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Any business with a concern about efficient and costs effective telecommunications should investigate porting over to a VOIP solution. If you have a reliable internet connection such as ADSL/VDSL, 3G/4G or Fibre, you can get a phone service delivered through your internet connection at a fraction of the cost compared to using a traditional Telkom landline. The most important takeaway from this article is that a VoIP system reduce costs, dramatically. Why will a VoIP system reduce my costs of my Telkom bill? A VoIP service provider does not require its own separate infrastructure like the PSTN of Telkom. Voice calls are simply transmitted over the same networks that power the Internet. This means that the ISP does not have to invest significant capital in laying phone lines to each and every house and business. VoIP is essentially piggybacking on the existing broadband network throughout South Africa. So, voice is treated exactly the same as normal data and media such as text and images on the Internet (like a Whatsapp). Just like sending email and pictures is practically free, voice calls also become extremely cheap. Can I move my telephone number if we change offices? Anyone who has moved a landline from one home to another knows the pain of dealing with Telkom. With VoIP, the phone number is no longer associated with a single device, residence or physical line, instead the VoIP phone number is associated with you and your account. This enables you to take the number with anywhere you go, and you can even use it to link your cell phone to your business or office – it’s a virtual number. Who is the cheapest VoIP provider in South Africa for my business? Skype has three packages For R57 per month you get 100 minutes to any South African mobile or landline number (effectively R 0.57 per minute) For R99 per month you get 400 minutes to any South African mobile or landline number (effectively R 0.24 per minute.) Then for R285 per month you get unlimited calls to any network and landline. Vox Telecom Costs between R234 and R762 per month and calls are charged at R0.46 per minute. (The monthly payment includes money for the calls.) FreshPHONE Zero sign up costs, Zero monthly costs, Zero cancellation costs. The call rates for FreshPHONE is R0.39 per min to Telkom local and national numbers and R0.69 per min to all cellular networks. MWEB Mweb have two VOIP packages a Starter package with 100 minutes at R59 per month, and a Lite package with 250 minutes at R99 per month. (59c per minute and 39.6c per minute respectively) Assuming you want a more business specific setup (multiple staff members or a call center) then a PBX system will be required. The cheapest hosted PBX solutions in South Africa IS (Internet Solutions) Ignite have a hosted PBX solution for R111 per extension (month to month) or R90 per extension (24 month contract) this gives you Ring groups, Voicemail to email, Call waiting (press 1 for sales) the full monty) and then you have to pay the per minute rates for calls you make which is R0.30 to Telkom landline calls and R0.74 to mobile numbers. Euphoria Telecom is R65 – R125 per user(extension) per month depending on features. Then their call rates are R0.34 per min to Telkom landlines and R0.79 per min to all South African mobile networks. Use VoIP for your startup business Launching your own business is not an easy task. Entrepreneurs soon find that their landline is not enough to handle the needs of the business, no matter how small. This is where VoIP comes in handy. VoIP service can provide much-needed features like auto attendant, group voicemail, multi device ring, automatic call routing etc. which normally requires an expensive building specific business line(s) setup with golden numbers and special hunting group landlines.

ABSA gives you access to all the ETFs. Their platform is a full on trading platform where you specify the price you'd wish to buy at etc. More control but more involved than EE.

Just registered and I must say,I am impressed with their steps of registering.so thank you Tyme Bank.

I cant view it because its behind a paywall that I wont pay...but ja, I dont trust those guys one bit

Nice. Do we have any PW Telegram groups btw?

What a bank I like everything about tyme to bank

I decided to give TymeBank (TymeDigital) a try today. I am very excited for Michael Jordaan's BankZero, but TymeBank beat them to the punch and launch the first fully digital branchless bank. There were some initial hiccups with their website not working, but overall the experience was incredibly smooth. To open a TymeBank bank account simply sign up online through their website (Click here to open a TymeBank account). This process is incredibly simplified through the use of eFica they are able to FICA you without any documents all you need is your ID number (just the number, you type it into the website) and a cell phone (for OTPs and confirmations) then you set a pin and you are done, you now have a fully fledged bank account. There is a catch... In order to activate and get a debit card (visa debit card), you need to go into a Pick n Pay to the TymeBank kiosk. Take your cell phone with because when you log into the Kiosk it will send an OTP to your phone. All you need to do at the kiosk is scan your thumb fingerprints then your account will be fully verified and the machine will print your debit card. This entire process took me less than 10 minutes, registering online took 3 minutes and printing my card at the Kiosk took 4 minutes. After this, I downloaded the TymeBank app from the google play store and its impressive, very neat layout and functional. In fact, I like their app better than Capitec (and I have been using Capitec since 2008). Their app still needs some work, I think they are using some AWS instance not locally so the lag time on the app is noticeable (latency from whatever region they use), but its nothing major. Why did I get a TymeBank bank account? There are zero monthly fees, so I figured if it does not cost me anything to open the account and it does not cost me anything to have the account then why not. Something to note, SMS on TymeBank are free too, other banks should take not, especially Capitec, I know they make a killing on SMSes. The other drawcard for me was the integration with Pick n Pay (although their staff is completely clueless about how Tyme works, I went to two Pick n Pays and neither one's staff had a clue what to do when you want to add funds). Anyway, the reason I like it is that I shop mostly at Pick 'n Pay and with a TymeBank account, you can get double the smart shopper points if you use the card as your payment method and using it to swipe for the smart shopper instead of the blue pick 'n pay card. The other reason I got the account is for the interest. You get 6% interest from day one and if you leave your money you can get up to 10% interest, so I will put a few thousand bucks into this account and just leave it to earn interest, basically extra cash I will put into TymeBank as I will earn almost double the interest I get from Capitec. Another worthwhile note is that all TymeBank account holders get free wifi at all Pick n Pay and Boxer stores, not that I really need this, but for a bank account that does not cost me anything, it's a nice perk to know if I ever do run out of data I can pop into a Pick n Pay and be connected again. How to get money? It might not be obvious at first with all the digital bank and feeling like this is some special service. It's a normal bank account you get an account number so EFT some money to your TymeBank bank account. If you have cash on hand then you can go to any Pick 'n Pay. It will cost you R4 at Pick n Pay to deposit cash into your TymeBank account, which is alright. Pro Tip: The people at Pick 'n Pay will have no idea how to do it, so to avoid boiling your blood tell them this is a normal online deposit (they should understand what that means). Here is the card I got: This is a fully fledged debit card (visa), you can do online payments everything, there are no limits. The interesting bit, this card costs nothing. Capitec charged me R50 for my card.

Thank you @Bandit This is exactly the information I was looking for.

We don't have a release date for that at the moment. We'll let our customers know as soon as we have an update.

Thank you for the feedback. I have looked at Coreshares, and although their offering looks good, unfortunately they do not offer all the ETFs I'm after. Do you know if a 'ABSA stockbroker'/'etf only' account will give me access to those ETFs that I listed, or is also only limited to ABSA specific ETFs?

I use CoreShares. Limited to only the CoreShare ETFs but they are amongst the best out there so that's not an issue. Only have an ETF portfolio with them though and haven't moved my TFSA there yet but at some stage I might. The difference between them and a platform like EasyEquities is that your trades (buy and sell) aren't instant and takes a couple of business days. So it is not a trading platform (best to stick with EE or ABSA then) but a very good long term investment platform. The pricing is also very good and it becomes cheaper than EE at higher amounts (can't remember what that amount is though).

https://capitalist.org.za

I did not see this coming !! Both Std Bank and JPMorgan launching blockchain payment solutions....wow These events matter because it makes moving money around much cheaper and faster....it benefits us the consumer ultimately Standard Bank builds blockchain for international payments "The platform aims to increase the speed and transparency of international payments and trades by providing an instantly-available record of documents and settlements stored in the cloud. " https://mybroadband.co.za/news/banking/297786-standard-bank-builds-blockchain-for-international-payments.html JPMorgan's move into crypto puts the rest of the industry on notice "Blockchain is particularly appealing because it could allow banks to clear payments faster and more securely, using technology that CB Insights said would dramatically cut processing times and reduce the need for third parties to get involved with transactions." " With the launch of JPM Coin, JPMorgan has shown it wants to get out in front of this transition, despite its previous skepticism. That could push other banks to show they're in the game, too. Singh said banks that have a large number of institutional clients, such as Citigroup (C), will feel the most pressure." https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/19/business/jpmorgan-jpm-coin-banks-blockchain/index.html

Now this is very clever...Abra is a populat crypto platform but what they have now done is to link listed assets to a type of crypto ETF that tracks major listed assets....check out the story below. https://www.abra.com/ Since Abra runs on bitcoin, it automates all of its processes like asset holding, hedging, and user transactions with smart contracts. It supports 30 cryptocurrencies, 50 fiat currencies, and is led by crypto/finance leaders like Bill Barhydt/CEO (formerly a VP at Goldman Sachs and Technical Director at Netscape) and Daryl Puryear/CTO (formerly Director of Software at Mint.com and VPE at Motif.) How does their new product work? Essentially, Abra has taken its existing platform and extended it to support assets available on the NASDAQ, starting with the top 100 stocks and ETF’s. Once users invest capital into the platform, they can choose to “invest” in one of Abra’s 100 stock/ETF offerings, which represents stock investment exposure in corporations like Facebook, Apple, Amazon, and Alphabet/Google. As soon as a user adds money to the Abra app, the capital is immediately transformed to bitcoin. Then, using Abra’s crypto-collateralized contract, Abra keeps the notional value of that bitcoin investment tied to the current value of the stock. This is done with what’s called a multisig bitcoin address, where Abra and the user sign a contract to peg the amount of cryptocurrency to the value of the asset. Abra users then hold an asset that track the exact price and volatility of the given stock. While users don’t actually hold any shares in the company they still receive dividend payments because of the means by which Abra hedges itself on the contracts — super cool. The platform can also support short selling which Abra hopes to offer in the future. Why does this make electronic stock investing any different? The mechanism by which Abra enters into these smart contracts means that Abra can offer this investing service legally in 155 countries. That is a first for investing in US stocks, commodities, cryptocurrencies and fiat currencies via a single service. The SEC and CFTC have clarified that the definitions of the terms “swap” and “security-based swap” do not include forward contracts. These definitions exclude “any sale of a nonfinancial commodity or security for deferred shipment or delivery, so long as the transaction is intended to be physically settled.” These organizations later provided guidance on how this physical settlement exemption applies to Bitcoin. Abra operates under this exemption. This means that Abra’s investing tools are much less regulated than other trading mechanisms. Since other online stock trading platforms like Robinhood, TDAmeritrade, or Charles Schwab actually invest user assets in real stocks and act as a full broker and custodian, they do have to follow rules set by the CFTC, SEC, and other securities commissions. But Abra’s model means they can expand the market of pseudo-stock-investing globally, beyond these specific geographic boundaries. What are the greater implications? Abra’s company ethos is democratizing finance. Their entire value is built off of being a platform where a first-time investor from the developing world can make the same returns as the hot-shot finance guys from New York. Abra’s new offering helps accomplish that by introducing pseudo-stock-trading to hundreds of new markets, making it a feasible investment mechanism for people in 155 countries globally. Abra’s new tool might also affect the price of bitcoin. On Abra, all users become “hodlers,” crypto-speak for someone who holds onto bitcoin without regularly trading it for other currencies and assets. Past financial studies have found that hodling is one of the key driving factors behind bitcoin’s price fluctuations. Since Abra’s platform automatically converts user capital to bitcoin, all users become hodlers and thus could, at large scale, drive changes in the price of bitcoin. Depending on how many people hop onto Abra’s new platform, we might see a short- or long-term spike in the price of bitcoin as more people use bitcoin as the underlying means for their every day stock and ETF investing.

Bird Box 6/10 Nothing particularly wrong, but they could have done so much more. The trailer is somewhat misleading with regards to time line.

With all the pain being felt in the crypto currency space its interesting to note how the market is maturing. The market for STO's is huge !! Security Token Offerings – the next Multi-Billion Dollar Market in 2019? Initial coin offerings (ICOs) were all the rage in 2017, raising a massive US$5.6 billion, but this year saw the emergence of the security token offerings (STOs), a market that’s predicted to be worth some US$10 trillion by 2020. In opposition to tokens offered in an ICO which do not give any rights or obligations and instead provide access to a specific network, platform or service, tokens offered in a STO are actual financial securities that are backed by something tangible like the assets, profits, or revenue of the company, and which offer legal rights such as voting or revenue distribution. A security token performs the same function as a conventional security, except that it confirms ownership through blockchain transactions http://fintechnews.ch/blockchain_bitcoin/security-token-offerings-the-next-multi-billion-dollar-market-2019/23849/

Personally I would by the Xbox One, I have a PS3 and will be the new PS5 if it ever gets released just because I own it since the PS one and love the remote. Anyway the reason I say buy the Xbox over the switch is because it will end up in your living room as the home entertainment system with netflix and 4k streaming. Dad and his new toy (disguised as a gift for the boys) The Nintendo switch is like a upgraded version of the PlayStation Vita, which was nice at the time, but you have mobile phones now packing more detail. If I was you, I would go to Cash Crusaders and buy a Xbox One plus 2 controllers plus a ton of games all for less than what the Switch would cost new. I don't think I would've been able to tell the difference between new and used when I was 8 years old. (Being a financial focused forum, I had to include the "don't buy new at inflated prices" comment.)

By way of an update market is now talking Block chain 3.0 some interesting startups in the space Stackr (https://www.gostackr.com/) What happens to your Crypto when you die ??? Stackr allows you to designate beneficiaries to receive your assets without going through a possibly lengthy and expensive probate process and estate taxes. In many jurisdictions, moving assets between crypto and traditional investments can trigger unnecessary taxable events. Stackr can be isolated from such events due to the trust structure, which means that it is only when you really need your money and remove it from the trust that you might pay any tax. Stackr is a secure long-term crypto and US$ savings solution that cuts out the middleman. Combining traditional finance with modern-day financial technology & expertise has enabled Stackr to pioneer this innovative, secure and flexible savings solution for the blockchain community. (These are South Africans that run a very cool shop !) Celsius Network (https://celsius.network/) Celsius is banking on the blockchain. Its borrowing and lending platform will allow users to earn up to 5% interest on their crypto while taking loans at 9% interest, using their crypto as collateral. Celsius Network’s goal is to bring the next 100 million people into crypto, ultimately becoming the first killer app in the space. Risky or not, this is one to keep an eye on. This FinTech startup is primed to disrupt traditional banking. Gameflip (https://gameflip.com/flp) is an online marketplace backed by Silicon Valley venture capital. It allows gamers to transact any type of digital goods, and currently has 3 million members. After successfully hitting its token-sale hard cap, the FLP utility token can now be used to transact digital goods within the Gameflip marketplace. In the coming months, pilot program partners and publishers will begin integrating the Gameflip SDK, which will enable the transactions of approved in-game goods via the Blockchain. (Basically trading gaming stuff...wow) ADBIT The ADBIT token will be the core function of CIINCH Media Marketplace, the world’s first blockchain-powered media planning and buying platform for traditional media (print, TV, radio and out-of-home) assets. CIINCH and ADBIT were created to help automate the multiple layers of manual processes that currently plague the industry. Traditional media has failed to innovate and adapt to the current state of our age. Highly fragmented and operating on legacy software developed in the 1990's, ADBIT and CIINCH aim to bring these processes into the present. (Here we are trading media space....trade everything !!! )

Do you want to earn ETH? Participate now here! The author of each review will get 0.1 ETH. In addition, we will pay 0.3 ETH for the top 20 reviews. Everyone can participate! The rewards you’ve been get is only reward for your effort to review the Currently, Upcoming ICO. You want to join? For more information Just pm me @ my email address: [email protected] or pm me here. Guaranteed I will response your email fast.

Webchain is a web-mineable blockchain platform that makes the most of the unused CPU resources of internet-connected devices to secure Smart-Contract-powered DApps. This is done by registering public transactions through an egalitarian Proof-of-Work consensus mechanism based on CryptoNight, which uses the community of website users as the low-impact processing grid for applications. Below are some of the features: With Webchain, It’s possible to use resources of Internet of Things or any device that can render JavaScript to mine. Decentralized and ASIC-Resistant. Since ASIC operators sell coins to pay for expenses, they also drive coin prices down. We designed and implemented our own fully customized version of Cryptonight hashing algorithm. To stay ASIC-resistant in future, we will keep updating it regularly. Very fast transactions Our on-chain transactions are among the fastest - only 10s. Adding off-chain solutions will make them instant. Transparent, botnet unfriendly The transactions made on our blockchain are entirely public, so Webchain won’t be a friendly place for botnet attackers or any sort of illegal activities. No Initial Coin Offerings: Since this project is meant to be for everyone – not only for those with deep pockets – we decided not to hold Initial Coin Offerings. For details on how to get started, please visit the main site. https://webchain.network

Office speed is a bit better now

Very good documentary about Warren Buffett Becoming Warren Buffett 2017 (HBO Documentary Films) [video=youtube]https://youtu.be/2VlojxrCp9Q With a net worth of more than $60 billion, Warren Buffett is truly a one-of-a-kind billionaire. Now 86, the legendary investor still lives in a modest home in Omaha, and continues to drive himself to the office every morning to manage Berkshire Hathaway, the fourth-largest public company in the world. But more surprising than his humble lifestyle and self-effacing personality are Buffett’s moral integrity and unique mind, which drove him not only to become the most successful businessman in the world, but also an unparalleled philanthropist. With unprecedented access to his day-to-day personal life, Becoming Warren Buffett tells the improbable story of how an ambitious, numbers-obsessed boy from Nebraska became one of the richest, most-respected men in the world. The definitive documentary on Buffett, this candid portrait sheds new light on a man who has helped shape the way Americans view capitalism and, more recently, philanthropy. Told primarily in Buffett’s own words, the film features never-before-released home videos, family photographs, archival footage and interviews with family and friends. Buffett, along with partner Charlie Munger, would build his fortune at Berkshire Hathaway, a struggling textile company that he turned into a behemoth holding corporation with stakes in Coke, Heinz, Geico and other blue-chip companies. Tracing his ascent from first-time investor to business maven, the documentary delves into the highs and lows of Buffett’s career and personal life, from becoming a father of three and the world’s richest businessman, to weathering the Salomon Brothers treasury bond trading scandal, which threatened his sterling reputation, the loss of his wife and first love, Susie Thompson Buffett, and what led him to make the largest philanthropic donation in history. Kunhardt Films’ HBO credits include the Emmy-nominated Nixon by Nixon: In His Own Words, the Emmy-nominated Gloria: In Her Own Words, the Emmy-winning Teddy: In His Own Words and the Emmy-winning Jim: The James Foley Story. Becoming Warren Buffett is a co-production of HBO and Kunhardt Films; directed by Peter Kunhardt; produced by Teddy Kunhardt and George Kunhardt. For HBO: senior producer Jacqueline Glover; executive producer Sheila Nevins