VENTRIBE: A new simple-to-use group gifting platform!

VenTribe is a group gifting platform that allows friends to come together online and give a gift to a chosen recipient as a group. Traditionally, this process has always taken place offline. Now, there is a simple, secure, all-in-one place that this can happen. It’s the ideal platform for all sorts of occasions such as birthdays, weddings, Christmas, Graduation, Thank-you’s, community gifts, and even book-clubs. If you want to give with a group, VenTribe helps make that happen.

On the Site, members are able to highlight their close friends and build their own “Gift Tribe”. The site automatically reminds the user via email of upcoming birthdays (10 days in advance). Users are able to then head to VenTribe and can organize a “Group Gift”.

The VenTribe group gifting process is simple:

• Choose a recipient for the gift
• Enter what the occasion is
• Choose a gift!

The gift categories range from fresh cut flowers, organic cosmetics and lifestyle products, to experiences, such as skydiving, jet-pack flying or photography classes. The organizer then chooses the privacy options for the Group Gift. Once they launch the Group Gift, a personalized page is created.

On the VenTribe Group Gift page members can:

• Chip in and buy the gift together
• Invite more friends to chip in via a private Facebook message or other social channels (Twitter, Pinterest, link share)
• Track progress (how much has been contributed, who has been invited, send reminders)
• Socialize around the recipient and the gift

Contributors to the Group Gift can write on the e-card, which is sent to the organizer to pass on to the lucky recipient once the Group Gift is completed.

No one is charged unless the Group Gift is fully funded, at which stage VenTribe transmits the order to their affiliated suppliers on the users' behalf. With no cash to collect, and a secure payment gateway, VenTribe makes organizing Group Gifts fun, simple, and social.

Where does VenTribe come from?

The VenTribe team hails from seven countries: Israel, South Africa, Kenya, Greece, Rwanda, Scotland and The United States, with four of its members attending school together in South Africa. The company was founded in 2011 by four of the abovementioned team members in Edinburgh, Scotland. After doing the groundwork and developing the site to an acceptable stage, the team moved across to Boulder, Colorado, where they have been based for the past 7 months and have launched out of their Beta stage.

VenTribe have also Collaborated with notable YouTube stars Devin Supertramp and Lindsey Stomp in the past. Collaborative videos have achieved over 8 million views.

It’s current affiliated suppliers are Zappos, BestBuy, Illy Cafe, Xperience Days, Lush Cosmetics, Organic Boquet, Dean and Deluca, just to name a few. In the near future, VenTribe will be opening the platform for users to create Group Gifts with products, services, and gift cards from anywhere on the web using a social bookmarking feature.

• VenTribe on Twitter
• VenTribe Facebook page
• VenTribe Pinterest page

ORAL CARE: Oral-B 500 review & some oral hygiene tips

I treated my teeth recently with the purchase of an Oral-B 500 electric toothbrush. Coincidentally, September happens to be Oral Health Awareness Month, so I suppose I'm right on trend!

The reason why I went electric with my brushing is that my dentist mentioned that I brush my teeth too hard (a common practice). This wasn't news to me, however he was the first to vividly explain how rough manual brushing can whittle down your teeth drastically over time. When you brush too hard you are gradually filing away your precious enamel!

Switching to an Oral-B 500 electric toothbrush has done away with my fear of being 'all gums' when I'm an old man. It's also made me a bit more excited when it comes to brush-time. I never thought my teeth could be so clean! I wonder if they sparkle when I smile..?

If you're considering making the switch to a power or electric toothbrush, the Oral-B 500 is a great choice. My dentist attested to the fact that the Oral-B is the “most dentist-recommended toothbrush brand worldwide”. It's also German-engineered and has a 2 year (limited) warranty. It's very comfortable to use and offers more of an oral massage than a hard-laboured brush.

Oral-B also offers some useful oral hygiene tips for keeping our sparkly whites sparkly and white:

• Do you chew on your pen? Not only can this bad habit also chip or crack your teeth, but pen chewing can also contribute to the spread of bacteria
• Try avoid boiled sweets and candy such as jawbreakers. These contain a lot of sugar which can lead to tooth decay and they can chip or crack your teeth
• The dangers of smoking should be obvious. Teeth-wise smoking can lead to yellow teeth, bad breath, receding gums, bone loss, mouth lesions and oral cancer
• Research has shown that caffeine interferes with natural saliva production, causing a dry mouth, which can lead to tooth decay. Excessive coffee intake can also stain your teeth

I also have it on good authority that potato chips (or crisps) are one of the leading causes of tooth decay. I suppose it's because they really get wedged in there between the gaps in your teeth. Be sure to always give you teeth a good sprucing with your Oral-B 500 after indulging in anything sugary or starchy.

Brush Up on Your Brushing

The science behind tooth decay is quite interesting and is useful to know in order to prevent poor oral hygiene. Knowledge is power! The following is quoted from Dr Hoosen - a renowned Johannesburg dentist:

"Tooth decay is caused by plaque, which can be described as a think and colourless sticky film containing bacteria that forms on one's teeth constantly. The bacteria make use of carbohydrates (starches and sugars) to produce an acid that attacks the enamel of teeth. Repeated acid attacks of this nature cause a cavity to form and, if left unchecked, can penetrate the softer inner layer of the tooth and spread rapidly through the tooth's structure"

Recent research by the American Academy of Periodontology, suggests that there is also a link between gum disease and heart diseases and strokes.

You only have one pair of teeth, so look after them. It's a wise move switching to an electric toothbrush, and I can certainly recommend the Oral-B 500 as a good choice.

- Issued on Behalf of Oral-B &
Jenni Newman Public Relations

Dear Esther,

I happened upon fragments of washed up letters found amongst the rubbish that the sea brings. Soggy parchments bring word that those on the mainland speak of my lonely plight as some sort of game.

I find it hard to believe that a world exists beyond this island. I am sometimes haunted by human-like figures in the distance, but I know that this is merely my own disillusion taunting me.

I sometimes don't recognise my own words on occasion where I find myself communing with the nature of this place. The car wreckage too seems unfamiliar at times, but again I wonder if it is this island that has dulled my sense.

The mystery surrounding the wrecked boats and ships on the island continue to taunt me. Their once sturdy frames rendered as fragile as paper to the rough seas. Only hollowed skeletons devoid of life remain.

I find myself drawn toward a flashing light like a moth to the flame. I hopelessly hold on to the belief that there lies my salvation. I painfully trek through the bowels of the island in search of answers … or to find a new kind of solace ...

A red light beckons; broken boats and shipwrecks mystify.

The atmosphere Dear Esther creates is incredible - it feels cold, damp and lonely.

* * * Dear Esther Game Review * * *

For me, playing a good game is like watching a well written movie but being involved in how that movie pans out. This is immersion at its best. If suspense-injected story-driven gameplay and immersion are what excite you as a gamer, then Dear Esther awaits you.

A mystical mix of good graphics, emotive music and thought-provoking narration is what Dear Esther offers. Although brief (1-2 hours), Dear Esther is a memorable experience from start to finish. The script does vary slightly each time you play, but it is the mature nature of the writing which leaves something new to be discovered each time.

“The script also deserves praise. It charts a course through vastly different topics you never realised you cared about before – folklore, the Bible, shepherding, travel writing, guilt and medicine – and turns them into something meaningful without speaking down to its audience.”
- Dear Esther Game Review by PC Gamer

There isn't much more that needs to be said about Dear Esther. I purchased the game off Steam for $10 and it has been worth every cent. So stay up late, dim the lights, expect no interruptions and enjoy the Dear Esther experience!

*** More Game Reviews ***

V4L REVIEW: The most stylish electronic cigarette on the market

Vapor4Life is an electronic cigarette company which began business in 2009. It was founded by an ex-smoker, Steve Milin, who now uses e-cigarettes as a smoking alternative. When it comes to electronic cigarettes, Steve has tried them all. Like Steve, I have also tried a variety of e-cigs and can honestly say that none match up to the Vapor4Life electronic cigarette.

V4L e-cigarettes are not only long lasting but super stylish. Vapor4Life offers seven levels of nicotine and an impressive 150+ flavours to choose from. It currently offers the widest selection of flavours - from the sweet to the savory - than any other e-cigarette brand. I have been thoroughly enjoying some of their fruity flavours for the past few months.

Vapor4Life Ultimate Starter Kit with Diamond Batteries

The Vapor4Life starter kits come with everything you need to enjoy the pleasures of flavoured vapours. This includes cartomizers (the filter part), which contain the nicotine and flavouring. Each cartomizer is equivalent to to approximately 15-20 regular cigarettes. The cartomizers can be reused and refilled several times using Vapor4Life e-Liquids.

The battery forms the shaft of the e-cigarette. Vapor4Life batteries are lithium ion and can be recharged between 200 and 400 times each. There are also a variety of accessories for your Vapor4Life electronic cigarette, including lanyards, wall and USB chargers, car adapters and portable charging cases.

What is an e-cigarette and how is it used?

An e-cigarette is a battery-powered device that vaporises a liquid solution to create an alternative to smoking. The V4L e-cig is a two piece system consisting of a rechargeable battery and cartomizer. The cartomizer is a cartridge with a coil built in that heats up a solution, which contains nicotine and flavouring.

Particularly useful and stylish are Vapor4Life's carrying cases. These velvet lined cases can be used to house your electronic cigarette, a spare battery and four cartomizers, and are small enough to carry in your pocket.

To browse the wide selection of starter kits and Vapor4Life flavours and accessories, visit www.V4L.com. If you are already a fan of the Vapor4Life electronic cigarette, follow them on Twitter or join the Vapor4Life Facebook page.

Disclaimer
While smoking vapours is far less harmful to one's health than smoking cigarettes, it must be noted that electronic cigarettes do contain nicotine, which is highly addictive. This product is intended for adult smokers only and should be used at your own risk.

REVIEW: Introducing the Samsung Galaxy Note

IF there is one thing I can say about Samsung, it's that they continue to impress me with their screen technology. I watched a video recently where someone tried to scratch their Samsung smartphone screen with a penknife (violently), which left behind very little carnage.  

The new Galaxy Note smartphone (launched this year) features the world’s first and the largest 5.3" HD Super AMOLED display. This is an expansive high-resolution screen, which is currently the largest screen size available with smartphone portability. The Galaxy Note was designed to combine core on-the-go benefits of various mobile devices while maintaining smartphone portability.

The HD Super AMOLED display offers quality viewing experiences for video, photo, documents, webpages, apps and e-books. The blacks are deep and the colours bright. The superior screen also offers a 180 degree viewing angle, allowing contents to be viewed and shared comfortably from all angles. It is also great for showcasing high resolution PowerPoint presentations and the screen is large enough to allow split-screen operation, which handles well thanks to its 1.4GHz dual-core processor.

"The artistic freedom of a paper notebook is coupled with the benefits of Samsung’s smartphone technology and services, allowing users to create, edit and share with more style than ever before," says JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung’s Mobile Communications Business.

Samsung plans to release the S Pen SDK soon which will allow app developers to create new applications and services incorporating the pen functionality. Samsung has also included S Planner - a smart, professional planning tool that makes full use of the device’s large screen. The management planner integrates the phone’s To-Do list and schedule.

The Galaxy Note also features S Memo - a multimedia application designed to record all forms of user-created content. Pictures, voice recordings, typed text, handwritten notes or drawings can all be captured via a single application and converted to a 'memo', to be edited, annotated and shared as desired.

A good smartphone wouldn't be as such without good connections into the online world. Fast network speeds are enabled through the HSPA+ and LTE-enabled connection. This allows users to stream videos in real-time or engage with their friends through online gaming platforms.

This article has been sponsored by Samsung.

DAILY DEAL AGGREGATORS: What's the deal?

IN the beginning, there was the mighty Groupon, which gathered hundreds of followers worldwide. Now, a new era begins – the era of coupon aggregators.

Social Buying websites, also known as Group Buying, Coupon Buying or Daily Deal websites have been around for about two years. Groupon, which originated in the U.S., has since managed to go public and raise millions of dollars - proving to be a highly profitable venture.

The basic method behind these websites is that they offer high quantity sales in return for steep price reductions. By promising increased sales, merchants lower their products prices, thus making the product more appealing to online buyers. The websites profit by percentage from each product sold via their website.

Today there are around 500 daily deal websites worldwide, if not more. Following this trend, numerous aggregator websites have been popping up over the last few months in South Africa.

Many have questioned the sustainability of these websites - most claiming that the method itself is flawed and that the expected lifespan of such websites is limited. Unless something radical changes, most will agree that this method will not last forever. So the question remaining is what changes can be expected in this market, if any?

According to David.B - CEO of Dealafrica - one of South Africa's more popular Daily Deals Aggregator websites, one such change has already begun. According to him, thousands of South African Internet users who used to subscribe to one or two coupon websites are now subscribing directly to the daily deal aggregators themselves.

These websites do not sell products directly but rather collect the deals being offered on many various daily deal websites, and centralise them in one place. This arguably saves users the time and effort that would have been spent searching for deals on separate websites.

An additional advantage is the various filtering options aggregator websites offer, which allow users to only view the deals that interest them and opt to receive emails according to their predefined preferences.

Techcrunch, Computerworld, Cnbc.com, and cnet.com have already begun reviewing the subject claiming that the move from coupon websites to the aggregators was expected.

"People are constantly looking for faster and more convenient ways to get things done and daily deal aggregators are definitely one of those ways", one reporter claimed.

For a trend to succeed there has to be a financial motive for the people making it possible. Its value has already been picked up on by major online players. Google and Facebook are showing increased interest and Google made the first move by buying out the deal aggregator website The Dealmap.

A quick peruse through the Dealafrica website reveals it clean and elegant layout. It is very easy to navigate and they are very quick to respond to any queries. What makes Dealafrica shine is its efficiency, convenience and the ability to filter through various daily deals.

• Dealafrica is currently offering cash prizes to three randomly selected Facebook fans. The more subscribers there are, the bigger the pot will be for each winner. This competition ends on 21 November, so sign up now and spread the word to increase your chances of winning some cash every month!

BULUNGULA LODGE: A green and eco-friendly paradise

THERE are very few lodges in the world that can say they run on the same amount of power used by a toaster; a full 24-hour day on what a toaster uses in an hour, to be exact. Bulungula, situated just south of Coffee Bay on South Africa’s Wild Coast, is one such lodge.

The Wild Coast earns its name by being a watery graveyard to several shipwrecks. Whale bones dot the coastline and it is largely an unfenced area populated by pastoral communities. Bulungula was founded where hills meet sea and is in among a variety of flora and fauna. From the lodge one looks down onto a glorious beach and estuary. The backdrop is those lovely velvety hills with springy grass that spills down the dunes and kisses the rocks and sand below. Goats, cows, chickens, ducks, dogs, donkeys, pigs, sheep and horses all roam freely, and down by the river’s edge, the mangroves grow.

Bulungula, with its use of solar power, rocket showers and compost toilets, is a living example of how tourism can, in fact, be eco-friendly, clean and sustainable. Grey water from the sinks feeds the vegetable garden and the lodge has calculated its annual carbon footprint and plants trees to offset this. Cultural fusion is at its heart, and the realisation that there are many different ways to live your life is something that will have you hankering for more.

Accommodation at Bulungula Lodge

Bulungula offers lodgings in either rondavels or safari tents. Four-bed dormitories are available for those on a budget­. The huts are more spacious and central, but the tents are more private­. I opted for the latter and although I often had to fight my way through the dune bush in pitch darkness, the double bed that awaited was cosy and the wooden deck perfect for star gazing.

(It says on the Bulungula website that if you don’t see a shooting star within half an hour during a clear night, you get that night’s accommodation free. I checked and saw three).

One is able to go to bed with the tent door left open with the roar of the ocean in your ears. In the mornings you can view the sunrise over the horizon without lifting your head from your pillow.

Bulungula Lodge: South Africa
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPsAGEbfe9E[/youtube]

Crime and safety at Bulungula Lodge

It’s hard for a South African to think of any place in the country as crime free. Because the Bulungula community owns 40% of the lodge, there is a vested interest, and since its establishment in 2004, there has been no recorded incident of even the most minor theft. Once you accept that crime is non-existent, it’s quite liberating not having to constantly worry about your belongings going walkabout.

Cellphones lie in a neat row on the kitchen windowsill while cameras and laptops lay about on tables and couches. Anything can be left quite safely in your unlocked hut or open tent. So long as an inquisitive goat doesn’t mistake your goods for lunch, everything can be left with peace of mind.

The Bulungula Lodge is the realisation of a dream dreamt during years of travels through the most remote parts of Africa, China and South America: to create an eco-friendly backpackers lodge in the most beautiful place in South Africa in partnership with a vibrant, traditional community.” – www.bulungula.com

The people you meet at Bulungula

A place like Bulungula attracts people of all ages from all walks of life and from all corners of the globe. During my four-day stay, I crossed paths with Sam — a video editor from north London, Matt — a surfer and ex-banker from New Zealand who sold all his possessions to spend a year travelling through South America; sweet, tattoo-clad Stephanie from Switzerland, Melissa, the 23-year-old Canadian who is bravely journeying from Cape to Cairo, Keegan from Cape Town, and a few American girls doing missionary work. It was a real treat to interact with such well-travelled, open and friendly people.

Things to do at Bulungula Lodge

If lying on the grass with a beer and good book or wallowing in a rock pool isn’t enough action for you, there are several things to do at Bulungula. The lodge and its activities have completely uplifted the surrounding villages and several community members have started their own small businesses. There is much to learn too if you immerse yourself within Xhosa culture.

I indulged in a two-hour horse ride which started along the beach and then headed inland and uphill. With the horses being as tame and well-disciplined as they are, no riding experience is required. Other options are to take a tour with the local herbalist, enjoy a full body massage, hike, fish, crayfish dive, glide down the Xora River in a canoe, or learn how to play the hypnotic bongos. Popular board games are available for rainy days.

I honestly can’t commend Bulungula enough. However, if luxury, comfort and privacy is your thing, it may not be your cup of tea, but I think it’s a must-do for any city dweller with a sense of adventure. The laid-back nature of the place, the hospitality, safety and friendliness may well change one’s outlook in pretty profound ways.

Just be warned that the ride is rough when driving there. It is unknown how solid your bones need to be in order to traverse a severely pot-holed road for 36 kilometres. But then again, isn’t being hard to get to one of the definitions of a paradise?

• For more info on Bulungula, including bookings and prices, visit www.bulungula.com

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