This Long Weekend @ComicConAfrica Brings you a MASSIVE Gaming Experience #ComicConAfrica

Hi Guys, 

In recent years, the gaming scene in Africa has seen remarkable growth, and is expected to grow by roughly 12% between 2018 and 2028* - this trend is realising each year at Comic Con Africa’s gaming experience. This long weekend, gaming enthusiasts from all walks of life will converge at Comic Con Africa where the worlds of gaming and pop culture will collide in spectacular fashion.

This is what gamers can expect from the Comic Con Africa gaming experience:

The Toyota Gaming Engine (TTGE) and Nintendo Partner Up!

The Toyota Gaming Engine is home to all Toyota esports action from South Africa, the world and beyond. For Comic Con Africa this weekend, TTGE has partnered with Nintendo to bring attendees an immersive Mario Kart experience and a chance to win a trip to Chicago for C2E2.

More than the partnership, Nintendo will also have the biggest Nintendo title of the year, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, playable on their stand at Comic Con Africa before its official release next month!

Telkom VS Gaming Next-Gen Gaming Village

This exciting partnership between Telkom VS Gaming and Comic Con Africa promises an unforgettable blend of gaming and pop culture for Comic-Con enthusiasts. Whether you're a dedicated gamer or a casual fan, this area on the gaming floor offers a unique opportunity to join like-minded individuals in a legendary gathering.

The Telkom VS Gaming Next-Gen Village offers fans the opportunity to win exciting prizes and get the opportunity to meet renowned South African gamers such as Okay Wasabi, Sibu Mpanza, Julia "Bish" Robson, and Pippa Tshabalala.

Throughout the year, VS Gaming runs online leagues for various gaming titles and those competing in this year’s finals, which is hosted at Comic Con Africa, stand to win their share of over R600 000. Fans can expect an exciting line-up of esports tournaments at Comic Con Africa 2023, including the VS Gaming Masters and other of South Africa's top esports leagues.

Fans can also participate in thrilling challenges, showcase their gaming skills, and explore epic loot while enjoying a cutting-edge gaming experience with state-of-the-art setups and technology.

Doritos Crunch Cup, powered by Comic Con Africa

The Doritos Crunch Cup, in partnership with Comic Con Africa, is back in Johannesburg for its third iteration which will see gamers of all levels go head-to-head for cash prizes this long weekend. This section of the con floor boasts free-to-play tournaments each day for a different game. With a wide array of genres that fans can compete in, the titles are:

• Friday, 22 September – Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II,
• Saturday, 23 September – FIFA 23,
• Sunday, 24 September – Street Fighter 6, and
• Monday, 25 September (public holiday) – Fortnite

To participate in the Doritos Crunch Cup, players can simply register on-site at Comic Con Africa starting from 9:00 AM at the Doritos Crunch Zone in Hall 5 on the morning they wish to compete. Beyond the mainline daily tournaments, the Doritos Crunch Cup provides festivalgoers with a unique opportunity to "Beat the Pro" each day. This feature allows fans to showcase their skills against a professional player in each title, with the chance to win R1000 if they emerge victorious in the head-to-head battle.

Red Bull

Red Bull will be hosting a leg of the Red Bull Campus Clutch, an open tournament exclusively for college and university students across the world, in the popular game Valorant – a team-based 5 vs. 5 shooters, where communication and teamwork are essential.

Comic Con Africa will host the Red Bull Campus Clutch national finals, with the winner being sent to compete internationally at the global finals against teams from around the world, which takes place in Istanbul, Turkey.

Carry1st Valorant Tournament

Following Riot Games’ announcement of Valorant servers coming to South Africa, The Carry1st Valorant Tournament also promises thrilling gameplay. Carry1st will host Valorant in-person activations at Comic Con this long weekend. During the event, players can learn about Valorant, participate in tournaments, and win exclusive giveaways.

Get info on some of the latest and upcoming games

In addition to Nintendo offering fans the opportunity to experience Super Mario Bros. Wonder, fans can also expect an activation from the recently released Mortal Kombat 1 as well as an exclusive preview of the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Mirage - presented by GLITCHED.

School gaming is serious gaming!

RGB Gaming will also attend Comic Con Africa, a proud sponsor of the initiative, and will bring daily school tournaments to the gaming hall across titles such as Minecraft, Splatoon, Apex Legends, and FIFA. This area of the show floor is proud to welcome 30 primary schools and 10 university teams; be sure not to miss this electrifying clash of young talents and future gaming legends as they showcase their skills on the big stage.

Fans at the show will also be able to experience a variety of tech, gaming products, and peripherals from KooDoo, as well as other vendors.

Coming this long weekend at Nasrec, Comic Con Africa 2023 is shaping up to be a not-to-be-missed festival, Saturday General Access tickets and Four Day Passes are already sold out and will not be available at the gate. Fans are encouraged to purchase their tickets for R200 through Howler here: https://bit.ly/CCA2023_tickets

* A reminder from the organisers that only tickets purchased from Howler will grant admission to the festival. The organisers wish to remind fans that the authenticity of tickets purchased from a third party cannot be guaranteed. The only source of official tickets from the organisers are found on Howler.

** Please note that all programming is subject to change without notice.

Aum Namah Shivay!

Till next time...Aashish
Thanks! Cheers!!!
https://linktr.ee/thelifesway

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Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow Enters the Home Stretch as Finalists Develop their Prototypes @SamsungSA

Hi Guys, 

The ten finalist schools in Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow competition are in a race against time to complete their solutions in the third phase of the nationwide challenge. The current phase involves creating prototypes to solve the various societal challenges the learners identified in their respective communities. This leg of the competition is running until the end of September 2023.

The learners were prepared for this phase through purposeful Design Thinking workshops held within their respective regions in May 2023. At these workshops, they were taught invaluable skills on how to best approach and get the most out of their work, think critically, speak and act like designers, and a cognitive and structured process for human-centred, creative problem-solving. They were also encouraged to focus on building strong teams and trained on how to conduct research that could help transform their ideas from mere concepts to workable solutions that would address the identified issues within their communities.

The finalist schools, who hail from the provinces of Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo, now have just over a month until the end of September to work on and complete their prototypes. Following that, they will then present to a panel of judges on the 3rd of October as they vie for the top prize.

The different groups of learners are coming up with exciting and varied solutions for their communities that include an ambitious plan for better roads using sustainable materials; basic needs during load-shedding; alternative solutions for water and electricity; and clean water to name a few.

Grade 11 learner from Mbilwi Secondary School in Venda, Limpopo, Igoline Coelho, shared how her team is determined to blow the opponents out of the water. “Our team has been ready from the get-go to put in the hours and hard work needed to get us over the finish line. Ours is a very simple solution but with the potential for a high impact. The problem affects everyone and we are happy to make a contribution with our solution. We hope it can catch on and be used by many other communities. We are a very competitive team and are determined to win the competition.”

The finalist team from Acornhoek in Mpumalanga, Maphuthaditshaba Secondary School, believes they will be delivering the best solution that will help their community. “Our solution will help households and small enterprises, so it will also have an impact on the local economy. We are going to do our best to win especially because we are the only representative of our province in the competition,” said team member, Keabetswe Malaza (Grade 10).

Amahle Skhosana (Grade 11) from Adams College in Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal, said they’ve worked hard as a unit up to this point in the competition and discovered that they work well together. “Using science, technology, engineering and maths to solve our community’s problem has excited the entire team because of all the learning opportunities it presents. We are going to do our best to win to make everyone proud, but more importantly, to solve the problem.”

Sbongile Zulu, a grade 10 learner from Buhlebemfundo Secondary School in Tsakane (Gauteng) said her team feels ready to conquer after all the great insights and useful tips they learned from the Samsung mentors allocated to each school. “We are determined to do well in this competition because if we win, the prize is double – we get to solve a problem in our community and also get an awesome prize for our school. There is more than enough motivation.”

The Solve for Tomorrow competition officially launched in South Africa in January this year, and is Samsung’s contribution to youth empowerment and skills development in the information communication technology sector to help advance the country’s Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) agenda. It was designed to increase interest and proficiency in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) among grade 10 and 11 learners from underserved communities.

“As the learners enter this critical stage of the competition, we are getting excited and looking forward to seeing all the solutions they come up with. This bodes well for the future of our country as the youngsters are killing the proverbial two birds with one stone by learning and also improving or solving problems in their communities,” said Hlubi Shivanda, Director for Business Operations, Innovation and Corporate Affairs at Samsung.

The winning school will get a prize of R100 000 worth of STEM equipment for their school, while the second and third positions will get R50 000 and R30 000 worth of STEM equipment for their schools respectively. In addition to the main prizes, each of the learners in the top three teams will be rewarded with a Samsung device.

Aum Namah Shivay!

Till next time...Aashish
Thanks! Cheers!!!
https://linktr.ee/thelifesway

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Enjoy an Early Bird Offer on the @HuaweiZA #HuaweiWatchGT4 Register Now!!!

Hi Guys, 

HUAWEI has made a resounding splash with the grand reveal of its latest addition to its acclaimed HUAWEI WATCH GT series, the HUAWEI WATCH GT 4, in anticipation of the upcoming launch in South Africa. Right on cue, this cutting-edge timepiece has made its debut amidst the tech frenzy, promising to uphold the series' tradition of excellence, including its record-breaking 2-week battery life. However, this time, it comes bearing an array of impressive features and introduces two brand-new designs: the Octagonal and Pendant styles, tailored to suit different tastes and sizes.

The HUAWEI WATCH GT 4 elevates the game with enhanced TruSeen™ 5.5+ heart rate monitoring and the introduction of the all-new Stay Fit app. This app empowers users to take charge of their fitness journey by meticulously tracking calories and managing weight, ushering in a new era of health and fitness monitoring.

His and hers…the new HUAWEI WATCH GT4 for men and ladies soon to launch in South Africa

Classic design with modern technology

HUAWEI is perhaps one of the few brands that have been pioneering smartwatches that blend the elements of traditional luxury watches with innovative and modern-looking designs. The HUAWEI WATCH GT 4 lives up to this and is available in two unique designs in two sizes, a larger 46mm version with an octagonal bezel design and a smaller 41mm version with a pendant design.

For those who want that polished, chiselled look of the octagonal design but desire all the smart, convenient features of the smartwatch, the HUAWEI WATCH GT 4 in the 46mm has the perfect balance. On the other hand, the smaller 41mm version is designed to look like a bracelet for an understated minimalist look – almost like a jewellery statement piece that complements a cocktail look or a casual dress-down denim outfit.

The HUAWEI WATCH GT 4 will be available in 6 different colourways, with easy-to-swap HUAWEI Easyfit Straps and thousands of watch faces to choose from. Anyone who enjoys experimenting with different styles will benefit from the product’s vast design offerings.

2-Week long battery life

The HUAWEI WATCH GT 4 offers exceptional battery life, with up to 14 days of usage on the HUAWEI WATCH GT 4 46mm and 7 days on the HUAWEI WATCH GT 4 41mm. This extended battery life ensures that you can rely on your watch for continuous usage without frequent recharging.

The look and feel of the new HUAWEI WATCH GT4 for men…designed for different needs!

New and improved health monitoring featuring new functions

The HUAWEI WATCH GT 4 also introduces new health monitoring features, with upgrades to the watch’s sensor for even better precision. Notably, the new TruSeenTM 5.5+ will provide more accurate readings and in-depth analysis of the wearer’s physiological metrics whilst leveraging the power of AI algorithms.

The HUAWEI WATCH GT 4 incorporates a multi-channel signal enhancement algorithm rooted deep in HUAWEI-exclusive AI learning, ensuring the most accurate heart rate readings possible. This also enhances existing sports features and sleep monitoring features, enabling users to have a comprehensive overview of their health and sleep cycle.

Stay active with HUAWEI’s new fitness features

The HUAWEI WATCH GT 4 also offers comprehensive support for calorie and weight management. With calorie counting, calorie deficit monitoring and weight control plans, this feature assists users in achieving their health goals. It includes a calorie alert to keep you on track with your calorie targets and displays your current calorie intake versus your set goal in a clean and intuitive interface. The watch supports Paddle in its sports modes and over 100 different sports modes and workout types.

HUAWEI has rolled out an enticing promotional offer for the HUAWEI WATCH GT 4. By registering, customers will receive promotional gifts worth R2,500. This offer is valid for a limited time only, so, hurry up and register on the HUAWEI official website today! Ts and Cs apply.

Variety galore for the ladies too as Huawei launches different variants of the HUAWEI WATCH GT4

I am looking forward to the launch event happening for these watches soon and I will definitely review a watch or so from this series as well. I am still using the Huawei Watch GT 2e. 

Aum Namah Shivay!

Till next time...Aashish
Thanks! Cheers!!!
https://linktr.ee/thelifesway

Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for historical tech, new gadgets, stationery, product reviews
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Your Lifestyle and Technology Blog for the Last 10.5 Years!

New Year Resolutions - Week 29 Achievements & Failures in 2023 #TheLifesWay

Hi Guys,

It's my birthday week and I celebrated my 43rd birthday with some of the family and friends. I totally love cutting the cake and eating some great food outside and at home. I have always told that my life has always been the Life of Pi as I was born on 22-7 which is a Pi=3.14 and goes till infinite never fully divisible. This means that my life is full of struggles and I love challenges that are thrown at me and I will overcome them every time with my strong will and the blessings of Lord Shiva!

1. Entertainment - I started the week by completing the Kohrra web series on the Netflix streaming platform. It's a nice one-time watch and loved the acting of Barun Sobti and Suvinder Vicky. This web series is really an eye-opener in terms of various things I missed seeing when I used to live in Punjab, India. 

I then watched The Trial: Pyaar Kaanoon Dhokha Season 1 starring Kajol and Alyy Khan. This one is the Hindi version of The Good Wife. I have not watched the original so it was okay to watch the same but some of the things are just style though they try to show the courtroom drama but there are better series for the same. This one is fast-paced and things move very quickly without any context whatsoever and then there is a monologue from the main character in a single-liner. I didn't really like the series despite Kajol working in the same. 

2. Thank You - I started from 5000 onwards to reach 8000 and again the counter got reset to zero. Then again I took it to 5000 but again it got reset. The third time it also went 5000 but got reset once again. So in total, I did around 13000 Thank You. This is one of the exercises I kept doing and going back to in my life. 

3. YouTube - I reached 2222 subscribers on my 43rd birthday on 22nd July. I am really grateful to everyone for giving your precious time to watch my videos. Whatever small I am getting from your views is my only blessing in terms of income from running all these platforms. I completed 1 year of being monetized on YouTube as I got it last year on 12-Jul-22. I had a goal to achieve the payments of USD 100 by my birthday and I got it but it only gets paid next month. 

4. Happy Birthday - I completed another year on Planet Earth and was very happy to complete 43 years and was really happy somehow. I have lived for the last 15706 days which is the number of days I have lived on this Earth. This is something I learned from the Momentum She Owns Her Success session where the Group CEO mentioned it. I am not so sure what will be the long-term impact of the same but let's try it out. My initial thought was that it was going to add stress thinking that I had not achieved anything in the long 16000 days of my living on planet earth. 

5. Shopping - I bought some of the clothes on my birthday from my favourite brand Polo & Levis and introduced Pringle also into the arsenal of brands I have. There was a sale going on in Sandton City & Woodmeads and I made use of the same. Shopping is always fun as whenever you spend money on stuff you feel good. I also felt like broken dreams when I tried some of the fountain pens from MontBlanc and other brands like Pilot USA which cost more than ZAR 5000+. I felt really lightweight and cheap though the quality may be top-class but my itch to get one really dropped to zero towards buying them. 

It's been a long long time I have taken to finish various videos and blog posts. Sometimes I don't get the strength to work the extra mile to finish these posts. Today I have found some so I will do whatever is possible. Do you also feel a loss of energy in your daily tasks sometimes? What do you do to overcome this feeling? 

Aum Namah Shivay!

Till next time...Aashish
Thanks! Cheers!!!
https://linktr.ee/thelifesway

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and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay Link to all social media platforms - https://t.co/gUHjo8DQ7h
Your Lifestyle and Technology Blog for the Last 10.5 Years!

Absa unveils New Card Designs, including Metal cards, in a re-energised Value-for-money Proposition #AbsaCard

Hi Guys, 

Launches first-of-its-kind augmented reality card game offering prizes and giveaways to customers and non-customers with incentives for transactional and credit card account takeup.

What is a bank card? Is it simply a card or a bridge to benefits, a stepway to the day-to-day amenities or a highway to the attainment of life’s greater goals? In a world where the margins of choice are ever-evolving Absa is making the guesswork simpler, unlocking a gateway to value with new chic black and smart-metal card offerings. It’s about fostering the hopes and dreams of our customers smartly as we pursue our purpose of empowering Africa’s tomorrow, together… one story at a time. It’s about the next step in a journey of creating the best value-for-money in banking for over nine million South African customers.

That journey is re-energised today with the launch of brand-new card designs that were co-created with over 2000 customers and frontline staff. Furthermore, Absa is also promoting a digital experience with its new cards with the launch of an innovative augmented reality game, Card Quest, through which existing and non-Absa customers can win great prizes and incentives for a transactional account or credit card takeup. Players collect virtual cards at various locations or swop with other participants to complete the series. Customers and non-customers can find information on Absa’s website absa.co.za and should follow Absa’s social media pages for further communication.

“As consumers and captains of our destinies, we always strive to transcend the conventional, we want the ability to make choices and have experiences that will add meaningful value to our lives and elevate us to a next-level lifestyle. Next-level banking is designed to help you achieve that and much more. More safe and secure banking through a range of superior digital payments including contactless payments, that continue to attract customer confidence so much so that Absa’s digital payments segment grew 154% in the first six months of this year, supported by our best-in-class capabilities and Digital Fraud Warranty. Our bank card is also a gateway to Absa’s best value for money banking,” said Christine Wu, Managing Executive: Consumer Product, Absa Everyday Banking.

Absa transactional and credit card cardholders enjoy the following value-for-money benefits:

• Full-service banking packages incorporating a gold or premium credit card with zero monthly fees and free embedded life cover of up to R 25 000
• Your spouse banks for 50% discount and your children bank for free
• Up to 57 days interest-free on qualifying credit card purchases
• No transaction fees on credit card swipes
• Unlimited Digital Fraud Warranty
• Innovative digital payment options including Absa’s first-to-market affordable PayShap payments
• Absa Rewards, now available free of charge to all customers
• Earn up to 30% real cash back on fuel, health and beauty and grocery purchases at Absa Rewards partners
• More rewards for smart banking on completion of embedded banking behavioural challenges in the Absa Banking App
• Travel benefits include free airport lounge access and up to R3 million in free travel insurance
• Buyers’ protection and extended warranty on your purchases
• Free Currency Investment Accounts on Gold Value Bundle and Premium packages

“We empower our customers, one story at a time but enable the small day-to-day things, one tap at a time. Our new card design integrates the rich meaning of our purpose and the powerful proposition in a single manifestation,” Wu added.

The new card face is embossed with an African basket weave design, a powerful representation of Absa’s interconnected pan-African presence and will be issued across segments - youth and entry-level through to wealth clients. Smart-metal cards will initially be available to Private Banking and Wealth clients with availability to other segments considered for a later stage. Absa has also fully switched to vertical cards. Absa’s digital cards on the Mobile Banking App will also be updated with the new design. “We recognise that cards are shifting to the mobile environment. Many of our customers already use digital payment methods for 80% of their transactions, said Wu.

Additional value for money transactional benefits since January 2023, following a further R500m pricing relief support created for customers:

Absa Rewards Now Free for Everyone

• The Absa Rewards monthly fee of R23.20 has been waived, making it free for all Absa Rewards customers.
• New and exciting enhancements to the programme were introduced in early 2023 for primary banked customers, who will receive superior value from Absa Rewards.

Youth and Students Continue to Bank for Free

• Absa Student and youth accounts still carry zero monthly fees and continue to benefit from free embedded benefits such as 100mb free data per month and free vouchers.
• In addition to unlimited free Absa ATM Cash withdrawals, Mega U customers who bank digitally with Absa will further benefit from 90% cheaper Digital Payments and External Debit Orders.

Unrivalled Benefits for Absa Transact customers

• Absa Transact customers continue to benefit from R5 000 free lump-sum death benefit and with zero monthly fee increases in 2023.

Major Relief for Flexi Account customers

• Flexi Account customers will benefit from the following price reductions: 
• Till-point withdrawals - Now free (Previously R2.00)
• Debit Card Swipes – R1.00 per transaction (Previously R4.00)
• Digital Payments – R1.00 per transaction (Previously R10.00)
• External Debit Orders – R3.50 per transaction (Previously R10.00)
• Customers continue to get unrivalled value with a free R15 000 lump-sum death benefit included as part of their monthly fee worth over R90.00pm.

I have recently switched to Absa Credit Card and my application has been approved as well. I have to collect my credit cards from the Sandton City branch which I intend to do soon and then I will see how much rewards I can collect with Absa. 

Aum Namah Shivay!

Till next time...Aashish
Thanks! Cheers!!!
https://linktr.ee/thelifesway

Subscribe to my YOUTUBE Channel for historical tech, new gadgets, stationery, product reviews
and mystery unboxings. #TheLifesWay Link to all social media platforms - https://t.co/gUHjo8DQ7h
Your Lifestyle and Technology Blog for the Last 10.5 Years!