Independent filmmaker Steve Ellington has released the first music video shot entirely with the iPhone 3G[s] and its 3MP video camera. The video depicts the plight of a little wind up robot and its attempt to stay relavent among the growing technological world. The video is set to music by XFYA whose members include Ellington, Shaun Haber, Dave Lanni, and Sean Sepulveda.

Ellington makes use of the spot focus available with the new iPhone 3G[s] camera. He accentuates many scenes by panning from an out of focus background to the in focus robot. The quality of the video is not the best in the world but has its own character.

With the huge insurgence of YouTube uploads since the release of the iPhone 3G[s], I expect to see a lot of more videos made with the device.

Technologic Overkill – The First Music Video Shot on an iPhone 3GS from Steve Ellington on Vimeo.

The Automatic Filmmaker

The Pirate Bay (TPB) has been acquired by Global Gaming Factory X, a gaming company that provides cyber cafe management software that targets advertising to its users, for a reported $8 million.  Their plan for TPB is to monetize the site with advertising and pay content providers.

This move seems similar to the purchase of Napster, the original file sharing site. Napster had its moment in the sun with the highly publicized feud with Metallica. Napster has since been bought and sold and its customer usage can only be described as dismal at best.

TPB being bought, by basically an advertising agency, has users worried of what is to become of the site. Charging users would negate the premise behind why the site started, freedom of information and openness of the net, essentially changing The Pirate Bay to The Banker Bay.

From TPB blog:

A lot of people are worried. We’re not and you shouldn’t be either!

If the new owners will screw around with the site, nobody will keep using it. That’s the biggest insurance one can have that the site will be run in the way that we all want to. And – you can now not only share files but shares with people. Everybody can indeed be the owner of The Pirate Bay now. That’s awesome and will take the heat of us.

The recent lawsuits and court trials have taken a toll on TPB. Perhaps TPB, run by Gottfrid Svartholm (anakata) and Fredrik Neij (TiAMO), believe they cannot take the site any further and believe they can fight their cause in a better way.

The profits from the sale will go into a foundation that is going to help with projects about freedom of speech, freedom of information and the openess of the nets. I hope everybody will help out in that and realize that this is the best option for all. Don’t worry – be happy!

If The Pirate Bay turns into the now Napster I will be sad to see it go. I have never downloaded any illegal torrents myself *wink wink*, but I feel for all the people out there that do use the site.

TPB blog
Press Release

It seems as though the entire world is mourning the death of “The King of Pop”, Michael Jackson, by listening to his music, as evident by the surge in music downloads in iTunes. As of this posting, Michael Jackson holds the top 9 album downloads as well as 7 of the top 10 singles with “Man in the Mirror” on top. “Man in the Mirror” with its ballad style and good hearted message seems to be soothing mourners in their time of loss.

Many forms of Media are paying tribute to the pop star’s passing. MTV has put their normal programming of reality tv to the back-burner and is airing non stop videos, documentary, and live coverage from street parties in NYC celebrating Michael Jackson’s death. Many Sirius XM stations will be devoting their programming to Jackson. VH1 Classic will reportedly dedicate the entire weekend to nothing but Michael Jackson.

Climbing to the top of the iTunes charts is no easy task, let alone taking the top 10 in both singles and albums. Michael Jackson also has taken top spots in ringtone and video downloads. This spike to the top of iTunes comes at no surprise with millions of people looking for ways to comfort themselves, but brings to mind the old adage, “You are always worth more in death than in life.” How long will this surge last? Will it possibly help pay his reported $400 million debt, we will have to see.