via [Hat tip Mike]

Here they are:

To get your hands on this generous freebie, visit premiumpixels.com.

Do you know of any fantastic, free icon sets? Let us know in the comments.

This economic miracle was brought about by the injection of competition in the form of low cost carriers, which cut costs to the bone and focused on fast turnaround times, coupled with the existence of 3 airlines which are willing to run at losses (the state-owned carriers).

Kulula got going in July 2001 and was joined by 1time in February 2004.  Intensifying competition saw Nationwide go into liquidation in 2008 and Interlink in 2010. Velvet Sky joined the fray in 2011 and went into liquidation a year later.

The airlines which remain are struggling financially.  If SAA were a private company it would have gone into liquidation as well; but itself, Mango & SA Express have the deep pockets of the government backing it.  It’s deeply ironic that a government which, on the one hand says it is batting for the poor, on the other hand puts so much effort into the ongoing subsidisation of the flights of the wealthy, and this is one of the structural factors which keep flight prices low in South Africa – the existence of a company which can go into bankruptcy unscathed.  However, this also drives private companies out of business, and this reduced competition in the long run isn’t good for the consumer.

I suspect that the financial struggle of the private airlines is going to be the catalyst for higher flight prices in South Africa – the 1time share is trading at a record low, and Comair (which runs the Kulula and British Airways brands in South Africa) posted its first loss in 50 years of operations.   Not only do I think that we’ve seen the end of the era of  cheap flights in South Africa, but also that we are going to see more and more innovations geared to make money out of the consumer.  We’ve seen this in Europe already, where if you check in luggage with the likes of Ryanair or easyJet you’ve got to pay extra, in fact if you check in physically as opposed to electronically you’ve got to pay more. There are also extra charges if you don’t use a specific credit card.

We’ve already seen the beginnings of this – flight prices this year are higher than last year, and we’ve already seen Kulula tighten up on its luggage requirements, and Mango introducing wifi (which you have to pay for).  Hold onto your seatbelts – nobody knows how high and how far the South African airlines are going to take us down this path.

Here’s a sneak peak:

I can’t wait!

1. Drive with your windows closed. Cars are more aerodynamic with their windows closed, and can consume up to 20% more fuel when driving with windows open.
2. Switch the airconditioning off. Aircon uses power from the engine to operate, which results in the engine working harder to run, which in turn uses more fuel. If needs be, run the aircon for a short while to get the right temperature, and switch it off for a while. Open the windows a little to circulate fresh air, or use the car’s fan.
3. Don’t carry any unnecessary weight. Make sure that you aren’t carrying anything heavy in your car that you don’t need, as the load puts strain on the engine.
4. Keep your RPM low. Try keep your RPM below 3000 for optimal fuel consumption. It may call for gear changes sooner, but it will use less fuel.
5. Choose your routes wisely. Take routes that have fewer traffic lights and stops and more open road. The constant stopping and starting uses fuel unnecessarily.
6. Start a carpool. Do you live near to your colleagues, or does your neighbour work close to you? Try carpooling. Choose to drive your car every other day. This will save on fuel and the general maintenance of your car, as you will be using it much less than usual.
7. Check your tyres. Under-inflated tyres create more rolling resistance on the road, causing you to use more fuel to keep the car moving.
8. Keep within the speed limits. This is a tough one. Keeping your car at a constant high speed will consume more fuel than driving within the speed limits. Take it easy on the roads and perhaps leave home a little earlier in the morning to avoid speeding.
9. Check your air filter. A filthy air filter restricts the flow of air to the engine, resulting in it working harder. Check your air filter regularly, as it could improve your fuel economy up to 10%.

Do you have any fuel saving tips that work for you? Share them in the comments below.

What geek are you?

The new Mercedes Benz A-Class needed some attention before launch and what better way to create some excitement than to come up with a clever digital marketing campaign. Jung von Matt/Alster, the guys behind the campaign decided to turn secret prototypes into advertising media by covering the new A-Class Mercs with QR-codes and sending them out on the streets. Can you imagine the hype?

It gets better though, once a person took a photograph and scanned the QR-Code, they were presented with an application which tempted the curiosity of all car fans and they gave away an exclusive trip to the world premiere of the new A-Class.

Here’s a video:

Hat tip James.

News24 reports:

A 50m fishing trawler has run aground at First Beach in Clifton, Cape Town on Saturday morning, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) said.

“All people on board at the stage are safe, but with an incoming tide that may change,” spokesperson Craig Lambinon said.

The Japanese trawler was about 20 metres off-shore in the wave-line and rescue efforts were in progress.

Cheers to Dylan and Mark for supplying the photographs!