cafebabel.com

Digital native 'stars' of Serbia, Belgium, Germany and France to watch

('Falk Steinborn',) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:00:00 -0000

Dude, where's my wi-fi code? They grew up with the internet and feel home at places where they can access the intenet directly. They are those nerds or hipsters who you imagine could spend almost twenty-four hours online. They are the talk show experts on all things web. Four famous European digital natives to watch

Italy Wikipedia strike: anti-censorship protests online

('Eva Vanhee',) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:00:00 -0000

Here we go again: a new chapter of the world of online democracy begins. In response to a draft law restricting freedom of information being discussed in the Italian parliament, Wikipedia Italy has chosen to temporarily close down. The virtual strike has consequences

Medicine’s new dot-com revolution

('Gary Finnegan',) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 16:24:29 -0000

From clinical trial recruitment and virtual medical schools to online diagnosis and the use of cloud computing to store medical records, web 2.0 is throwing up some exciting and frightening possibilities, says Gary Finnegan

Heard about the niqab, mini short wearing ‘Niqabitch’ in France?

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 16:30:00 -0000

In September two twentysomething ‘crazy girls’ walked to the French ministry of immigration and national identity in Paris in somewhat alternative outfits; one has Maghreb origins. They're protesting over the internet against a law which bans the burqa in the public sphere - after all, 'this is a democracy’

Birgitta Jonsdottir, Iceland's woman politician blogger

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:30:00 -0000

The politician, blogger and Wikileaks ‘friend’ from Reykjavik, 43, proposed a law which aims to convert the island into a model of digital transparency and safe haven for journalists; it was passed in June. Interview with a mother-of-one who is ‘everything but your traditional politician’

Six tips: tweet like Lady Gaga

('Sarah Truesdale',) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 18:00:00 -0000

Do you have your iphone 4 at the ready? Of course you do! Would you like to boost your virtual profile? Use Twitter! Any way you like. Here is some advice taken from the most followed Twitter profiles in Europe: from Lady Gaga to 10 Downing Street

Becoming an atheist? Renounce your religion online

('Tim Mac an Airchinnigh',) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:09:21 -0000

The internet transformed our relationship with organised religion; it could now become its downfall. In 2009, Irish website Countmeout.ie caused an international stir by offering a quick, simple way to leave the catholic church. Panorama on how Europe's muslims, christians and jews exchange faith for freedom of speech

Bloggers in Romania, hailed by President Terminator

('Caroline Prosser',) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:00:00 -0000

Between fierce entrepreneurs, A-listers, history re-writers and new media journalists, bloggers are thriving in Romania. It's hailed by the president, but not well liked by other media stalwarts. The country, one of three ‘partially free’ medias in the EU (alongside Bulgaria and Italy), ranks a poor 50th on the European press freedom index

Satirists Clark and Dawe take on eurozone crisis - in 2 minutes 35

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:30:00 -0000

We're always a bit baffled by the ins and outs of the eurozone here at cafebabel.com - so it was nice to catch this little Youtube video circulated by the FT's chief economics commentator. Hilarious, though frightening

Chatroulette: Sodom and Gomorrah of web

('Jude Lister',) — Wed, 12 May 2010 20:00:00 -0000

'While you’re still young, test your strengths and practice in that which appears pointless and seems like pure verbiage to the common man. Without it, the truth will escape you,' Plato tells us in his famous dialogue Parmenides. The adage provides enough strength and reason to dive into the latest internet communications buzz. Two months on, we test it for you

Gogo Paris, go go digital? Ditching European travel guidebooks

('Tim Mac an Airchinnigh',) — Wed, 12 May 2010 19:02:44 -0000

In Europe, we don’t go on city breaks any more. We ‘pop over’ to foreign capitals like we pop downstairs to get a pint of milk. So where does that leave the traditional travel guide? One Paris-based webzine is pioneering a new species of travel guide with Europe’s new jet-setting, PDF-ing urbanites in mind

AFP and the cruelties of web journalism

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 12:08:00 -0000

Heinz Fischer, prime minister of Hungary. On 24 April, a French press agency dispatch which wrongly earmarked the Austrian president as Hungarian PM made the rounds in the French-speaking media. We understand

Guide to Twitter tongue

('Nicola Potter',) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 10:30:00 -0000

Tweet tweet. During both world wars carrier pigeons relayed short, sometimes vital messages, backwards and forwards when the electricity lines were out. Today, it’s Twitter’s 140 character posts which play the role of social network messenger…as long as you can master its language. So what are the basic ABCs of European Twitter?

Europarl TV: 'technology is more fast-paced than the institutions'

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:15:00 -0000

In September 2008, the TV channel started streaming parliamentary sessions and news features on MEPs and their speeches on the European parliament’s webpage. The challenge is to give the institutions a human face - press service chief Jean-Yves Loog tells us how

Finding Frank-Walter Steinmeier on Russian Facebook

('English language version of cafebabel.com',) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Since early September, the German opposition candidate has had a profile on the Russian e-community network Odnoklassniki.ru, which translates to ‘classmates.ru’. The social democrats are looking for the Russian vote in Germany, which mainly voted for the incumbent CDU party in the 2005 elections

Europe's far-right youth: '10 years ago we were 'Nazi losers'. Now it’s ok to be a Nazi'

('Aatish Pattni',) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Their election scores confirm it; the extreme right parties have got the wind in their sails. A new generation of activists has arrived to take up the duties, and they have profoundly changed the way in which the extreme right does politics

European election politicians want Facebook friends

('Aatish Pattni',) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 16:51:52 -0000

Personal pages, groups and events in connection with the European elections in June are multiplying on Facebook. Should the social networking platform - boasting 41.7 millions users in Europe alone – become a new site for political debate around Europe?

Europeana and Google: the battle of the virtual book

('Matthew Pagett',) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 15:43:58 -0000

Literature on computer screens is rare, even nonexistent. But the market for digital books is about to take off. American companies such as Google are already prepared. When will we see a proposal for digital literature in Europe?

Meru - new Second Life

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 08:00:00 -0000

The alternative to Second Life has Europe in its sights, according to Vladlen Koltun, a 27 year old professor from Stanford

Web 2.0: welcome to the global village

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0000

With its blogs, podcasts, wikis and other so called 'social networks', version 2.0 of the web has propelled the surfer to the crest of the wave. Could this be a virtuous version of globalisation?

Facebook: UK, Norway and Sweden most active

('Andrew Burgess',) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0000

10 million Europeans have their own profiles on booming social exchange websites such as Facebook. The most active European web users have not wasted any time create groups of their own

Hi5, gaydar.fr, Ning, MySpace and co.

('Lucy Davies',) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 12:00:00 -0000

With one login in and a few clicks, virtual communities are promising many marvellous things. Meet kindred spirits, find a job or customise your universe

Kosovo elections: waiting for a prime minister

('Flora Loshi',) — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 12:00:00 -0000

'With our victory today begins the new century.' Pro-independence opposition leader Hashim Thaçi won 17 November elections, but you won't find details in Kosovar newspapers yet - the people await a final result on 3 December

Verdi on the web

Fri, 02 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0000

Can more young people enjoy opera, asks a congress in Paris

Attack from the blogosphere

('Francesca Reinhardt',) — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 12:00:00 -0000

The online web community, 'StudiVerzeichnis', is hailed as the success story of generation Web 2.0 in Germany. But bloggers are questioning whether it is a true network phenomenon

Web 2.0, the European way

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 04:46:00 -0000

Google buys YouTube? Wikipedia explodes? Europe must react to the challenge of the second generation of the Internet