Now you can draw cash from the ATM using the FNB App no card required

FNB today announced that the cardless cash withdrawal feature is available on the latest version* of the FNB Banking App. The feature allows customers to withdraw money at an ATM without using their bank cards.

This launch to the 1.2million active devices that currently make use of the FNB Banking App comes shortly after FNB announced that R2 billion has been withdrawn through cardless cash withdrawals on cellphone banking.

Giuseppe Virgillito, Head of Banking App at FNB Digital Banking says the rollout to the App was the logical next step.

“Enhancement of the FNB Banking App has always been driven by innovative banking solutions and customer demand. Our latest results show a 67% increase in App transaction volumes. This comes as a result of increased usage across the spectrum of App features as well as more customers that are migrating to the App for their digital banking needs.”

Over the past year, the FNB Banking App has been enhanced to include features such as lost or stolen card cancellation, opening of new accounts and ordering of new cards. Use of these features continues to see growth.

Whilst cancelling a cheque card would ordinarily imply that the customer would not have the tool to access their cash whilst waiting for a new card, cardless cash withdrawal serves as a complimentary feature ensuring that a customer can gain access to cash whenever needed.

“Irrespective of the reason for not having a card with you, your mobile devices are unlikely to be more than an arm’s length away. Cardless and cashless features on digital channels ensure simplified banking and 24/7 access to accounts, no matter what the circumstances,” concludes Virgillito.

*The latest version of the FNB Banking App is available from Apple, Android, Windows, and Blackberry app stores.

To use Cardless cash withdrawals on the FNB Banking App:

·         Launch the FNB Banking App

·         Select Cardless Cash Withdrawals

·         Enter your FNB online banking password

·         Follow the prompted steps

·         Once the temporary ATM PIN has been received the money can be withdrawn from any FNB ATM

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 

Digital Events In Durban This Week

There are 2 digital events coming up this week for Durban.

The Apple Event 

Yes it's the big event everyone is waiting for.  Apple is going to tell us what is coming up.
Is it an iWatch?  Are we seeing a new iPhone?  Is there a Top Secret Product coming out?
You can find out at Immedia.  They will be hosting a live stream of the event so you can watch it all live and see what develops.

Date: Tuesday 9 September 2014
Time: 18h30 for 7pm
Venue: The Quarterdeck

To Register: http://www.immedia.co.za/featured-content/livestream-apple-20140909/


Durban Digital Dinner


Digital Dinner will be held at The Breakers Resort Conference Venue, Umhlanga Rocks.
Date: Thursday 11 September 2014
Time: 6pm

Speakers include:

• Dr Craig McCleod - Build
• Gladywyn Leeuw - Anglo American
• Justin McCarthy - TBWA 

Look out for some keen insight all about tech, digital, entrepreneurship and marketing.

Afterwards Always Active Technologies will be hosting a quiz, look out for prizes.

Releaze will also have a goodie for a lucky winner.

CTRL Room will be providing free Wi-Fi at the event. 

Tickets with dinner: R250 each

Bookings: www.digitaldinner.co.za or tickets@digitaldinner.co.za 

For more info, corporate packages and sponsorship opportunities: Jonathan@digitaldinner.co.za

Tech News Around South Africa

New Version of BBM for Android and iPhone 

A new version of BBM is available for Android, iPhone and BlackBerry customers, giving them lots of exciting new features. Android and iPhone customers will now be able to make free voice calls to BBM contacts over a Wi-Fi or data connection with BBM Voice, as well as access BBM Channels. In addition, BBM customers on Android, iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones will have more to chat about with fast one-click sharing of photos, documents, voice notes and more. BBM customers will also be able to share their live location for a specified amount of time with other BBM contacts by using location sharing, powered by Glympse, and will have 100 new emoticons available to help them say what’s on their mind.

Get the best local deals via smartphone with vouchercloud and Vodacom

JOHANNESBURG, 13 February 2014 – Vodacom today announced the launch of vouchercloud, a geo-location enabled app that seeks out the best local deals and displays them via smartphone.

Through vouchercloud, Vodacom has partnered with a range of top brands to deliver instant exclusive deals across a range of categories including shopping, eating out, leisure and entertainment. Some of our partners include Edgars, Jet, Makro, Game, Planet Fitness, Doppio Zero, Nu-metro Cinemas, McDonalds, Adega, Billabong and Pizza E Vino.

Hemmanth Singh, Managing Executive: m-Commerce at Vodacom said: “In the current economic environment, we’re all looking for ways to save money. Why not get your smartphone to work for you? It’ll locate all the nearby deals, sift through them and show you only those relevant to you, and then it’ll give you step by step guidance right to the door. With our extensive partner network, we’re confident you’ll be saving money from day one.”

Vouchercloud uses the inbuilt GPS (Global Positioning System) in smartphones to pinpoint the user’s location, searches for all relevant discounting retailers in the vicinity, displays the deals and then guides the customer to the shop's front door using the smartphone's digital mapping application. The voucher is downloaded to the smartphone screen with a single tap, which is shown to the sales assistant in store to redeem the discount. There is no need to print the voucher.

While the vouchercloud app has been developed exclusively in conjunction with Vodacom, smartphones on any network can download the app and use the service.  The App offers Vodacom customers even better value on deals exclusive to them.

The app is free and available on, iTunes, Blackberry App World and Google Play. There is no monthly subscription fee for consumers to use vouchercloud.

Lyndon Munetsi, Managing Director of vouchercloud South Africa says "Since vouchercloud launched in the UK back in 2010, it has become the leading consumer app in Europe with over 6 million active users in the UK, Germany, Netherlands and Ireland. South Africa is the first emerging market to launch vouchercloud. We’ve seen it work in other markets and we’re excited about the opportunities for South Africa. I’ve no doubt that vouchercloud will deliver amazing value to both merchants and consumers. On-going brand awareness and promotion for merchants will drive real feet through the door and consumers can expect a wide selection of the best deals from our partners.”

For more details contact the vouchercloud contact centre on 1089 free from a Vodacom cellphone or 082 1089 from any other phone (standard rates apply) or visit www.vouchercloud.co.za.

(ER 24 Staff and Doug Mattheus of Cell C) 

Cell C shows appreciation for the men and women who save lives

In the spirit of the Believe campaign and an extension of our current sponsorship, Cell C donated 800 SUPERCHARGE vouchers and starter packs to ER24 paramedics nationwide.

The Cell C SUPACHARGE vouchers and starter are worth R250 each and will be the first private cellphone number some of these hardworking men and women who witness some of the toughest circumstances in the country, will own.

“Emergency workers like the ER24 paramedics work all hours of the day and night to save lives. This donation is a way for us to show them how much we value their hard work and dedication to making South Africa a better place,” says Cell C Executive Head of Marketing, Doug Mattheus.

“These paramedics have shown real dedication to our nation and we hope that this token will allow them to keep in contact with family and friends”, says Mattheus.

Edition by +Fred Felton 

Look out for Find Friends on your BBM

Starting today*, BBM is being updated with the Find Friends on BBM feature for iPhone and Android, allowing users to easily find their friends and contacts already using BBM. The Find Friends feature is something that BBM users have been asking for and we’re now bringing it to them in this latest update to BBM for iPhone and Android.

The Find Friends feature will detect which contacts in your smartphone’s contact list are already using BBM, and allow you to quickly choose who to send a PIN invite to. For those contacts that don’t yet have BBM, you can invite them to download the app with an email or SMS invite.

The Find Friends feature will detect which contacts in your smartphone’s contact list are already using BBM, and allow you to quickly choose who to send a PIN invite to. For those contacts that don’t yet have BBM, you can invite them to download the app with an email or SMS invite.

*BBM update rolling out from today and tomorrow.  

(Source - BlackBerry) 

Over 10 Million Downloads of BBM for Android and iPhone in First Day

BBM achieved top ranking in the App Store in over 75 countries within the first 24 hours.

·         A reminder that for Samsung customers in Sub-Saharan Africa, BBM is available to download from the Samsung Apps store. iPhone and other Android users in Africa will be able to download the app from 20h00 on 24 October 2013. 

·         Additional Resources and Information: To help new, and previous, BBM users, we have posted some how-to videos on the BlackBerry YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/blackberry) to help people get familiar with, or re-familiarize themselves with, BBM.

(Source - Blackberry)