By: Edward Jackson (Editor In Chief)

Highly Anticipated App Brings Image-editing Power of Photoshop to Apple iPad 2

At Mobile World Congress, Adobe Systems Incorporated today announced that Adobe Photoshop Touch is now available for iPad 2, via the iTunes App Store. Adobe Photoshop Touch offers core Photoshop features, as well as new capabilities for creating and sharing in an app custom-built for tablets. The app is a central component of Adobe Touch Apps, a family of six intuitive touch screen applications, inspired by Adobe Creative Suite software. iPad versions of the other Adobe Touch Apps are expected later this year.

Photoshop Touch gives users the ability to combine multiple photos into layered images, make essential edits and apply professional effects to create beautiful artwork, touch up photos, paint, lay out ideas and much more. The Scribble Selection Tool allows users to easily extract objects in an image by simply scribbling on what to keep, and then what to remove. With Refine Edge technology from Photoshop, even hard-to-select areas with soft edges are easily captured when making selections. Photoshop Touch helps users quickly find images and share creations through integration with Facebook and Google Image Search.

“People will be amazed with what they can create on the iPad using Photoshop Touch,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president and general manager, Digital Media Business Unit, Adobe. “Photoshop Touch combines the magic of Photoshop and its core features with the convenience of a tablet, bringing image-editing power to the fingertips of millions of people.”

“Adobe Photoshop Touch offers a huge convenience factor and boasts cool Photoshop features tailored for the iPad,” said Brian Yap, creative director, Boxing Clever. “Nearly all of the features I imagined being in Photoshop Touch are there, including the depth in layers, the extraction tools, and fade tool.”

“I love the organic process of working on the tablet. With Adobe Photoshop Touch, I have a new form of image creation with familiar tools but in a more relaxed work space, allowing me to rediscover image making through play rather than production,” Dan Marcolina, owner, Marcolina Design & Marcolina Slate. 

“My team and I put Photoshop Touch through the paces and it shines as a tool for on-the-go photo shoots,” said Tyler Stableford, photographer and director, Tyler Stableford Photography + Film. “Time is always critical when taking pictures during the golden hours of light. With a wireless connection, the art director and I can place photos, immediately as we take them, into a layer with the client’s artwork. This is really helpful when shooting catalog covers.” 

In addition to Photoshop Touch, Adobe expects to release the following touch apps for the iPad in the coming months: Adobe Collage for moodboards, Adobe Debut for presenting and reviewing creative work, Adobe Ideas for sketching, Adobe Kuler for exploring color themes, and Adobe Proto for website and mobile app prototyping.

Helpful Links:

• Artist Project Deconstruction: Bryan Yap

• Artist Project Deconstruction: Dan Marcolina

• Artist Project Deconstruction: Chris Georgenes

• Artist Project Deconstruction: Kyle Lambert

• Introducing Adobe Photoshop Touch on iPad 2 and Android

• Basic Retouching with Photoshop Touch

• Photoshop Touch Sky Replacement Tutorial

• Photoshop Touch Scribble Select Tool

• Photoshop Touch Paint Effect

• Photoshop Touch Add Effects

• Photoshop Touch Camera Fill

• Photoshop Touch Google Search

• Photoshop Touch Blend Modes

Pricing and Availability:

Adobe Photoshop Touch is available today in the iTunes App Store for US$9.99. Photoshop Touch is available in most geographies with English language support. The app will run on iPad 2 running on iOS5. For more information on Photoshop Touch, visit adobe products. Customers may submit feedback on the community powered feedback site, feedback photoshop. Users may also connect with the Photoshop Touch Team directly on Facebook, via Twitter or on the Photoshop blog. For Photoshop Touch how-to videos, visit adobe TV.

By: Edward Jackson (Editor In Chief)

Consumer Drive Delivers Faster, More Responsive Computing Experience and Extends the Life of Existing PCs

SanDisk Corporation, a global leader in flash memory storage solutions, today announced a high-performance solid state drive (SSD) for the retail channel. The SanDisk Extreme SSD is up to 10 times faster than a 7,200 RPM hard disk drive, enabling computer users to quickly boot and shut down their systems, launch applications faster and reduce wait times. The drive is also more durable and power efficient, delivering a reliable computing experience while maximizing battery life.

Extreme Performance:

The SanDisk Extreme SSD can boot a PC in less than 16 seconds and quickly shut down the system, delivering a significantly improved user experience to desktop and notebook users. For gamers, the SanDisk Extreme SSD can launch applications in a fraction of the time and reduce in-game delays by generating environments faster during sequence transitions. This is particularly important during massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs).

“Computer wait times are becoming a thing of the past thanks to SSDs,” said Kent Perry, director, product marketing, SanDisk. “Our SanDisk Extreme SSD delivers virtually instant boot and shutdown times along with faster application launches. It’s a huge improvement to the computing experience.” 

The SanDisk Extreme SSD delivers up to 83,000 maximum random write Input-Output Operations Per Second (IOPS) and up to 44,000 random read IOPS. High sequential read performanceof up to 550 megabytes-per-second (MB/s) and up to 520MB/s sequential write speed deliver faster, more responsive computing.

Extreme Reliability:

The SanDisk Extreme SSD is more reliable and durable than a hard disk drive and is backed by SanDisk’s reputation for quality. The drive contains no moving parts, decreasing the risk of data loss due to shock and vibration, and its mean time between failure (MTBF) greatly exceeds that of hard disk drives, giving users peace of mind that it will retain their files for the long term.

Additional Benefits:

The SanDisk Extreme SSD consumes 30 percent less power than a hard disk drive while generating less heat and noise, making it an ideal solution for notebook users who want to maximize their battery life while computing on the go. The drive provides cost savings for IT departments or DIY enthusiasts who want to extend the life of their existing PCs without buying an entirely new system. The drive is easy to install—simply plug it into a computer’s SATA port.

Pricing and Availability:

The SanDisk Extreme SSD is available worldwide now in 120 gigabyte (GB) and 240GB capacities carrying MSRPs of $189.99 and $399.99 respectively. A 480GB version of the drive will ship later this year with an MSRP of $749.99.

Achieves up to 500/420 MB/s Sequential Read/Write Speeds; Available In A Variety of Capacities and Form Factors

The SanDisk X100 SSD is available in capacities up to 512GB and utilizes multi-level cell (MLC) technology, a SATA 6Gb/s high-performance interface, advanced multi-streaming features and tiered caching technology. The drive offers up to 500/420 megabyte per second (MB/sec) sequential read/write speeds, and enables a user to copy a 4GB high-definition movie in less than 10 seconds*. In addition to the standard 2.5 inch form factor, the X100 SSD also comes in mSATA and customized thin form factors to address the emerging ultra-thin laptop market. SanDisk offers a wide variety of configuration options, including standalone and dual drive caching solutions.

“With the introduction of the X100 SSD, SanDisk now offers OEMs a complete selection of SSD storage choices,” said Kevin Conley, senior vice president and general manager, client storage solutions, SanDisk. “From the smallest BGA form factors of the iSSD to the economical lower power U100, all the way up to the high performance and high capacity points of our new X100, SanDisk offers a solution to meet the needs of notebook, desktop and ultra-thin laptop manufacturers.”

The SanDisk X100 SSD achieves long-term reliability through robust, continual background error checking and advanced NAND recovery mechanisms. The drive is available now for sampling to PC manufacturers and production-volume shipments.

Specifications:

Performance

• Up to 500/420 MB/s sequential read/write speeds

Capacity

• 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB

Form Factor

• Cased 2.5 inch 7mm or 9.5mm, mSATA and customized form factors

Interface

• SATA 6Gb/s

Power Consumption

• Active Power (Typical): 150mW (@ 3.3V)
• Standby Mode (Typical): 75mW (@ 3.3V)

Reliability

• MTBF up to two million hours

Target Platforms

• Ultrabook, notebook, and desktop computers

We’re definitely excited about these speeds. With Ultrabooks set to dominate this year, what are the chances that Sandisk might be in some of those fancy chassis?

By: Edward Jackson (Editor In Chief)

 Avid’s award-winning technology is built into Avid Studio iPad app, making it quick and easy to create, edit and share professional quality movies on the go.

Avid, today announced the release of its first video editing application for the iPad—Avid Studio, available immediately at the Apple App Store. Leveraging decades of experience working closely with the world’s leading movie and television studios, Avid has made the Avid Studio app for the iPad easy enough for first-timers, yet sophisticated enough for more advanced editors. As the first iPad app for video editing to offer frame-by-frame editing accuracy and access to all kinds of media, Avid Studio for iPad allows users to quickly and easily create and share exciting, highly professional multimedia experiences, wherever they want to. As a special launch promotion, the rich capabilities of Avid Studio for iPad are available for the introductory price of only $4.99.

Avid Studio for iPad allows users to begin editing with ease by offering access to any videos, photos and audio already in their iPad library, or media that can be imported from iTunes, cameras and more. Users can then arrange clips in the Storyboard, make precision edits using the Timeline, and enhance their movie creations with high-quality transitions, effects and a soundtrack. They can then share movies directly to YouTube, Facebook and more—or export projects to Avid Studio software, where they can continue editing with even more advanced tools on their PC. In addition, editing enthusiasts can get started fast with an easy-to-understand how-to guide, included with the app.

Avid Studio for iPad comes with innovative features to help any movie enthusiast elevate their moviemaking, including:

• Precision Editing Tools: Avid Studio for iPad is the only app to offer a unique combination of Storyboard and Timeline features, allowing users to arrange clips in the Storyboard, then edit like a pro with the precision of the Timeline, which offers frame-by-frame trimming capability. Avid Studio for iPad also takes full advantage of touch capabilities to offer a fun, easy yet professional level editing experience. For example, with a touch or swipe, users can easily resize and rotate a title directly from the preview window, among other functions.

• Full Media Access: There are more creative options for editors, with access to all kinds of media—video, audio or photos—in their iPad library as well as access to media from devices via an iPad Camera Connection Kit (sold separately) or from iTunes or other sources. Users can also capture video and photos within the app for use in their projects. The app also automatically recognizes imported media that has been previously organized by albums, events, faces and more—providing fast, easy access.

• Easy Video and Audio Track Compositing: Users can unleash their creativity by dropping one clip on top of the other in the Storyboard to create a picture-in-picture effect or take advantage of the professionally-designed animated montage themes to layer their photos and videos, all included. Multiple audio tracks also allow for easy layering of music, audio and sound effects to create movie soundtracks.

• Export to Avid Studio for the PC: Avid Studio for iPad also offers a bridge to the power of the desktop by offering a direct link to Avid Studio software (for PC). Customers who use Avid Studio PC desktop software can continue editing their projects with additional powerful features including sophisticated photo and video correction tools, unlimited timeline tracks, an impressive collection of included content and more.

“More and more users are relying on mobile devices for media content creation, viewing and sharing, and we’re proud to deliver a feature-rich new app that takes powerful Avid technology and adapts it specifically for the iPad. Now video editors have a great, powerful and fun way to create movies and tell their stories,” said Tanguy Leborgne, vice president, creative enthusiasts products and solutions at Avid. “Editing enthusiasts can now use a mobile application that has our industry-leading video editing technology built into it—with the interactive capabilities of iOS—to help them make incredible movies at home or on the go.”

What Users are Saying:

“As a content producer, I can tell you that a video editing app like Avid Studio for the iPad is a breakthrough. Avid is the industry leader in the field of editing. Being creative and having trust in your tools is essential. Whether you’re new to video editing and animating a series of family photos, or a seasoned professional working on a music video for the “next big thing,” having a robust editing tool in the mobile environment is a must. The technology is here and the time has come with Avid Studio for the iPad,” said Michael Dixon, Founder of Stormnet Media, a leading production company creating innovative content with credits for Olivaylle Australian Olive Oil, Oprah Winfrey Network and America’s Got Talent.

Pricing and Availability:

The Avid Studio app for the iPad is available worldwide today from the App Store for a limited-time introductory price of $4.99. All prices listed are USD. For more information, please visit http://www.avid.com/avidstudioapp

By: Edward Jackson (Editor In Chief)

Free app enables users to check into TV shows and get real rewards such as gift cards, movie tickets, music and much more; innovative brands and networks onboard for launch

Viggle a Function(x) company, today announced that its first free app is now available in the iTunes App Store. Viggle works with iOS devices such as iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and rewards people with gift cards, movie tickets, music and more for checking into TV shows using its proprietary show matching feature. The company, founded by media and entertainment entrepreneur Robert F.X. Sillerman, also announced a number of strategic launch partners including Verizon, Pepsi, Gatorade, Burger King Corporation and Capital One.

“We’re excited that Viggle is now in the hands of passionate TV viewers,” said Chris Stephenson, president of Function(x). “And, we’re lucky to be working with networks and brands who really understand the connection people have with the shows they love. Everyone wins here—consumers get rewarded for their loyalty and networks and brand partners are able to connect with Viggle users in relevant and meaningful ways.”

“At USA, we are committed to expanding the ways our fans engage with great content beyond their TV viewing experience,” said Jesse Redniss, senior vice president, digital, USA Network. “By connecting to Viggle, we are able to offer access to more compelling engagement, participation and affinity rewards that extend our viewers’ access across multiple touch points.”

A number of innovative brand partners have signed on to take advantage of the rich opportunities Viggle creates for them to engage with consumers. Viggle provides these companies with easy ways to target different audiences and present their brands in a variety of contextually relevant ways including games, quizzes, polls, downloads and videos that are related to the consumer and what they’re watching. “Pepsi is and always has been an entertainment brand,” said Massimo d’Amore, president of PepsiCo’s Global Beverages Group. “Being partnered with the best in music, sports and TV is very natural for us and partnering with Viggle helps us keep close to the consumer on an exciting new platform.”

“The way people consume TV has completely transformed since everyone started watching their favorite shows with a mobile phone or tablet at their side. It is no longer a passive form of entertainment,” said Marc Mentry, senior vice president, advertising and sponsorships, Capital One. “We want to meet consumers where they are and unexpected rewards are a great way to drive engagement with the Capital One brand.”

Core to Viggle’s promise are the rewards consumers get for checking into the TV shows they love. Viggle users will be able to redeem points for rewards from a growing slate of more than 20 brands that span entertainment, retail, restaurants and travel, including Best Buy, Sephora, Hulu Plus, and many more. New rewards are being added to the catalogue every week and Viggle is working with rewards partners to create special reward opportunities such as daily deals and one-of-a-kind experiences for TV’s biggest fans.

Viggle works today with live, recorded and online TV content from more than 150 channels—with more being added daily. Using the integrated microphone on the iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch device, Viggle automatically identifies what the viewer is watching on television. Once checked in, users can see a summary of all Twitter conversation related to the show and are able to share comments from within the app directly to Twitter or Facebook. Users can learn more about their favorite shows by clicking on direct links to online show pages, unique content, downloads and special merchandise that are integrated directly on the show pages.

“Viggle is a powerful new way for brands to engage with consumers using cutting-edge technology,” said Bob Jeffrey, CEO and Worldwide Chairman, JWT. “Our business today is driven by innovation and the road to success sits at the intersection of Hollywood, Silicon Valley and Madison Avenue. Clients and consumers alike will love Viggle.”

By: Edward Jackson (Editor in Chief)

Mellanox 10GbE Products Primed for Upcoming Intel Romley/Sandy Bridge with PCI Express 3.0 Launch

Mellanox Technologies, Ltd., a leading supplier of high-performance, end-to-end connectivity solutions for data center servers and storage systems, today announced a new pricing structure and expanded channel for its high-performance line of end-to-end 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) solutions. Analysts are predicting significant movement towards 10GbE in 2012, particularly with the upcoming launch of the Intel Romley and Sandy Bridge with PCI Express 3.0 platform. Mellanox’s solutions provide end users with better application performance, lower power consumption and lower cost vs. offerings currently available from other Ethernet vendors.

With the launch today of the new pricing structure, Mellanox’s 10GbE price/port for switches and adapters are significantly below current industry averages:

Description & Recommended End User Price

• Mellanox SX1016
  1u, 64 port 10GbE switch
  $188 per port
• Mellanox SX1036
  1u, 64 port 10GbE, 36 40GbE switch
  $257 per port
• Mellanox ConnectX-3 EN
  2 port 10GbE host adapter
  $390 per card

According to Crehan Research, currently there are almost 170 million data center and server-class ports installed for 1GbE worldwide and about 25 million ports for 10GbE, 10GbE currently accounts for just 13 percent of all those installed Ethernet ports. In 2012, Crehan Research expects 10GbE to increase to 37 percent of the total annual market shipments.

“In 2012, we expect to see a significant increase in the number of 10GbE deployments, with it becoming the dominant and de facto data center network connection by 2014,” said Seamus Crehan, president, Crehan Research. “Price declines, such as the ones announced today from Mellanox, will help drive volume adoption.”

Mellanox has also expanded its Ethernet offering via its worldwide network of channel and distribution partners including Altima, Avnet, Colfax Direct, DScon, Hammer PLC, SAMboo Systems, Servants, SysOne, Tech Data, and others. A complete listing of Mellanox Authorized Distributors is available at mellanox.com. “The launch of the Intel Romley and Sandy Bridge platform in the coming months is going to give the industry a strong push towards faster interconnect speeds,” said Eyal Waldman, chairman, president and CEO of Mellanox Technologies. “For data center managers, 10GbE is the minimum data rate they should be considering for all deployments this year. Mellanox products and solutions are delivering 10GbE and higher data rates today – providing better application performance, lower power consumption and improved ROI.”

10GbE Webinar: January 30, 2012

Mellanox also today announced a new educational webinar taking place January 30 from 8:00am-9:00am PST. The webinar will include detailed 10GbE market data presented by Crehan Research, including adoption trends, forecasted market growth and an overview of Mellanox end-to-end 10GbE solutions. The webinar will also be held in Chinese on Thursday, February 9 from 10:00am-11:00am China Standard Time. For more information and to register, please visit mellanox.com.

By: Edward Jackson (Editor in Chief)

IDT’s FlatNoise Technology Provides a Virtually Flat Noise Figure as Gain is Reduced, Improving QoS and Easing Data Converter SNR Requirements to Reduce System Cost

Integrated Device Technology, Inc. (IDT), the Analog and Digital Company delivering essential mixed-signal semiconductor solutions, today announced the industry’s first FlatNoise dual intermediate frequency (IF) variable gain amplifier (VGA) for multi-mode 2G/3G/4G wireless base station transceivers. IDT’s devices offer the industry’s best noise figure (4 dB) for maximum gain and virtually no degradation when gain is reduced, improving quality-of-service (QoS) and easing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) requirements of the downstream data converter to reduce system cost.

The IDT F1240 and F1241 are dual-channel digitally-controlled IF VGAs featuring IDT’s FlatNoise technology. This new technology virtually eliminates noise figure degradation for the critical top 13 dB section of a wide 31 dB gain control range – a stark contrast to other IF VGAs which typically exhibit a dB for dB degradation in noise figure as gain is reduced. FlatNoise eases the SNR requirements of the system’s data converter, enabling customers to improve signal quality and use a more cost-effective, lower-resolution data converter. For many applications, this allows the customer to downgrade from a 14-bit data converter to a 12-bit data converter with comparable system SNR.

“Our new FlatNoise RF products bring tremendous value to the application and complement IDT’s leading timing and RapidIO solutions for base station designs,” said Tom Sparkman, vice president and general manager of the Communications Division at IDT. “The F1240 and F1241 feature the industry’s best noise figure and lowest power consumption, and join our previously announced F1200 as the industry’s first products to offer FlatNoise technology. By improving the signal quality at the VGA, we essentially make it easier for downstream devices to operate. This gives system designers flexibility to use a more cost-effective data converter; for example, using a 12-bit device instead of a 14-bit device.”

IDT’s new IF VGAs feature extremely low distortion (OIP3 = +49 dBm), allowing for higher front-end gain, improving the receiver’s sensitivity and resulting in additional QoS enhancement. The devices operate over a 10 MHz to 500 MHz frequency range with a typical maximum gain of 20 dB and offer the industry’s lowest power consumption (80 mA per channel). In addition, the IF VGAs are extremely accurate, with a gain step error of only 0.04 dB, improving the system SNR performance even further. A parallel or serial communication interface provides control of a 6-bit (0.5dB: F1240) or 5-bit (1.0 dB: F1241) resolution, giving designers maximum flexibility.

By: Edward Jackson (Editor In Chief)

The Anthro mobile device family consists of two product lines. Choose between compact mobile Carts or stationary Cabinets to charge and store tablets and other mobile devices. Charging Carts hold and transport 40 devices. The stationary Cabinet is offered for tablets (20 iPad mobile devices or tablets) or for mini-touch devices (40 iPods pocket computers and similar devices).*drool*

The Tablet Charging Cart measures just 23.75”w x 24.5”d and is the smallest storage cart available on the market. Anthro’s Charging Cart is the ideal vertical storage solution in education and healthcare where space is at a premium. Individually-numbered bays easily hold 40 iPads including their cases. Cable management clips position the power inlet at the front of each bay for quick connection. Keyed door locks and a two-point locking system keep tablets secure. Each door features mounting points for padlocks for added security. A separate locking IT area is located in the back of the Charging Carts to protect adapters, cords and cables.

Accessories such as an optional Storage Drawer and a Sync Kit are also available. The optional Storage Drawer mounts under either Cart and is the perfect size (10.75”w x 14.5”d x 4”h) for keeping peripherals handy. Anthro’s Sync Kit is a 10-port USB hub which provides a wired connection to your iPads, iPods, and other devices so you can sync 10 at once.

Readily convertible to a mobile teaching station with its comfortable height of 46”, the Tablet Charging Cart includes a recessed top work surface which keeps a laptop from sliding off. The Tablet Cart features a lockable storage area for a laptop. Three external receptacles are conveniently located on the Tablet Cart for projectors and scanners. The 4” inch casters make it easy to transport the Tablet Charging Cart from room to room.

Charging Cabinets come in two mounting options. One option is to mount the Charging Cabinet on a wall. Or the Charging Cabinet can also be attached to the top of a counter or table. Whether wall-mounted or attached to a shelf or counter, the Cabinets organize the clutter of mobile devices and save valuable floor space. The Tablet Cabinet holds 20 devices and the Mini-touch Cabinet holds 40.

All of Anthro’s mobile device Carts and Cabinets feature a power indicator light and an on/off switch which protects the contents from a power surge when plugging in the cart and devices. The Anthro mobile device Carts and Cabinets ship assembled. Constructed of steel with a baked-on powder coat finish, the Charging Carts and Charging Cabinets have a Lifetime Warranty. A two year warranty covers electrical components. The cord and plug are not under warranty. Anthro Corp was founded in 1984. Anthro provides height-adjustable workstations for the healthcare, education, lab, business, engineering, and government markets.

By: Jenna Gonzalez

Recently, certain topics have been brought up by a concerned subscriber regarding the validity of MRT’s contests, charity efforts and our staff. As a fairly new blog, this has been not only been a labor of love for us but a learning experience as well. And because we appreciate our readership and fans, we’d like to take this time to address these issues, as well as clarify any misconceptions and misunderstandings, as well as lay out the plans for the immediate future.

Contests:

Although we have not had any contests in a few months, we have had some very successful contests in the past that have benefitted plenty of winners. The questions raised were: Are the contests and prizes real? All the contests we’ve ever had were all genuine. We have one standard that we’ve followed diligently when it comes to contests. Each time a winner(s) is picked, we contact them through the available venue they have provided, be it email, Twitter, Facebook. The winner(s) is then notified through their available venues of their win and asked what personal information they would feel comfortable releasing. Sometimes, we have enthusiastic winners who don’t mind having their names posted. Sometimes we get winners (usually professional sweepstakers) who would rather we don’t publish their information. In cases such as this, we simply refer to their online ID. What we do value above everything else is their privacy. Unlike many other blogs who paste people’s names for all to see, we treat each and every winner with respect, and as such we always ask them what they would be willing to reveal. After that, the particular contest post/article is dutifully updated with winner’s information, at the same time noting that the contest is now officially closed. A quick look at our past contests would show that we do, in fact post winner’s first names, last initials, and location. While we wish everyone could be a winner, we do have plenty of fans and subscribers who have won prizes. Some of whom have gone on to contribute a post of two to the site.

It’s also very important to note that Myrealitytech is NOT a registered business. Therefore we DO NOT profit financially from any contests, nor do we profit from sponsorships or advertising. In fact, the minimal google ads you see on the site net us anywhere from $7-$10 per month, sometimes as little as .65 cents and are not even enough to cover our site hosting fees. When we first started, virtually all the prizes given through contests were all purchased through my own pockets. In recent contests, we’ve had companies ask to partner with us and run a contest. We actually prefer those because the company not only specifies the contests, but they often pick their winners, effectively making us no more than an avenue for their contests. A very good example of this was the Capulet London contest, in which they themselves set up the contest on their Facebook, published the rules and regulations, and picked their winners. All we did was review the items and direct people to their contest. Its safer that way and I don’t get accused by some disgruntled sweeper of faking a contest.

Which brings me to another point. Our staff. Well, I’m sad to tell you that everyone who’s ever written and currently writing for MRT has NEVER BEEN PAID. I know it’s hard to believe but all of us here at MRT are volunteers. We have real lives, real families to support, and real jobs to survive on. Which would explain the scarcity of posts. Unlike other sites who have a large number of posts going up everyday, we’ll be lucky if we can have one short post in a week mentioning some gadget. In fact, if you look at some of our posts, you’ll see that there are times when a month or two pass before anyone even has the time to write anything. That’s because we’re not being paid to write. We do so because we want to and whenever we have time to. That’s what casual blogging is, and that’s what MRT is.

Charity:

This past Christmas season, we decided to run a charity auction to raise money for Toys For Tots and the Humane Society of the United States. Now, someone has accused MRT of commiting fraud by hosting a “fake” charity auction and accused us of profiting from it instead of giving it to the designated charities we stated. Well, let’s make things absolutely crystal clear to those who do not know how the process goes.

#1… We only ever hosted two charity auctions that we’re announced on MRT. Each and every time, we ONLY used EBAY. Why Ebay? Well, Ebay has very strict rules regarding charity auctions. In order to even qualify, one must be an outstanding seller with solid feedback. Also, one can only do it through Ebay Giving Works Program and MISSIONFISH. The Ebay Giving Works guidelines provide an iron-clad transaction that proceeds agreed upon from every single item sold will be designated directly and immediately to the legal charity as listed on MISSIONFISH’s official site. If one chooses to host a charity auction for an organization in any other way, the seller MUST PROVIDE a written note signed by the charity executives, and have it visible and available on the listing for everyone to see. If in any way the seller does not complete each step, Ebay will immediately remove the listing, cancel any bids, and impose harsh penalties on the seller, including suspension and complete removal of account. You will find all details and guidelines here: http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/fundraising.html 

As you can see, it is very hard, if not impossible for us to host a charity auction through a major company such as Ebay, and a nationally recognized program such as MISSIONFISH unless each security measure is taken.

#2… Every single item sold was MY personal item purchased throughout the year. No items sold we’re acquired from anyone else. If Iwas to benefit financially, why sell my hard earned items through Ebay, knowing fully, and seeing thereafter that none of the items will fetch anywhere near what I paid for. Case in point, my 64GB Apple iPad 2 decked in thousands of Swarovski Crystals was the only one of it’s kind and design in the world. It cost me $2,500 of my hard earned money. It sold for $849.27 http://www.ebay.com/itm/280791310569?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1562.l2649

Remove from that Ebay’s listing fees (yes, they charge to list something), final value fees (yes, they deduct a percentage of the sale), and Paypal’s fees for using their service and you get less than $600. Bear in mind the iPad cost $2500. As you can see, whatever little money left over was barely enough to afford a bare-bones 32 GB iPad, much less a 64 GB with customized crystallization. Lets assume for a second that the charity auction was bogus. How in the world did I just make a profit on that??? The answer: I did not make profit. Every single dime made from December’s charity auction went to the Marine Toys For Tots Foundation and the Humane Society of the United States.

#3… Even in our announcements, posts and auction listings, we still encourage everyone to go DIRECTLY to the charity and donate there. When we had the auction to raise money for the Japanese Trunami, I specifically stated that everyone is more than welcome to go directly to the Red Cross to donate instead of bidding on my little items. We do this because we realize that people dont have time to wait around and win something for cheap, or they might only have $5 to spare. By encouraging them to go directly to the charity, they can feel good about helping right away.

Jenna:

Finally, there has been a lot of raucus raised about the identity of Jenna Gonzalez, our Editor In Chief. Who am I? Well, does it really matter? YES, it does. And YES, it’s time you should know. I have used interchanging fake photos as my avatar in the past (As of 2012, it has since been of my cat Muffin who I’n not trying to impersonate in any way.) It was not done to impersonate anyone, as some have pointed out. Rather, it was done to protect myself online. Let’s be clear on legality here. Using a photo of Angelina Jolie as your avatar does not constitute fraud (at best, they can ask you to cease and desist). Using a photo of Angelina Jolie as your avatar, calling yourself Angelina Jolie, and publising information, tweets, updates, etc as Angelina Jolie…THAT would be impersonation, and yes, that would be illegal. Unfortunately, in today’s society, a lot of dangers lurk around the corner, and a lot of sad and terrifying things happen to many people through the use of the great big web, especially women. The Editor In Chief of any site must take full responsibility for anything that goes on in the site, including being the face and lightning rod for any strikes directed towards the site or any of the staff.

Knowing the magnitude of such responsibility, I chose to go under a fake photo to protect myself, my staff from any criticisms and my family from anyone that might harbor any kind of sick thoughts that would lead to the endangerment of my loved ones. Although I strongly feel that there is nothing wrong with protecting your identity online, I acknowledge that I could’ve done it better. What do I look like? Is this even my real name? Well, much like the nameless, faceless person who contacted us about these issues and swiftly deleted their accounts thereafter, I think it’s only fair that I deserve my anonimity. The sad thing is, MANY A COMPLAINING SWEEPSTAKER has multiple contest accounts, all with different ID’s, names and yes, avatars of anyone but them. Have we ever raised hell over user names like ”oldblue69″ who’s got a picture of Timothy Dalton as their avatar or “Songbirdeeee” (one of our great winners) who simply goes by random photos with no name showing at all? Absolutely not. Because like those of you who value your privacy for whatever reasons you have, I value mine as well.

However, if anyone ever got affected by my decision to stay private, I wish to extend my hearfelt apologies for any inconvenience it may have caused you. I want you to know that whatever feelings you have on the subject are totally valid, and for that I am extremely sorry. I’d also like to take this time to sincerely apologize to my staff for any inconvenience this may have caused you throughout your time here at MRT. I wont name any names out of respect for your privacy. I do want you to know that I fully appreciate your zany and thoughtful contributions, and I’ve always gone out of my way to do nice things for you and provide some benefit to your lives because you were more than just volunteer writers to me. I sincerely hope you will remember your time here at MRT with more good times than bad, and I will always be supportive of your endeavors should you need any support in the future. I value you as friends and I can only wish you the very best that life has to offer you.

In order to fully accept this responsibility, one has to come clean and be honest with those they care about. Myrealitytech was a dream born out of the strong desire to help people digest technology without the bloatware. But most importantly, it was established as a tech platform that cares about unfortunate people and does its best to bring much needed attention to important causes. As proud as I am of what this little no-profit site has been able to accomplish in two years, it has also dawned upon me that in order to fully realize our dreams, the site also needs to be supported on the pillars of integrity. That being said, It is with great sadness that I am announcing my resignation as Editor In Chief. What this experience has taught me is that life is an unexpected wheel of fortune. With it comes sad moments that make you cry, but also moments of happiness for the good things that have come about in the process. I’ve learned of the strength of friendship, and the power of staying true to oneself and being humble in the face of times most difficult. Most of all, I’ve learned the true meaning of GRATITUDE.

Future:

From here on out, Myrealitytech will be spearheaded by Edward Jackson, co-founder and creative editor. It will feature the same good tech news (whenever someone gets around to writing one), gadget reviews (whenever someone cares to offer us a review unit) and maybe even contests (whenever we can afford to buy stuff to give away, cause we sure ain’t getting paid) Most especily, MRT will continue to use its platform to help raise awareness (and occassional funds whenever we can part with a hard-earned gadget or two) for various legal charities, and will be ONLY BE FOLLOWING THE STRICTEST GUIDELINES from here on out. Once in a while, you might see me pop in with a little post about a cool new remote control, but only as a regular old contributor. Depending on how my cat Muffin feels about me using her image as an avatar, I may have to borrow Beyonce or Lady Gaga’s fiercest headshot. I hope they don’t mind cause I’m a huge fan. I’m a really good outdoor enthusiats and an excellent nurse. Maybe I’ll start my own blog and call it “TheOutdoorsyNurse” . I’ve been told I cook and sing well. perhaps I can start “FoodMeetsGirl” Or perhaps “SingingMafia”. Or… I just might feel safe enough to reveal myself to the world full monty (rapists, stalkers, perverts and serial killers notwithstanding) Right now, I just know that I would like to get back as far away from the online world and focus on my job, family and friends.

I do however have to warn you that the new chief is just some furry old guy with a goatee, long curly biker hair, a penchant for metal music, and an honest day-job at a car dealership. But he is sweet, kind, and most importantly, he is 100% REAL. He also embodies everything this site stands for. Everything I could only emulate halfway. So if you’re one of the dozen or so people who care enough to read this post (we totally have no viewers after being stagnant for months), be nice to him will ya?

Thank you again to for everyone’s patience, understanding and support in this difficult transition. Whatever dozen or so subscribers we have left, I’m writing this for you, because you matter to me, and I thank you for all the smiles you’ve brought to my face, as I can only hope I have to yours. Happy New Year Everyone. Goodluck and Goodbye.

By: Jenna Gonzalez (Editor In Chief)

Staff Note: As part of our spectacular summer giveaway extravaganza, we are giving away several of the newest smartphones all throughout August-September 2011. So make sure you and your friends “Like” us on Facebook . Remember that our contests are ONLY eligible to our fans and Facebook subscribers so don’t forget to LIKE us on FB! We will be giving away TWO BRAND NEW smartphones of our choice on August 30. All you have to do is “LIKE” us on FB and share with your friends! 

I’ve been lucky enough to own pretty much every tablet on the market today, as well most designer cases for them, but I’ve yet to own a designer branded tablet. Well, it looks like it’ll happen after all. Pierre Cardin has released what they tout as “The first designer tablet in the UK”. The French fashion house has made their way into the mobile electronics market with their new 7 inch, Android powered tablet and with leather case (no word on who the hardware maker is). Unfortunately I’m just a slight bit miffed, since for some unknown reason Pierre Cardin opted to go with Android 2.2 as it’s OS. When it comes to Android tablets, I’m at the very least a Honeycomb girl and I’m not looking to downgrade right now. The tablet offers all your basic features such as Google browser, Google map, Gmail, Skype, Google Market, Multimedia Player, Clock, Calculator, News, Weather, Voice Search, Adobe Flash 10.1 and more through the Android Market. So for those who aren’t looking for the latest from Android and would be happy with the basic day to day functions in a stylish package, this may be the tablet for you. Though this isn’t the most advanced Android tablet on the market, it is surprisingly affordable for those who want to be  technologically fashionable at ₤275 or $450US. So the question is, who wants one?

Via Pierre Cardin

SUMMER SMARTPHONE GIVEAWAY OFFICIAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

By: Jenna Gonzalez (Editor In Chief)

Staff Note: As part of our spectacular summer giveaway extravaganza, we are giving away several of the newest smartphones all throughout August-September 2011. So make sure you and your friends “Like” us on Facebook . Remember that our contests are ONLY eligible to our fans and Facebook subscribers so don’t forget to LIKE us on FB! We will be giving away TWO BRAND NEW smartphones of our choice on August 30. All you have to do is “LIKE” us on FB and share with your friends! 

While shopping on Madison Avenue, I stopped by the Orianne Collins Concept store and noticed these gems, the Goldvish luxury cell phones. The gleam of these beautiful gold, diamond covered  phones with leather accent caught my eye. Goldvish is a company I know all too well for making such seductively lavish phones. I came across the Illusion collection of cell phones, which are available in 240 variations. Yes, I said 240 variations, with options of rose, white or yellow gold with an additional option of a titanium finish. There are 12 colors to choose from when it comes the alligator leather accents and 5 diamond trim levels.

From the Centerfold model with it’s 0.15 CT single diamond to the Like Heaven model that is 11.03 CT studded with 1639 VVS diamonds. Though this phone doesn’t offer you all the functions of day’s smartphones, it offers you an unsurpassed class of luxury.  The cost of these beauties starts at $120,000 for your base model and up to $1.2 million for a pave diamond encrusted model.

With Goldvish’s latest release of the Equilibrium, the world’s first dual SIM luxury mobile phone, handcrafted masterpiece. The dual SIM feature allows you to switch between phone numbers easily, letting you go from your work to your private line without effort. The Equilibrium is handmade in Switzerland with the highest quality materials. It is customized to your specifications, with your choice of finish, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium or the finest leather. As you can see in the picture above, you can choose 18 carat gold or platinum trim. The Equilibrium can also be covered in diamonds. It features a 2.4″ ultra clear LED with 115 carat grade A, natural Sapphire crystal screen, 8GB internal memory,  bluetooth, FM tuner, 7 hours of talk time or 20 days of standby time. The Equilibrium starts at $160k and goes on up to $2.5 million for a pave diamond covered, platinum toting model. It is the epitome of elegance.

Then there is the Goldvish Revolution, a unique blend of a cell phone and a beautifully Swiss made handcrafted timepiece. The Revolution has automatic analog watch with visible moving parts, made by Frederic Jouvenot. The body of the Revolution is covered with 18-carat pink and white gold, and is encrusted with diamonds with a total weight of 29 carats. The Revolution will run you  $490,500. While hardly anything most of us can afford right now, on a purely aesthetic value (nevermind the smartphone functions), I can at least appreciate the craftmanship they put in to them. So what do you think?

Click here to view the embedded video.

OFFICIAL RULES AND REGULATIONS