UNVEILING THE UNCONFERENCE: PODCAMP PITTSBURGH. -- This meet-up for podcasters, bloggers and others interested in new media will be held at Pittsburgh Filmmakers, 477 Melwood Ave. in Oakland, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 11-12.

The "UnConference," as it's billed, is one of several taking place in cities across the country in the coming months. The inaugural event was held in September in Boston.

Sessions will include how to produce a Web series, acting and voice for podcasts, how to get started in Web video and more.

The event is free, but participants need to pre-register at the PodCamp Web site.

The event is organized by Web producer Justin Kownacki of Kownacki Productions and Dave Mansueto of online media distribution service Libsyn, with support from Pittsburgh Filmmakers and the Three Rivers Film Festival.

www.PodCampPittsburgh.com

LET THE LITIGATION BEGIN -- Universal Music Group filed a lawsuit against two online video sites for copyright infringement. Named in the action are Grouper Networks Inc. and Bolt Inc. Universal is asking for up to $150,000 for each video swapped on the site without permission.

Pirated music videos of Universal artists like Mariah Carey were cited as examples of protected material that had been posted on bolt.com and grouper.com.

Bolt posted a request on its site, asking users not to upload copyrighted videos.

Universal had threatened to sue YouTube -- recently acquired by Google -- but instead has signed a distribution agreement with the site.

Meanwhile, YouTube hit the delete button on nearly 30,000 videos after the Japan Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers found music, TV and film clips that had been uploaded without permission.

http://www.bolt.com/

http://grouper.com/

CAN YOU QUIT ANYTIME? More than 1 in 8 Americans suffer from some form of Internet addiction, according to a study conducted by researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine. The findings were published in this month's CNS Spectrums: The International Journal of Neuropsychiatric Medicine.

Indicators that one has an online problem can include compulsive checking of e-mail, instant messaging, gaming, blogging or frequent visits to Web sites and chat rooms.

The survey of more than 2,500 adults found that:

13.7 percent had trouble staying off-line for several days.

8.7 percent tried to hide non-essential Internet activities from others.

8.2 percent went online for an escape from problems or negative moods.

5.9 percent said they felt that their relationships suffered as a result of excessive Internet use.

The researchers say the problem is worth investigating, because it can have an impact on personal and professional lives.

"The issue is starting to be recognized as a legitimate object of clinical attention, as well as an economic problem, given that a great deal of non-essential Internet use takes place at work," said the study's lead author, Dr. Elias Aboujaoude.

http://www.cnsspectrums.com/aspx/articledetail.aspx?articleid=648

INDEPENDENT FILMMAKERS ARE FINDING NEW POTENTIAL in the growing interest in video downloads.

"Rune" is the first independent feature film to debut as a download for iPods.

The film tells of a quest for a universal language that would break down the world's language barriers. A linguist on the trail of an ancient artifact that could be the key to the "Lingua Prima" becomes embroiled in a pursuit by agencies who try to stop her.

The 90-minute film can be downloaded for free or purchased on DVD for $10.

Capitalizing on the interest in watching movies on iPod, the filmmakers decided to use the technology to reach a wider audience.

"The burgeoning popularity of video iPod and digital downloads gives any filmmaker unprecedented access to a wide audience," director Arayna Thomas said. "It's the new movie theater for independent filmmakers."

http://www.runethemovie.com/