main Show**
Lil Wayne & T-Pain - Got Money, Lollipop & A Milli
T-Pain - Medley
Usher - Love In This Club
Nelly Feat. JD, Ciara & Fergie - Stepped On My J's & Party People
Alicia Keys - Teenage Love Affair
Chris Brown - With You/Take You Down
Young Jeezy & Kanye West - Put On
Rihanna - Take A Bow
Ne-Yo - Closer
Al Green - Love & Hapiness

Obama, T-Pain Rule the BET Awards

(LOS ANGELES) — T-Pain and Lil Wayne have owned the music scene over the past year: It seems as if T-Pain's voice has accented half the hits on urban radio, while Lil Wayne, another ubiquitous collaborator, has appeared on the rest.

So it was appropriate that both artists dominated Tuesday's BET Awards with not only their energetic performances but their presence, despite winning just one trophy each.

T-Pain, who led the nominees with five nods for his many collaborations — not his own hits — performed with his fellow nominees twice during the three-hour ceremony. He transformed the Shrine Auditorium into a circus with a multi-artist medley that showed his wide-ranging influence during his first appearance.

Wearing a spangled top hat, the rapper-singer shared the stage with fellow nominees Flo Rida, Rick Ross, Ludacris and Big Boi, along with a bevy of big-top freaks, including fire eaters and acrobats.

"This industry is my circus," said T-Pain. "Ride with the ringleader."

Then T-Pain gave a sample of his musical assists over the past year. Double nominee Flo Rida performed his hit with T-Pain, Low; a bare-chested Ross flaunted his gut while singing his song with T-Pain, Boss; and all joined in on the collaborative I'm So Hood.

He also joined Lil Wayne for the evening's final and much anticipated performance — a show-closing medley of Lil Wayne's hits.

Another name heard frequently throughout the night was that of Barack Obama. Diddy, Alicia Keys and other nominees used their time onstage to urge viewers to vote, and clearly showed their support for the Democratic presumptive presidential nominee, who could become the nation's first black president.

Other highlights from the three-hour ceremony included a girl group reunion; a stirring tribute to the Rev. (and soul legend) Al Green; and topless performance by ripped rapper Nelly.

The night's most memorable moments came in performance form. Keys, who was named best female R&B artist, invited SWV, En Vogue and TLC to join her onstage for a medley of their biggest hits. By the time they closed with TLC's Waterfalls, the crowd was on its feet.

After tributes by John Legend, Jill Scott and Maxwell, Lifetime Achievement Award winner Al Green delivered a smash performance of his own, hitting all the high notes on his hits Let's Stay Together and Love and Happiness, as Diddy, Ludacris and the rest of the awards-show audience sang along.

"I'm sorry I didn't sing as well as I could. I got scared," a modest Green, 62, confessed backstage.

Queen Latifah introduced Humanitarian Award recipient Quincy Jones, calling him "an international artist" and "a leader."

"He showed us black entertainment is more than just a hustle," she said. "It's more than just selling albums. It's about inspiration."

Easy ways to spend less and save more (18 Ways to Beat Inflation)

1. Gas - Conserve Fuel in Any Car

5% of your household budget, up 21% from a year ago

Underinflated tires can cut your mileage per gallon by 5%, says Jesse Toprak of Edmunds.com. Check your tires once a month.

And lose the lead foot: You can save up to 33% by maintaining steadier, slower speeds.

Potential savings: About $800 a year - not to mention what you'll save in speeding tickets.

2. Gas - Take Advantage of Your Credit Card

If you pay in full each month, pick one, like Chase Freedom, that gives cash back on gas.

Forget it if you carry a balance: Rewards cards usually charge higher rates.

Potential savings: Up to $200 a year

3. Gas - Get Rid of the Guzzler

Making your next car a hybrid could triple your mileage per gallon. If gas stays above $3.60, a Toyota Camry hybrid makes up for its premium over the standard model in a year and a half.

Even if you don't go hybrid, choosing the most fuel-efficient vehicle in your car class can still save $200 to $1,500 a year in fuel costs.

Potential savings: $2,400 a year if you trade an SUV for a hybrid

4. Food - Learn Stupid Supermarket Tricks

14% of your household budget
Up 5% from a year ago

Stores use all kinds of marketing ploys to get you to buy more than you ever intended. "The supermarket is set up so that you will buy on impulse," says Marion Nestle, author of "What to Eat." The more you see, the more you purchase.

That's why they make you march all the way to the back to buy milk and they keep the aisles long and unbroken. So bring a list and stick to it, and never shop when hungry or tired, as you'll find it harder to resist temptation.

And search high and low. "The cheapest items are often on the top and bottom shelves, since companies pay for prime space on middle shelves and aisle ends," says Paco Underhill, author of "Why We Buy."

Potential savings: Up to $1,200 from cutting out just half of unplanned purchases

5. Food - Know When to Stock Up

You can get a weekly list of items going on sale at your local store, including sales that aren't advertised, at thegrocerygame.com.

Potential savings: More than $1,000 a year

6. Food - A Little Home Cooking

Putting a homemade meal on the table five to seven nights a week the way your mother did may seem daunting.

In the new age of the Food Network and Williams-Sonoma, lots of moms and dads know how to whip up a mean saffron risotto for a Sunday night but never got the knack for the day-to-day basics.

To bone up on your home ec, check out Mitchell Davis' "Kitchen Sense" and Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything," which are loaded with recipes for quick and simple meals.

If you plan entrées with overlapping ingredients and buy everything for the week at once, you can not only save money but, often, put a dinner together in the time it would take to pick up takeout.

Potential savings: $50 a month

7. Home Energy - Seal Up Your House

4% of your household budget
Up 9% from a year ago

To find air leaks, conduct a home-energy audit following the instructions at energystar.gov or hire a pro to do it for $200 and up.

You can cut up to 25% of your heating and cooling costs by adding insulation and using caulk, spray foam and weatherstripping to seal leaks around windows and doors and in attics and basements.

Potential savings: $1,375 in five years, after materials

8. Home Energy - Get Efficient

Install an Energy Star programmable thermostat for $60 to turn down the heat when you sleep and raise it in the morning. (This makes climbing out of bed easier too.)

Be sure to change the air filter in your heating and cooling system at least every three months.

Potential savings: $220 a year

9. Home Energy - Slay the Vampires

So-called vampire appliances suck electricity even when you aren't using them.

Plug devices with standby power, such as TVs and stereos, into a power strip so you can turn them all off at once. (Some have timers to switch off at night.)

To further cut your electric bill, replace regular bulbs with compact fluorescents.

Potential savings: More than $300 over five years

10. College - Contribute to a 529 Plan Early and Often

1% of your household budget
Up 6% from a year ago

These state-sponsored plans let you exclude your college-savings earnings from federal and state taxes. Says Mark Kantrowitz of FinAid.org: "The long-run return, with the tax savings, typically exceeds the normal 6% to 8% yearly tuition increase."

For calculators to estimate your total costs, as well as details about your state's 529, go to finaid.org and savingforcollege.com. To find out how much a school will cost, use the calculator to the right.

If your local plan charges more than 0.5% a year, consider another state's. (Note that you might lose a state tax deduction on contributions, but this is sometimes worth it.)

Opt for an Illinois or Ohio direct program - both offer investments with low fees and strong management.

Potential savings: About $5,000 in tax savings over 10 years

11. College - Max Out Cheap Federal Aid First

Before applying for any private loans, take out the maximum in federal, typically Stafford, loans. Their fixed rates - 6% to 6.8% - are generally less than private lenders' variable rates.

After you tap out Staffords, federal parent PLUS loans are generally the best deal.

Potential savings: $8,000 on $27,000 in loans in 10 years

12. Medical Costs - Choose Your Deductible Wisely

6% of your household budget
Up 4% from a year ago

If your company gives you a choice, you may be tempted by the lower premium on a high-deductible health plan.

These work for some people, but you face more financial risk if you get sick, and you may have to pay full price for most prescriptions until you meet the deductible.

High-deductible plans are generally best for younger people without health problems; others should stick with traditional plans.

Potential savings: High-deductible plans could save you $750 a year in premiums. But if you get seriously ill, a traditional plan could mean thousands less in bills.

13. Medical Costs - Don't Pay Taxes You Don't Have To

If you have a qualifying high-deductible health plan, make sure to contribute to a health savings account to fund your current and future medical bills.

If you have a traditional plan and your employer offers a flexible spending account, sign up. It lets you use untaxed salary to pay for many out-of-pocket health expenses.

Potential savings: About $280 for every $1,000 set aside

14. Medical Costs - Don't Be Afraid to Haggle

If you go out of network or are in a high-deductible health plan, ask the doctor for a discount.

You can get an idea of reasonable prices at your insurer's website or, for an $8 fee, at healthgrades.com.

One poll says that 60% of patients who negotiate with a doctor succeed. Your best bet: Offer to pay up front in cash.

Potential savings: $85 for a specialist consultation

And don't forget...

A dollar saved is a dollar saved, so you should look to trim any needless cost, even on goods not jumping in price. Here are four easy ways to find extra money you didn't even know you were spending.

15. Ask your credit-card issuer if you can get a lower rate.

16. Don't use all your minutes? Change cell plans.

17. Look at your insurance. You may want to lower the premium for your car insurance, for example, by raising your deductible.

18. If you really aren't going to the gym anymore or those Netflix envelopes sit there unopened, stop putting off the inevitable: Cancel.
Copyrighted, CNNMoney. All Rights Reserved.

10 Reasons to Ditch Your Blackberry for the iPhone continues

5. Web
The premier mobile internet browser is Safari on the iPhone, in fact measuring Safari on the iPhone against Blackberry’s Browser just isn’t fair. It is safe to say that the Blackberry’s weakest point has been their web browser.

Many people continue to say that they can’t stand the iPhone’s soft keyboard. Well, I’m of belief that web browsing WITHOUT a touch screen is a worse experience. Scrolling the trackball to find a section of a site you want to look at (mind you, it isn’t readable until you zoom in) and then clicking in to zoom is a painstaking, roundabout process.

4. Consistency
What I don’t miss about Blackberry is the lack of consistency in the settings and options. Some programs could be downloaded OTA (over-the-air) while other applications needed to be imported from your computer. Settings seemed to be here, there, and who knows where. It was too much work trying to get things right.

3. Innovation
I feel that in most aspects, the Blackberry is always a step behind from the competition. Aside from e-mail of course, which they hit the pop culture jackpot with, there are certain features important to me that they’ll always be chasing Apple and other phone makers. That’s how my mindset was when I was using the Blackberry—the programs and applications I used, other phones had better.

A big difference between Apple and RIM is that RIM is rooted in being a phone maker whereas Apple comes from the world of computers. The best phone is probably neither of them, hell it could probably be a Nokia somewhere, but being the best phone doesn’t concern Apple. Apple is reaching for goals that RIM doesn’t seem capable of understanding. Because RIM is trapped in delivering a phone first, they aren’t thinking in a wavelength where innovation in mobility can occur.

Can you imagine RIM (as Bold as they claim to be) pushing voicemail into something users don’t hate? How about utilizing a slick technology like CoverFlow? Multi-touch? The form-factor of Blackberries will change but I’m afraid the OS might become as archaic as Palm. Compounded with the fact that Apple makes the finest ‘real’ OS (UI-wise) in the land, wouldn’t you think they’ll implement as much of it as they can in the iPhone?

2. OS
I just always felt that the Blackberry trapped everything into that little device whereas the iPhone opened it up. Strange I know, considering there aren’t any 3rd party apps for the iPhone. With the Blackberry, I needed to dig to make it work. Using little menu screens with a slow trackball makes little sense compared to flick, tap, touch. With the iPhone you don’t have to learn a new OS, everything that’s in there is at your fingertips.

Maybe RIM’s reliance on third party apps isn’t a good thing for Blackberry. To use the Curve on a Mac you would need MissingSync, BB Smart HTML E-mail Viewer, Opera Mini, a better music player, a better alarm, etc. For me, all those things are must purchases/downloads if you were to commit to a Blackberry. Well with the iPhone, Apple provides better options than those third party apps, standard. (Now, if only I can just buy push e-mail)

1. The Present Future
Honestly, the customizable nature of the Blackberry confused me. I want things clear-cut, show me what I can have and I’ll pick and choose from there. With the Blackberry I had to constantly double check with other users to see if I was using it correctly and if the programs I chose were the best out there.

I’ve realized that in order to take advantage of everything the Blackberry has to offer, you have to be an active user. Meaning you have to constantly peruse the forums and blog sites to know what’s going on in the Blackberry world. Blackberry does a good job of OS updates but keeping all the users in the know is difficult because they don’t have an outlet like iTunes.

With the advantage of iTunes, Apple has the comfort of knowing anyone who uses an iPhone will know when the next update comes and what it will do. Also the syncing capabilities are clear cut, I am certain that my photos, music and calendars are on the iPhone because iTunes has it checked. In the future, the App Store should also help users remain “in the know” about their devices because a simple click from your iPhone could deliver all the new goodies you need (but of course, you shouldn’t live without TiPb!). The simplicity of the whole process makes it hard for me to ever imagine using a non-iPhone.

I have infinitely more faith in the Apple phone revolution than being in RIM’s boat as it happens. Because I know Apple, I know Mac. I know the simplicity of the user experience and I trust them enough to deliver it to my handheld. From my experience with Blackberry, the entrenched veteran is just as far away as the promising rookie, Apple, from delivering the perfect device. So what does that say?

Final Thoughts
I remember my first thought of the Blackberry was “Is this it?”. Looking at the Curve, I realized that the Blackberry was not as powerful a device as I originally imagined. Productivity-wise, it was fine. But the lack of syncing to Mac, the buried settings, the old-looking OS, etc.—it left me wondering where the heck was the ‘crack’?

But the Apple way of doing things isn’t for everybody. Power users would prefer a gadget tailor made to their likings and usage, and that is fair. I just found the active part of being a Blackberry user too tiresome. I wanted a gadget that just did it for me. And the iPhone was that gadget.

Apple and RIM are each other’s antithesis. RIM locks themselves in being great with what is easy (keyboard, push e-mail) and inches toward improving the more difficult (media, web). Apple, on the other hand, does the opposite: innovates the ‘impossible’ but lacks the commonplace features.

There are some things that the Blackberry does really well that the iPhone needs to learn from. But for the most part, it seems like Blackberry doesn’t have innovation in the areas that have room to innovate. Push e-mail won’t get any better that it already is. But the iPhone can get better, and will.