Jenna’s Favorite Things: An MRT Holiday Gift Extravaganza!!

By: Jenna Gonzalez (Editor In Chief)

Staff Note: Dec 31, 2010 This contest is now officially closed. We would like to offer a massive congratulations to our winners below! You all have been chosen randomly based on the rules. You have 30 days to respond to the confirmation emails we sent your way. Failure to confirm & sign off on all points will result in immediate disqualification, and as such, a new winner(s) will be chosen based on the rules. We would like to thank the following wonderful peeps involved in this extravaganza. Alan, Kortney & Lauren (Sony rocks!), Todd, Joseph, James (who doesn’t like storage? haha), Rebecca, Michael E (You’re the shiniest Apple!), Michael S, and everyone else we forgot to mention. We couldn’t have done this without you so THANK YOU! To everyone who participated in good fun, we thank you as well. Don’t worry, we have lots and lots of fun giveaways each month!

Lucky Winners:

Philip K. of Baltimore, MD

David S. of Westchester, NY

Joyce W. of Atlanta, GA

Dan F. of Joliet, IL

“Sleighbells ring, are you listening? In the lane, snow is glistening. A beautiful sight, we’re happy tonight. Walking in a winter wonderland”. Ahh yes, the wonderful holidays are upon us again! For some, it’s just another season, but for most of you like myself, it’s a time of magic, peace and love. Three reasons why the holidays, to me, are the most beautiful time of the year. This holiday season in particular, is a very special one for me. Not only because it’s a time to reflect on all the blessings in my life, such as my loving family & faithful friends…but also because MRT completes a full circle from the little-blog-that-could a little over a year ago, to the tour de force that it is today. Here at MRT, we’ve quickly become known for spreading a little love and cheer every now and then through our fun contests and amazing giveaways. However, this holiday season, and in celebration of our unofficial one year anniversary, I wanted to do something extra special for you, our fans. Today, it is my honor and privilege to announce the first MRT Holiday Gift Extravaganza!

People say my life is one big Christmas spectacular. Although that statement is far from the truth, if you count all the great gadgets I get to play with, the happy fans I’ve had the joy of giving prizes to, the geeky events I got to go to and the good folks I’ve met and have become friends with…then yes, I suppose you could call every day a holiday! To further celebrate our amazing year, I’ve decided to round up some of my personal favorite things from this year. Things big and small that have changed, awed, mystified, endeared, tickled and blown me away. Things that mean something to me and truly make my nerdy life a joy to live. You have all been so kind and welcoming towards MRT and myself this past year, that I’ve decided to share with you my favorite things of 2010 while taking you on a bit of a journey through my year. By sharing… I mean REALLY sharing! In the spirit of the MRT Giveaways, four very lucky fans will not only get one, two, a few or several of my favorites. No, four fans will receive EVERYTHING on my list! So without further adieu, I present to you Jenna’s Favorite Things!

64 GB Apple iPad ($699)

I'm not giving away the Crystal Roc version, but it sure is nice to look at isn't it?

Nothing, absolutely nothing in the tech world produced more buzz than the Apple iPad since the start of the year. So it only makes sense that I would choose this as my first favorite thing. As one of the few people who got this baby first, I can tell you that it has become my primary device for just about every task. In fact, I loved it so much that we gave away 14 of these earlier this year right here! Sure, a lot of competitors have popped up. Some good, some that need more work. But right now, no one can touch the ingenuity, style and awesome life-changing potential of this favorite thing of mine.

Flip Mino HD 8 GB ($299)

You can go nuts with your own personal designs

At the Mercedes Benz Spring Fashion Week in NYC, I had to be on my very best A-game. With all my designer friends in attendance and models flying down the sparkling runways, I needed a documenting gadget that was both powerful, compact and stylish. That’s where the Flip Mino HD came into play. Not only did I get to take lots of video in cool HD, but I also got to decorate it on their website with my own designs. I loved it so much, I even took it with me on my Spring trips to Japan and Brazil where it went through a lot of play!

64 GB Zune HD ($349.99)

I'm a sucker for good hardware

Also in the Spring, I went on a cross country trip to San Diego, LA, Seattle, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Houston on a whirlwind media trip. Not only did I have a grand time, but I got to meet so many cool people in the tech, fashion & broadcasting industries. But all that traveling meant lots of hours spent in transit. That’s where my Zune HD came in very handy. Although the updated iPod Touch came out a few months later (which I do love), what I really like about the Zune HD for me is the Zune Pass which gives me unlimited access to literally millions of songs that I can stream to all my Microsoft devices. What I love the most about it though… like the Flip Mino, the appearance is totally customizable. Now that’s entertainment and style rolled in one!

1 TB Iomega eGo Portable Hard Drive Superspeed USB 3.0 ($159.99)

Strong, handsome and dependable. What's not to like?

When my Vivienne Tam Butterfly Netbook was stolen at a theater in North Carolina in July, I was devastated. I had a lot of documents, photos, videos, powerpoint presentations & spreadsheets that were lost forever. Having so many gadgets all at once requires a lot of file transfers from place to place. If you’re like me, you know the importance of a good external hard drive. With the Iomega Portable Hard Drive with Superspeed USB 3.0, I have a super combination of style (I have the ruby red), storage (1 Terabyte) and protection (Iomega Drop guard Xtreme & Protection Suite Software + Power Grip Band). Nowadays, you can never be too careful with your data. Even if you don’t have as many computers, I still recommend having a portable hard drive to protect your most precious documents and memories. A word of caution though…make sure it’s also pretty

HP Envy 100 e-All-in-One D410a Printer ($249.99)

This is one slick sexy, tool I don't mind stroking. Talk about an All-in-One!

Anyone who’s ever worked in an office environment can tell you some harrowing stories of horror involving the dreaded company printer. Well, when you’re constantly running around at work like I do, you’ll probably appreciate the value of a solid, reliable printer that works like a breeze… no fuss, no muss. So most printers today are multitaskers. They print, scan, copy, etc. But what I love about my HP Envy D410a isn’t all that. Nope. The sleek, low profile, compact style is great. I just love the e-print function that allows me to print anything wirelessly from any phone, even from across town! Plus did I mention it’s the worlds first pvc-free printer? You know I’m all about the eco-friendly. You should too.

ZAGGfoam ($19.99)

Only squeaky clean toys get playtime with me

Being a germ-freak isn’t a bad thing. So when you’re faced with the fact that the average cellphone contains more germs than a toilet, you really have no choice but to do the right thing. That’s why you’ll never find me anywhere without a can of my favorite gadget cleaner. The thing that sets the ZAGGfoam apart from those pesky wipes is the sheer coolness factor of the quick-drying foam covering your device. At first I was worried that it would soak my phones, but it didn’t! Just spray, wipe and watch 99.9% of bacteria & skin oils go away. Oh and since one can lasts up to 80 days, being a germ-freak doesn’t have to cost that much after all. They say cleanliness is next to godliness. In that case, this might actually be my favorite thing on the list!

Sony Cybershot TX5 ($329.99)

This bad boy works beautifully when wet

This summer, I got to enjoy my first real family vacation in four years (yes, I really work that much). Spending a whole week exploring the islands of Hawaii was truly a magical experience for all of us. We went scuba diving in Kauai, shopped at the Ala Moana in Honolulu, went pineapple picking in Wahiawa and enjoyed breathtaking views in Oahu. With such rare and precious moments with my family, I had to bring along a camera that not only captured fantastic photos, but one that fit into my backpocket as well. Although it’s not the newest Cybershot model on Sony’s list (that would currently be the TX9) The TX5 offers most of the same qualities with a little twist of genius. Yes, it’s officially waterproof, dustproof, shockproof and freezeproof! It’s sleek, stylish, powerful and resilient. That’s exactly why the TX5 is another favorite thing of mine. I did have one tiny issue with it though…why not bulletproof? lol.

Sony VAIO Gold Arabesque EA laptop ($969)

Fulfill your Arabian Nights fantasy with this stunner

The Fall Fashion season was as hectic as ever for me this year. From NY to London, Milan to Paris, the autumn fashions dazzled with metallic hues everywhere I went. In London, I had the good fortune of snagging this fabulous favorite. From their exclusive Signature Collection, Sony’s Gold Arabesque EA is a glorious display of luxurious style. With its 2.4 GHz processor, 4 GB RAM, 500 GB Hard Drive and Blu-Ray… combined with lovely golden textures all around, the Arabesque EA is easily the most beautiful laptop I’ve seen in a long time. If your goal is to keep a low profile in public, this attention-getter is not for you. Everywhere I go, it’s hard for people not to notice and go crazy over the stunning look on this gorgeous laptop. It truly is a fashionista must-have that looks like a million bucks! Now you can have it too!

Aliph Jawbone ICON ($99)

Ear candy never looked this sexy

October found me in San Francisco with my fellow MRT editor & friend Foster Scott for the three day CTIA event at the Moscone Center. While I was able to enjoy the exhibits with Foster, I also had the unfortunate task of being on numerous conference calls with my day job. Being someone who talks on the phone a lot, comfort, convenience, safety and style are very important to me. Which is precisely why I am absolutely in love with my Jawbone Icon Bluetooth headset. With industry leading Noise Assassin, A2DP streaming technology and stunning jewelry designs (I have the Rogue & Bombshell) the Icon is a fashion workhorse truly deserving of its name.

Xbox 360 250GB Console Kinect Bundle ($400)

With Kinect, you can play any way you like

This brings me to my latest favorite thing! Although I have always confessed to being a PS3 babe, I could not deny the awesome allure of the revolutionary Kinect. When the guys at Microsoft delivered this baby to my office this month, I was literally jumping out of my Loubotins and into sneakers faster than you could say Kinect! Why? Two Words…DANCE CENTRAL. Without a controller in sight, I have since managed to dance my socks off almost every day so far. I don’t have to go into details as to what makes the Kinect so bad-ass. And while I’m not one to endorse a product just like that (especially not over my beloved PS3), I have to concede that Microsoft has literally blown ahead of the crowd with this genius little addition that has convinced, even myself, to actually buy an Xbox.

“When it snows, ain’t it thrilling? Though your nose gets a chilling. We’ll frolick and play, the Eskimo way. Walking in a winter wonderland!” So there you have it. My top 10 favorite things of 2010.

How do you win MRT’s most awesome package yet? Easy as three french hens. #1. If you’re not already one of the 170,000 super smart people who get notified via email of our insane giveaways, simply subscribe to our ZERO SPAM weekly e-newsletter via email (upper right-hand side of this page). With the coolest tech news and at least 2 giveaways going on each month, this is one email alert you’d be a fool not to have! #2. Be a fan on Facebook. #3. Comment below on what makes the holiday season special in your heart. You can comment as many times as you like. These three simple rules are all there is, and all you need to know. If you can’t follow these simple rules, then you’re disqualified. The holiday giveaway is only open to entrants 18 yrs of age and older, residing in the United States, Puerto Rico & Canada. MRT staff & those immediately related to them are not qualified to enter. We enforce a zero tolerance for cheaters, and we reserve the absolute right to disqualify any entrants we deem as such. Winners ARE responsible for choosing, arranging and paying for their own shipping fees. Winners will be announced & contacted via Twitter & Facebook oo New Years Eve (Dec 30, 2010). Special heartfelt thanks to all the wonderful people involved in this giveaway. You people rock the jingle bells out of me! Best of luck and happy Holidays from MRT!