#Android apps to supercharge your children's learning and development

Smartphones can be a wonderful way to extend learning beyond the classroom and complement teacher-led instruction. They have a number of advantages as learning tools: nearly everyone has one, they're easy to use, and they're a gateway to a world of educational apps and content.

What's more, smartphones can bring learning to life with interactive features, video and audio, as well as give children access to knowledge on a device they are comfortable and familiar with. With that in mind, Alcatel suggests some Android Apps to support your child's learning and development:

Amazon Kindle

The Kindle app puts over 1.5 million books at your fingertips, as well as a range of popular magazines and newspapers. Read print replica textbooks that provide features to help students study smarter including the ability to highlight passages, add margin notes, and search for keywords. 

Get it here: Amazon Kindle

Cram.com Flashcards

Cram.com Flashcards is a study app that allows you to create flashcards on any subject. Card mode allows you to quickly view an entire set of flashcards and repeat them as often as you like. Memorise mode hides flashcards you know so you can concentrate on the ones you still need to learn.

Get it here: Cram.com Flashcards

Duolingo: Learn Languages Free

Learn English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Irish, Danish, Swedish, Russian, Ukrainian, Esperanto, Polish and Turkish with this fast, fun and free app. It features games, lessons, and more.

Get it here: Duolingo: Learn Languages Free

LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Programmer

Kids can kick-start their coding skills with this app, which also lets them create robot programs from scratch. Just drag and drop programming blocks onto the canvas and press 'Play' and see how your robot responds. 

Get it here: LEGO® MINDSTORMS® Programmer

Crazy Times Tables – LITE

Crazy Times Tables is one of the best multiplication table practice apps available for Android. It mixes fun and games with best-practice teaching methods.

Get it here: Crazy Times Tables – LITE

Elevate - Brain Training Games

Elevate is a brain-training program designed to improve attention, speaking skills, processing speed, memory, math skills, and more.

Get it here: Elevate - Brain Training Games

ABC Kids - Tracing & Phonics

ABC Kids is a free phonics and alphabet teaching app that makes learning fun for children, from toddlers to pre-schoolers.

Get it here: ABC Kids - Tracing & Phonics

 

#ProductReview: #Huawei P10 lite review

Fun-size Mars bars are great. Take a bite and you'll get the same melty mouthful of chocolatey, nougaty goodness as the real thing - but you won't feel like a porker for polishing the whole thing off.

That's kind of the idea behind the Huawei P10 Lite.

It's a diluted version of the attention grabbing P10 , which ditches the Leica-branded dual cameras and just-gotta see-it-in-the-flesh shades of green and blue for a much more agreeable price. 

One that won't leave a massive dent in your wallet. Huawei has been playing fast and loose with the recipe book, though - so much so that the P10 Lite isn't really much like the P10 at all. Aldi's Titan Bars might look just like Mars, but they just ain't the l.

It shares a name with Huawei's photo centric flagship, but the Lite is  hardly a dead ringer for the P10. It's got a chunkier metal frame, with contrasting colours that only make it stand out further, even if the curved edges are a welcome touch of class.

Glass and metal are great to see in a mid-range phone, but the all- glass back is unbelievably slippy. Pop the P10 Lite down on anything other than a completely flat surface and it's all but guaranteed to slide off under its own weight.

You won't find two cameras around the back, only one, and the fingerprint sensor has been moved back here too. It's a lot easier to find than the awkwardly-placed sensor on Samsung's Galaxy S8 , but it means there's no one button navigation like you get on the P10. 

Colours edge slightly into cool territory out of the box, but a quick trip into the Display settings can pull it back towards neutral. There's a lot more control here than you'll get with other mid-rangers, so you can really fine-tune things for your own tastes.

That's true of the single speaker, too. It's loud enough, without any nasty distortion when you really crank things up, and sounds clear too.

Catching up on YouTube videos won't have you reaching for a pair of headphones.

You get a 12MP snapper with phase detection autofocus and an f/2.2 lens, which is still pretty respectable for a mid range phone, but there's no optical image stabilisation and the tiny 1/1.28in sensor doesn't let in a whole lot of light.

Money tips for first time international travelers

First trip abroad? Travellers should familiarise themselves with the different payment options while abroad to protect themselves from incurring unnecessary costs. 

Anthony Grant, CEO of FNB Foreign Exchange says, "First time international travellers tend to focus on the trip itself and forget the alternative options available when transacting abroad. However, with a bit of forward planning there are areas where costs can be trimmed before jetting off."

Here are some money tips for first time international travellers:

Get travel insurance

Embarking on your international journey without travel insurance is not only risky, but can also be very costly in the long run. Travel insurance is important because should an unforeseen incident occur, such as a medical emergency or loss of luggage, you will be cushioned against having to dig deep into your pocket to cover these costs. Apply and read through your travel insurance terms and conditions to ensure you are adequately covered for all types of emergencies.

Order your foreign currency before you leave

Having currency as one of your methods of payment makes your life just a little bit easier as you can pay in cash for things like a coffee at the airport while you wait for your connecting flight, or taxi fare on route to your accommodation. Currency rates fluctuates all the time so it works out more cost effective if you get your foreign currency before you leave. Withdrawing cash or exchanging currency while you are travelling could turn out to be quite costly due to changing market conditions between you leaving and arriving at your destination

Get a Travel Card

There are many advantages to having a travel card handy; not only do you mitigate the risk of carrying large amounts of cash but you can load various currencies onto the card from your local bank account. The 4 currencies available are USD, GBP, EUR and AUD. The card enables you to swipe at merchants and withdraw cash around the world where you see the Mastercard acceptance mark.  It is the ideal budget management tool because you only spend what you load. FNB customers can order the Multi-currency Cash Passport^TM online and have it delivered to their door and also top up the balance via FNB Online Banking while travelling if more spending money is needed.

Notify your bank

It's important to notify your bank about your upcoming trip, the various locations you will be visiting and the duration of time spent away. This will help the bank notice any suspicious activity in your account such as fraud and they will be able to contact you timeously. For example, if you are out of the country and the bank picks up a transaction taking place locally this will automatically raise a red flag.

Stay connected

While travelling overseas you can stay connected via the FNB Banking App, all you need to do is activate roaming and make sure you have a secure internet connection. This means you can continue to bank when you need to, as well as receive SMS alerts helping you monitor your expenses while travelling.

Happy travels.

 

The science behind shop fittings

Perfect shop fittings are at the juncture of where art and science meet. In a dream store, form follows function in the most aesthetically pleasing way to create a lasting impression on clients.

Your storefront is an invitation for prospective customers to enter, and as such it should be alluring, enticing and visually appealing in order to create an emotive response. Once inside, shop fittings need to speak to both practicality and intricacy to create an intense and memorable sensory experience. Visual elements heavily impact consumer behaviour. Lighting and colours are essential in establishing an ambiance, time and effort must be taken to ensure that your store encapsulates the desired mood.

The layout of the store and materials used seeks to encourage movement and take consumers on a journey, leading them on a predetermined, purposeful flow. Therefore, shop fittings need to be laid out with a very clear strategy in mind. Every element of the shopper's journey through the store determines whether or not they have a great customer experience. This is a precision-oriented endeavour, and attention to detail is key. There is a very delicate balance between showcasing unique concepts and latest trends and emulating a classic aesthetic that will stand the test of time.
 
A case in point is the Asics store in Mall of Africa. A clean, bright shop front with a clear view of the products inside entices consumers to come in and explore further. Asics primary selling item, their versatile range of shoes, are found at the back of the store, forcing consumers to navigate the shop in order to reach them. Hero products are illuminated to draw attention. Simplicity is key in this store's fittings; all display elements are clean, minimal and noninvasive so as to not distract the consumer from the products, allowing them to speak for themselves. White is primarily used throughout the store in order to make the colourful clothing items pop. Expert companies like Innovation Factory are specialists in manufacturing the perfect shop fittings.

Adam Dembovsky, Innovation Factory's Managing Director, says the following, "Creating a beautifully displayed retail environment for the products you sell is vital for retail success. Your offering needs to stand out from the crowd. Take time to carefully consider the layout, lighting and finishes of your store and you will reap the rewards of a loyal and inspired consumer base."

#DStv Now breaks record with #MoneyFight live streaming

DStv Now has broken all previous records with the live stream of The Money Fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Conor McGregor. The daily live stream audience peaked at 40% above any previous high on the DStv Now platform, including those driven by events in traditional "prime time". 

Live sport has been one of the main drivers of growth for DStv Now. With its unrivalled and exclusive sports offering of up to 12 live streaming SuperSport channels, DStv Now has grown monthly usage more than 50% in just three months and has doubled in the last six months. To put the growth of live streaming on DStv Now in context, the Money Fight audience was 30 times larger than that for the Mayweather vs Pacquiao live stream just two years ago.

And it wasn't just the main event which drove up audience numbers. Almost as many fans visited the live stream for the build-up and undercard as the main event, while many others used Catch Up in the DStv Now app to view the fight at a more civilized hour or watched the "All Access" documentary. The Fight coverage started at 03:00 CAT, with the main event starting just before 06:00 CAT. Users tuned in on their decoders, or the DStv Now website and APP (iOS and Android).

DStv Now can be accessed via the app for tablets and smartphones, or online at now.dstv.com

The app is free to download for all DStv customers on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Data costs will apply when streaming content.

Human Sciences Research Council to host seminar on the concept of wellbeing amidst increasing poverty and inequality

In response to deepening poverty and inequality in South Africa, the Human Sciences Research Council has defined its strategic focus for the next five years as: 'poverty and inequality: diagnosis, prognosis, responses'.

Looking towards comprehensive diagnosis, prognosis and response, the Council has identified three priority research projects:

1.                  Poverty and Inequality in South Africa in 3D: Using a 3 Dimensional Human Wellbeing Lens to Move Us Forward

2.                  Towards a centre for excellence for research and teaching on city-region economies

3.                  Transformative Governance Initiative

 

Amidst concerns that poverty and inequality is growing at an alarming rate, rather than decreasing, as evidenced in the Poverty Trends in South Africa report released by StatsSA last week, the Human Sciences Research Council will discuss the concept of holistic wellbeing at a seminar on Wednesday 30 August 2017.  This concept has been traditionally looked at purely through an economic lens.

Through its multi-disciplinary approach towards this concept, the HSRC hopes to contribute to the global pool of knowledge on this topic by grounding its work in the African context, and addressing the intersections of race, class, gender and geography with poverty and inequality.

 

Now here is a cool app that lets you courier anything around the world #FastVan

South African innovators are shaking up the world with their innovative minds. The latest addition is a real cool app. 

Customers can use Fastvan to submit their delivery requests through their smartphone, with nearby courier drivers notified and able to accept the job. Once the job is accepted, businesses have the chance to track their courier throughout the delivery process.

Whether it's a care package stuffed with rooibos, rusks and whatever other South African treats your loved one can't live without, or an Etsy order that has to get there the next day, doing your research on which delivery service best suits your needs is time consuming – and doesn't always mean it will reach its intended destination.

The app was developed over the last year in San Francisco, and is now available via iOS and Android. Nur s

Using the app, you punch in a range of specifics –what, where, when, how and who – and in return it offers you the best available option.

Then, you upload a photograph of your parcel and track it like an Uber (amazing) all the way to its intended destination.

Customers can rate drivers on the app and receive automatic invoices by e-mail. 

Fastvan has partnered with leading courier companies to offer its customers high quality and real-time services.

#LG to debut smartwatch in South Africa

LG is launching the Watch Style in South Africa, which will be available through LG service providers.

The Android Wear 2.0 smartwatch will sell for a suggested retail price of R3,499.

The device is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 chipset and 512MB LPDDR3 RAM.

It also features a 1.2-inch P-OLED display (360 x 360), 4GB of storage, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and a 240mAh battery.

LG said the Watch Style is IP67 dust and water resistant, while maintaining a "small, slim, and stylish" design.

#Telkom to exclusively offer Free Music, Video Streaming

September will be good month for Telkom users. The telecom giant will be offering its customers LIT, a  streaming service providing zero rated video and music streaming to select content partners for its FreeMe 2GB and up customers.

The Telkom LIT Video and LIT Music are giving Telkom customers access to on demand movies, series, online video and music through some of the world's most popular online content providers.

Telkom also announced the imminent launch LIT TV, offering Unlimited ADSL, Fibre and LTE SmartBroadband customers the Telkom LIT TVC 100 media box which allows customers to transform their TV into a smart TV, with pre-loaded content channels from our content providers.

LIT TV will be launched in September with Telkom's Summer Campaign.

LIT TV includes a media streaming box and is designed for large screen TVs offering a completely new TV viewing experience.

The Android TV device allows consumers to truly customise their TV viewing, marking a break away from linear TV viewing.

The current content partners for LIT TV are ShowMax, YouTube, DSTV and Google Play Store.

For LIT Video, Telkom has partnered with Showmax, Netflix, YouTube and Google Play. For Lit Music, Telkom has partnered with Google Play Music, Apple Music and Simfy Africa. 

This means that when customers stream content from these sites it will not be deducted from their FreeMe data bundle.

Once again I will repeat myself. September is going to be a good month for Telkom users. 

What you will get by subscribing to #BonangByCellC

Bonang Matheba is definitely taking on the world. Queen B recently unleashed her new app cleverly themed Bonang By Cell C.

That is one more tick for her. Remember earlier this year, Queen B let us in on her plans which included an app, a reality show, a book, her own emojis, a clothing label and her own personalized Revlon range.

According to Team Matheba, "the app is the first of its kind and will curate exclusive content to subscribers and fans. Bonang by Cell C boasts features such as exclusive photos, videos, never seen before content and will grant subscribers an all access pass into Bonang's life as she shares tips on make-up, outfit of the day to her videos and songs."

Subscribers who download the app and wish to gain first-hand access into the media darling's life will have to pay a monthly subscription fee of between R50 and R90p/m after their 7-day free trial is over and many have taken issue with this fact.

So what will the subscription give you? 

The app functions much like a website in that it has five tabs.

Love it - features Bonang's favourite items and habits

Play it - features Bonang's top songs and playlist picks and allows you to watch videos of her personal life (outside of the spotlight)

Do it - gives you B's recommendations on what to eat, how to dress and best places to go so that you can experience your own celebrity moment

AMA (Ask Me anything) - a section that allows you to ask Bonang ANYTHING you want, and she promises to answer

24/7 - an automatic feed of Bonang's social updates from Twitter and Instagram (all in one place)

So there you have it. If you are a big Bonang fan then you definitely want to try this one. Tell us what you think after you have tried the new app.