Cars.co.za Releases Powerful Car App for Android

Bank queues, home affairs, doctor’s waiting rooms. Traditionally, the least interesting activities known to mankind. Thankfully you don’t have to page through that tatty copy of Huis Genoot anymore.

Following a very successful launch of an exciting car app for iPhone and iPad, Cars.co.za has developed a unique car app for Android that puts the site’s massive database of cars for sale in South Africa into your pocket – available anytime, anywhere.

The app is fast, convenient and features clever tools to help you find the perfect car for your budget.

Get the latest car news, research new car prices and specs, and tag your favourites to view later. It’s all at your fingertips.

Cars.co.za is proud to present our local app tailored for the Android platform.

Powerful Android App feature functionality includes:

• Simple “Quick search” facility
• Advanced search facility
• Multiple search criteria support
• Comprehensive sorting options
• Favourites tagging
• Multiple images
• Simple contact form

New Car Research

The new Cars.co.za Android app is a first for South Africa in offering a comprehensive new car database that is constantly updated with pricing and specs. You’ll find everything you need to know about that new model right here. An exclusive list of new car specials is also available.

The Latest Local and International Car News

Our team of writers bring you the latest from the world of cars everyday – direct to your app. Car news, reviews and industry analysis, with fresh content every single day.

Additional Service and Tools

The Tools section of the new app offers a handy vehicle finance calculator and insurance quote generator – providing all the information you might need to make the best purchasing decision.

Download the Cars.co.za Android App

Download the App here

Tweet

Insurance - Prepare for a Rainy Day

Staring at the scorched piece of pavement where my car once stood, I thought to myself, Perhaps I should have purchased car insurance.

Before you immediately stop reading, I promise this isn't a lecture on safe driving. Yes, my accident was possibly avoidable, yes, it’s wise to drive about 5 miles per hour on the highway in heavy rain, yes, my accident was like a scene straight out of Waterworld, and yes, I look exactly like Kevin Costner.

However, this post isn’t about the accident itself. I’m actually going to talk about the aftermath. After all, isn’t insurance not about crashes but about what happens after a crash?

Standing on the side of the highway, waiting to have my blood pressure taken by a medic, I realized that I was stuck. I was several hours on foot from my apartment and even farther from my workplace. I'd be lying if I said that I would have rather walked home than call a coworker for a ride. 

Unfortunately, my ballet flats were muddy puddles and my Star Wars tee shirt smelled like burnt rubber and gasoline, so I didn’t have the emotional fortitude necessary to walk more than 10 miles. I grudgingly fished my phone out of the Bermuda Triangle (layman's terms: my purse), and explained to my colleague over the phone, "Hi, Brooke. Can you pick me up? My car's on fire."

Unfortunately that's how the next few months panned out. In between job titles and apartments, I didn’t have the time to find a new vehicle. My friends drove me to and from work, while I searched the housing section of Craigslist. I finally signed a rental agreement, but even with low rates, the amount of money in my bank account started falling faster than Peter Sellers on a banana peel.

I frantically searched for a new car, but I had no idea what I was doing. It didn’t help that cars salesmen, while trying to talk me into buying something that I didn't want, found it appropriate to address me as "little lady". Standing at 5'9", I wondered how they were unable to see the irony in that pet name. I would grit my teeth, I thank them for their time and walk out with no car keys in hand. Eventually, I found a vehicle and was able to return the rental, but by that time, my bank account was so empty that I swear I could hear an echo every time I checked my balance.

Yesterday I bought car insurance again, and this time I didn't take any chances. I went with the works - liability, collision coverage, comprehensive protection and rental and towing insurance.

(also see: what to check for when buying a used car)

I followed the advice that while you might have to pay a few extra dollars, extra protection makes life a little easier when life seems extra hard. If I had rental insurance at the time of my stormy accident, my situation would have been much less of a hassle.

As my mom (also frequently unable to see the irony in her own words) would say about purchasing extra auto insurance, "It's like saving up for a rainy day."

by Kelly Casey, Guest Blogger

Recent Mover to Charlotte, NC - Kelly gives advice on those things you forget in a move.

Tweet

Diamond Buying Tips

Have you ever tried to march into a jewelry store, wanting to buy a piece but you have no idea about what to do? 


Don’t worry – you’re not actually alone. In fact, most first time jewelry buyers end up not even checking a piece’s price due to the fact that they easily get intimidated about how much information one should know when they’re looking to purchase jewelry. 


So whether you’re looking to buy an engagement ring or just a casual gift for your mom, you should definitely know what you need to look for in a piece before you march inside a store. 


Here’s an infographic made by Brilliance.com that can help you get started in doing your own research. 
This infographic contains a couple of helpful tips about how to get your hands on an amazing piece of jewelry without being scammed, or breaking the bank. Do read on!

Source: Brilliance.com

Tweet

How to Buy Silver Jewelry Online Safely

If you want to invest your money in something that can give you great returns, then why not try investing your money in silver? 


You can purchase silver in the form of coins, bars, and bullions, and you can even invest your money in silver jewelry. 


Now, the best thing about investing in silver jewelry is that you can even wear them. Their distinctive shimmer is sure to add glamour to your look.


Where can you buy silver jewelry?


The best way to buy silver jewelry is to visit your local jewelry store, of course. You could also try your local pawnshop as well as local silver auction houses. The choices that will be given to you are many; however, they will be limited by the design of the silver jewelry maker and the store's inventory.


If you want more designs, especially intricate and complicated ones, then you can try purchasing silver jewelry online. The best thing about buying your silver jewelry online is that you will be given tons of silver jewelry collections to choose from. They also come in sets, making your silver jewelry collection more valuable. However, buying silver jewelry online has its risks, an example of which is purchasing fake silver jewelry.


Online Buying Tips


You should be very careful when purchasing silver jewelry online because there are many bogus sellers out there. For this reason, here are some valuable tips on how to safely and wisely buy silver jewelry online.

First, you have to choose the seller wisely. This means checking his online reputation as well as off line. Online, you will get to read reviews made about the seller; and off line, you will get to hear about him from other silver jewelry dealers. If you are going to purchase them at online auction sites or online buy-and-sell sites, then be sure to check the seller feedback. You need to make sure that the customer satisfaction rating is high and that the seller really is primarily dealing in silver jewelry.


Two, you should always ask the seller if the silver he is selling has a 92.5% purity. What this basically means is that the jewelry is made up of 92.5% pure silver, while the remaining percentage is composed of other types of metal alloys that give form to the silver jewelry. Always look for the 925 marking on the jewelry, which is commonly located on the clasp.


Three, you should also ask the seller if the silver jewelry was machine crafted or hand crafted. Hand crafted silver jewelry commands a higher price than machine crafted ones, particularly since the details of hand crafted silver jewelry are much more refined, more intricate and complex, and more detailed than the latter; thus, the higher price. Machine crafted silver jewelry are, more often than not, mass produced, so it is cheaper.


Four, when it comes to the online seller himself, you should stay away from sellers that give vague answers to your questions. A reputable and trustworthy silver jewelry dealer will always be able to answer any questions his clients may have regarding the piece, including the origin of the jewelry, the creator of the jewelry, or the style of the silver jewelry.

Jennifer di Martino is a freelance writer who specializes in precious metal and silver investments. She is a regular contributor to URC, a site where you can purchase gold and silver.

Tweet

Know Your Product, Sell Yourself

When it comes to buying a car, I have often thought about the salesmen brokering the deal. However good the car is, I would still rather buy it from a great salesman who knows what he is talking about as oppose to dealing with someone who is just interested in picking up the commission. 


I have had some terrible experiences when dealing with executive car salesmen. I would expect these professionals to be experts in their field and have extensive knowledge of the products they are selling, but often, sadly, this is not the case. 


When I talk to a salesman I don’t want to realize that I know a lot more about his product and company than he does. I expect him to know the ins and outs, the specs, the details. I also expect him to go out of his way to finalize a deal. 

Now I know, this might sound like an “automobile” post, but the principles are true for any business situation: 

• You should be the expert when it comes to your own business. 
• You should be polite and accommodating towards your clients. 
• And obviously you should go out of your way to finalize a deal with them – your salary depends on it! 

At the end of the day, as a business person and/or an entrepreneur, above selling your product or concept, you are selling yourself (or a projection of yourself) to your client. 


To read the full post in a lot more detail, go to: Don’t just sell your product, but sell yourself to your client.

Tweet

Never Give Up, Stay Motivated

If you're starting you own business, or work in a firm, you might need some encouragement to 'just keep going'.

In fact, whatever our situation in whatever our field of passion, sometimes we all need a bit of motivation, and an indication that we will prevail, no matter the current circumstances.

There is a quote which says “don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t waste energy trying to cover up a failure. If you’re not failing, you’re not growing.”

The ability to stick it out and never throw the towel in is what ultimately leads us to our dreams.From failures and mistakes we learn to look at challenges from a different perspective.

So go bite off more than you can chew and jump out of your comfort zone. This is where you will grow the most and conquer your challenges...

The full article can be read at Motivation and Encouragement for your Passion.

Tweet

Professionalism in the 'at-home' Business

I’m a stickler for professionalism. I like to receive good service, and go out my way to ensure I always give good, professional service to clients.

I know some people like to have a ‘homely’ atmosphere in their businesses (especially when working from home).


I think that’s fine, in fact I thing it’s always a great idea to make the client or customer feel special, and make them feel ‘at home’ when they are conducting business in your office. But there is a line which needs to be drawn between having a homely atmosphere, and being inappropriate or unprofessional.

In my mind, an example of crossing the line is bringing up personal problems while discussing business. I experienced this recently when I met with a client to discuss some work. I had never met this person before and in the first hour of our meeting, she was getting emotional and talking about her problems at home. 


Obviously this made me very uncomfortable and, although my natural instinct would’ve been to sympathise and console her, I had to abort the conversational path she was wanting to meander down, and revert our attention back to the business at hand.


All Money and Business articles are now posted HERE. (includes Entrepreneurship tips, ideas to make money, and current events effecting the way we do business.)

Tweet

Lucrative Games

There is so much money in sport these days:  

Football (Soccer) has always seen absurdly high wage packets dished out. David Beckham has long-since been one of the most marketable footballers in the world, with his zany haircuts and often embarrassing dress-sense (men’s sarongs?). He made a massive 27 Million pounds last year alone. 


And the most expensive footballer in world, “check-out-my-body-and-you-might-be-my-next-baby’s-mama” Christiano Ronaldo netted about a half a million less than him last season. But these aren’t even the highest-paid footballers!

Young 22-year-old Lionel Messi of Barcelona has that distinction by earning an unbelievable 29.6 Million pounds in the 2009 season. 14 Million was for playing football, and the rest came from a whole host of endorsements.

Cricket wasn’t really known for its exorbitant paycheques, until the Indian Premier league came along. 


Now all sorts of crazy money has been pumped into the sport, turning the once

“gentlemen’s game” into celebrity fanfare.

The recent Airtel Champion’s League held in South Africa demonstrated this:

Third and fourth placed South Australian Redbacks and Royal Challengers Bangalore each earned half a million US dollars. The Eastern-Cape Warriors earned 1.3 million dollars for finishing second, and the winners, the Chennai Super Kings, were paid a whopping 2.5 million dollars.

Tweet

Password Protection Humour

To view this post, please click Passwords are Like Toothbrushes and learn some safety tips about protecting your information.

Tweet

More Banking Scams

The hopeful scamming idiots are at it again. First I received a scam letter from "ABSA Bank" (see Scam with Absa Banking).

This week I received an email claiming to be from Standard Bank. There was much less effort put into this one compared to the detailed Absa scam-mail.

The email simply stated:

Dear Customer,


We have noticed that someone other than you logged into your account on the *th of August 2010 at 11:11 PM, due to this, we have deactivated your account for safety reasons. We suspect this was done by the new fraud scheme, they use the traditional method of identity theft (phishing), hacking into customers online banking.


You can also visit your nearest branch or restore your account here


Please Click Below and follow the steps.
 
Quite laughable really, that they actually mention phishing and hacking.  I suppose this is a lame attempt to gain some trust from the reader.
 
Be Aware and Don't be Fooled!

Tweet

Interactive e-books for iPad

iPad has just made interactive e-books available, thanks to Lonely Planet, which is a publisher of travel guides. E-books for Italy, Spain, France, Great Britain and Ireland, each containing more than 3000 hyperlinks and imbedded points of interest, will be sold at Apple’s iBook stores.

the full article can now be read at businessguide.co.za

Tweet

Simple Way to Make Money From Home

Here’s a very easy way to make some money online.


This post has moved: please go to: Ideas to Make Money.


Sorry for the inconvenience :)

Tweet

No Trust in President Obama

 American voters have shown that their trust in Barack Obama’s ability to do his job well has slipped to an all-time low. In fact his term in office is already being called the ‘Oh-bummer Regime’.

The report states, “Four months before midterm elections that will define the second half of his term, nearly six in ten voters say they lack faith in the president to make the right decisions for the country

When Bill Clinton left the Office he left a 237 billion dollar surplus......

...the full article can be read at businessguide.co.za

Tweet

BP stops fueling Iran

For the past few months the news has been saturated with the BP oil spill, and attempts to stop the fuel continually pumping out into the environment. Staying with BP, but on a slightly different note, the company has now confirmed that they have stopped supplying jet fuel to Iran Air.

BP declined to give a reason for ending the contract, but recent reports show that Iranian aircraft have been denied fuel because of the latest US sanctions which were put in place to apply pressure on Iran over its nuclear programme.

Tweet

Drop in Petrol Price

The Energy Department has announced the price of petrol will drop by 18 cents per litre on Wednesday!

This means that a litre of 95 unleaded will cost R8.27 in Gauteng, and a bit less at the coast.

Check out the related link: How does the price of oil affect me?

Other prices will be affected as follows:

• Diesel with a 0.05 percent sulphur content will drop by 15 cents a litre,
• Diesel with a 0.005 percent sulphur content will decrease in price by 16cents a litre.
• Illuminating paraffin will drop 12 cents a litre
• 93 ULP will decrease by 15 cents a litre.

Tweet

Feel the Football Fever & Win R10mil

The other day a street vendor came up to my car window, I assumed he was selling some trinket or handing out flyers. As I wound down my window he asked “Can you feel it?” and then walked to the next car behind me.
:-)

Football fever is everywhere!

The Company ‘Great Odds’ is running a very cool competition; if you can correctly predict the majority of the results of the World Cup you can win R10 Million! Go check it out (below) and test your skills

Tweet

Google to be Investigated

Once again Google is in hot water (see Google Maps are Wrong). This time the controversy is in Australia where police have been ordered to investigate the online company in possible incidents of breaching telecommunications privacy laws.

This post has moved to businessguide.co.za

Tweet

Cool-er E-Reader: "It's like reading on paper"

The new version of E-reader is here. It is (originally) called Cool-er e-Reader, and is presented by Interead.

It’s a great ‘library’ on which to read all your favourite books. It is capable of storing between 500-800 novels, and it uses E-ink technology to replicate the experience of reading a book. The glare-free 6-inch....

read the full article on businessguide.co.za

It also had a good battery life, which lasts about 8000 page turns.

Go get, and Enjoy!

written by Rory

Tweet

Google Docs: An Online Office

Google is far more than just a Search Engine. Its applications are widely respected and gratefully received. Some of the more common Google apps are Gmail, Google maps, and Blogger which are all uniquely useful in their own right.

One of the lesser known additions to the Google juggernaut is Google Docs, which is a great online office package; it includes a word processor, a spreadsheet program and a presentation application.

It might seem obvious that Google Docs is built around the foundation of Microsoft Office, so if you are proficient with Office, you’ll be more than capable with Docs as each of the applications is similar to the Office equivalent of Word, Excel and PowerPoint. And added advantage to this is that you can actually use documents you have already created in MS Office and edit them in Google Docs.

Probably one of the cleverest innovations with the program is that you get a free gigabyte of online storage space, so you can access your docs on the move. Google Docs is completely free, and if you already have Gmail account, then there is no need to even register. Click here to get started.

Tweet

Tip to Help Choose Your First Online Trade

A good tip to selecting your first online trade:




Choose big companies which you can see are doing well.

article has been moved to businessguide.co.za

Tweet