Imagine still visiting the post office or somewhere similar to renew your car’s license when the FNB app exists. It’s possible you weren’t aware of FNB’s abilities to get your license renewal sorted, nor that it only cost R100 for a renewal. That was the headline in November, anyway. Now, FNB has cut that price to R70 per renewal for a “promotional time period”. If you’ve been doing your best impression of a procrastinator, it’s time to move.

Going Postal

Better yet, that R70 includes the delivery fee and allows customers to pay that rate using plain ol’ cash or by pulling from their stash of eBucks. Oh, and if you get a no-obligation insurance quote through FNB insurance, and renew your license through the app, FNB will dole R99 worth of eBucks into your account, free of charge.

“This decision is in line with the bank’s ethos of help and is informed by the economic pressures that consumers are experiencing, such as high interest-rates and inflation,” FNB said in a statement.

Jolandé Duvenage, nav» Chief Imagineer at FNB, says, “This is another way we’re helping our customers navigate life and the tough economic environment by offering affordable, seamless, and secured solutions for their car needs. The service continues to grow in popularity, with over 1 million vehicles uploaded to the platform and 107 000 vehicle license renewals completed over the past 12 months.”

If you’ve got the FNB app installed, all that needs to be done to renew your vehicle’s license is to load your car into the app’s nav»Car platform and use your smartphone to scan the vehicle license disc to complete the renewal.

Read More: FNB ending tap-to-pay smartphone functionality

Even before the bank’s R30 discount, it was the cheapest provider of license renewal services in the country — offering its R100/per renewal fee — tied with the National Traffic Information System (Natis), though this does not include a pricey delivery fee.

“Our commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction continues to drive the solutions we offer our customers to solve for their individual, family, and business needs.  We pride ourselves in being the ultimate destination for our customers not only for their banking needs, but their lifestyle needs,” Duvenage concludes.

We have reached out to FNB South Africa to determine the length of the “promotional time period” and will update the article accordingly if we hear back.

Elon Musk still hasn’t given up on the idea of turning X into an ‘everything app‘, recently adding phone and video calls into what was once Twitter. Now the app is apparently expanding to… TVs. Yup. According to a Fortune report (via Bloomberg) over the weekend, the eccentric billionaire wants people tuning in to, uh, Tucker Carlson, we guess, on Samsung and Amazon TVs as early as next week.

Fortune doesn’t name its sources, only citing an unnamed employee within the company, but this is Musk we’re talking about. Of course he’s got a video app in the works — one that reportedly looks “identical” to YouTube’s own app — a ploy to try and draw customers and compete with YouTube simultaneously. Whether it’ll work is yet to be determined. Our guess? It’ll be abandoned within the year, tail tucked between its legs.

Or, we’ll be proven wrong, and have to bow down to a new overlord of internet TV. We’re not particularly excited about that prospect. That can only happen if X can lay hands on exclusive content and push the app out to a far-wider host of TV brands. The odd Putin interview or shoddy Diablo IV stream might garner at least a few eyeballs. We’ll find out if X’s unnamed would-be YouTube killer has enough gall to do so next week.

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MAR10 Day, unsurprisingly, delivered a bunch of Mario news

Yesterday was Mario day. MAR10 Day, et cetera et cetera. As usual, Nintendo served up a slew of Mario-related news on a platter, including a Super Mario Bros. sequel film that reminded us water is wet, and a few other announcements that took our cynicism down a notch. The first involves release dates for two classics remastered: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD.

Announced in September and June of 2023 respectively, it’s clear Nintendo’s been sitting on these titles for a while — possibly in an attempt to bolster the Switch’s 2024 line-up in the event of a delay to its follow-up console. That, unfortunately, happened. It’s fine. The 23 May release for Paper Mario and a 27 June release for Luigi’s Mansion should do enough to hold us over ’til 2025. Also, a Tears of the Kingdom replay might be on the cards.

The last announcement and possibly the most important involved a teaser for something going by called LEGO Mario Kart (a new game, maybe, or just new sets?) and three new Mario Lego sets hitting shelves this August. The Bowser Express train set is the most expensive of the lot, but honestly, King Boo’s Haunted Mansion set or the Battle with Roy at Peach’s Castle would suit us just fine.

Warner Bros. Discovery isn’t just in the business of deleting movies

You might have thanked Warner Bros. for vaulting Batgirl in 2022, but there’s no denying it set a horrific precedent that’s created a ripple effect across the rest of the business. Coyote vs. Acme is the latest (completed) film to be sent to the bins — and now the company is looking to do something similar for its games.

Several developers under the Adult Swim Games umbrella said that Warner Bros. Discovery reached out to them to essentially tell them that their games would be removed from digital storefronts on PC and consoles. Why? It might hint at the company’s plans for the Adult Swim Games brand — possibly looking to kill it off and watch the tax breaks roll in. Because that’s how business works, right?

Some of the affected developers said they would be republishing their games on Steam, but would lose out on the title’s community pages, Steam achievements, forums, and screenshots. That wouldn’t be the case if Warner would transfer publishing permissions to those developers — a process that takes roughly three minutes and three clicks according to @onemrbean — but isn’t being done due to a ‘lAcK oF rEsOuRcEs’.

You can see a list of the 25 games being removed by the $21 billion company right here.

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Your favourite Wordle clones might not be Wordle clones for much longer

Wordle, the word-guessing game that grabbed the world by its genitals in 2022, is looking to stomp out the thousands of clones riding off the back of the Wordle brand, idea, and colour scheme that The New York Times picked up for a cool “undisclosed price in the low-seven figures” in 2022.

The New York Times has reportedly filed several DMCA issues over any Wordle clones still out there, specifically targeting Reactle earlier this week, an open-source clone used to power around 1,900 other versions of the game. The NYT reckons the clones using Reactle’s code did so in “clearly bad faith,” and have been served the same DMCA takedown issue.

“I write to submit a revised DMCA Notice regarding an infringing repository (and hundreds of forked repositories) hosted by GitHub that instruct users how to infringe The New York Times Co.’s (‘The Times‘) copyright in its immensely popular Wordle game and create knock-off copies of the same,” the notice reads.

Expect plenty of those 1,900 or so games taken down to reappear in the coming weeks with Wordle-less names attached, and maybe a fresh coat of paint.

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Unfortunately, you’ll only reap the benefit of the 19 March release of the title if you’re an Apple customer. The game will be available on iPhone and iPad and only to Netflix subscribers. Even though it’ll be free, Netflix has opened pre-orders (more or less) for players keen to explore the tale of Zagreus.

Go to Hades

If you haven’t already hammered the pre-order link above so hard that you’ve left a dent in your iPhone screen, you should. Hades is a roguelike title that sees you playing as the son of the titular Greek god. Zagreus has many of the issues a young man faces and he’d really like to depart his father’s kingdom. Getting out of the Underworld will take some doing, however.

The resulting randomly-generated trips towards the Earth’s surface are a nigh-perfect blend of engaging gameplay loop, smoothly-developing and excellently-written narrative, and gradual unlocking of new weapons and abilities. It’s enough to keep you focused on the rapid combat for hours at a time. Even when players achieve their ultimate aim, there’s still more to see, experience, and unlock.

For Android fans, there’s unfortunately no timeline for a Hades release on mobile and there probably never will be. Supergiant Games has “no plans for additional versions of Hades at this time.” It’s that “at this time” remark we’re holding onto dearly in the hopes that plans might change down the road. We’ll have to make do with the game’s sequel that’s in the works, for now. Pity, that. It’s really an incredible game.

Back to the Past

The feature is as self-explanatory as it gets. The update — which is already live on Android — allows users to hit the ‘Calendar’ icon after tapping ‘Search’ in a one-on-one or group chat. Doing so will bring up a calendar that’ll let you scroll through the years or months, transporting yourself back in time.

If that sounds familiar, we’re betting you’re an iOS, Mac desktop, or WhatsApp Web user, all of which have had the feature for some time now. The feature is only new to Android users, whose searches were previously confined to media, links, documents, or specific keywords.

Read More: WhatsApp is working on beefing up your profile picture’s security

Stick around long enough, and you’ll get hold of WhatsApp’s other incoming features that’ll make that UI a little simpler to manage. We’re talking about ‘Chat Filters’, which WABetaInfo has been on about since September of last year. It’ll split your chats into ‘All’, ‘Unread’, ‘Contacts’, or ‘Groups’ — making for an altogether more pleasant experience roaming around the green messenger.

The claimants accuse Match of having a “predatory” business model and using “recognised dopamine-manipulating product features” to get people addicted to their apps.

So, can dating apps really be addictive? Are we swiping right into a trap? Here’s the science behind how dating apps are influencing our brains.

How do apps give us a dopamine hit?

Dating apps, like many apps these days, are designed to keep users engaged. Like any product on the market, one of the developers’ goals is for the app to be sold and used.

While dating apps are designed to facilitate connections, some people may find themselves developing an unhealthy relationship with the app, constantly swiping left and right.

Dating apps can feel addictive because they activate the dopamine reward system. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter – a chemical messenger in the brain, one of many such chemicals essential for our survival.

One of dopamine’s crucial roles is to influence when and how we experience pleasure and reward. Think about the rush of winning money at a casino, or getting lots of likes on Instagram. That’s dopamine working its magic.

However, dopamine does more that just help us feel pleasure and excitement. It also has a key role in motivating us to seek out pleasurable things. It’s released not only when we experience something pleasurable, but also when we’re anticipating and seeking out a pleasurable experience.

Read More: From ghosting to ‘backburner’ relationships: the reasons people behave so badly on dating apps

Excitement and unpredictability

Certain app features make it more likely we will open our phones and start swiping. When you get a match on a dating app, it feels exciting – that’s dopamine at work.

But an element of unpredictability adds to this excitement. Each time you open the app, you don’t know what profiles you might see, and who might match with you. This element of surprise and anticipation is especially important in getting us hooked.

Imagine if instead of swiping through profiles one by one, you were shown a long list of them at once. It would still feel good to match with people, but that excitement and anticipation of swiping through one by one would be missing.

Additionally, intermittent reinforcement comes into the mix. This is where “rewards” – in this case, matches – are provided at irregular intervals. We know we might eventually get some matches, but we don’t know when or with whom.

Imagine if instead of being drip-fed your matches, you received a list of any matches from the past 24 hours, at 9am each day. Your excitement and desire to check the app throughout the day would likely lessen.

Other small features, such as “hearts” and “roses”, make dating apps socially rewarding. These are all forms of approval. It feels different to receive a heart or a rose compared to something unemotional like a “tick” or “thumbs up”. These social stimuli are rewarding and activate our dopamine, too.

6 addictive signs to watch out for

Not every dating app user will develop an unhealthy relationship to it. Just like not everyone who gambles, plays mobile games, or drinks alcohol develops a problem with those.

However, some people are biologically more vulnerable to addictions than others. A review of the research into problematic dating app use found the people likely to spend more time on the apps are those high on personality traits such as neuroticism, sociability and sensation-seeking. Problematic use of online dating apps is also associated with low self-esteem.

While there’s no current diagnosis of a “dating app addiction”, some people do develop unhealthy app habits and experience day-to-day harms as a result.

These six “addiction components” outline some of the signs you might be developing an unhealthy relationship with dating apps:

1. salience (dating app use dominates your thoughts)
2. mood modification (dating apps change your mood)
3. tolerance (your use of dating apps increases over time)
4. withdrawals (distress when dating app use is interrupted for a period of time)
5. conflict (use of dating apps negatively affects your reality)
6. relapse (you return to a previous pattern of dating app use after some interruption)

Oh no, I think I’m hooked on an app!

So, what can you do if you find yourself swiping through those matches more than you’d prefer?

Consider taking a break from the apps for a period of time. Depending on how hooked you feel, stopping completely for a while will help you reset your reliance on them.

Consider what is driving you to spend time swiping: are you feeling bored, sad or lonely? What other ways can you find to soothe these emotional experiences instead of turning to the app?

Make a list of the practical or emotional consequences of swiping, as a reminder of why you want to reduce your use. Perhaps the apps give you a brief rush, but in the long run don’t align with how you want to be spending your time, or don’t make you feel particularly good about yourself.

If you really do feel hooked, it will feel uncomfortable to take a break. Strategies such as mindfulness can help us sit with the discomfort. Consider seeking out professional help from a psychologist if you’re struggling to take time from dating apps.

Lastly, remember that apps, while great for meeting people, are not the be-all and end-all of dating.

In-person events and opportunities to mingle still exist. So, step away from the screen and embrace the excitement, unpredictability and dopamine hit you can get from face-to-face encounters too.

• Dr Anastasia Hronis is a Clinical Psychologist; Research Fellow, University of Technology Sydney
• This article first appeared in The Conversation

Better late than never

This isn’t the first time WhatsApp’s attempted to put unconsenting profile picture saving to rest. More than five years ago, WhatsApp removed the ability to download another user’s profile picture. That’s apparently all the attention it paid to the issue, however, as users were simply able to… screenshot the image and save it that way.

That’ll be changing soon, after WABetaInfo spotted the new security feature in the 2.24.4.25 update for Android. When a user attempts to screenshot another’s profile picture, they’ll be greeted with the prompt ‘Can’t take a screenshot due to app restrictions.” Obviously WhatsApp can’t stop bad actors from using a second device to capture the same image, but it should discourage at least a couple of people from taking that extra step.

Read More: Absa launches ChatWallet to let you bank on WhatsApp – here’s how to use it

It’s not yet known whether the feature will be automatically applied to all users, or if it can be turned on and off at the flip of a switch. The app already has certain security features in place that allow users to prevent unwanted contacts from seeing their profile picture altogether, or until certain criteria are met. (You can change this by heading to Settings > Privacy > Profile photo, by the way).

We’ll get a clearer idea of how the feature works once it’s released to the public which, according to WABetaInfo, should be happening “over the coming weeks,” once the beta testers have had their fun.

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All that griping seems to have gotten through, however. WhatsApp is bringing Locked Chat parity to the numerous devices your account is available on. Finally. That’s what WABetaInfo had to say on the subject, having spotted the feature (though it’s not quite fully functional yet) in the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.4.14 update. If that sounds like a beta you can get behind, sheath those ambitions. The program has been full for over a year now.

Under Lock and ‘secret code’

The image pretty much explains it all. WABetaInfo found this altered line of text floating around when creating a new Chat Lock, with the prompt stating, “We also locked this chat on your linked device. Use your secret code to open.”

That tells us a few things. First, the obvious; Chat Locks are supported on secondary devices as well as the primary device you set them up on. Second: that “secret code” needed is the same one you’ll already have set up after the feature dropped in November 2023 — creating even more parity amongst your devices, eliminating the need for multiple “secret codes” across each device with Locked Chats.

Read More: Using WhatsApp’s new Secret Code feature won’t make anyone suspicious at all /s

According to WABetaInfo, the feature has yet to reach Meta’s beta testers, meaning the feature could still be a ways off. For now, you’ll have to make do with your secondary device’s chats remaining unlocked.

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If you guessed that this is powered by artificial intelligence, you were probably paying attention to the headline. Well done. It’s not much of a blind guess, either, as every second new feature launched since 1 January 2023 has been backed by the technology. Here’s how Disney’s version of it will work.

Disney worry me

In brief, Disney’s Magic Words will analyse scenes in its library, scooping up tone, any products that are onscreen, and even the colour scheme to provide advertisers with the perfect spot to promote their stuff. This metadata collection will also generate ‘appropriate’ ads for what’s happening during your movie. It’ll be less noticeable with older presentations, we reckon, but don’t be surprised if you see Under Armour ads any time Captain America is onscreen and out of uniform.

According to Omnicom’s Geoffrey Calabrese, speaking to Reuters, “These magic words are literally going to be able to connect me to the emotions of the consumer, at an audience level. And for us, that’s really a game changer.” Omnicom is one of a handful of beta testers for the technology but South African audiences don’t have to worry about this particular brand of Disney mind control just yet.

The test is currently confined to Hulu, which is entirely ad-supported, and Disney+’s ad-supported tier over in the States. It’s not over here yet but that’s only a matter of time. When it does make the jump, at least you’ll have some idea of the emotional mechanisms behind your urge to buy both Hot Wheels and specific car brands after rewatching Ant-Man and the Wasp.

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If you can remember as far back as February last year, Google Bard’s launch came hot on the heels of Microsoft’s Copilot launch. That celebrated its first birthday this week with a redesign and Super Bowl ad, now it’s Google’s turn.

Google Gemini

Included in Google Gemini is The Chatbot Formerly Known as Bard, Google’s Duet AI features aimed at developers, and Gemini Ultra 1.0 — the new version of the company’s large language model (LLM).

For most folks, the easiest way to experience Gemini will be through mobile apps — there’s a new Google Gemini app for Android while iPhone users will find Gemini in the Google app — but everyone outside the US will have to wait until next week for the wider rollout.

You won’t have to wait to start giving Google your money, however. The new ‘AI Premium’ tier of Google One is already available to South Africans for R430/m. This gives you 2TB of Google Drive storage, access to the Gemini Ultra 1.0 LLM, and, eventually, Gemini’s help in Google Workspace apps like Google Docs and Sheets.

That might sound like a lot of money but it’s roughly the same price as a ChatGPT Plus subscription. But Google Gemini is going to need more than a similarly priced subscription if it hopes to distinguish itself from the AI competition.

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Flying cars? Nah. Banking on WhatsApp

ChatWallet is here! Absa’s new smart and convenient banking solution that allows you to chat and bank through WhatsApp. Sign up for ChatWallet and tell us what you love the most about it. Reply using #WeDoMoreWednesdays and a emoji <https://t.co/8D27C1oOWR> #MyBankDoesThat pic.twitter.com/pMRtSlEMz4

— Absa South Africa (@AbsaSouthAfrica) February 7, 2024

“…the innovative ChatWallet platform not only simplifies transactions but opens doors to a broader spectrum of banking services. With ChatWallet, users can securely manage money without the need for an existing bank account, bridging the gap to financial inclusion. The menu’s standout feature allows a smooth transition to a transactional bank account, unlocking the full potential of digital banking services for all,” says Nick Nkosi, Absa’s managing executive.

All it needs from you is a working RICA’d cell number that’s linked to WhatsApp, a valid South African ID number, a phone with a selfie cam, and a birth date pre-dating 8 February 2006. In other words, you need to be at least 18 years old. If you’ve got all that going for you, you’ll be able to use ChatWallet to send and receive payments, purchase airtime and data bundles, handle beneficiaries, and “conduct seamless cash withdrawals and deposits.” You don’t even need a bank account to get going, Absa or otherwise.

As Absa puts it: “It’s not just a wallet; it’s your all-in-one solution for hassle-free and versatile banking on the go.”

Absa’s included a full list of the features and benefits available through ChatWallet:

• Quick and easy access via WhatsApp,
• One of the most secure wallets on the market with biometric verification,
• Secure storage of funds,
• Receive money via ChatWallet (up to R25 000),
• Pay family and friends,
• Free day-to-day banking – zero monthly fees,
• Free ATM cash deposits,
• No charge for prepaid electricity, airtime, and data purchases,
• 1 free CashSend per month,
• Lowest pay-as-you-transact costs for payment to a cellphone number and CashSend to self ATM withdrawal and EFT payment to bank account,
• Ability to view wallet details and transaction history, change your ChatWallet PIN and recall unredeemed CashSend payments,
• Ability to upgrade from ChatWallet into a transactional account and join Absa Rewards for free,
• Covered by Absa’s free Digital Fraud Warranty.

Read More: FNB ending tap-to-pay smartphone functionality

How to use ChatWallet

As for how to use ChatWallet, it’s as simple as sending a message saying “Hi” to this number – 086 000 2428 – on WhatsApp. You’ll be prompted with a short greeting and two options to get started. Choose between “New to ChatWallet” or “I have a new number”.

Most customers will select the “New to ChatWallet” option, after which they’ll be introduced to Abby, the bank’s virtual assistant. Follow the prompts as instructed, accepting the necessary Ts & Cs and Personal Client Agreement and entering your ID number. Click the available link, where you will be taken to Absa’s website to scan your face and “check your identity with the Department of Home Affairs.”

The face-scan process can be completed in under a minute, after which you’ll be asked to confirm your details, such as your name, phone number, occupation, and source of funds for the wallet. It was here that we ran into our first issue when changing our occupation, requiring painstaking effort and a whole load of prompts to do so. Fortunately, this is a once-off process that can be skipped after the initial setup.

You’ll need to reactivate Abby with another “Hi” message, where you’ll be given the option to “Start banking”. This will take you to an online portal and requires a digital PIN or you can hit the “Main menu” to make payments, buy, or add money to your wallet, among other options.