Livin’ it Up
Capitec Bank has launched a game called Livin’ it Up.
The game allows users to test their money skills in a virtual world, while picking up tips for real life. Users play as different characters, all trying to achieve typical financial goals South Africans are striving to save for – like putting a sibling through university or buying a car.
Built by Cape Town-based games and animation solutions provider Sea Monster, Livin’ it Up was created for Capitec as a fresh, innovative approach to building South Africans’ financial capability.
“We want people to think differently about their money and to learn while having fun,” says Jean Rossouw, head of financial education at Capitec Bank. “The emphasis is on how you plan and prioritise your spending to balance your immediate ‘wants’ with the dreams you have for your future.”
Players are required to use savvy money management strategies to deal with work and life events, including (occasional) load-shedding, while trying to save enough money to achieve their characters’ long-term goals. In the process, they get to design their own 3D homes and play a variety of career mini-games.
Platform: Android and iOS
Expect to pay: A free download
Stockists: The game can be downloaded here
Visit the next page to read about a personal safety “Black Box”, Makro’s WhatsApp service, Deezer’s 2019 recap, and a social platform exclusively for women.
MiBlackBox
MiBlackBox is a personal safety and virtual witness app that allows users to automatically send audio messages to their emergency contacts, along with their location, capture picture and video evidence, and track friends and family.
MiBlackBox enables location tracking with 48 hours of location history, including details of the cellphone battery levels of the person being tracked and the speed they were driving. This gives families peace of mind, especially over busy periods like December, as South Africans travel to their holiday destinations on congested and often dangerous roads.
In cases where users feel threatened or unsafe, they can push the app’s panic button, which triggers an automated and discreet call to MiBlackBox, which then initiates a voice recording on secure servers. The user’s location and audio message are sent out to all nominated emergency contacts, notifying them that the sender is in danger and needs help.
The recipients of the emergency message can choose to phone the sender, track their location from within the app or notify emergency services of the incident. It includes the ability to share emergency audio and even video messages with a location.
MiBlackBox allows users to:
- Use the panic button to record emergency audio messages that will automatically be sent to the user’s emergency contacts, along with location;
- Track friends and family with tracking history available for up to 48 hours;
- Capture video and photo evidence that is automatically uploaded to secure servers and shared with emergency contacts with a location. All photos, videos and audio recordings are saved and stored for up to three months. This data is fully encrypted so that no unauthorised person can access it;
- Search for and get directions to emergency services like hospitals, fire and police stations.
Platform: Android and iOS
Expect to pay: MiBlackBox is available for R14.99 per month or R149.99 per year. Alternatively, users can subscribe to a family package, which includes six members, for R49.99 per month, or R499.99 per year. All annual packages offer users two months of free app usage.
Stockists: Visit the Android or iOS app stores to download the app
Visit the next page to read about Makro’s WhatsApp service, Deezer’s 2019 recap, and a social platform exclusively for women.
Makro’s WhatsApp service
Makro recently announced that shoppers can now experience instant customer care and service by connecting with them directly on WhatsApp. Some of the features available in Makro’s chat offering include tracking orders, viewing current catalogues, accessing a digital store card, locating nearby Makro stores, and having frequently asked questions (FAQs) instantly answered in chat on WhatsApp.
Makro’s Intelligent Assistant (iA) was developed by Feersum Engine, and allows brands to connect with their consumers on the device of their choice. Feersum’s human-centred approach means that they’re constantly finding ways to improve the Makro user experience and, they say, will keep adding features to its chat service on WhatsApp.
Platform: Android and iOS
Expect to pay: A free download
Stockists: Customers can connect with Makro directly on WhatsApp by adding 0860 300 999 as a WhatsApp contact.
Visit the next page to read about Deezer’s 2019 recap, and a social platform exclusively for women.
My Deezer Year
Deezer now lets you see your most played artists, tracks and podcasts with #MyDeezerYear. Once on the Deezer website, it offers sharable cards for social media.
These are the stats My Deezer Year gives you:
● Your total listening time
● Your top artists, albums, tracks and genre
● Your most binged podcast
● Your new 2019 artist crush
● The track you’ve been secretly loving
● Your listening style (creature of habit vs. adventurer)
● Your animal rhythm (based on BPM)
● The decade you would relive if you could go back in time
● Your best SongCatcher find
● Your top sing-along song (most played with lyrics turned on)
Not a Deezer user? Head to www.deezer.com and they will give you the first three months of Deezer Premium free.
Platform: Most devices with an up to date Internet browser
Expect to pay: A free service
Stockists: View your stats by clicking here
Visit the next page to read about a social platform exclusively for women.
Giggle
Some may find the name irritating or even offensive, but giggle is a girls-only social networking platform designed to give women choice and control over their connections. The name is claimed to be “the collective noun for a group of girls”. It uses gender verification technology and biometric software that only allows girls inside the app. Trans-girls are welcome on the app, say its makers, as “giggle is for all girls”.
Giggle safely and securely connects one with girls who share similar interests using about a dozen categories, including room, travel, gigs, activism, support, health, beliefs, exercise, hobbies, mentoring & networking and social. Each category has subcategories, and users can find travel companions, roommates, freelance jobs, make-up artists and book clubs.
Giggle is a freemium platform. All categories, connections and communication are free to use. Giggle does offer premium upgrades for extra features (including “giggle invisible” for those who want more privacy, or “giggle peek” where users can see who’s liking their profile, and “giggle slide” for an instant connection – but both girls must have it to ensure consent always exists.)
Platform: Android and iOS
Expect today: Free to use with a paid for version offering addition benefits
Stockists: Download the app here