Thursday, December 18, 2014

Tech News and Jobs Around South Africa


New App Alert 

A new App is out just in time for the summer festivities, offering a real-time guide to popular gigs. Trender will be launched so that partygoers can see what places are Trending right now and also where their friends are going.

Trender is a photo location-based social App that ranks popular venues as a ‘Trend’. It allows both locals and out-of-towners to view the most popular venues displayed in an interactive list. Partygoers can now browse Trends by category including nightlife, bars, and restaurants or just check where friends are meeting.

Trender joint-CEO Calvin Terblanche says Trender will be available on iPhone and Android. "Ever wondered where people hang out or which places are popular ? Trender offers a real-time guide on what’s happening where, based on its real-time atmosphere."

"All that’s left to do is to decide where to spend the next few hours with friends. Trender lets you see what your friends and other partygoers are doing in your city in real-time and allows you to discover what the atmosphere is like, with current photos uploaded by people already there,” he explains.

With Trender, people can be in the right place at the right time. Users can browse a list of venues ranked in order of popularity, based on real-time check-ins. Trender ranks trends based on people checked in and also ranks users based on photos taken and activity on the App.

Content is constantly being refreshed with real-time information, its elegant interface is text input free and easy-to-use and also free from the annoyances of advertising.

“Users can also create their own Trend anywhere with their own name featured on it,” says Trender joint-CEO Deane Hitge. “They can invite friends to Trends, take and share photos of Trends in real-time, see which friends are going to which Trends and how many people are there right now. One can also view the top Trends for the past week and more importantly, see the gender ratio at a particular Trend.”

Once registered, the App allows users to share where they are going with their friends and checks them in automatically when they arrive. This is done by means of intelligent geo-fencing technology that tracks one's movement.

"It posts that you are going to a destination and then acknowledges you as arrived when you do. The built-in directions feature also ensures you get to your destination,” he adds.

“You could think of Trender as an instant gratification App to see what there is to do right now. It takes the conversation off the ‘Friday night plans WhatsApp group’ and puts it in one place in the context of what is happening around you," Terblanche concludes.

Trender is available for free worldwide and will be available in English on the Apple store and Android market. For more info visit www.gettrender.com or follow Trender on Twitter @gettrender.



Vodacom launches campaign to curb texting while driving

Texting and driving can keep your eyes off the road for as much as five seconds at a time. At 120 kph, a car would travel a distance equivalent to more than one and a half football pitches during that five seconds of inattention, making texting and driving extremely dangerous.  In fact, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that you’re 23 times more likely to crash if texting while driving. Vodacom is taking a stand against texting and driving, and has today launched W8_2send (pronounced wait-to-send), a campaign that encourages South Africa to pledge to never text whilst driving.  

W8_2send aims to create as much awareness around the dangers of texting whilst driving as possible. The campaign, which has been specifically designed with the youth in mind, uses social media to spread the W8_2send message.

“We wanted to find a way to engage as well as educate South Africans around the dangers of texting and driving. Which is why we came up with the W8_2send online game that simulates what can happen when drivers are distracted by their cellphones on the road,” said Vodacom’s Chief Officer of Corporate Affairs, Maya Makanjee. 

The game, which can be played at www.w82send.co.za, challenges players to manoeuvre an animated car by tilting their smartphones or using the arrow keys on their keyboard. At the same time they will have to type the answers to various questions. Once played, the game then prompts players to take the pledge to W8_2send by sharing the following message with their friends and family via Facebook or Twitter:

I've just promised to wait to send. Using your phone whilst driving is dangerous. Take the pledge http://w82send.co.za #w8_2send


FNB has festive deals just for you

Festive season deals include an array of XBOX One and XBOX 360 deals from as little as R99 p.m over 24 months as well as the exclusive Samsung 40” Smart LED TV + Xbox One offer which includes the Fifa 15 game at R619 p.m over a 24 month period.
For more information on smart device gifting options for the festive season, visit: https://www.fnb.co.za/downloads/smartphone-tablet-offer/FNB_Broadsheet_2014YearEnd.pdf
*Qualifying criteria and terms and conditions apply


Jobs In Social Media

Absa is looking for Community Managers

https://barclays.taleo.net/careersection/absa_external/jobdetail.ftl?job=00191668&lang=en_GB&sns_id=twitter



This edition by Fred Felton
twitter @fredfelton 

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