Yesterday a new personal financial management service was launched in South Africa called 22seven. The service allows you to track your personal spending and savings with tools for financial planning. The interface is slick and the intention of the developers, who I have spent some time in conversation with, is to make people more aware of their habits surrounding money. It’s a great service in my experience, but has been met with some backlash from South Africans concerned about handing over their internet banking details. I don’t blame people for being concerned, but they really have nothing to worry about. Here’s why…

First off, let me state for the record that I have no affiliation to 22seven. I have met the founder, Christo Davel, and enjoyed many chats with him about behavioural economics and his plans for the business – but as my readers and listeners should know by now, I put emotions aside when it comes to giving people the best possible advice. Especially when it comes to their money.

Personal financial management (PFM) tools have been around for a long time. One of the leading examples of this kind of service is Mint that launched in the USA in 2006. Mint does some of the things that 22seven can, and was met with similar criticism in terms of security when it first launched. But Mint was, and is, very safe to use – and for the same reason that 22seven is.

22seven uses a third-party service provider, called Yodlee, that interfaces with banking systems to extract transactional data. Mint used to use Yodlee too, but has since switched to a system called Intuit.

22seven doesn’t actually log in to your bank account, Yodlee does. The necessary data is then extracted and passed on to 22seven’s servers.

22seven does not store your usernames and passwords either – in fact, 22seven’s systems can’t even see them. When you provide your banking details on the 22seven website, you are actually entering them directly into Yodlee’s secure servers over an encrypted connection.

The above has been confirmed to me by the Managing Director of Yodlee, Jason O’Shaughnessy, who I met last year, and Christo Davel.

So 22seven can’t see and doesn’t store your online banking credentials. But what about Yodlee?

Yodlee is an international company that has been doing this stuff for 11 years. It claims to have over 30 million users worldwide and has not had a security breach. Yodlee has a better track-record of protecting banking credentials than any South African bank.

Yodlee is also officially partnered with some of the world’s top banks. HSBC, for example, who I bank with for my offshore needs, is an official client, supplying data to Yodlee. The big international banks all play ball with the system in developing their own PFM tools and making sure that their customers are supported when using third-party systems.

Does that mean that Yodlee is 100% foolproof? Of course not. No system is perfect. We take some degree of risk every time we interface with financial systems. That’s life.

I was recently a victim of credit card fraud. Thousands of rands were stolen from my account by someone who had managed to capture my card details. The experience made me very wary of security surrounding my banking. But I’m not worried about 22seven. I take much more of a risk every time I let a waiter swipe my credit card in a restaurant.

I don’t blame South Africans for being concerned about handing over sensitive details. You should think twice about doing it and research the people who are asking for it. There is no way I would sign up for a service like 22seven without doing my homework.

What does surprise me is how South African banks – instead of partnering with Yodlee like their leading international counterparts have done – are advising customers not to use the system. It’s just another example of how backward our banks are in their thinking about personal finances, even if they are improving on the service front.

I signed up for 22seven and gave them my details. After chatting to Mr. O’Shaughnessy and researching the Yodlee system I am satisfied that my information is much safer with 22seven than it is with my own bank.

I challenge our South African banks to start thinking about personal finances and how they can empower their customers to make better decisions. It’s 2012. Ripping people off by keeping them in the dark about their own money isn’t cool. Why don’t they want to partner with Yodlee? Why are they warning you against using a system that helps you to make better financial decisions? Those are the real questions to be asking. And you won’t like the answers.

UPDATE: As has been pointed out elsewhere, one consideration with Yodlee is that your bank will not support you in fraud cases. So if Yodlee is compromised, your bank has no liability – unlike in the case of credit card fraud. It’s a good thing Yodlee has never been compromised then.

I’ve been a guest on Tech News Today a couple of times, but always via Skype. This week I got to make my first in-person appearance on the show at the TWiT booth at the Consumer Electronics Show 2012. It was awesome to hang out with Tom Merritt, Sarah Lane and Iyaz Akhtar in the flesh. We discussed gaming consoles, Google TV, Intel-based smartphones and bunch of other stuff.

Prosumer photography is bigger than ever, and somewhat of a phenomenon in my home country of South Africa – probably because of the wide variety of beautiful things on display. I am often asked for advice in choosing a first SLR camera – it can be very confusing and something that perplexed me when I first took the plunge some years ago. So herewith the simplest advice I can think of, based on my own experience.

I’m also steering away from things like post-processing software and speed-lighting because those are best addressed in isolation. I won’t elaborate on terms like aperture or shutter speed either as those are easily referenced elsewhere and should be in your vocabulary before purchasing an SLR anyway.

Spend on glass, save on cameras

A lot of first-time buyers make the mistake of fixating on camera bodies. They want to know whether to choose Nikon or Canon, generally, or whether it is worth getting one of the less-conventional SLRs from Sony or Pentax, for example. That’s the wrong question. Instead, you should be considering what your first lens will be. Spend more on your first lenses than you do on your first camera.

Digital photography has taken giant leaps forward in recent years and cameras are constantly updated, replaced and improved. The cheapest “entry level” SLRs from Canon and Nikon today are as good as the best professional bodies of five years ago, even if they aren’t full frame.

The body you choose is important, but not as important as your lens collection. Lenses will determine what you can shoot and how. A good lens on a cheap body is much, much better than a crap lens on a good body.

Your choice of lenses is also what will lock you into a camera system – be it from Canon, Nikon or another manufacturer. Start with a really good, versatile zoom lens like the Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II or equivalent Canon EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS. After that you might want to buy a good, prime lens for shooting portraits or a nice telephotofor wildlife – whatever floats your boat.

You will likely upgrade your camera body every so often as new models are released, but glass will be with you for much longer, unless you have so much money that buying expensive lenses whenever you feel like switching systems isn’t an issue.

Avoid kits

I will probably get some flack for this recommendation – but I believe that beginner photographers should avoid the temptation to buy cheap camera kits that include lenses and camera bodies. The reason I say this is because all the kits I have seen include inferior lenses – see my first point, above.

My first SLR camera was bought as a kit and I regretted it almost immediately. I had a great camera body and a mediocre lens. This is the wrong balance for a beginner. What you want, as I’ve said, is a good lens, even if it’s mounted on a cheaper body.

Ignore the zealots

Some people will tell you to buy Nikon, only because that is what they have chosen, or Canon because they have some weird attachment to the brand. Ignore them.

The best camera for you might be a Sony or a Pentax. Or, if you’re loaded, you might consider a Leica. I recommend playing around with friends’ cameras or picking up and handling cameras in a store to get a feel for them.

I love the accurate colour-reproduction of Canon cameras and lenses, but prefer the build quality and feel of Nikon. These are personal preferences and you will have to find yours.

I’ve also recently been messing around with Sony’s new single-lens translucent (SLT)cameras. These are great for beginners because they allow you to view the effects of shutter and aperture settings in real time on the camera’s display or in its digital viewfinder. I also like the built-in GPS on some Sony models that automatically geotag photographs – something that generally costs extra for Nikon and Canon bodies. The Sony Alpha 65 is particularly good thanks to the high quality of its digital viewfinder.

So the right camera system for you might not be a Nikon or a Canon – and that’s OK.

Ask the big question

Do you really need an SLR? You might find a compact camera that covers your needs and presents less frustration than a full-on SLR. Learning to master a single-lens reflex camera will take time and practice whereas you could get a really good compact that will allow you to just point and shoot. Oh sure, you can put your SLR into Auto and just start shooting, but then you aren’t really capitalising on your investment even if you are benefitting from better lenses.

Compact cameras have come a long way. The Canon S100, for example,  is ridiculously good and features a remarkably powerful image processor. Or you might consider the Nikon P7000 or Canon G12 that many professionals use as travel cameras.

Buying a good compact will save you money and might allow you to achieve what you want from your camera without breaking the bank or causing headaches.

Follow the experts

There are so many great photographers that make their knowledge available on social networks and elsewhere. Follow these people and use them for inspiration. Below are some of the photographers, both pro and hobbyist, that I follow:

• Chase Jarvis -  Chase is an edgy photographer that experiments with lights, mobile phones and other things to create new effects. Check out his website and follow him on Twitter.
• Light Stalking - A fantastic community of photographers that freely share their tips, tricks and work. I strongly recommend following Light Stalking on Twitter.
• The Strobist - Lighting is one of the most overlooked elements of photography, especially by beginners. The Strobist is all about lighting, and specifically using speed-lights – or flashes. This site is indispensable and should inspire photographers to pick up some lighting equipment.
• Dustin Diaz - I met Dustin in 2009 and spent some time with him in the bush in South Africa where I was blown away by his photography. Based in San Francisco, Dustin is a wealth of knowledge on speed-lights and shares his setups with the world. Be sure to check out his Flickr stream where you’ll find links to his book for Kindle, iOS and other platforms.
• Darren Smith – Darren is a friend of mine from Johannesburg and one of my favourite photographers. He takes photos for the best reason – because he loves it. And he’s bloody good.
• Craig Rodney – Another friend of mine, Craig takes photos for the sheer joy of it – and he is massively talented. Be sure to follow him on Instagram and see what he can do with an iPhone when not shooting on his 5D.

You never stop learning in photography and I consider myself to be a beginner. The important thing is to take time and learn. Equipment is not as important as knowledge. And the best camera is the one that’s with you

Got any other suggestions? Want to argue any of my points? Please share your thoughts in the comments section…

With mixed emotions Ben Kelly, Simon Dingle and Samantha Beckbessinger discuss memories of Steve Jobs who passed away this week, the iPhone 4S breaking pre-order records, Windows 8 and the future of Nokia, the BlackBerry and Seacom outages, India’s $35 Aakash tablet, debunking the BBM rumour, and much more – including our picks of the week.

Is there still hope for BlackBerry? Can Lenovo make a dent in the tablet market? We don’t know the answers to these questions, but are willing to speculate wildly. This week Andy Hadfield, Simon Dingle and Steven Ambrose discuss the Lenovo K1 tablet, Samsung pulling the Tab 7.7 from its stand at IFA, the Amazon tablet, app stores and operators, iOS 5, the launch of Telkom Business Mobile, Evernote acquiring Skitch, Google shutting down old projects, and more…

The guys over at TWiT.tv invited me onto episode 320 of Tech News Today last week. With regular host Tom Merritt away, the lovely Sarah Lane hosted the show. We discussed the Amazon tablet, Netflix, Samsung, WebOS and a bunch of other stuff. TNT is an awesome show and it’s always fun to Skype into the studio

Mobile banking is nothing new, but it has been stuck in the stone age until recently. USSD services are handy, but hardly intuitive and most attempts at mobile banking websites, while sometimes functional, have left much to be desired. Today, however, First National Bank (FNB) in South Africa is unveiling a breakthrough – and it goes beyond just banking.

The FNB app is now available for iOS, Android and BlackBerry devices and will soon hit Symbian too. I’ve been testing it for the past week and putting it through its paces as a consumer that has my bond, vehicle financing, credit cards and cheque accounts all with FNB.

Before we dive into the app, a disclaimer. I used to hate FNB. Anyone who has followed me on Twitter for the last two years will likely have witnessed me spitting mad at the bank on more than one occasion. And then things changed. FNB started innovating under the guidance of its CEO, Michael Jordaan. They’ve managed to win me over, so if I sound overly complementary it’s because your strongest allies will always be converts to your cause.

Through innovation the bank has put in place the best loyalty system of any company I’ve dealt with, and certainly the best of any bank in South Africa. It has found a way to legally discount fuel in South Africa and get me a personal banker, business-class lounge access at airports and other benefits that I would only have gained before through banking with a stuffy, grey-haired institution – and many more that not even the boring old zebras and lions can manage.

The FNB app is the next milestone along the bank’s path of innovation. And it’s a big one.

With the app one can bank; access account balances, do transfers and pay beneficiaries. Nothing remarkable in principle, but in practice it’s amazing in its simplicity and efficiency.

Other features include the ability to locate FNB branches and ATMs using location data from your phone. Very handy. The app also provides up to the minute forex information.

And then there’s the integration with FNB Connect – the bank’s internet service provider and telephony arm. With this customers can call the FNB contact centre for free, excluding data costs. And if you have an FNB Connect account then you can now make calls and do messaging from the application, paid for with credit on your account, which can be topped up with cash or the eBucks that one is rewarded with for banking with FNB.

But the really exciting stuff is coming down the line. Farren Roper, who heads up FNB Connect for FNB and spearheaded development of the new app, was good enough to disclose the roadmap to me. And unfortunately I can’t reveal any of it yet. But a lot of it relies on previous innovations that FNB is now pulling together.

That’s the great thing about innovation – it’s contagious. And it leads to more innovation.

Part of the significance of the FNB app is in its security – something banks take very seriously, of course. FNB has handled this by requiring you to link your device to your online banking profile before you can access it and this is bolstered by the SMS systems and other innovations the bank already has in place.

It’s a bigger step than just bringing banking to a mobile application – which is in itself more complex than one would think. And it puts FNB even further ahead of the retail banking pack in SA where the others now look more like dinosaurs than ever.

A short video FNB produced for the app is below;

Actor and comedian Robin Williams has an impressive beard. He also has a daughter named after a video game character. Robin and his daughter, Zelda, were employed by Nintendo to promote the latest installment in its Zelda series. You’ll find the resulting video attached to this post.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D is essentially a remake of a game released in the 90s. It’s also the debut of Zelda on Nintendo’s new 3DS portable gaming platform.

No reviews here, just the quirky video featuring Robin and his daughter, which was released exclusively to selected blogs around the world, including this one.

Besides, you don’t need me to expound on the awesomeness of Zelda (both the person and the games).

A trusted source in the telecommunications industry tells me that Microsoft has been planning the acquisition of Nokia for over two years. According to my informant Redmond is waiting for the Finnish mobile phone provider to shed more of its market cap – currently sitting at around $22 billion – before tying things up.

I don’t believe it.

Firstly, Microsoft already has everything it needs from Nokia following the signing of an agreement between the two companies that opens various avenues of opportunity aside from Nokia licensing the Windows Phone operating system – which is the most significant part of the deal for Microsoft.

Secondly, Microsoft doesn’t do hardware unless it has to and can clearly differentiate – such as in the case of the Xbox and Kinect. It’s a software licensing company. You don’t make healthy margins from hardware unless your surname is Jobs. For everyone else it’s a tough volume game that I’m pretty sure Microsoft has no intention of playing.

But while we consider the marriage of these two technology giants, we were recently provided with a glimpse of what Nokia could’ve been sans Microsoft.

Windows Phone has been a failure to date. Its predecessor, Windows Mobile, had a pitiful market share in the smartphone arena, ending up with 5% last year according to Canalys. Since launching Windows Phone 7 Microsoft’s market share has actually deteriorated, falling to 3% in the first quarter of 2011.

Look at leading manufacturers’ operating system approaches and there is no question as to why Microsoft has fallen behind. Samsung and HTC are fully committed to Google’s Android operating system and their releases of Windows Phone devices have been little more than experimental. Microsoft is yet to win over handset vendors and it remains to be seen whether they ever will.

A source at one of the world’s largest handset manufacturers recently confirmed what I had suspected: nobody wanted the Windows Phone 7 device that their company launched in SA. Stock was returned by operators who could not dispose of it, while the company’s Android devices sold like hotcakes. The market has spoken.

Nokia will be the first manufacturer to go big on Windows Phone, but it remains to be seen if it can turn the tide for Microsoft.

And while Nokia prepares to enter the market with Microsoft onboard, the fruits of previous engagements are about to launch.

The Nokia N9 was announced in recent weeks running the MeeGo operating system that Nokia created in partnership with Intel. This was part of the strategy that the old Nokia regime put in place to regain relevance in the smartphone market. And it might have worked if their shareholders had given it a chance before displacing the CEO and alienating other key executives in the company like Anssi Vanjoki.

The N9 looks spectacular, although I haven’t had a chance to play with it yet. MeeGo seems to address all of the crippling issues that users had with the Symbian operating system. It also utilises the powerful services Nokia has built via its Ovi brands, such as Maps and Music Store. These services used to be differentiators for the company, but are now being tied into Windows Phone to the benefit of other manufacturers too.

Earlier this year I met with the new Nokia CEO, Stephen Elop, who explained that if Nokia was to be successful as a Windows Phone manufacturer it first had to work to improve and grow the Microsoft ecosystem. This makes perfect sense and I have faith in Elop’s strategy and ability to execute, even if I am skeptical of Microsoft’s mobile prospects.

But the N9 and MeeGo could’ve been the renaissance Nokia needed. The once fiercely contrarian Finnish company may well have clawed its way back to the top of the market without Microsoft.

Of course, now we’ll never know.

The N9 will soon have to compete with similar devices running Windows Phone, from the same manufacturer. Any success it does have will be weighed down by Nokia’s commitment to Microsoft. Marketing resources, etc. must be split. You won’t hear Intel’s take on this out in the open, but you can bet they’re fuming. The Nokia that Intel originally partnered with is no more, its attentions split and its strategy transformed – not necessarily a bad thing, depending on your perspective.

So while we wait to see whether or not Microsoft and Nokia can redefine themselves in a market obsessed with Apple and Google, let’s take a moment to consider what could’ve been.

Check out the promo video for the N9 below. I can’t wait to get my hands on it.

On (tech)5 this week we pretended to air an interview with Phillip de Wet from The Daily Maverick and iMaverick – alas, some technical shit got in the way and the interview was cut short on air. As promised, however, here it is on the web for your listening pleasure. So push play below and find out more about South Africa’s first, ever, serious daily iPad newspaper…