diff --git a/examples/example12.cpp b/examples/example12.cpp
index f59a30c..ba09eaf 100644
--- a/examples/example12.cpp
+++ b/examples/example12.cpp
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     
     request.setOpt(new curlpp::options::HttpHeader(header)); 
     
-    request.setOpt(new curlpp::options::PostFields("abcd"));
+    request.setOpt(new curlpp::options::PostFields((const void*)"abcd"));
     request.setOpt(new curlpp::options::PostFieldSize(5));
     
     request.perform(); 
diff --git a/examples/example16.cpp b/examples/example16.cpp
index 13557a3..3a93be5 100644
--- a/examples/example16.cpp
+++ b/examples/example16.cpp
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     
     request.setOpt(new curlpp::options::HttpHeader(header)); 
     
-    request.setOpt(new curlpp::options::PostFields("abcd"));
+    request.setOpt(new curlpp::options::PostFields((const void*)"abcd"));
     request.setOpt(new curlpp::options::PostFieldSize(5));
 
     request.setOpt(new curlpp::options::UserPwd("user:password"));
diff --git a/examples/example21.cpp b/examples/example21.cpp
index 2bd7c4a..a6f1b73 100644
--- a/examples/example21.cpp
+++ b/examples/example21.cpp
@@ -43,18 +43,6 @@
    anonymous namespace to prevent name clash in case other examples using the same global entities
    would be compiled in the same project
 */
-namespace
-{
-
-char *data = NULL;
-
-size_t readData(char *buffer, size_t size, size_t nitems)
-{
-  strncpy(buffer, data, size * nitems);
-  return size * nitems;
-}
-
-} // namespace
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
diff --git a/include/curlpp/Options.hpp b/include/curlpp/Options.hpp
index 701311b..037acf5 100644
--- a/include/curlpp/Options.hpp
+++ b/include/curlpp/Options.hpp
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ namespace options
 	typedef curlpp::OptionTrait<bool, CURLOPT_PUT> Put;
 	typedef curlpp::OptionTrait<bool, CURLOPT_UPLOAD> Upload;
 	typedef curlpp::OptionTrait<bool, CURLOPT_POST> Post;
-	typedef curlpp::OptionTrait<std::string, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS> PostFields;
+	typedef curlpp::OptionTrait<const void*, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDS> PostFields;
 	typedef curlpp::OptionTrait<long, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDSIZE> PostFieldSize;
 	typedef curlpp::OptionTrait<curl_off_t, CURLOPT_POSTFIELDSIZE_LARGE> PostFieldSizeLarge;
 	typedef curlpp::OptionTrait<curlpp::Forms, CURLOPT_HTTPPOST> HttpPost;