So the internet is abuzz about new financial tech arrival on the scene, 22seven, a subscription-based app / service that employs a ‘gamified’ approach to managing your money. That is, it turns developing good spending habits into something fun. Not a bad thing I don’t think, especially since most of us spend our lives unconsciously swiping away our cash. I was privvy to some of the thinking and development behind 22seven since I worked on the brand before it even had a name, and can say this much about it:
I also know that Christo and Di, the founders of 22seven, spent a year researching consumer and tech trends in the states, attending lectures and conferences and working with Dan Arielly, and I respect the amount of careful thought that has gone into the development of the app. It’s certainly more than my bank has done in developing an app (they have done zero, my bank does not offer an app). I also appreciate having help when it comes to making the most of my money, something of which South African banks do the exact opposite. In fact, it’s in their interests for you to NOT know how much you spend on charges, to be a little ‘out of it’ when it comes to your finances. The more of a mission it is keeping track of your investments vs costs vs expenditure vs monthly fees, the better. This app is designed to show you where you are wasting money, across every aspect of your finances. Not even your private banker knows / cares that much.No wonder they are freaking out about it.
Lastly, I know 22seven is designed to create a consciousness around how you spend your money. Anything that makes us more conscious, in my opinion, can only make the world a better place.
So while there’s a big ol’ hoo-haa now, I’m sure we’ll all be using 22seven within year’s time.
And boyfriends everywhere are cringing! This is perfect for when you’re stuck in a queue after you’ve just had a manicure… or something… Available downloaded from the iTunes store. You can mail your boyf your shortlist!
Look at that sad site. That little patch of flowers was a gift from a fellow Living It Up player. It’s all that’s left after the ‘Great Fire of Last Weekend’. Pretty devastating. Miss my little Candy house. Luckily everything was fully insured so I got paid out in full, but the memories were so painful I couldn’t bear to replace everything and decided to build new memories by starting again from scratch. This time I’ve gone for a Tuscan house. And an SUV. Had to get my killer guard dogs back though. I liked having them around. Their names are Romulus and Romeo.
Have you signed up for an account yet? I must say I quite enjoy logging in every day, collecting my salary and buying stuff for my house. It’s like the real world, except you get rewarded by being smart with your insurance by POTENTIALLY WINNING A BMW 320i. Yes. So why haven’t you signed up again? Click here to play Livin’ It Up.
I know I’m a little late to the party but I discovered Zinio last night and it’s INCREDIBLE. You can download ANY international magazine for a third of the price you’d pay hardcopy. The display is crystal clear and you can zoom in as is standard with iPhonery, but it also has a nifty plain text button if you just want to read the articles straight. The first mag I downloaded was Esquire. And then Wallpaper. And then Vanity Fair. And then Harpers. It’s just wonderful. Right up there as one of my top apps – go get it.
It’s basically this (above) for ages and ages and ages. And if you follow this route I took on Runkeeper, you’ll do a quick 8kms in just over an hour, and it will feel like you’ve taken a week long holiday. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Yes, all the goodness of your favourite arty mag, now on your smartphone. All you gotta do is type in www.onesmallseed.com/issue(numberofissue). Pretty rad.
I’ve been using Nike+ for a while now, but as much as I hate to admit it, me & Nike+ are plagued with niggles. First the sensor won’t pick up. Then the sensor drops the run when I stop for water. Things were getting a little ‘admin-heavy’, so I followed PD’s advice and got myself onto RunKeeper – a free app that let’s you set up an online profile AND tracks all your exercise activity including how far and fast you run, what the elevation on the run is and how many calories you burn. VERY useful. You can even search for ‘10km runs in Cape Town’ and find the routes others have taken. Life-changing, I tell you! Love seeing my exercise turned into pictures. Is kinda like art.
So MEJ intro’ed me to this terriffic app called Virtual DJ. It allows you to make a mix from your itunes with a mixer and everything, making you feel all pro and stuff. MEJ made like 20 mixes while I took my time trying to get the actual mixing right on one track right, but then again, MEJ didn’t have to google the principles behind being a DJ, read 20 pages of wikipedia and then apply this new knowledge. MEJ knew it all already (mysterious).
From my limited experience, DJs gotta have a lot of time to just listen to their tracks so they know them really well. That might bore the cr*p out of me, so I won’t be ‘quitting my day blog just yet’. But I will make some running mixes under my new DJ name, DJPROMRUNNER. Yeah. First one is below.
It’s a chilled 38-minute running mix that includes Bloc Party, MGMT, Peter Bjorn & John, No Doubt, Mark Ronson, Whitest Boy Alive, Feist & Noiseboyz. For some reason, there is no sound in my right speaker on the Ronson track. Why? Is it because I didn’t push a knob I should have? Please bear with me while I ‘find my DJ feet’. Thanks. Click here to download Virtual DJ free.
My route along the promenade
