The Hamptons have always been a hot spot for celeb activity, but this week it's the North Fork region of Long Island that has the big names. Yesterday, Tom Cruise was spotted jogging on Route 25 through Orient and East Marion with his bodyguard, who rode along side him on a bicycle. Tom seemed to be enjoying his run and waved to fans as they drove by. He was probably happy to have a few days off.

Tom's been busy working on the movie Knight and Day with Cameron Diaz in Boston. The production was scheduled to move to Salzburg, Austria today but Austrian filmmakers protested a tax incentive offered to Cruise and company by Salzburg authorities. In response to the backlash, the shoot has been cut down to just 7 days rather than the three weeks they had originally scheduled. Tom and Cameron will also be shooting in Spain and Hawaii over the next few week.

So, what would bring Tom Cruise to eastern Long Island in the middle of November? Most likely, his third anniversary with wife Katie Holmes. Mrs. Cruise is currently filming The Romantics in Southold, NY with co-stars Adam Brody, Elijah Wood, Anna Paquin, Josh Duhamel and Malin Akerman. The cast seems to be making themselves at home while filming in Long Island. Adam Brody and Katie Holmes have been frequenting the Starbucks in Greenport while Elijah Wood was recently seen at Love Lane Kitchen in Mattituck. ]]> cmb 2009-11-19T14:04:30-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/25/134524/493

For the past two weeks, I've sat on a grand jury in Brooklyn Supreme Court, indicting or dismissing charges against defendants accused of some of the most heinous crimes in New York. Unfortunately, it would be illegal for me to divulge the details of the evidence presented to me and my 22 fellow jurors, but what I can do is tell you about some of the restaurants I visited during my one-hour lunch period every day. ]]> Victor Ozols 2009-07-25T13:45:24-05:00 40.6754203 -73.971205 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/25/122651/299

The bears of California are never going to hear the end of this one. The New York Times is reporting that a group of bears in the Adirondack Mountains has figured out how to open the BearVault 500, a high-tech, supposedly bear-proof container that campers use to safeguard their food in the wilderness. The double-tabbed lid of the BearVault functions like a child-proof top to a medicine bottle, requiring a certain amount of dexterity and intelligence to figure out. It's the latest thinking in bear country food protection, as the old "hang your food high in a tree using a rope" trick is no match for a crafty bear. But New York bears, being mentally superior to other bears, have cracked the BearVault code, which has stymied bears elsewhere in the country. ]]> Victor Ozols 2009-07-25T12:26:51-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/20/8537/93553

Jon Gosselin isn't wasting any time making the most of his new bachelor pad in The Alexandria on New York's upper west side. According to People, The Alexandria is a "luxury building, complete with a 24-hour doorman and concierge ... small gym, a pool, hot tub – and a small playroom. The building also takes security seriously: Residents have have to scan their index finger to get into the gym area."

We wonder if residents' guests have to scan their index fingers too. That might get a little complicated for Jon, who is currently juggling two women and eight kids. On Saturday night he was spotted out with Kate Major, a reporter for Star Magazine, at the upper East Side eatery Accademia di Vino. Kate met Jon while she was working on a story about him for the tabloid but sources tell The New York Daily News she has a tendency to blur the lines between work and friendship, and now she's in the tabloids as well. ]]> cmb 2009-07-20T10:19:21-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/29/93236/9572

Even though we still have more than two months before the gang on Gossip Girl starts "college," the show begins filming the new season today amidst rumors that a new cast member will show up. Apparently, Joanna Garcia, star of the now defunct Privileged, has booked a four-episode arc as Nate’s love interest. We can’t wait to see what Vanessa has to say about the new girl who is “a slightly evil Miss America-type from a conservative Southern family.”

We also hear filming permit signs are posted all around Gramercy Park, including a few in front of the Gramercy Park Hotel for today's shoot. GPH, being one of the hot luxe hotel of the city, has a price to match their poshness, but the Gramercy does offer a few special package deals to help out those of us who didn't grow up on the Upper East Side. ]]> cmb 2009-06-29T10:00:58-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/5/6/225831/8324

Now that car sharing giant Zipcar has merged with Flexcar and partnered with ridesharing site Zimride, it's looking pretty dominant on the short-term rental scene. There are still a couple of regional upstarts out there however, and one very affordable, very cute New York service has caught our eye.

Mint, which has a fleet of cars in Manhattan and just expanded with a couple of rides in Brooklyn Heights and Park Slope, appears to be positioning itself as the BoltBus to Zipcar's Megabus. What we mean by that is it's an underdog with a bit of a sleek touch—they've got everything from Smart Cars to Mercedes C300s—that reels you in with almost unbelievably low starter prices. ]]> BS 2009-05-07T10:34:47-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/1/25/161719/601

Wait till the Wu Tang Clan hears about this one. A software glitch on Google Maps is confusing a neighborhood in Staten Island with the upstate town of Schenectady, sending Great Kills-bound drivers on a three-hour, 170-mile odyssey in the wrong direction. As the Daily News points out, the 10308 zip code is coming up in searches as Schenectady, and those looking for directions to the Shaolin hamlet will instead find themselves rolling up the New York State Thruway if they're not paying attention. Staten Island Councilman Councilman Vince Ignizio doesn't think Google is dissing his borough like so many others have before, but he hopes the glitch is fixed nonetheless. After all, Staten Island needs all the visitors it can get.

[Photo: Daily News]

Related Stories:
· Software Glitch Sends Staten Island Google Maps Users on a Major Detour [New York Daily News]
· Google Maps Coverage [Jaunted]]]> Victor Ozols 2009-01-25T16:17:19-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/