Digital Grog — Australia’s Tech, Gadgets & Digital Life Unfiltered

Digital Grog is Australia’s go‑to tech blog for sharp reviews, digital trends, AI tools, gadgets, cybersecurity updates, and practical how‑tos covering the latest in Aussie technology

2010

Pdf gone eco friendly WWF

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There is a new PDF in town and it is eco friendly and  also considerate to the world and global warming. The tree huggers will be pleased and so will your green credentials improve if you embrace this tree ..oops pdf..oopps wwf.

The new pdf ( wwf ) is in town!!

What was that “world wrestling federation “ – it is not , its Green and in your pc  so to speak. Essentially the WWF is a PDF, but one in which the option to print is completely negated. The WWF was first released for Mac users, but a Windows version has just become available

wwf_logo eco frtiendly Pdf

So what is WWF ?

The World Wide Fund for Nature is encouraging the WWF format for both individual and corporate use, but its web site only currently lists three organisations that have taken the file onboard: solar industry service provider Suncycle, German bank Triodos, and the German Environmental Management Association (B.A.U.M. e.V.).

How this WWF software works ?

Once the software is installed, users can open and save documents in the WWF format, and the software includes a converter feature for files in other formats

The format encourage awareness of environmentally-friendly paper practices, it takes away your ability to print WWF documents.. The  purpose  for this is to spread the awareness : "Save as WWF, save a tree”

Drop in google adsense earnings Nov Dec 2010

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Have you noticed a recent drop in Google adsense earnings. I have too.. i decided to  use google’s own tool to investigate this issue ( Google UK Search). I information derived from the internet is pointing out  towards the  issue with blogs / websites not publishing the privacy policy that Google needs on all ad sense publishers blogs.

Drop in earnings ( google adsense) without warnings

As Google have changed the Terms and Conditions of their Adsense program, one of the requirements now is that all Adsense publishers should have a "Privacy Policy" on their websites. Below is the exact wording that has been added to the Terms and Conditions for Adsense publishers.

Drop in adsense earnings google-adsense

"You must have and abide by an appropriate privacy policy that clearly discloses that third parties may be placing and reading cookies on your user’s browser, or using web beacons to collect information, in the course of ads being served on your website. Your privacy policy should also include information about user options for cookie management."

There was another Google adsense Privacy policy Update on  23 March 2009

We have now updated the Google Adsense Privacy Policy Generator to include a mention about the DoubleClick DART cookie, which is now required by Google to be included in your privacy policy. You can read more about the DoubleClick DART Cookie on the following link …https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/answer.py?answer=100557&sourceid=aso

 

Here are two links that might help you make your own Privacy policy for your blog / website

Google privacy script

http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/AdSense/thread?tid=41e1719956cc5de1&hl=en

Privacy tool

http://www.serprank.com/privacy-policy-generator/

Are the Australian banks ripping us off ?

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Banks declare huge profits

Australians are feeling ripped off as the Big four banks  who have a monopoly  are increasing the  interest rates out of tune of the RBS rate increases , even when they dont need too and are declaring huge profits.

"The banks are a bunch of greedy thieves, ripping off Australians trying to live the dream of owning their home," said the Victorian senator Senator Steve Fielding.

Ref: http://www.smh.com.au/b1

According to  Cpa.org.au  the website says  that the banks  ( ANZ, Commonwealth Bank, NAB and Westpac) annual combined pre-tax profit of around $30 billion ($21.7 billion after tax).

 

Here are the reports from the bank profit season reporting in November 2010

 

Commonwealth bank profit : $5.66 billion  Wed Aug 11, 2010

CBA’s preferred cash profit measure came in at a record  $6.1 billion – up 42 per cent on last year. The Commonwealth Bank has pulled in a record profit of $5.66 billion, a  luxurious 20 per cent increase on last financial year. The nation’s biggest home lender recorded an even bigger cash profit, the banks’ preferred measure, of $6.1 billion, which is 42 per cent higher than the previous year.

ANZ PROFIT :   $4.5 billion

ANZ has announced that it’s made an after tax profit this year of $4.5 billion; a hefty increase on the previous 12 months

NAB profit : $4.2 billion

NAB’s $4.2 billion profit , Nab had  a better-than-expected 19.3 per cent increase for National Australia Bank’s annual cash profit. NAB’s cash profit of $4.58 billion for the 12 months to end September is slightly ahead of the average of analyst expectations of $4.49 billion. Net profit rose 63 per cent in the 12 months to September 30 to $4.22 billion, up 63.2 per cent on the previous corresponding period.

Westpac profit:   $5.8 billion

Westpac today announced huge profits by unveiling a record cash profit of $5.88 billion. Westpac’s actual statutory net profits came in at $6.3 billion, a figure that related to a tax benefit disclosed last week to the ASX following its purchase two years ago of St George Bank.

Google’s “New Gmail Phone Free calls to UK and US in 2010”

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Google has launched  a new Make a call from your Gmail service  to make calls to the US and UK even simpler  and best of all free.

Make  calls to the US and UK for free with Gmail Phone In 2010

Google is launching a  new  call phone service from gmail , what it  essentially does is , you canCall anywhere in the US and Canada for free and get low rates for other countries with this small plugin  from google — right from within Gmail.

This will definitely change the game for many  telephone and  VOIP  phone call providers who are charging premiums for this sort of  free service that google is now giving.

 

Google phone service Gmail

New Gmail Phone launch with Free Calls

So is SKYPE  and  YAHOO VOICE  which are my current favorites  gonna step up to the competition now ??

Call people who aren’t on Skype
View all prices  from skype . You can use Skype to call landlines and mobiles worldwide, at amazing rates. Simply dial a phone number, then start saving

Google phone comparison  rates for VOIP and Internet phone

google phone rates chart comparison for voip and internet phone calls

The indian $35 tablet leaves IPAD soul- less

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"One Laptop Per Child wants to join forces to help manufacture and distribute  the Indian government’s planned US$35 tablet. In a congratulatory note to the government, OLPC Chairman Nicholas Negroponte said the world needs the $35 tablet, and he offered the country full access to OLPC hardware and software technology."

The nonprofit organization “One Laptop Per Child” wants to join forces to help develop the Indian government’s planned US$35 tablet.

OLPC Chairman Nicholas Negroponte said the world needs the $35 tablet, and he offered the country full access to OLPC hardware and software technology.

"India is so big that you risk being satisfied with your internal market. Don’t. The world needs your device and leadership. Your tablet is not an "answer" or "competitor" to OLPC’s XO laptop," Negroponte wrote.

Negroponte advised the Indian government to make the tablet as desirable as Apple’s iPad, but not to design it as a media consumption tool. The device should be an education tool.

So what is OLPC ?

 

One Laptop per Child is not about a machine, it’s about a movement; and we’d love you to be a part of it. The first and most important way you can join in is to donate one or more laptops at amazon.com/xo. But there’s lots of other ways to participate; you can host your own fundraising drive, help at a nearby pilot, or simply tell your friends about the project and help spread the word.

http://laptop.org/en/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Laptop_per_Child

Mission Statement:

To create educational opportunities for the world’s poorest children by providing each child with a rugged, low-cost, low-power, connected laptop with content and software designed for collaborative, joyful, self-empowered learning. When children have access to this type of tool they get engaged in their own education. They learn, share, create, and collaborate. They become connected to each other, to the world and to a brighter future.