In this week’s AppDate, SEAN BACHER highlights Absa’s MasterPass, Cell C MiAssist, NordVPN for Android, PokerConnect and QualityTime.
Absa Masterpass
Absa’s new Masterpass App is a digital wallet powered by Mastercard, enabling South Africans to make payments with their phones wherever Masterpass is accepted. Payments via the Absa Masterpass App currently gives people the power to make online purchases using the digital wallet on their smartphones, without needing to carry their bank cards with them. Absa customers will also soon be able to do in-store shopping using Absa Masterpass, with a variety of merchants presently being signed up. Consumers can store all their MasterCard or other branded credit, debit or cheque card information, and shipping and billing address details, securely in the Absa Masterpass digital wallet. This gives them the ability to make secure payments wherever they see the Masterpass logo, without the hassle of entering these details each time they purchase an item using their Masterpass digital wallet.
Platform: iOS and Android
Expect to pay: A free download.
Stockists: Visit the store linked to your device.
Cell C MiAssist
Cell C and Cellfind have partnered up to launch Cell C MiAssist. Like many of the emergency apps available, the Cell C MiAssist app gives users access to pre-defined contacts at the click of a button. Once the panic button is pushed, the app uses Cellfind’s location-based technology to provide contacts with the smartphone’s GPS co-ordinates. Dedicated crisis managers are on call 24/7 and will immediately dispatch a road or air ambulance to provide life support and take the patient to the nearest hospital. In addition to providing help on the road, a home assist feature helps customers deal with home emergencies and also provides a list of emergency plumbers, electricians, etc., when urgent action needs to be taken to minimise damage to the home.
Platform: Android and iOS
Expect to pay: R45 per month
Stockists: Visit the store linked to your device.
NordVPN for Android
NordVPN is a virtual private network specially designed for Android. It is fairly easy to use as it requires no setup. All one has to do is select a destination on the interactive map to where an encrypted message needs to be sent. NordVPN offers in-app support via live chat and, besides being used to encrypt messages, can also be used to securely create a connection to video on demand services like Netflix.
Platform: Android
Expect to pay: R114 per month
Stockists: Visit the Google Play Store.
PokerConnect
PokerConnect is the first poker app that allows users to play across platforms offline through their PokerConnect app on the device – a great addition for players who have little or no Internet connectivity. The PokerConnect app serves as a digital poker table and gamblers have the option of playing with real money or with chips. PokerConnect offers a single-player mode where one plays against the computer, or multi-player mode where up to ten players can sit in at a table.
Platform: Android and iOS
Expect to pay: A free download.
Stockists: Visit the store linked to your device.
QualityTime
Have you ever wondered how much time you spend on your phone and on which apps you spend the most time? The QualityTime app measures this and provides a breakdown of the time you have spent on the phone. In addition to measuring the time a device has been used, it also lets one set break alarms for when a time-out from work is due. Users can also use QualityTime to turn off all notifications for a set period of time.
Platform: Android and iOS
Expect to pay: A free download.
Stockists: Visit the store linked to your device.
