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?
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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.
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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.
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The French have gone and done it. The plan, by mini President Sarkozy, to disconnect users internet connection if they’re found downloading or sharing files illegally was approved by the same assembly that initially rejected it. The law, commonly referred to as the ‘three strikes’ law, will mean that pirates will be given two chances to stop their illegal behaviour before having their internet connection cut off. This is despite the EU deciding that such laws are prohibited among EU members.
Welcome to the first “Week in review” post. A quick rundown of what’s been happening this week. If you’ve noticed anything interesting this past week, feel free to post a comment with any links and a quick description.
- Does news travels faster in traditional media outlets or new media sources – Traditional vs New Media… which is faster?
- This week more has come out regarding Last.fm giving out user information (including IP addresses) to the RIAA. Is your information safe? – Deny This, Last.fm & Another Blanket Denial By Last.Fm
- Yet another Judge removed from the Pirate Bay case due to bias. It doesn’t look like this one is going to end anytime soon – Pirate Bay Trial Fiasco Continues: Second Judge Removed for Bias
- The Pirate Party of Sweden (not directly affiliated with The Pirate Bay) may get a seat in the European Parliament – European Parliament Now Within Grasp of the Pirate Party
- Turns out the ‘Wog’ shooting witness Clare is a fake. She told police that she hadn’t seen anything, something that the media must have missed – ‘Wog’ witness Clare Werbeloff WAS a hoax & HATING CLARE WERBELOFF: A GAME FOR ALL AGES
- Check out the pointless but cool gadget, Geek Chart, that shows off what social media you’re most active on. You can see the Geek Chart I prepared earlier in the sidebar of this blog >>
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When I began writing this post it was heading down a very different path. To be honest, it was going to be another attack on how traditional media these days just can’t keep up with technology when it comes to breaking news stories. This is where Twitter comes in handy. Following both traditional and new media sources gives you a constant feed of when stories are announced.
The New York Times has given up with the whole ink and paper thing… well not entirely, but they have moved to AIR. The Times Reader is available on the Adobe AIR platform, allowing users to read the paper on their computer. This may not be anything new, as we’ve been able to read the news online for quite some time now. The Times Reader does however give you the opportunity to take the paper offline.
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You by now have all come across Hulu, the joint venture between NBC Universal, News Corp and now Disney. What a beautiful thing. The ability to stream TV shows and movies on demand, straight from the web…as long as you’re in the USA. It may be quite some time before Hulu comes to other countries around the world *sigh*. The UK have a variety of channels allowing users to stream popular shows online such as BBC iPlayer and Channel 4. But what about Australia I hear you say? Yes, we do have some options…
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