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AlphaDogs Post Production Battles It Out In New ESPNU

AlphaDogs Post Production Battles It Out In New Series For ESPNU

– Burbank, CA-  Burbank based AlphaDogs Post Production is pleased to announce it has completed work on the new ESPNU series The Battle. Presented by AT & T the series will air five 30-minute shows during four straight weeks, every Thursday from November 4 to November 25, on ESPNU at 6:30pm EST.

Producer Eric Page faced extreme challenges to meet the deadlines for the show.  AlphaDogs was chosen as the post facility based on their experience in providing creative and technical solutions in the fast paced world of television. Page comments; “The team at AlphaDogs is an affable bunch with top rate talent. General Manager, Paul De Cham runs a tight ship while creating an environment that makes you feel confident your production is being handled with care”.  Page continues; “We are extremely pleased with the final product and would certainly be up for a second season under their roof.  I would definitely take future projects to AlphaDogs.  Terence Curren has a talented group and it was a great comfort to know this project was under their care”.

The tight turnaround of less than two weeks per one half hour episode necessitated a streamlined workflow. Since the client had already started editing in Final Cut Pro, the team at Alpha Dogs created a workflow with four Final Cut Pro systems on shared storage working at ProRes HQ so the locked episodes would be ready to send to Color. One of the challenges the post team faced was the wide array of mixed formats and frame rates. The majority of the footage was shot on the RED camera at 23.98-frame rate. In addition, a 7D and 5D were used at varying frame rates including 30P. The final master had to be delivered in 720P 60.

Projects can become corrupt quickly and cause delays if these types of situations are not handled efficiently. Finishing Editor Sean Stack used various proprietary techniques to convert the various footage to a common frame rate.  High quality motion compensated techniques were also applied to remove the jitteriness and stuttering that can be caused with such conversions and in turn rejected by the network.  Final color correction was achieved in Apple’s Color with veteran colorist Brian Hutchings at the helm. “The great thing about RED footage is the latitude available in post to pull out stunning images,” notes Hutchings.

Re-recording mixer Marcus Pardo utilized a Pro Tools HD2 system, with a plethora of plug-ins. In particular, the Waves Renaissance EQ’s and L2 limiters were used to deliver crisp dialog and a thumping soundtrack that was very important to the subject matter. Also, the Cedar DNS One is a crucial tool in his audio arsenal. With the DNS One, he was able to minimize background noise in real-time, without introducing digital artifacts. “With Pro Tools, Waves and the Cedar DNS One on my side, I can deliver exactly what clients envisioned, sonically”

The Battle is an inside look at the HBCU (Historically Black College and University) marching band world.  Created by Music producer, fashion designer and filmmaker Dallas Austin who was also the executive producer and music director of the movie Drumline, the series picks up where the film left off.  Band Director Donovan Wells conducts no holds barred military style methods in preparing the bands’ for competition. Bands of over 300 plus are required to learn over twenty songs with dance routines, military style formations and chants in between. The bands’ hard work will culminate at the 31st annual Florida Classic that pits the two Sunshine State rivals in an end-of-the-year showdown at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium in Orlando Saturday, Nov. 20, at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN Classic.

About Alpha Dogs:  Alpha Dogs is a full service post production company. Operating in the heart of Burbank’s media district, Alpha Dogs offers state of the art editing bays, color correction, audio mixing, visual effects, production offices and equipment rentals.

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Best Ukrainian IT Employers 2010 Identified

Best Ukrainian IT Employers 2010 Identified

The Ukrainian online community of Software Developers and IT specialists, has recently finished its survey aimed to identify best software development companies to work for in Ukraine.

The evaluation has been done voluntarily by the employees of the respective participating companies, while Developers.org.ua acted as an independent committee. The survey took form of a questionnaire focused amongst other factors on such key aspects as salary level, career growth, corporate benefits, the team and coworkers. Almost 2650 responses were submitted from twenty participating companies from nine Ukrainian major software development cities.

Ciklum, a Danish IT outsourcing company that specializes in nearshore software development in Eastern Europe, primarily in Ukraine, has received the highest ranking amongst software development companies in Ukraine with 200+ employees. “Ciklum’s highest ranking in this survey shows that we are on the right track in what we choose to do for keeping our people happy.

Adopting Agile and “motivation 3.0″ approaches blends very well with Ciklum’s own software development team model, allowing us to develop an open, learning and motivating environment, which is also appreciated by our employees as became evident during this survey.  And having professional and motivated employees is a crucial element of helping our Clients reach their business goals,” comments Marina Vyshegorodskikh, Ciklum HR Director.

Sitecore Ukraine was ranked Ukraine’s best IT employer in the category of 50 to 200 employees and Initto ranked #1 in the category of up to 50 employees. The weighted average score spread between the first and the last places in the company rating is 25%, indicating that on average employees in the Ukrainian software development industry are satisfied with their job. Additionally, the results of the survery proved the current overview of the IT labour market situation in Ukraine.

After the 2008-2009 recession period employees are interested in the job stability and on time salary payments. On the other hand, the high demand for middle and senior professionals forces IT companies operating in Ukraine to compete in salaries and projects’ uniqueness. Pleasant corporate atmosphere and work place are still amongst the Top 5 key employee’s selection factors when choosing an employer.

Nexcess Adopts Ksplice Uptrack “Rebootless” Technology

Nexcess Adopts Ksplice Uptrack “Rebootless” Technology

Nexcess, a leading provider of shared, dedicated and e-commerce hosting services, announced it has adopted Ksplice Uptrack’s “rebootless” Linux technology, bringing its customers a new class of best-of-breed server offerings.

Starting immediately, Ksplice Uptrack will be included with every one of Nexcess’s managed dedicated servers and all of Nexcess’s Magento offerings at no extra charge. “At Nexcess we’ve always focused on superior hosting, and Ksplice was an obvious choice for delivering superior service to our customers,” said Chris Wells, CEO of Nexcess. “Now our customers can obtain top-notch security without compromising availability – which is especially important during the holiday season,” he said.

“Ksplice Uptrack delivers levels of security and availability that far exceed what’s generally available,” said Waseem Daher, Ksplice’s chief operating officer. “We’re pleased to work with Nexcess to serve their Linux hosting customers better.” Ksplice’s technology allows IT administrators to keep Linux servers up-to-date and secure without the disruption and downtime of rebooting.

In 2009, major Linux vendors asked their customers to install a kernel update more than once per month. Before Uptrack, each occasion required an administrator to schedule downtime to apply the update. Until a system can be updated, it remains vulnerable to security flaws. By seamlessly installing kernel updates, Uptrack dramatically reduces the overhead of system administration, dramatically boosting uptime and security.

Nexcess provides the horsepower behind the Internet’s hottest sites.  Nexcess offers a variety of custom/complex hosting solutions with specializations in e-commerce, high-profile and high-traffic sites.  Nexcess is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan with Data Centers in Dearborn, MI and Southfield, MI (opening Q1/2011).

About Ksplice: Ksplice is an enterprise software company making reboots a thing of the past. Organizations use Ksplice Uptrack, the company’s first product, to make their Linux systems more secure, reliable and maintainable through seamless updates. Ksplice was founded in 2008, based on research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 2009, the Wall Street Journal named Ksplice the most innovative security company of the year. Ksplice is based in Cambridge, Mass.

Heritage Pointe Holy Name Medical Center

Heritage Pointe of Teaneck Partners with Holy Name Medical Center

Nov 09, 2010 – Donna Zayat, executive director of Heritage Pointe of Teaneck, has announced a new alliance between the full-service rental retirement community and Holy Name Medical Center, also in Teaneck. The partnership, under Heritage Pointe’s new LifeSpa program, was introduced to residents by representatives from Holy Name’s Center for Healthy Living, lung center, lab, diabetes education center, cardiovascular service, and the Holy Name Home Care division.

Zayat said that LifeSpa removes barriers to participation so that residents may take a more proactive approach to their health where they live. It offers on-site programs, educational seminars and wellness consultations at Heritage Pointe’s Wellness Center. Noemi Dominguez, MSN, R.N. from Holy Name will provide health assessments for residents, personal wellness care plans and information about programs at Holy Name to meet their individual needs.

Founded in 1925 as a community hospital, Holy Name Medical Center has evolved into a comprehensive, 361-bed acute care facility with more than 850 physicians representing over 33 medical specialties. The medical center has won numerous awards for excellence of care in many clinical services and for patient and employee satisfaction. Its mission is to help the community achieve the highest attainable level of health through prevention, education and treatment.

“By bringing Holy Name Medical Center’s wellness programs to Heritage Pointe we are making life easier for our residents,” said Zayat. “Ms. Dominguez will serve as a valuable liaison between our community and all the services available there.”

Maximizing Health and Convenience

As part of LifeSpa, Holy Name representatives will present educational lectures at Heritage Pointe on issues such as diet and weight management; vision problems; lung health including asthma, COPD, and smoking cessation; cardiac wellness through proper diet, exercise and medication management; and how to manage conditions and maximize health at any age. Residents are welcome to attend Holy Name’s free seminars at the hospital on topics including diabetes education and screening, food and fitness, and how to recognize warning signs of medical conditions.

Heritage Pointe is at the forefront of defining the needs of its residents and meeting their wellness goals, according to Pat Hunt, executive director of Holy Name Home Care. “As community health nurses, we have always reached out beyond the hospital corridors to work with local residents. This particular collaboration with Heritage Pointe is an expansion of this service for a growing senior population that is remaining independent for much longer,” said Hunt.

Hunt said that a survey administered by Holy Name to Heritage Pointe residents revealed that most respondents seek programs on fall prevention, dealing with fatigue, and activities of daily living. “LifeSpa allows us to address residents’ concerns and provide the programs they want for maintaining wellness and a healthy lifestyle in their homes.”

At Heritage Pointe’s Wellness Center, residents may visit Nurse Dominguez for blood pressure monitoring, medication reviews, get answers to questions and discuss health concerns. Dominguez will also make discrete house calls to residents’ apartments upon request. As an added convenience, residents may schedule an on-site appointment with a Holy Name phlebotomist to draw blood for prescribed lab work.

Executive Director Zayat said that LifeSpa is a natural outgrowth of the services the community already offers to active retirees. “Our residents are interested in maintaining an active lifestyle. Access to Holy Name experts makes it even easier for residents to get the information and attention they need to stay healthy and fit.” In addition to the Holy Name partnership, Heritage Pointe has an alliance with several Bergen County physicians and community agencies that are available to serve residents when needed. The community offers weekday exercise classes, and speakers from Holy Name address members of Heritage Pointe’s walking club on wellness topics after the group’s walks.

Heritage Pointe of Teaneck is located at 600 Frank W. Burr Blvd. near Route 4 just off of Interstates 80 and 95. In addition to its health and wellness programs, the community offers spacious apartments, distinctive amenities, and fine dining for active retirees.
About Heritage Pointe of Teaneck: Heritage Pointe of Teaneck, a full-service secured rental retirement community, is situated in the heart of Bergen County located right off the New Jersey Turnpike. Bordered by 46 acres of natural woodlands, yet convenient to all of the culture and recreation of Manhattan, the community offers spacious apartments, social and cultural activities, housekeeping, local transportation and fine dining. In addition, the community has joined forces with area medical groups and health services to offer seniors a continuum-of-care for residents, complete with home care nursing and office hours for residents to meet with local doctors. In October 2009, Kohl Asset Management (KAM), a division of Kohl Partners, was named property manager for Heritage Pointe of Teaneck.

Project training includes Breakbulk Asia expo pass

Project training includes Breakbulk Asia expo pass

– A complimentary free pass to the exhibit hall during the 3rd Annual Breakbulk Asia Transportation Conference & Exhibition at Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre will be provided to students attending the Certificate of Achievement in Project Cargo Management training course from January 27-28, 2011.

The course, developed by overdimensional cargo network Project Professionals Group, will run in conjunction and partnership with JoC Breakbulk Events & Magazine as part of Breakbulk Asia’s education component. The exhibit hall pass is valued at $US225.

Course presenter Kevin Stephens said fast-tracking skills in project forwarding or simply gaining a better understanding of the complexities involved in heavy-lift transportation are the key objectives of the Certificate of Achievement in Project Cargo Management.

Mr. Stephens congratulated JoC Breakbulk Events & Magazine for again supporting professional development within the transportation industry. The course was also held as part of the Breakbulk Americas Transportation Conference and Exhibition held last October in Houston, Texas.

“The chance to see and meet the world’s leading service providers and suppliers during the expo and then attend a training course that highlights how to provide higher levels of client satisfaction as a project forwarder is a unique combination,” Mr. Stephens said.

“This course is designed to fast track skills that otherwise could take many years to acquire and is ideally suited to rising stars in companies who want to strengthen teams working in the heavy-lift project forwarding sector,” Mr. Stephens said.

The non-technical training is open to all interested companies and combines project cargo skills and management tips with professional communication skills specifically for project communication, and responses to tender requests.

Travel to India – “Eat, Pray, Love” is Changing Western Perceptions of India.

Travel to India – “Eat, Pray, Love” is Changing Western Perceptions of India.

Nov 09, 2010 – Easy Tours of India has seen an increase in reservations resulting from the excitement over the movie release of “Eat, Pray, Love”. The vibrant depictions of spirituality, friendly locals, and amazing cuisine are changing many Americans’ commonly held misconceptions of India.

“Eat, Pray, Love” has exposed the true beauty and opportunity for spiritual discovery that can only be found in India. People looking to experience India tours as depicted in “Eat, Pray, Love” do not want to be rushed around from monument to monument in busy cities just to snap a quick picture. They want to make the most of their time, be allowed to soak in the true culture of India, meditate in ashrams and enjoy the many culinary delights of Indian cuisine.

Easy Tours of India specializes in providing the type of life changing experiences that fans of “Eat, Pray, Love” are expecting from their India tours. Easy Tours of India, the highest rated boutique agency in India, allows their guests to experience the magic that only a spiritual  tour of India provides.

About Easy Tours of India

Easy Tours of India is the highest rated provider of luxury travel and tours in India and South Asia. We provide our guests with outstanding customer service along with unmatched levels of local expertise and luxury. We are proud to be the single ‘India Only Specialist’ that is an ASTA TOP supplier and an Access America covered supplier.  Easy Tours of India is based in Austin, TX. with seven regional offices in India. To learn more about travel in India.

Seeks the Opinion of Bronx and Manhattan Residents

ResolutionPanel.com Seeks the Opinion of Bronx and Manhattan Residents

Denver, Colo. November 9, 2010 Do you think parking spaces are too narrow or have a brilliant idea for a new ice cream flavor?  ResolutionPanel.com wants to know about it.

Hosted by Resolution Research, ResolutionPanel.com is a market research panel that offers a fun way to share your opinion and influence the direction of new products and services.

Currently, ResolutionPanel.com wants to know what Bronx and Manhattan residents think about adult education.  To share your ideas about adult education visit bit.ly/9SyGiZ.  If you qualify to take the survey you’ll receive $10 for your time.

ResolutionPanel.com conducts surveys across the U.S. To learn about future studies in the New York City area make sure to visit ResolutionPanel.com.  Simply fill out the online form and you’ll be contacted by email when applicable studies become available.  You can also follow Resolution Panel on Twitter or become a fan of Resolution Research on Facebook to get information about studies and fun facts.

Types of studies include online surveys, phone surveys, product tests, tastes tests and more.  Most ResolutionPanel.com studies pay for participation, including reward points, gift certificates, sweepstakes and cash cards ranging from $5 to $400.

Resolution Research, a Denver firm established in 1990, is one of the country’s leading full-service market research firms specializing in qualitative and quantitative research designed to gather market intelligence and opinions. Resolution Research also hosts a market research panel, ResolutionPanel.com, and invites people to become a rewarded member to help influence the policies, products, and services offered by organizations across every industry. Resolution Research services include online surveys, telephone surveys, focus groups, product tests, taste tests, clinical trials, mock juries, bulletin boards and more.

triCerat’s Profile Solution Wins Best User Experience in Citrix Challenge

triCerat’s Profile Solution Wins Best User Experience in Citrix Challenge

COLUMBIA, Md. is proud to announce that Profile Acceleration Technology (PAT) is the winner of Best User Experience in the 2010 Citrix Ready Profile Management Video Challenge. Open to all Citrix Ready partners with profile solutions, entrants were asked to visually demonstrate how their solutions worked in the desktop virtualization and user profile management arenas.

triCerat’s entry, “The Definitive Guide to Lightning Logins,” illustrates how PAT works with Citrix XenDesktop and how finding the right profile solution impacts not only end users, but system administrators, CEOS, and business overall. Citrix expert panelists awarded “The Definitive Guide” with Best User Experience because it clearly demonstrated how PAT improves user satisfaction and productivity, reduces login times, and allows seamless migration between devices.

TriCerat founded in 1997, triCerat develops software that simplifies and enhances the operation of workspace environments. The company’s flagship product, Simplify Suite, is a comprehensive package of integrated server management tools that boost the manageability, reliability, performance, and security of Microsoft Terminal Services, workstations, and virtual environments. Licensed by over 8,000 customers worldwide, Simplify Suite creates significant ROI by reducing support and hardware costs while increasing user productivity.

Bulk Reef Supply Offers Protein Skimmer Range at Competitive Prices

Bulk Reef Supply Offers Bubble Magus Protein Skimmer Range at Competitive Prices

– At Bulk Reef Supply, reef aquarium enthusiasts can purchase the Bubble Magus Protein Skimmer at competitive prices.

Held in high esteem by aquarium hobbyists worldwide, protein skimmers are a necessity in reef setups. They remove organic waste before it decomposes into deadly nitrogenous waste. The Bubble Magus skimmer is one of the best-regarded of all available skimmers, thanks to its proven efficiency and value for money. These skimmers incorporate some of the most trusted pumps in the industry, such as those from Eheim, Atman and Aquabee, as well as affordable imported skimmer bodies.

Bulk Reef Supply offers reef aquarium owners four Bubble Magus skimmers to choose from. The first, the BM-NAC3+, is a needlewheel protein skimmer with a processing capacity of 100 to 300 liters. Another of the company’s Bubble Magus offerings is the BM-NAC7 cone protein skimmer, which uses a meshwheel cone and can process 500 to 700 liters. The third is the Bubble Magus BM-180-CS, a needlewheel protein skimmer, is capable of handling aquaria of 700 to 900 liters. Last, the Bubble Magus BM-220-CS, the most powerful, is a needlewheel skimmer that has a capacity of 1200 to 1700 liters.

Customers can choose the perfect skimmer for their reef setups depending on the contents of their aquaria, as well as their particular feeding requirements and unique maintenance schedules.

Bulk Reef Supply is a leading provider of crucial reef aquarium equipment. The company’s offerings represent top value for money. for more about the company and its products, including the Bubble Magus Protein Skimmer range.

Azalea Celebration Awards Over 5,200 Plants to Community Organizations

5th Annual Azalea Celebration Awards Over 5,200 Plants to Community Organizations

– RALEIGH, NC NC Beautiful, in conjunction with WRAL-TV, MIX 101.5 WRAL-FM, and ENCORE Azaleas, recently awarded over 5,200 azalea plants to 130 community organizations from all over the state of North Carolina.  The plant distribution was part of the 25th Annual Azalea Celebration, which offers azaleas to non-profits throughout the state of North Carolina that wish to beautify their grounds by establishing well maintained and continuous landscaping projects.

Capitol Broadcasting Company President and CEO, Jim Goodmon, started the Annual Azalea Celebration in 1985 with the goal of beautifying the community and introducing new and unusual varieties of azaleas.  The azaleas distributed for the celebration are taken exclusively from the WRAL-TV gardens developed by Alfred Johnston (A.J.) Fletcher, a prominent lawyer and business entrepreneur who in 1937, applied for a 250-watt AM radio station and formed Capitol Broadcasting Company.  Since the program started 25 years ago, the celebration has distributed over 230,000 azaleas to 3,500 different groups across the state.

Recipients of the azaleas must represent a North Carolina non-profit organization and apply via application in the summer.  Winners are announced in the early fall, and azaleas are picked up in October at the CBC transmitter site in Auburn, NC where the greenhouses and cutting beds are located.  CBC horticultural staff Tim Grissom, Rodney Collier, and Jack Lamm cared for this year’s azaleas.  NC Beautiful Executive Director, Steve Vacendak, says that it’s rewarding to see the smiles and hear the thanks from groups across the state when they arrive to pick up their plants.  He also says that this year’s plants were “exceptional”.

“The tender love and care that Tim, Rodney, and Jack gave these plants before distribution were obvious,” says Vacendak.  ”The azaleas were magnificent this year, and I’d like to personally thank these gentlemen for all of their efforts.  I would also like to acknowledge NC Beautiful Board member Alan Herosian and his wife, Linda, for their participation in this event, as well as NC Beautiful team members Louise Carey and Aimee Zehren for their assistance.  It takes many hearts and hands to make this event a success, and I’m very grateful to all of these individuals for helping make this an extraordinary day for everyone involved.”

In addition to the azalea distribution, the annual celebration also honors three groups for their use and maintenance of the azaleas that they were given three years ago.  This year’s A.J. Fletcher Award recipients were Buckland Elementary School from Gates, NC (first place), Mt. Moriah United Methodist Church from Clinton, NC (second place), and Wiley Middle School from Winston-Salem, NC (third place).

NC Beautiful has been part of the state’s environmental preservation community for 40 years, supporting awareness, education and beautification efforts that affect our quality of life. Today, we concentrate on hands-on and merit-based programs designed to empower our citizens to preserve the natural beauty of the state of North Carolina. Whether it’s school children building outdoor classrooms, graduate students developing cutting edge research, or a Boy Scout troop planting azaleas at an elder care facility, we make it possible for North Carolinians to keep NC Beautiful.