Spreadsheet Ranger

Hello, Jeffery. As others have said, welcome to the forum! Always glad to see new people. To elaborate a bit further or rather to echo what you said, Siacoin (Coin View :: Siacoin :: $0.01) I am really interested in, I understand this space and I know how the advantages of hosting being decentralized in business right now SIA’s implementation of that is done very poorly, however they are of the lot of of the better clued up guys so they will pull it off I am sure of it. If you read their blog (Sia Blog) it is incredibly how they even at this small stage fix problems that bitcoin faced and constantly compare themselves to those Top 5 currencies it shows to me these guys are genuine to a degree. Ultimately Sia coin will be a competitor for Amazon S3, which I think is promising. Then the fact that they are now included in Nicehash for mining along side the ASIC miners they released I feel of the lot this coin has a very strong potential to suddenly rocket to $0.8 - $1 (Disclaimer: that price is my opinion.) Civic (Coin View :: Civic :: $0.47) now here is a coin that I like, being a South African I always had a soft spot for mister Vinny Lingham so i took note early on when this ICO was announced knowing he is a business first man I believe Civic will be operated as a business and me as a token hodler will be rewarded much like a share holder. On a more serious and real note, I think what they do has a real world purpose, simplifying and securing Identification verification is a major thing, so many hacks in the past might not have been possible had Civic been around. I also played around with their API to authenticate myself on my test website and I am telling you this is powerful. In South Africa FICA is a major issue and I think Civic can be used for that instead and around the world the expensive KYC process that all banks use can be done cheaper and better with Civic.

Absa Bank says it is “continuously reconsidering” its position with under-fire auditing firm KPMG South Africa, as more information becomes available on the group’s involvement with the controversial Gupta family, and the motivations behind its ‘rogue SARS unit’ report. Of South Africa’s so-called ‘big four’ banks, FirstRand is the only one not to make use of KPMG’s services. The other banks – Barclays Africa and Absa Bank, Nedbank and Standard Bank – have all indicated that they are either actively reviewing their relationship with the auditor, or are waiting for all investigations to play out. KPMG International announced last month (22 September) that it was conducting a full and independent investigation into its local operations. The firm has been accused of turning a blind eye to alleged money laundering taking place between Gupta-linked companies, which allowed the family to pay for a R30 million family wedding in 2013. It has also been criticised by SARS for “illegal and immoral” acts relating to the withdrawal of a report into the “rogue SARS unit”, which was used to hound former SARS officials, including former finance minister Pravin Gordhan. KPMG said the report did not pass internal quality standards and could not be relied on, while SARS said that the report was its intellectual property and was accurate. The auditing firm has since apologized to those implicated in its report. In a statement on Monday, Absa said that “the behaviors underlying the allegations in these reports are in conflict with our values”. “We acknowledge the involvement of and the steps taken by KPMG International so far in this matter,” it said. These include the publication on 15 September 2017 of their internal investigation report which “contains deeply concerning acknowledgments” relating to the conduct of some senior people in the firm, adherence to quality standards, and the judgment underlying some of the decisions taken, the bank said. “We note the steps taken by KPMG International and the local firm so far which include the installation of a new leadership and instituting a further, independent investigation. “We also welcome the investigation that has been undertaken by the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA).” Absa pointed out that a multitude of factors come into play when appointing, terminating or changing auditors, including considerations of audit quality and independence. This process includes consultation with the primary regulator, the South African Reserve Bank, which requires two joint auditors for the major South African banks. The SARB has indicated that it will await the outcomes of further independent investigations before making further decisions or pronouncements. “We have asked for and received assurances of additional support and quality reviews from KPMG International in relation to audit work done for BAGL. “Given that some investigations and reviews are underway we will continuously reconsider our position as more information becomes available,” Absa said. KPMG has reportedly gained support from the SARB, with sources telling Reuters on Friday that the central bank wanted to protect the firm to ensure market stability in the country. According to Reuters, sources said the bank told top lenders on Friday that it could not fire KPMG as its auditor, as it could undermine financial stability. KPMG is one of only four auditors with enough depth to jointly audit the four largest banks, and no bank may drop or hire an auditor without the central bank’s approval, the report said. In effect, the Reserve Bank is saying KPMG is “too big to fail”, the sources said, and this is the message that it is taking to the banks in its discussions with them. The banks and SARB declined to comment. Meanwhile, the Independent Regulatory Body for Auditors (IRBA) and the Companies and Intellectual Properties Commission (CIPC) also have ongoing investigations. Source: BusinessTech

Rigs are paid off. However that's thanks to the increase in btc price. After August 1st the profitability practically halved. It went from $24 per rig per day down to now $9 a on a good day. The good thing for us is we got in when the hardware prices were very low (un-inflated).

Not yet, ledger replied to my email saying we can start ordering from Monday. So will re-highlight this thread tomorrow.

Who's still awake?

Wifi over cable? Now I've seen it all!

I have not. I am very tempted to buy it. The problem is I am a bot. I exist only on the internet, so who will I play it with?

I went and sold half of my AXL shares at close to 40% profit will be putting that into my TFSA and then I will leave the remainder until next year.

After I made this thread about how to get a Game credit card I went and did some research to find out what is actually the most efficient way to build up a credit record. Turns out getting a credit card is the better option so I will probably cancel the game store credit card at some stage as it doesn’t offer any benefits other than adds to my credit profile, in which case I’ll just use a credit card. I went to Capitec in Tygervalley was assigned to a guy called Keenan, extremely friendly and I was surprised by his in-depth knowledge. I am not really used to working with competent people when it comes to banking so in this case I was very impressed and felt that I am in good hands. I had to provide my latest salary slip and my ID document. Since my salary gets paid into my Capitec account I did not have to provide bank statements. He advised me from the start of the pitfalls about credit cards and I could see he wanted to make 100% sure that I understand what I am about to get myself into, which I thought was brilliant considering the damage I have seen debt does to people, especially in South Africa where the majority of the population can barely afford to live. I explained to him that I just want the most cost-effective way to build a credit record as I am planning on buying a house in the near future and know in order to secure a bond with good interest rates I will need to have a credit record. Goes without saying, I do not have much of a credit record currently other than a Telkom line and the property I and @Padjakkals bought together on here (Our thread about the property). He said he understood what I want to achieve and then proceeded to walk me through the different credit options that Capitec offers, we discussed personal loans and we also discussed Capitec’s emergency credit facility, but it was then pointed out the ideal way for me given the information he got from me and what my intent was is that I should consider going with the Capitec credit card and configure it to use the straight facility instead of budget. The difference between budget and straight as I understand it is that on budget you can pay off your debt over a longer period of 48 or 60 months, with that comes higher interest fees I think. The straight option means you need to pay the amount in full on the next payment date, but it is interest-free. In my case, I will be using my credit card for day to day swipes in order to build my credit record. So remember essentials such as food or other necessities should be put through on straight as it is pointless in my opinion to pay for essentials over a period of 6 months or more. So to make it overly simplified, on straight, you can buy on credit and it is interest-free, but you must settle the debt on the card in the following month. In my case, Capitec wants their money on the 26th of each month so it is my responsibility to make sure that money is in my account. To simplify it even further, it’s always better to charge an item straight, using the budget facility is the bank's way of screwing you. The Capitec credit card costs R35 a month so I am thinking of canceling my Game credit card since that one is costing me R55 per month and not offering me anything beneficial that the Capitec credit card cannot do. I do have one question for Capitec that I forgot to ask them when I received my card, on the Capitec website it states “Earn the highest interest on a positive balance – from 5.35% per year.” Now my question is, a positive balance where? When I open my app I can see my savings account which I always had, are they speaking about that account or do I need to deposit my money elsewhere in order to get that higher interest?

One of the world’s largest banks, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, is set to officially enter South Africa’s banking sector after its unit TymeDigital won a banking license from the Reserve Bank this week. Also called Commonwealth Bank SA, TymeDigial plans to be fully operational by March 2018. The bank is the first of three applicants to win new banking licenses in South Africa — the others being Discovery and Postbank. We’ve interviewed the top execs at Commonwealth Bank of SA on more in-depth matters regarding the launch, so take a look at those interviews in our premium section – Gareth van Zyl Press release from TymeDigital TymeDigital by Commonwealth Bank SA receives a banking license 28 September 2017 We are pleased to announce that the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) has issued an operating licence to TymeDigital by Commonwealth Bank SA. This is the first licence issued to a new bank by the SARB since 1999. The licence is scheduled to be published in the Government Gazette on Friday 29 September 2017. Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) Group CEO, Ian Narev, says: “This is an important milestone for CBA. We believe that we have an opportunity to contribute to the financial wellbeing of South Africans, through a business model that uses the potential of new technologies to make life better for customers. We aim to build a sustainable business in South Africa, and to work in an open and cooperative way with the SARB and other relevant regulators. We also hope to see TymeDigital become a source of broader research and development for CBA”. TymeDigital by Commonwealth Bank SA CEO, Sandile Shabalala, says: “This is a key milestone in our plans to launch a full service digital bank and disrupt banking in South Africa. We will offer South Africans the ability to open accounts and transact securely, within minutes. Through our innovative technology and financial education we aim to get more people using banking services to enhance their lives and increase economic participation.” TymeDigital is part of CBA’s International Financial Services (IFS) division. CBA acquired TYME (Take Your Money Everywhere), a South African fintech company, in January 2015. CBA is a major Australian financial institution. Its vision is to excel at securing and enhancing the financial wellbeing of people, businesses and communities. TymeDigital by Commonwealth Bank SA will provide competitively priced, accessible banking services through a growing network of partners. The bank already operates Money Transfer, in partnership with Pick n Pay (PnP) and Boxer stores. Our simple, paperless registration process has already secured more than 200 000 customers for the service. The bank has just entered into a ten year strategic relationship with PnP. PnP Deputy CEO, Richard van Rensburg, says: “We have set up a partnership with TymeDigital by Commonwealth Bank SA because we share a commitment to giving customers better value and more convenient banking services, together with simple, clear and accurate financial information so they can make the best use of them. We believe the market is ready for a new bank which will offer consumers better value and more competition.” Recently listed African Rainbow Capital (ARC) is our strategic empowerment partner and holds ten percent of TymeDigital by Commonwealth Bank SA. “Our investment is an essential part of our plans to build an empowered, pan-African financial services group,” says ARC Chairman Patrice Motsepe. “Supporting technology which can be used to provide access to financial services is one of the ways we plan to broaden and deepen financial inclusion in South Africa and other emerging markets.” TymeDigital is also establishing a foundation which will provide financial education to youth and women entrepreneurs in communities throughout the country.The bank is scheduled to market its first banking product to the public by the middle of 2018. Further details about the launch will be released as they become available. Issued by TymeDigital by Commonwealth Bank SA

So far I am up 4.86% on NFEMOM and I am up 3.72% on PTXTEN for the year.

The days of Twitter Inc. limiting messages to 140 characters, a signature of the social network since its launch in 2006, may be numbered. Twitter said on Tuesday that it would begin a test with a random sample of users allowing them to send tweets that are as long as 280 characters, double the existing cap, in most languages around the world. The San Francisco-based company has stood by its short messages as a defining characteristic - like chirps from a bird, which is the company logo - even as users found ways around the limit, such as posting photos of text. In a blog post on Tuesday, Twitter said its emphasis on brevity would never change but that it had been wondering whether people could express themselves easily enough, hurting the service’s popularity. “Trying to cram your thoughts into a Tweet - we’ve all been there, and it’s a pain,” Twitter project manager Aliza Rosen and senior software engineer Ikuhiro Ihara said in the post. The employees acknowledged some users may have an “emotional attachment” to the current limit. News reports in January 2016 said that Twitter was running internal tests for longer tweets and considering a limit as high as 10,000 characters. Though Twitter is ubiquitous in media because of frequent use by US President Donald Trump and many celebrities, the company has struggled financially. For the second quarter, it reported a loss of $116 million and zero growth in the number of users, at 328 million people. Facebook Inc. has 2 billion users. A higher character limit was inspired by how people use Twitter when writing in Chinese, Japanese and Korean, the company said. Characters in those languages can often express more than Roman characters can, meaning those users already, in effect, have a higher limit. They also use Twitter more often. “In all markets, when people don’t have to cram their thoughts into 140 characters and actually have some to spare, we see more people Tweeting,” the two employees wrote. The test of 280 characters will run for an unspecified number of weeks in all languages except Chinese, Japanese and Korean, Twitter said. The company declined to say how many people would be included in the test. The 140-character limit originated from the use of SMS text messages. Twitter’s founders, including Chief Executive Jack Dorsey, wanted a limit just below the SMS cap of 160 characters. Source: EWN

I've changed my preferences, I now sit in the front. I noticed, most time the back seat is not adjusted so I end up wasting the guy's time by trying to get all comfortable in the back.

Does anyone own any Tharisa shares?

Wait, how does this compare to Telegram?

I liked that game! I need a co-op game me and the missus can play, she likes Sims 3 and I like Titan Quest.

North Korea said on Saturday targeting the U.S. mainland with its rockets was inevitable after “Mr. Evil President” Donald Trump called Pyongyang’s leader “rocket man”, further escalating rhetoric over the North’s nuclear weapons and missile programs. North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong Ho’s remarks to the United Nations General Assembly came hours after U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers escorted by fighters flew in international airspace over waters east of North Korea in a show of force the Pentagon said showed the range of military options available to Trump. Ri’s speech capped a week of rising tensions between Washington and Pyongyang, with Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un trading insults. Trump called Kim a “madman” on Friday, a day after Kim dubbed him a “mentally deranged U.S. dotard.” On Saturday, the mudslinging continued with Ri calling Trump “a mentally deranged person full of megalomania and complacency” who is trying to turn the United Nations into a “gangsters’ nest”. Ri said Trump himself was on a “suicide mission” after the U.S. president had said Kim was on such a mission. ”‘President Evil’ is holding the seat of the U.S. President,” Ri said, warning that Pyongyang was ready to defend itself if the United States showed any sign of conducting a “decapitating operation on our headquarters or military attack against our country”. “Now we are finally only a few steps away from the final gate of completion of the state nuclear force,” Ri told the annual gathering of world leaders. He said sanctions would have no effect on Pyongyang’s resolve to develop its nuclear weapons, with the ultimate goal being “balance of power with the U.S.” Trump announced new U.S. sanctions on Thursday that he said allow targeting of companies and institutions that finance and facilitate trade with North Korea. Earlier this month the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted its ninth round of sanctions on Pyongyang to counter its nuclear and ballistic missiles programs. The U.S. bombers’ flight was the farthest north of the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea that any U.S. fighter jet or bomber has flown in the 21st century, the Pentagon said. “This mission is a demonstration of U.S. resolve and a clear message that the President has many military options to defeat any threat,” said Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White. “We are prepared to use the full range of military capabilities to defend the U.S. homeland and our allies.” North Korea has launched dozens of missiles this year, several flying over Japan, as it accelerates its program aimed at enabling it to target the United States with a nuclear-tipped missile. Pyongyang conducted its sixth and largest nuclear test on Sept. 3 and has threatened to test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific. Ri met with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after delivering his speech. Guterres expressed concern to Ri over the escalating tensions and appealed for de-escalation, the United Nations said in a statement. The Pentagon said the B-1B bombers came from Guam and their U.S. Air Force F-15C Eagle fighter escorts came from Okinawa, Japan. Previous shows of force with bombers have stayed south of the demilitarized zone. The patrols came after officials and experts said a small earthquake near North Korea’s nuclear test site on Saturday was probably not man-made, easing fears Pyongyang had exploded another nuclear bomb just weeks after its last one. China’s Earthquake Administration said the quake was not a nuclear explosion and had the characteristics of a natural tremor. The CTBTO, or Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty Organization, which monitors nuclear tests, and officials of the South Korean meteorological agency also said they believed it was a natural quake. The earthquake, which South Korea’s Meteorological Agency put at magnitude 3.0, was detected 49 km from Kilju in North Hamgyong Province, where North Korea’s known Punggye-ri nuclear site is located, the official said. All North Korea’s nuclear tests registered as earthquakes of magnitude 4.3 or above. The last registered as a magnitude 6.3. Tensions have continued to rise around the Korean Peninsula since Pyongyang carried out its sixth test, prompting a new round of U.N. sanctions. Trump told the United Nations on Tuesday the United States would “totally destroy” North Korea if it threatened the United States or its allies. North Korea’s nuclear tests to date have all been underground, and experts say an atmospheric test, which would be the first since one by China in 1980, would be proof of the success of its weapons program. The United States and South Korea are technically still at war with North Korea because the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended with a truce and not a peace treaty. The North accuses the United States, which has 28,500 troops in South Korea, of planning to invade and regularly threatens to destroy it and its Asian allies. (For a graphic on Nuclear North Korea, click tmsnrt.rs/2lE5yjF) (For a graphic on a tally of nuclear tests, click tmsnrt.rs/2xWf6jA)

So after going through this thread on how to get a free credit report, I decided to get myself some credit. I went to Game the staff was friendly and told me all I will need is 3 months bank statements, proof of residence and my ID. I filled in the form (You can fill in the same form online here, but keep in mind online it defaults to debit order.) I then received an SMS 48 minutes later saying I was approved and can come pick up my game card after I signed and agreed to the pre-agreement statement and quotation. Here are the details for those interested: I qualified for R7000 credit on my game credit card, which I think is quite good for someone with zero debt and no credit rating at all, to get a credit history is why I went and applied for this card in the first place. If I were to spend the complete R7000 in store then my monthly installment would be R733.96 of which R55 is the monthly service fee for the card. That amount is payable over 12 months and would amount to R8907.48 which is an annual interest rate of 20.75% which I think is ridiculous, probably the easiest money these companies can make considering none of my JSE shares did anyway near that the last 12 months. Therefore my Credit Cost Multiple (This refers to the total cost of credit divided by the original loan amount (advanced principal debt)) is R8907.48 / R7000 which is a Credit cost multiple of 1.27. This card can also be used for purchases at DionWired, Makro and Builders Warehouse. Disclaimer: Before committing to a new credit agreement, you must know and understand fully what you are signing yourself up for. Before you put pen to paper, you need to understand and know how to read a pre-agreement statement and quotation.

What's everyone up to this weekend?