300 was made with Final Cut Pro, Shake, Quicktime, and Macs

Macs were preferred by the filmmakers of 300. Even though Final Cut Pro was not the main editing software used for 300 it was preferred over Avid. Shake was also the main program used for the 2D effects and Quicktime HD was the choice for creating the HD movie previews.



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Lawsuit Blames NYC for Failure to Hire Women as Bridge Painters

No women have been allowed to join a squad of 100 city bridge painters, the federal government said in a civil rights lawsuit filed Monday.

The city's Department of Transportation has never hired or offered to hire a woman to paint its 770 elevated bridge structures, although several have applied, the government said in a lawsuit brought in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.

A city lawyer, Georgia Pestana, responded: "We are confident the court will determine that DOT's hiring practices for bridge painters comply with civil service requirements and are gender neutral.''

But the government said the civil service requirements have not been met, in part because the city has not administered a civil service examination for bridge painters since 1992.

The city's civil service process requires that bridge painters be hired from lists following an open and competitive examination, but the city has evaded the process by hiring painters on a temporary basis, the lawsuit alleges.

The lawsuit seeks a court order prohibiting the city from engaging in discriminatory employment practices and forcing the city to follow a fair, open and competitive selection process for its painters.

It also seeks job offers with retroactive seniority and back pay with interest for women who lost their chances at jobs.

According to the lawsuit, the city has hired 13 of 56 people who have applied to be bridge painters since Oct. 31, 1997. During that time, four women have applied for jobs but none was hired.

The Department of Justice notified the city of its probe and tried to negotiate a settlement but failed, the lawsuit said.

Regis Philbin to Undergo Bypass Surgery

Regis Philbin, co-host of "Live With Regis and Kelly,'' announced on Monday's show that he will have heart bypass surgery this week.

"Well, listen, I gotta tell you something. ... I had been feeling chest pains, you know, and, uh, shortness of breath and all those little symptoms that you hear about,'' Philbin, 75, told his TV audience. After a number of tests, doctors recommended bypass surgery.

Philbin said he was hoping to have angioplasty because "you know, you get in - bang, bang, bang - they blow it open and you leave the next day.'' But, he said, "there's some plaque in some arteries and I've got to get it cleaned out.''

He's not looking forward to the surgery.

"Darn it, I don't want to do it,'' Philbin said. "Nobody wants to do it, I guess. And I had a second opinion, I did all those things, and so they're all in agreement that it should be the bypass. And so that's what I'm gonna do.''

Grand Jury Enters Final Phase in 50-Shot NYPD Killing Case

The police officers have told their side of the story. The surviving victims gave their version.

Now it's up to a Queens grand jury to decide whether any of the five officers broke the law in the fatal shooting of bridegroom Sean Bell and the wounding of his two friends. Lawyers involved in the case say a decision could come sometime this week.

Over the past three months, 23 grand jurors have listened to more than 60 witnesses testify about a complex case in which four detectives and one police officer unleashed a barrage of 50 bullets on the three black men, all unarmed, as they were in their car leaving a bachelor party at a Queens strip club at dawn on Nov. 25. The killing of Bell hours before his wedding sparked community outrage and raised questions about police tactics.

Survey: Vista now in use on less than 1% of PCs

Windows Vista may yet prove to be an unstoppable juggernaut, but statistics released today by a market research firm show that the new operating system hasn't even licked its nine-year old ancestor.

Vista was being used on less than 1% of PCs tracked in February by Aliso Viejo-based Net Applications Inc., making it the sixth most-popular operating system. That puts it behind Windows 98, which is still used on 1.5% of computers.

Apple exec disses Vista as no threat to Leopard

Apple Inc.'s CFO yesterday said Windows Vista is no threat to Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard" and argued that the steep hardware requirements of Microsoft's new operating system will give Leopard an opportunity to step in and grab more market share.

Speaking at the Morgan Stanley Technology Conference in San Francisco, Peter Oppenheimer added that if history is any indicator, Apple would see a bump in revenue the quarter that Leopard -- Apple's name for Mac OS X 10.5 -- is released. When asked to give a more specific ship date for Leopard, however, Oppenheimer declined, repeating only what Apple has said for months: "This spring."

Apple May Use Flash Memory For Notebooks

SAN FRANCISCO - Apple Inc. may sell zippy notebook computers later this year that use the same type of fast memory as music players and digital cameras, driving down prices of hard-disk drives, an analyst said Thursday.

The maker of the popular iPod music player and Macintosh computers hopes to introduce so-called flash memory in small computers known as subnotebooks in the second half of 2007, Shaw Wu, an analyst at American Technology Research who has a "buy" rating on Apple shares and does not own any stock, said in investor notes Wednesday and Thursday.

A shift to flash memory in place of much slower hard-disk drives would eliminate one headache for consumers: lengthy start-up times when turning on computers.

Apple of Cupertino, California, already uses flash memory in its iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle music players. Flash memory is lighter, uses less power and takes up less space than hard-disk drives.

Wu, who was among the first analysts to forecast the unveiling of Apple's iPhone music player/phone earlier this year, cited unnamed industry sources as the basis for his report.

"The time is right for the flash makers to make a move" as flash memory prices decline, Wu said by telephone. "Apple, from what we understand, is pretty much ready. The ball is in the flash vendors' court."

Apple spokeswoman Lynn Fox said the company does not comment "on rumor and speculation". Apple shares were up 60 cents, or 0.7 percent, at $88.32 in early afternoon trading on Nasdaq.

A mugger attacked a 101-year-old woman

A mugger attacked a 101-year-old woman in Queens, punching her in the face and knocking her over before making off with her purse, according to police and a security-camera video. The same suspect moved on to victimize an 85-year-old woman shortly afterward. Police are looking to the public for tips that could help identify him. The robberies happened in separate buildings in the Jamaica section of Queens on Sunday.

The 101-year-old woman was assaulted in her building's lobby around 12:30 p.m. Security-camera footage, aired in news reports, showed the mugger approaching her, whacking her in the face and sending her and her walker tumbling.

"I was not unconscious, but I was startled, and I thought: What happened?" said the woman, Rose Morat. The suspect took her purse, police said.

About a half-hour later, 85-year-old Solange Elizee was assaulted outside her apartment. Police said the suspect followed her on elevator and got out on a different floor from hers, but then confronted her by her apartment door.

Elizee said he asked her in the elevator what floor she was headed to, explaining, "I like to help old people."

But as she went to close her door, he threatened, "'I get you,'" Elizee said. She said the suspect also beat her in the face and pushed her down.

DRY-OUT TIME

AFTER it was reported that heavy drinking played a role in the cancellation of Eddie Van Halen and David Lee Roth's reunion tour, Eddie announced he was going into rehab. "I would like Van Halen fans to know how much I truly appreciate each and every one of you. Without you, there is no Van Halen," he wrote in a statement. "At the moment, I do not feel I can give you my best. That's why I have decided to enter a rehabilitation facility to work on myself, so that in the future I can deliver the 110 percent I feel I owe you and want to give you."

SECOND BABY? for linda

IS Linda Evangelista pregnant again? The supermodel - who gave birth to Augustin James Evangelista last year, but refused to name the father - has been dating billionaire Peter Morton for the past six months. A friend says she's expecting again and the baby is his. Morton, who sold the hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas last year, is also the father of Harry Morton. Morton and a rep for Evangelista didn't return calls.

YOKO PULLS PLUG ON BEATLES DOCU.

- MONTHS back, I reported that in 1970 Yoko Ono's first husband Tony Cox shot 10 hours of John Lennon in cinéma vérité - at their home, in rehearsals, wherever - before The Beatles busted up. Cut into two hours, this improvisational "3 Days in the Life" was to be shown as we speak at a place called the Berwick Academy in some foreign state called Maine.

I now report, ain't happening. Berwick just pulled it.

This documentary showed up through the parent of one of its alumni. However, attorneys suddenly informed them Yoko "retains a copyright interest in the footage and had not granted permission for a public showing." Seems they thought the rights were held by some entity called World Wide Video LLC - whoever they are - and in proper legalese, Yoko says that they - whoever they are - don't own borscht.

Lawyers state Yoko "owns all rights, title and copyrights in and to all film, outtakes and videotapes" of this particular thing. "Her copyright is registered in the United States Copyright Office at Volume 8485, Pages 472 through 475." They use phrases like "on notice . . . willful infringement . . . statutory damages, actual damages, imposition of attorney fees" and "no releases have been executed by our client" nor any "synchronization licenses granted for use of any musical composition contained" in the thing and etc., etc., and blaah blaah.

"Ask The Chauffeur"

TONY'S new vlog...

Why Apple Macs are best for business

Not too long ago, ad agencies, design firms and other creative companies were about the only businesses that widely deployed Macintosh computers to their employees. But for a number of reasons, word of the benefits of Apple hardware -- and software -- on enterprise desktops is now spreading. That list of reasons includes:

-- Years of spyware, malware and virus headaches that affect Windows XP have pushed IT managers to scramble for new options they might not have considered in the past.
-- The learning curve and disparity of Linux distributions is too high for easy general office use.
-- Many corporate applications have been ported to W3-compliant Web services that are OS agnostic.
-- The Mac platform has moved to Windows-compatible Intel chips, which are less expensive, more powerful than older PowerPC processors and make virtualization a viable alternative.

Health Commissioner: Rats Are Not A Health Risk

The recent rat-fest caught on tape at a KFC/Taco Bell restaurant in the Village has renewed fears, prompting the city's Health Department to lead the charge to eradicate rodents.

The city spends $8 million a year on rodent control and has a team of more than 100 inspectors who close about 500 restaurants each year.

“We can always use more to address the problem. It's a big problem,” says Deputy Health Commissioner Jessica Leighton.

Leighton points out rats are a quality of life issue, not a health risk.

“They are not what causes food borne disease; they are not what causes poor health conditions,” says Leighton.

She says the city has stepped up its efforts in the last few years and is using new technologies to target neighborhoods prone to rats.

“For certain communities, the reasons that they have high rodent problems will be different than in other communities and we are trying to address the underlying factors,” says Leighton.

Robert Sullivan knows more about rats than anyone. In 2001, he spent a year studying them in an alleyway in downtown Manhattan.

“You can see where they would crawl in and out of abandoned buildings,” he says.

The result of all his research was the bestseller "Rats.”

“I'm not crazy about rats. I don't love them. I don't live with them all the time,” he says.

Apple 7th Most Admired Company

Fortune magazine has ranked Apple as America's 7th most admired company in its survey of the Top 20 Most Admired Companies. The survey was conducted by asking 3,322 "executives, directors, and securities analysts to select the 10 companies they admire most."

According to more detailed results, Apple ranked first in Innovation and sixth in Quality of products/services, and was the second-highest ranked computer company (behind IBM)

iPod Nano, Mac Mini Announcements This Month?

reports that supplies of several Apple products appear to be at extremely low levels, but will ship in quantity within a matter of weeks. While the pattern may simply reflect a stronger than normal demand, it is also a strong indication that product launches are on the way.

Models facing shortages are reported to be all versions of the Mac mini and the iPod Nano as well as the HiFi. The site notes that their sources indicate that the Nano will be shipping again as early as next week, indicating that if an update should occur, it may occur as early as next week.

Other models mentioned facing a shortage include the entry-level combo drive iMac, the mid-range MacBook Pro, and the entry-level and black MacBooks.

MEGA jackpot BLI$$ IN N.Y., TOO

March 9, 2007 -- Even though no one grabbed a share of the record $390 million Mega Millions jackpot in New York, eight Empire State entrants scored runner-up prizes of $250,000 each.

Two winning tickets were sold in Manhattan, one each in Queens, Brooklyn, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester, and one upstate.

In neighboring New Jersey, not only did someone win half of the multistate jackpot Tuesday, but two other runner-up tickets worth $250,000 each were sold.

No one had claimed any of the New Jersey prizes in the multistate lottery as of yesterday.

The top ticket, sold in Woodbine, Cape May County, is worth $195 million if the winner accepts an annuity and has a cash value of $116.5 million, but that's before a federal tax of 25 percent. New Jersey does not tax lottery winnings.

More Officers Testify In Sean Bell Shooting

A Queens grand jury will hear from more officers who were involved in the shooting of 23-year-old Sean Bell on what would have been his wedding day last November.

Detective Mike Oliver, who fired 31 of the 50 bullets, is expected to testify on Friday.

Undercover Officer Gescard Isnora, who fired 11 shots, started his testimony Wednesday afternoon. Isnora was the first to fire at the car Bell and his friends were in outside Club Kalua on November 25th.

He is the officer police say approached Bell's car with his shield and gun, and who, police say, was struck by the car as Bell and his friends tried to escape. He fired the first shots, shots that, according to police accounts, convinced other officers they were being fired upon.

"His perception was based on observations that he made, conversations that he overheard, and actions of certain individuals both inside and outside of the club before the shooting that obviously led him to believe that imminent danger was upon them,” said Michael Palladino of the Detectives Endowment Association.

Palladino said they would not let the press photograph Isnora because it could compromise investigations he was involved in, though a high-ranking police source said this was not an issue.

8 Children, 1 Adult Killed in Bronx House Fire

the screams filled the street as flames tore through the burning Bronx building: "Help me! Help me! Please! Please!'' Neighbor Edward Soto raced toward the fire through the frigid night air, then stared in disbelief as an infant fell from the building and through the smoke.



"All I see is just a big cloud of white dust, and out of nowhere comes the first baby,'' said Soto, who caught the child while with another neighbor, David Todd. Moments later, Soto caught a second child hurled through a shattered window by a screaming mother trapped inside the three-story inferno. Both children survived.

The dramatic scene unfolded during New York's City's deadliest blaze in 17 years - a fire that claimed nine victims early Thursday, eight children and one adult. The victims were all relatives who shared the home near Yankee Stadium after immigrating from western Africa. The heartbreaking word of the fire spread across two continents, from the South Bronx to villages in Mali.

North Jersey Town Tells HBO to 'Fuhgeddaboudit'

When it comes to filming the final scene of the acclaimed mob drama "The Sopranos,'' this North Jersey town has told HBO to fuhgeddaboudit.

The town this week denied the show's producers a permit to shoot here because the mayor and council members say the show depicts Italian-Americans in a poor light.

The owners of an old-fashioned ice cream parlor selected for the scene said the personal opinions of Bloomfield Mayor Raymond McCarthy and the council shouldn't stand in the way.

"He should do what's good for the town and not let his personal feelings dictate his decision,'' Chris Carley, co-owner of Holsten's Brookdale Confectionary, which sells homemade ice cream, said of McCarthy.

The town first approved the permits last week. But after complaints, the council brought back the issue for a second vote on Monday and rejected it. Officials have agreed to consider the permits for a third time at a meeting next Monday.

The mayor, whose wife is Italian, has said he opposes how the mob drama portrays Italian-Americans.

"I don't think 'The Sopranos' depicts the life of a typical Italian-American in a positive way and I still don't like the way people see New Jersey based upon 'The Sopranos' series,'' he said, adding that he plans to oppose the permit again on Monday.

"What the rest of the council does, that's their choice. I stand by my convictions,'' he said.

As a member of Unico, an Italian-American civic group, "I am pledged to honoring my commitment to its mission to speak out in defense of Italian-American dignity,'' McCarthy wrote in a statement. ``This is what I chose to do in this case.''

At least one council member, Peggy O'Boyle Dunigan, said she has changed her mind and now wants to allow the show to shoot here.

She said she was given incorrect information that the Essex County executive didn't like the show, and she has been since flooded with calls of support for Holsten's, where she is a regular customer. She is not a regular viewer of the show.

"If you don't like the show, you can turn it off,'' she said. "It's hard enough to have a small business in town I don't want to discourage them.''

"The Sopranos,'' which debuted in 1999, tells the story of fictional New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano, played by James Gandolfini, and his family. Scenes for the Emmy-winning show have been shot in New Jersey and New York. The show is scheduled to begin its final season on April 8.

Carley said the ice cream shop has been used in commercials and he was thrilled with the news it had been selected for the HBO drama.

He and his business partner, Ron Stark, said they were told by HBO officials that the 1939 building would be used for the final scene of the series finale. While they hadn't finished negotiating a price, the shop would have been used for three days in late March, with one day for shooting and two days to set up and break down.

Creator David Chase had been in twice to scout, said the partners, whose wives are both Italian.