Steve Job, Apple’s Chief Executive Officer unveiled his company’s last gadget on Wednesday: the iPad. It is, as he defined it, a mixture between an iphone and a laptop, it is a tablet device the size of a book, a centimetre thick but what can this device do for us?

As travellers, we will focus on the characteristics that will change travelling costumes: for example, to refer to how long the battery lasted, Steve Job said you could watch movies in a flight from San Francisco to Tokio non stop, that is ten hours! Another program the ipad includes is a map application, which of course is something we have already seen in the iTouch or other smartphones but what about travel guides?

As the iPad is also an e-book but with GPS and internet technology, will we have normal travel guides in it? Or will they be more than just e-travel guides, more interactive? Pictures, how to get there from where you are, the distance between where you are and where the place is… Could this be a whole new life for travel guides? What do you think?

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most famous detectives of the world. He lived in London where he investigated murders and other mysterious cases, always followed by his loyal friend Watson. With the new film out, we have been investigating about this character, and guess what we found out?

Elementary, my dear Watson, Sherlock Holmes itinerary! It is a walk around London in which you can go to the most famous places named in his novels. First stop couldn’t be other than 221b Baker St, the detective’s address, where his Museum and statue are located.

If you are going to visit London soon you can’t miss this opportunity. Find out more by going into a Tourist Office, they will tell you everything about it!

Haití is one of the poorest countries in the world. More than 80% of its population lives on less than $2 a day. However, the situation has become even worse since last Monday, 12th of January, when an earthquake hit the country, its epicentre only 15 km away from the country’s Capital, Port-au-Prince. The whole country has been devastated, especially the capital where almost every building has been flattened. People who survived the disaster are now trying to survive without the bare necessities. Food, water and sanitary conditions are almost depleted. There are only a few hospitals working, and they are all crowded with the thousands of injured and sick, these number only mounting.

Hotelopia UK wants to focus its attention today to all those who survived the earthquake. Those who have nothing left; those who are in danger of being forgotten by the international community. International Humanitarian Aid has started to arrive but getting these supplies to those who need them the most is proving difficult and these is an ever growing shortage. If you, like us at Hotelopia are concerned with this catastrophe and want to help we suggest http://www.google.com/intl/en/relief/haitiearthquake/ where you can read about where and how to donate to this just cause. What could be as little as a pound from you or i, could mean the difference between life for them, please help!

Some time ago, we talked about some applications on Google that were very useful to plan a holiday or just to get an idea of what a city or a country looks like when we don’t have the time to travel. Today, we have discovered something else: webcams.travel. It is still a beta version but the idea couldn’t be better: webcams situated in strategic places all over the world so you can see exactly what it would be like to be there in real time.

Are you going somewhere soon and would like to know whether it is dark at 5 or not? Try it! Or are you just tired of working and want to daydream about where you could be if you were rich enough and didn’t have to work? Go for it! At the moment, images are updated every five minutes in some places, every hour in others but as we have said, it is only a beta version…

However, as good and entertaining as this webpage can be… Nothing is better than a real holiday and getting to know your destination by walking around.

Edinburgh is a city known for its castle, its gardens and tales. However, the birthplace of Harry Potter is also known for being one of the most expensive cities in the UK. Today we suggest a few places you can visit for free in this wonderful Scotish city.

First of all, you cannot miss the National Gallery of Scotland, located in one of the most popular streets of Edinburgh, Princess St, it has a very extense collection, with paintings of Velazquez, Titian, Van Gogh or Cezanne. If you prefer an outdoors activity and you are brave enough to go out in the Scotish weather,  you should definitely visit the Botanic Gardens, beauty in a variety of forms and sizes. Finally, if you are more of a music person you should stop at the jazz bar, a small bar in Old Town where there is music every night, ideal for relaxing whilst having a drink.

So there it is, activities for everyone without spending more than you can afford.

Calling all party animals: if you can’t live without good music, funky people, great atmosphere and you need something new? I know just the place…. Rotterdam- a city with an amazing club scene!  The DJ names on the club line-ups are top class and the best parties in Holland are held in Rotterdam.

Plus, there are lots of places to hangout before you hit the clubs. Delftshaven, Veerhaven and Westelijk Handelsterrein are only a few of the harbour areas where you’ll find a wide selection of restaurants and bars to choose from. And the food! Whether you like Dutch, French, Chinese, Moroccan or Turkish you can get reasonably priced meals before your big night out. And then finally, choose your club, get your clogs on and leap into the great night life of Rotterdam.

Find the best hotel deals to Rotterdam in Hotelopia‘s special page.

Gran Canaria’s main draw are the beaches around Playa del Ingles but this is one Canarian island that isn’t called Gran(d) for nothing. Leave the tourists to sizzle in the sand and head for the hills. Gran Canaria enjoys a diverse landscape which in the north is green and leafy.

Also ensure you have a look around the capital, Las Palmas. It’s a lovely port town and gives you an insight into traditional Canarian life on the island.

Book your hotel in Gran Canaria

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I love The Hague! It has all the best things for a quick gateway. I definitely recommend a visit to the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis. The large art collection by Dutch painters such as Johannes Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Paulus Potter or Jan Steen really is something else! After a great portion of art, I head to the miniature city Madurodam to learn more about traditional Dutch buildings and landmarks dotted around the country.

One of the things I love about The Hague is that it’s by the sea. There is nothing better than sight- seeing during the day and then chilling out in one of many beach fronted bars where, you can even take the sofas from a bar and put them on the sand and listen to the rustle of the sea. Or if you still have some energy, have a long stroll along the coast to the main pier for a fresh fish dinner in one of the many nice restaurants. If you fancy something exotic for supper, The Hague is a perfect location and even the biggest food fans will be spoilt for choice.

Another place to visit is the Binnenhof – the centre of Holland’s political life and the official seat of government. Plus shopping in The Hague is world- class! The city has the most amazing shops: from affordable superstores to exclusive designer boutiques. Shop till you drop and enjoy The Hague! That’s what I do.

Find the best hotel deals to Holland and The Hague in Hotelopia special page.

According to a study carried out, it is estimated that over 14 million SMS were sent on Christmas Eve between 9:00pm and midnight and the same amount were sent again for the 31st of December 2009.
The total could reach 30 million SMS in two days or rather…. in only 6 hours!! Can you imagine the profits for the 3 main mobile phone companies? But it’s probably better not to focus our topic on that aspect, right?
Everyone sends and receives lots of SMS around this time of year. It’s easy, fast and efficient, but it always so nice to receive a traditional, hand-written Christmas card.
Did you receive more SMS this year than last year?
Which did you use more: social networks or your mobile phone?
Which was the clever text message you liked the best?
Happy 2010!

A few months ago in Blogtelopia we discussed how full body scanners work and the debate being raised about the limits on people’s privacy. These scanners are installed in some airports in Europe and the United States. The debate on this topic has hit the headlines again, after the failed terrorist attack by Al Qaeda on 25 December in Detroit. The United Kingdom and Holland have announced their intention to make widespread use of this technology. In contrast, while we await news as to the Spanish government’s position on the subject, the Spanish Association of Air Transport Users and Professionals (ASETRA) has already declared to be against using full body scanners in Spanish airports, stating that they do not guarantee passengers’ fundamental rights. For now this system is voluntary and therefore travellers may decline to go through it.
Do you think that using these scanners is justified to strengthen airport security?