Volvo on Call
Volvo On Call (VOC), an app-based service that helps motorists to communicate with their cars, has arrived in South Africa.
It facilitates a multitude of tasks: with Volvo On Call, motorists can remotely lock or unlock the doors to their car, check the fuel level from their office desk, and cool or heat their car before they get it – all via smartphone, smartwatch, tablet or desktop.
With Volvo On Call a car becomes more than just a means of travel. It becomes a personal assistant. It can tell you about the best coffee spots in town and send the destination to your car’s navigation system. It knows when you have appointments, where they are, and how to get you there.
South African motorists will particularly appreciate the associated safety and security benefits. Motorists who forget to lock their car will get a notification message. Volvo On Call automatically contacts the emergency services if you are involved in an accident and tells them where you are.
Other capabilities of Volvo On Call include the ability to provide an in-car Wi-Fi hotspot, which can be accessed by everyone in the car.
The app can also show the location of the car on a high-definition map with directions, should you forget where you parked it in a car park.
Volvo On Call is a standard feature in South Africa with effect from model year 2020 Volvo derivatives. It is free of charge for five years. Thereafter, it can be extended for a small fee.
Drivers of vehicles other than Volvos can download the app for free and run it in demo mode.
Platform: Android and iOS
Expect to pay: A free service for five years there after it needs to be paid for.
Stockists: Download the iOS version here and the Android version here.
Money Transfer with Samsung Pay
Finablr, a global platform for payments, and Samsung Electronics America, have introduced a Money Transfer feature in Samsung Pay. This new in-app international money transfer service, a first of its kind in the US, offers users seamless and secure cross-border payments to 47 countries through a variety of payout methods, within Samsung’s native mobile wallet. The service combines Samsung Pay’s convenience, scale and security with Finablr’s international reach, and 40 years of cross-border payment expertise to put mobile payments into the hands of millions of consumers.
Money Transfer promises the following benefits:
- Convenience – The service gives users the ability to send money seamlessly to their recipients through a variety of digital and physical payout methods in 47 countries, with just a few taps on their phone. Consumers simply open the Samsung Pay app and the tools are right at their fingertips.
- Transparency – With this service, all fees and exchange rates are included upfront so users know how much they will pay before securely transferring funds.
- Security – Finablr’s network of trusted brands, including Travelex, with its 40 years of experience in cross-border payments, and licensed by over 100 regulators globally, bring security, reliability and peace of mind to the Samsung Pay users of this feature, which uses tokenized credentials and is backed by Samsung Knox security.
Money Transfer in Samsung Pay is available now in the U.S. The service will be expanded to other markets in 2020.
Find out more about Money Transfer here: www.travelex.com/moneytransfer
CharOn app takes TADHack lead
duo #1632 have emerged as the winners of the 2019 edition of the TADHackJHB held at MTN’s head office in Fairland, Johannesburg, earlier this month.
Their solution called CharOn, is a cell tower protection app, was their claim to the title.
The theme for the 2019 global TADHack was: “Localised and Contextualised – Battle of the Bots”. Participants in the TADhackJHB were required to develop technology solutions to address challenges facing communities in South African townships. #1632 pocketed the prize of $1000 (approximately R15,000) for their winning solution, CharOn, which allows individuals to report suspicious activity within the vicinity of the cell towers. If the app collects enough data of the same case being reported, authorities will be notified.
More information about TADHackJHB as well as information about the CharOn app can be found here.
Vodacom Emergency Service App
Vodacom has extended a helping hand through the launch of the Vodacom 112 Emergency Service App that enables persons with communication barriers like deafness, speech impairments and blindness to contact emergency services when they need help.
The Emergency Service App enables deaf users to contact the ER24 emergency contact centre 24 hours, 365 days a year. Users can request emergency services such as fire, police, sea rescue, traffic and ambulance services which could assist to save their own lives, the lives of loved ones and other people in need.
Platform: Android and iOS
Expect to pay: A free download
Stockists: In order to get the service, deaf users must download the Vodacom 112 Emergency Service App from the Google Playstore or Apple iStore and register their mobile number. Click here for more information.
Malaicha
A new app created by Hello Paisa makes it possible for Zimbabweans in South Africa to send essential goods and groceries back home.
For Zimbabweans who are far from home, ensuring that their family is fed and looked-after is one of their most fundamental goals. This is often easier said than done when faced with costly solutions, the potential for damaged goods and uncertainty of whether or not their groceries may even reach their final destination. Malaicha.com has changed the way for Zimbabweans to send groceries to their families.
Malaicha allow workers to provide the essentials for their families back home, and is designed to do so in a simple manner. Only three steps are required: a quick KYC onboarding, adding the recipient; shopping for goods and groceries, and finally making payment.
At the moment, Malaicha.com is available for same-day collection and free delivery in the following areas: Harare, Bulawayo, Mutare, Masvingo and Gweru.
Platform: Android and iOS
Expect to pay: A free download
Stockists: Visit the Malaicha.com website here for downloading instructions
