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

News

What google trends tells us about Corona and Toilet rolls

by Leave a Comment

Google trends! is a good tool  to do some research on what’s the buzz around in Australia,  however there is no prizes to guessing right now what is buzzing  right now – should be pretty evident shouldn’t it

Yes – so let’s see what’s trending on google, one word we know for sure that’s trending around all the world for all the wrong reasons is “corona virus”. But how does it stack up against the beer “corona” – why -just because I can!

Toilet Rolls, Corona Virus & Beer

corona graph edit

As we can see on 12th March the “coronavirus” (BLUE LINE) search is beating the socks out of “Beer” (RED LINE) at *100 Vs 2 . On Feb 15th/16th there was a bit of an anomaly where beer suddenly jumped and came close to the results for the virus search. Don’t know why- but my only thoughts are that it’s the weekend and people have beer on their mind here in Australia.

Comparison above is from last month 15/02/2020 to 15/03/2020

*100 vs 2 *Numbers represent search interest relative to the highest point on the chart for the given region and time. A value of 100 is the peak popularity for the term. A value of 50 means that the term is half as popular. A score of 0 means there was not enough data for this term.

Our next graph – Interest in coronavirus  in Australian states

corona virus vs beer state search

 

This state search trend does tell us that state by state we are not so much different even though we could literally be different countries. The trend lines and stats show everyone sitting at 95% vs 5% coronavirus to Beer.

However, there was one state different from all the other who had beer on their mind more than the corona virus and it was ( butt I will explain that below)

SOUTH AUSTRALIA – They scored 91%(coronavirus) vs 9% (Beer) where other states “beer”searches were just 5%

racism and beer not corona

Now that was a bit of a surprise!

We could possibly get different results with corona virus as two words, but just decided to do the comparison with Corona as one word.

Well one thing I could not escape, while doing this research was this one thing – “TOILET PAPER”.

i could not escape toilet paper

It just had to pop up on my trending screen in between beer and corona virus and it did, just like it kept popping up on my facebook feed, twitter and Instagram account for the past month.

I’m not going to elaborate on this toilet paper topic anymore (as its sh*t), ands so I will just instead give you  this Arnie meme below instead

arnie i will be back toilet rolls

Surprisingly with the toilet paper results also popped up “Italy” and “Tom Hanks” which also tells us that we do care a sh*t if celebrity’s get the flu and if Italians too.

I will rest my toilet paper spiel with that one.

Back to the beer and coronavirus

beer by state

The beer search trend got myself into a puzzle and also scratching my head, why was south Australia leading the search for beer. Good old “Maggie Beer” managed to get into the google trends beer results.! And so was the name ‘Saskia Beer’. This puzzled me!

Now I do know Maggie Beer  due to flicking through telly and watching her cook, but didn’t know who or what Saskia + beer  was  and why she was appearing in search.

Saskia, Maggie and Ellie Beer

Image from abc.net.au

I had to look further into this and found out that her daughter Saskia just passed away in her sleep (RIP), that also explained why Saskia beer death was showing up in google search so much.

That’s all for now. until later

I could not resist!

I had to do a toilet paper search to see if it is beating corona virus, this is what I got from google trends. There are more people searching for corona virus on google in comparison to toilet paper. It would really worry me if it was the other way around.

corona virus vs toilet paper

Apparently according to those graphs for comparison for searches for toilet paper NSW and VICTORIA are doing a very good job of searching online for toilet paper at 7%, while the rest of the states are behind at 6% and lower.

Adios Again Smile

Why You Should Use a VPN for Trading and Buying Bitcoins

by Leave a Comment

crypto currency australia and annonymity

Cryptocurrencies are a growing trend in the global financial market. But as much of a novelty as the technology still may be to some, there are equally as many pitfalls waiting for those who approach cryptocurrency trading too casually. Since the hackers are always on the lookout for easy prey, it’s your objective to not make yourself an easy target by learning about cybersecurity threats that are out there.

Whether you’re using a VPN Australia or the one from another country, this is an invaluable tool in your overall arsenal. In today’s post, we’ll be listing the reasons why you should consider one if you haven’t already:

1. Man-In-The-Middle attacks

One of the cleverest ways hackers can steal your Bitcoins is throughMTM attacks. In practical terms, this is when they trick you into sending the coins to their address instead of the one belonging to the intended recipient. Keeping your eyes peeled won’t be enough since certain types of malware can sneak into your device if you’re careless enough regarding what links you click online or the kind of networks you’re connecting to.

If a person is connected to the same public Wi-Fi network as you, they can install malware on your device without you knowing. Using a VPN will shield you from such attacks. This is because everything you send and receive when having it enabled is placed inside an encrypted tunnel that’s safe from those trying to intercept it. Another benefit of using a VPN is that your IP will remain hidden, which makes you much more resilient against hackers in general.

2. Online wallet safety

While you’re holding onto the Bitcoin you’ve purchased, a cryptocurrency wallet is a necessity, whether you like it or not. But if you’re not careful and don’t protect it well enough, its contents can fall into the wrong hands before you know it.

Regardless of the type of wallet you’re using, you’re subjecting yourself to cryptocurrency theft. While it’s quite a challenge to snatch Bitcoin off of a hardware wallet through digital means, online wallets are a different story. Even though you may choose a strong password to protect them, you’re still dependent on how secure the platform is. So if you’re going with the online variant, it sure doesn’t hurt to do your due diligence and stick to reputable providers. And never log in to any of these without having a VPN enabled. This is necessary to keep your login credentials safe from being intercepted.

3. Government surveillance

Lots of Bitcoin traders are confident about their anonymity. But the fact of the matter is that Bitcoin ispseudonymous at best – the rest depends on how smart, educated, and careful you are when initiating any kind of transaction. But no matter how much effort you put into it, there’s another enemy on the horizon – your ISP. One thing’s for sure: they know every single website you’ve ever connected to. This is problematic not only from the perspective of protecting your privacy. Depending on the laws in your country, the government can come knocking on their doors. And if ISPs are obligated to forward your data to the authorities – there goes your privacy.

facebook bitcoin register

Fortunately, the answer to this problem is using a VPN. Yes, not only does it keep your web traffic hidden from would-be snoopers, but also from your ISP. If being a thorn in the foot of government surveillance sounds in any way appealing to you, this is the route to take. After all, they have no business examining it, nor should you let them. By using a VPN, what you do online will be left a secret safely kept between you and the server you’re connecting to.

Conclusion

As is evident from the points made above, using a VPN is the only safe way to trade cryptocurrencies online. Without one, you’re subjecting yourself to so many risks – the kind that are not worth taking. This is especially true since most modern VPN providers can offer you a monthly subscription rate that will set you back for a measly $3. Clearly, the risk/reward ratio is in favor of staying safe and taking them up on their offer.

Shopcred launches in Australia as the online shopping rewards market heats up

by 1 Comment

A new player Shopcred , has entered the Australian cashback market only a month after the launch of Asian behemoth Shopback.

Shopcred-launches

 


Positioning itself as a shopping community, Shopcred is helping bargain hunters and stores connect through the use of new technology that enables their community to earn rewards in a range of innovative ways.

 

These new technologies include rewards for sharing and posting deals, getting upvoted deals, along with cashback, promo codes and deals for over 800 online stores including Australia’s favourite retailers like Catch, Uniqlo, Cotton On, Virgin Australia, Menulog, ASOS and Bonds.

 


With these innovative ways to earn rewards, Shopcred are hoping to differentiate themselves from local competitors Pricepal, Shopback and Cashrewards who have recently raised funding Shopback made news last year when they raised $32 million in a funding round including backing
from Blue Sky Alternative Investments.

 

Australian based competitor Cashrewards also just completed an external funding round that yielded a $5.25 million investment from Partners For Growth.


Shopcred have seen the rise of influencers and are working with Aussie retailers to reach the ever-growing influencer audience. In return, influencers and customers can receive cashback for their purchases and rewards for their interactions, such as sharing with their followers on Facebook or posting found deals on the Shopcred website.


“Our unique technologies help retailers reach new influencer audiences and encourage the community to share and engage with retailer brands and products” explained Glenn Harvey, one of two co-founder of Shopcred.


Across Australia, loyalty program sign-ups have increased significantly as retailers see the ongoing benefits of rewarding customers for their loyalty. Deal and cashback sites like Shopcred reward customers with discounts and cashback to as much as 50% off. Particular retailers, such as telco and insurance providers, can offer one-off cashback bonuses of as much as $50 for signing up on long-term plans.


With Australians spending $21.3 billion yearly online and the arrival of same day postage, Aussie’s are heading online for the best bargains and rejecting physical stores of the past. Consumers are realising they can get a better deal with the use of promo codes and now cashback that are released regularly by the online retailers.

Throughout the past 5 years, deal sites like Ozbargain have recorded a significant increase in members, as have promo code websites like RetailMeNot and overseas cashback sites like Ebates.


Australia isn’t the only place that has taken a liking to cashback deals. Recently, Samsung announced that their mobile wallet, Samsung Pay, will allow users to get cashback when they regularly spending with their wallet. They’ve partnered up with stores including eBay and Walmart where users can earn about 5% cash back when paying with the wallet. This cashback can then be can be used the next time they pay with their Samsung Pay wallet.


Another big player, Citi, are giving their customers 2 percent cash back on all purchases, 1 percent when you shop and 1 percent when you pay your bill. Customers won’t be restricted as they are with other reward programs where users need to make purchases at affiliated retailers.

With online spending increasing by 18.6% since 2016, the future looks bright for Shopcred. “Over the next few months, we’ll be onboarding many more retailers that impact the everyday spending of Australians” an excited Harvey told Digital Grog.

   “We’re working hard on creating unique ways to reward our members. This and gaining a better understanding of their shopping preferences will be where our next investment will be”


Mobile users are also in their crosshairs with the imminent release of a rewards app. “The rewards app will make for a smooth deal finding and earning cashback experience for our mobile users. In Australia, it’s definitely an emerging space that is underutilised in the deal and rewards community.”


Cashback through Shopcred can be obtained at over 700 stores, here’s some of the top Aussie stores we’ve picked:


ASOS
Cheap and high end fashion, ASOS stock over 70,000 branded products from around the world. Next day delivery is available on a huge range of products.


Menulog
Menulog offer a huge variety of food across Australia at over 8000 restaurants. Menulog also offer a loyalty program and exclusive discounts to get repeat customers.


Catch
Catch pretty much sell everything! They currently have over 13,000 branded products from a huge range of categories including clothing, electronics, books, beauty products and even mobile plans.


Uniqlo
Japanese fashion retailer UNIQLO provide hundreds of basics in a range of colours. Their stock includes tees, jackets, hoodies, tops, jeans and pants.


Booktopia
Booktopia sell a huge range of books, ebooks, magazine and stationery items. With a warehouse in Sydney, holding more than 500,000 books, Booktopia are able to ship within 48 hours to Metro areas.

Wacky new underwear invention 2b released by Durex

by 1 Comment

Just Imagine this, you are sitting in an office bored out of your mind by the monotonous work you doing when suddenly you receive a message beneath the desk, thanks to a intimate smartphone app and lingerie  developed by durex

durex australia phone app

Crazy aussie underwear invention stirs people up  !!

And No, it’s not your sleazy boss or colleague trying to get some extra action, its your boyfriend, across town in his own workplace or at home sending a special touch message via his smartphone to your underwear or might i say Fundawear by durex.

The price for this fundawear is possibly estimated  in the $200 price range in australia

 

check out the –

video chat not intimate chat messaging smartphone app

Durex Fundawear — Touch over the Internet [OFFICIAL] Video here

This brand new wacky and weird invention, from Durex – the world’s largest condom manufacturer – is bound to attract attention due to its not too normal appeal.

Durex has come out with prototype technology which Durex claims allows "physical touch to be transferred wirelessly between couples" which is  called “Fundawear  his and hers”.

How fundawear works?

The couples buy and wear Fundawear – boxers for him and knickers and bra for her – which are pre-fitted out with a series of mini-vibrators.By using the touch screen on their “Durex smart phone app” they send signals via the internet from one phone to another, which sets off the vibrations in the underwear or fund a wear.

What is even more interesting is the speed and sequence of the stimulation can be controlled by pushing the right buttons on the touch screen.

This device is pretty much a wireless tickler or stimulator whatever you may like to call it  – Upstairs? Downstairs? Faster or slower.  Whatever your lover prefers. Sending a erotic message via your smartphone just got more personal  and intimate  irrespective of distance between partners  and if not used properly could lead to a sticky situation. This underwear has been extensively tested for replicate the sensuous touch in a  Australian bio mimicry lab by the developers

Last year students at MIT created the Like-A-Hug jacket, which inflates to "hug" the wearer whenever someone "likes" one of their Facebook posts and in in 2006 London-based designers CuteCircuit created an internet-controlled HugShirt. although there are much more explicit inventions like LovePalz and Vibease released int he market.

According to durex australia ”Fundawear is an innovation from Durex that allows touch to be transferred over the internet. Visit http://www.durexperiment.com.auto find out more & get Fundawear for yourself.”

The project is still in the planning stage with only a few samples currently available to test public reaction and is surely set to turn people on when released to the public , not to mention awkward situation in the meeting rooms

DNS CHANGER– Is my computer affected By malware ( Dont lose Internet Access)

by 1 Comment

A quarter-million computer users around the world could lose  Internet access on Monday 09/07/2012 , due to a malware( or virus ) that has infected computers the world over.

Avoid losing your internet with DNS CHANGER

There are fears of a potential "blackout" and describing the Alureon malware as the "Internet Doomsday" virus. These  viruses were designed to redirect Internet traffic through rogue DNS servers controlled by criminals

On November 8, the FBI, arrested several cyber criminals who distributed DNS changing viruses, variously known as TDSS, Alureon, TidServ and TDL4 viruses.

dns changer blackout TDSS, Alureon TidServ and TDL4 viruses spyeye zues

AFFECTED COMPUTERS IN AUSTRALIA, INDIA AND US ON JUNE11th

| AU |       8518 |
| US |      69517 |
| IN |      21302 |
see more countries here

The botnet operated by Rove Digital altered user DNS settings, pointing victims to malicious DNS in data centers in Estonia, New York, and Chicago. These malicious DNS servers would give fake, malicious answers, altering user searches, and promoting fake and dangerous products.

Because every web search starts with DNS, this virus showed users an altered version of the Internet on thier browsers

Viruses such as Zeus and SpyEye, which infect millions of PCs and are used to commit financial fraud have also been spreading sometimes via the cloud

How to fix up and check if you are affected by DNS CHANGER

Information on how to identify and clean up infections can be found on a website that a group of security firms and other experts set up: http://www.dcwg.org.

Check picture above as displayed for clean results

Qantas problems in Perth to London flight

by 1 Comment

31 july 2011 – Just got told by my sister today  that  Qantas had another incident midflight from the Singapore to London sector on the airbus 380flight from Australia( Perth) to London flight.  She said that  the flight became 2 hours late  and midway between Singapore and London  the flight suddenly started swaying sideways  and up and down  and then suddenly started descending downwards rapidly.

Ref: http://www.adprconsult.com.my/

It was all very sudden and so  passengers were not informed  of what was happening immediately but later  got told it was turbulence. Passengers went nto panic mode.  she said she finally reached London safely but it was a very scary incident  and she was unlikely to travel Qantas again. check my article posted here on australian biz times