I recently returned from a trip to Greece and noticed a great deal of change in how travellers and backpackers alike use the internet.

I remember travelling around Europe in 2005 and having to scout out internet cafes in order to book accommodation and keep in touch with friends and family back home. Even then, it wasn’t very difficult to find internet access in even some of the smaller European cities. The growth of wi-fi in particular, has meant that you now rarely need to leave your hotel (or pay) to access the internet, but how reliable is it? Continue reading »

25th June 2009 (26th in Australia), a day that won’t soon be forgotten. The death of Michael Jackson, the undisputed King of Pop, sent hundreds of thousands of people around the world to the internet to try and find out the truth… was the superstar really dead.

I was on my way to work when I read the news on my iPhone that he had been rushed to hospital after suffering cardiac arrest. As usual my first move was to post the news on Twitter and see what others were saying. People were claiming Michael Jackson had died, but I tried not to believe it until I had seen it confirmed on one of the major news outlets. It wasn’t long before confirmation was made and I had friends and family calling to share the news and their empathy. I had purchased tickets to see Michael Jackson’s concert in London. Continue reading »

The ‘three strikes’ law passed by the French Parliament a few weeks ago has now been rejected by the French Constitutional Council. Finally, some sense, but for how long.

When the law was first voted on by the French National Assembly, it was rejected, only to be passed when it came time for them to vote on the law a second time around. The law was passed despite the EU disallowing such regulations among their members, only to now be disapproved by the French themselves. Continue reading »