How can I blog in Italy?
May 5, 2009 4:51 AM Subscribe
Planning two-week trip to Italy this summer and would like to keep blogging but...
I have a heavily trafficked blog I do every morning. I am going away to Italy, a tour guided trip once there, and would like to continue to blog while away. At home, I use an IMac. Can I get, say, a netbook, or IPhone, or laptop and use it while touring? That is will I find WiFi readily available or is it at best random in Italian cities? Which light, small device makes the most sense for ease and weight and use?
I have a heavily trafficked blog I do every morning. I am going away to Italy, a tour guided trip once there, and would like to continue to blog while away. At home, I use an IMac. Can I get, say, a netbook, or IPhone, or laptop and use it while touring? That is will I find WiFi readily available or is it at best random in Italian cities? Which light, small device makes the most sense for ease and weight and use?
There are internet cafes everywhere in Europe, especially in the touristy parts. You'll usually pay per minute, or per 15 minute minute block. Prices will vary from cafe to cafe. This would be far cheaper and more reliable than buying a laptop/netbook for the purpose, and much easier than trying to get a cell phone on a plan that would allow you to use the data connection overseas without breaking the bank.
posted by JuiceBoxHero at 5:44 AM on May 5, 2009
posted by JuiceBoxHero at 5:44 AM on May 5, 2009
I'd strongly suggest an iPhone. Only hitch is that you will need to spring an extra $50 per month for higher overseas data usage and keep tabs on it. Wifi spots tend to be plentiful, and the ability to blog/twitter/take a pic on the road is fabulous. Plus, any pic you take will be GPS tagged and that is surprisingly nice once you get back and start sorting through photos. I'd also strongly suggest Nightcam, iFlashready, CamerBag, and SimpleFilter as nice apps to compliment the photo aspect of your blogging experience.
posted by aemartinez at 5:44 AM on May 5, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by aemartinez at 5:44 AM on May 5, 2009 [2 favorites]
netbooks here are all the rage and more practical in my opinion than an iphone which you could not use as a phone anyway (different network, locked sim).
The concept of "free wireless" is relatively unknown since a (fascist, but that's editorializing on my side) decree states that everyone is responsible for access to his/her own network, and most access points are closed by default when sold (this assuming that most household installations do not bother to change their setup).
So, while most households have access to the internet and a wireless router, you might find lots of closed networks and relatively few open ones. (data point: right now I am seeing 2 networks other than mine from my apartment on the outskirts of a small village in the tuscan countryside, all of them are closed).
Most hotels have wireless, and most will try to charge you insane amounts for that, so be sure to check beforehand. In most cities there are internet cafes anyway, and all of them have computers, so you might not even need yours. Due to said law above, expect to be asked for ID in internet cafes and in places that offer free wireless such as bars, pubs or libraries.
In short: widespread internet: absolutely. Free access - eh, not so much.
posted by _dario at 5:55 AM on May 5, 2009
The concept of "free wireless" is relatively unknown since a (fascist, but that's editorializing on my side) decree states that everyone is responsible for access to his/her own network, and most access points are closed by default when sold (this assuming that most household installations do not bother to change their setup).
So, while most households have access to the internet and a wireless router, you might find lots of closed networks and relatively few open ones. (data point: right now I am seeing 2 networks other than mine from my apartment on the outskirts of a small village in the tuscan countryside, all of them are closed).
Most hotels have wireless, and most will try to charge you insane amounts for that, so be sure to check beforehand. In most cities there are internet cafes anyway, and all of them have computers, so you might not even need yours. Due to said law above, expect to be asked for ID in internet cafes and in places that offer free wireless such as bars, pubs or libraries.
In short: widespread internet: absolutely. Free access - eh, not so much.
posted by _dario at 5:55 AM on May 5, 2009
netbooks here are all the rage and more practical in my opinion than an iphone which you could not use as a phone anyway (different network, locked sim).
You'd have to pay overseas roaming, but the iPhone is quad-band GSM and certainly usable for both phone and data in any country that uses GSM (that is, anywhere in Europe, and most of the rest of the world).
posted by The Michael The at 6:22 AM on May 5, 2009
You'd have to pay overseas roaming, but the iPhone is quad-band GSM and certainly usable for both phone and data in any country that uses GSM (that is, anywhere in Europe, and most of the rest of the world).
posted by The Michael The at 6:22 AM on May 5, 2009
Personally I am not too keen on typing long blog entries (or emails or whatever) on my iPhone. YMMV tho as some people seem to have mastered the art of two-thumb-typing on it quite well.
The iPhone does have the advantage of course that you can use it without access to wifi if need be.
I don't have any experience with Italy, but elsewhere in Europe you find loads of cafés that offer free wifi to customers.
posted by ClarissaWAM at 8:40 AM on May 5, 2009
The iPhone does have the advantage of course that you can use it without access to wifi if need be.
I don't have any experience with Italy, but elsewhere in Europe you find loads of cafés that offer free wifi to customers.
posted by ClarissaWAM at 8:40 AM on May 5, 2009
My girlfriend successfully worked as a freelance designer and we blogged while backpacking Europe last summer. I'm not sure about Italy specifically, but we found that the likelyhood of finding a random restaurant with free wifi was pretty good. We always found sitting on a patio sipping beverages preferable to dingy cybercafes, plus they don't rush you like in NA, so we could sit out for 3 hours doing work and blog posts and it only cost us a few beers.
We had an iTouch and a macbook. We used the iTouch to locate networks mostly and check/send email, the macbook was for sending and downloading files, taking pics of the digital cam, and doing actual work. If you could put up with typing on an iTouch, I would go with that because you will be able to find wireless.
posted by dripdripdrop at 10:48 AM on May 5, 2009
We had an iTouch and a macbook. We used the iTouch to locate networks mostly and check/send email, the macbook was for sending and downloading files, taking pics of the digital cam, and doing actual work. If you could put up with typing on an iTouch, I would go with that because you will be able to find wireless.
posted by dripdripdrop at 10:48 AM on May 5, 2009
I'm going to reiterate what _dario has said above, because we live in Italy and it apparently needs to be outlined in in big fat neon letters:
There is an1 anti-terrorism law that puts heavy restrictions on "Free" Wi-Fi (1, 2) that has been yet again extended for another year2.
Said law requires possessors of Wi-Fi connections (private & business) to obtain full ID details from a valid form of ID before allowing someone to use the Wi-Fi connection.
The penalties for failure to comply is not just a hefty fine of thousands of Euros, but is also a penal offense, complete with jail time.
So to reiterate again, no, we don't have a whole hell of a lot of free, open Wi-Fi3 and yes, you will likely be asked for a form of ID in Internet Cafes.
1 incredibly fucking stupid, bane of my life
2 at which time the fuckers will probably extend it again
3and I have a very good hunch that the Telco companies will see that the law is never repealed, since they've started making tidy bundles off of "Internet Wi-Fi Keys"
posted by romakimmy at 11:21 AM on May 5, 2009 [1 favorite]
There is an1 anti-terrorism law that puts heavy restrictions on "Free" Wi-Fi (1, 2) that has been yet again extended for another year2.
Said law requires possessors of Wi-Fi connections (private & business) to obtain full ID details from a valid form of ID before allowing someone to use the Wi-Fi connection.
The penalties for failure to comply is not just a hefty fine of thousands of Euros, but is also a penal offense, complete with jail time.
So to reiterate again, no, we don't have a whole hell of a lot of free, open Wi-Fi3 and yes, you will likely be asked for a form of ID in Internet Cafes.
1 incredibly fucking stupid, bane of my life
2 at which time the fuckers will probably extend it again
3and I have a very good hunch that the Telco companies will see that the law is never repealed, since they've started making tidy bundles off of "Internet Wi-Fi Keys"
posted by romakimmy at 11:21 AM on May 5, 2009 [1 favorite]
and I have a very good hunch that the Telco companies will see that the law is never repealed, since they've started making tidy bundles off of "Internet Wi-Fi Keys"
just to nitpick, most of the bundles are not with wifi keys but with (highly lucrative, with ridiculous data rates ad even more ridiculous contracts, but practically mandatory if you need mobile access) 3G/HDSPA keys, which, yes, are obviously controlled by the telcos --and therefore locked in as all hell.
Other than that, everything Romakimmy said with 10x the expletives and the (tragic) addition that another not-so-vested interest in the matter is that, thanks to this law, authorities have free leeway to inspect internet cafes (which are mostly managed by immigrants and usually double as phone centers wihch they use to call home cheaply) and id everyone inside to match with their logs.
From the other comments in this thread, I gather the impression that it sounds almost unconceivable from the "outside". Sadly, this is only scratching the surface.
posted by _dario at 12:44 PM on May 5, 2009
just to nitpick, most of the bundles are not with wifi keys but with (highly lucrative, with ridiculous data rates ad even more ridiculous contracts, but practically mandatory if you need mobile access) 3G/HDSPA keys, which, yes, are obviously controlled by the telcos --and therefore locked in as all hell.
Other than that, everything Romakimmy said with 10x the expletives and the (tragic) addition that another not-so-vested interest in the matter is that, thanks to this law, authorities have free leeway to inspect internet cafes (which are mostly managed by immigrants and usually double as phone centers wihch they use to call home cheaply) and id everyone inside to match with their logs.
From the other comments in this thread, I gather the impression that it sounds almost unconceivable from the "outside". Sadly, this is only scratching the surface.
posted by _dario at 12:44 PM on May 5, 2009
Both times I have been to Europe (Italy was part of one trip) it was all Internet cafes. A few places I stayed had computers in the lobby, some you had to pay for and some were free.
It helped that I kept notes during the day so that I could write up things in the evening. Assuming Italy is 5-6 hours ahead of your hometown, an evening entry in Italy will be an afternoon entry in your hometown.
posted by soelo at 8:02 AM on May 6, 2009
It helped that I kept notes during the day so that I could write up things in the evening. Assuming Italy is 5-6 hours ahead of your hometown, an evening entry in Italy will be an afternoon entry in your hometown.
posted by soelo at 8:02 AM on May 6, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by The Devil Tesla at 4:58 AM on May 5, 2009