By: Jason Ciudaj (Contributing Editor)

It was a ball rolling around in a circle on a table with a banner that said “Meet Sphero”….Naturally I clicked where it said Sphero at the top of the page to learn more about this device.  I then saw a close up image of Sphero with another banner saying “Part Robot. Part Ball. All Fun” I have to admit at this point I was more than just curious, I had to know what it was.

All of us who own smart phones and/or tablets know all about the fun games we can have on them.  However all these games take place onscreen. Orbotix, the company behind Sphero says you can now take the game out of the virtual world and bring it into ours. “Engage in the virtual world. Play in the real one…At Orbotix our goal is to continue to blend the real and virtual worlds to expand the boundaries of what we expect from technology. With our smart robots and innovative software we’re exploring and defining mixed-reality gaming—the next evolution of entertainment.” Sounds like a lot of what we’ve heard and seen before. Yet it’s still interesting enough to take a look at.

So what the heck is Sphero anyway? Apparently it’s the first robotic ball out there (I had no idea). That’s right, I said robotic ball. Sphero is designed to connect via Bluetooth and be controlled with our smart phones and tablets that operate on the Android and iOS systems.  However you tilt or swipe your screen translates into Sphero’s actions.

There is a note of caution that Orbotix posts stating “Sphero is a sophisticated electronic device, it is not intended for children under the age of thirteen. Do not change or modify Sphero except with approved accessories. Never abuse, kick, throw, hit, chew, crush, bounce,violently shake or excessively drop Sphero. Do not disassemble Sphero or expose to extreme environmental conditions.” From the looks of that statement, I had to remind myself that we’re talking about a ball and not an overemotional, hormonal pubescent teen on a major freakout. Either way, it sounds like Sphero’s a little sensitive, so be careful. Be nice to Sphero.

Now this sounds fun but I’m sure some of you are thinking what the hell you’re supposed to do with it?  Well, there are a number of apps that can be found in the Android Market as well as on iTunes such as Sphero, Sphero Golf, Sphero Draw N’ Drive, Sphero Drive, and Sphero Cam.  Apparently there is even a camera in Sphero that allows you to take pictures and videos while you control it. You can also customize the color of your Sphero to better suit your mood.  There are of course other apps that are still to come, like Sphero Chromo, and Sphero Space Fighter. Apparently, Orbotix wanted to make sure no less than a boatload of Sphero comes your way. Hey, that’s cool.

This sounds great and all but I wanted to know some of the more technical info. So here we go.

Sphero  is a ball controlled via Bluetooth connection to an Android or iOS device with about a 50ft range.
It can reach speeds of up to 3ft per second while keeping precise control.
The multi-colored LED claims to be capable of producing thousands of colors. Hooray color freaks! 
The internal guidance system includes accelerometer, compass, and gyro.
Inside construction: Orbotix Smart Robot  Outside Construction: Opaque high-impact polycarbonate shell
Dimensions:     size 74mm diameter, weight 168 grams
Induction charging (so nothing to plug)

Lipo Battery: drive time over 60 minutes at full speed. With a charge time approximately 180 minutes.

When purchasing a Sphero, prepare for a bit of a sticker shock.  The price tag with the cheapest method of shipping comes to $139.99.  That does seem a bit steep.  However, its not just a ball but an actual robot. In addition, some of the apps are also free. I expect more advanced ones for a premium.

Now it is up to you to decide if the $139.99 price tag is justifiable.  I’ll make sure to let you know what I think when I buy one (I’m interested to try it when the new iPad 3 comes out.)  Of course, the hours of fun and numerous conversations started might just be worth it.

So the next time you need a gift for the tech geek in your life or that fickle person who has everything. Just ask yourself…do they have a Sphero?

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: Tony Novoa (Contributing Editor)

Staff Note: Don’t forget about our ongoing contests and prize giveaways, upcoming giveaways and exciting passes to exclusive events!  Remember that our contests are ONLY eligible to our fans & subscribers so don’t forget to sign up.  We send you a copy of each new post and giveaway announcement via email. No more, no less, zero spam! That’s a promise!  We’re always doing contest giveaways every month so it pays to be  on the list.

The Samsung Vibrant

Not Sharp…

Just when you thought there couldn’t be anything new in the already very busy, competitive and crowded smartphone marketplace, word is out that Samsung will be building the latest Sidekick 4G.  Alas, the Sidekick will no longer be a Sharp product – that is, a product manufactured by Sharp Electronics.  As far as I’m concerned, this can only be good for the Sidekick line.  Having recently personally experienced the wonder of the Samsung Fascinate Galaxy S, I have no doubt that Samsung will infuse their innovative magic and quality into the Sidekick brand.

The Sidekick Slide Up

Introducing The Sidekick Slide

ZDNet recently leaked this as well as the fact that T-Mobile will be bringing several new 4G smartphones to the market.  Besides the Sidekick 4G, we can also expect to see the Samsung Vibrant 4G.  While the Sidekick seems to be very popular with the younger crowd, the Vibrant is more my cup of tea.  The Sidekick will be executed using the slide up instead of the flip paradigm.  But wait… there’s more!  Powering these babies will be the ever popular and ubiquitous Android OS.

Off To The Show

Hungry for more?  As always, the team at MRT is just as anxious as you and we’ll keep an ear to the ground for the latest news on this latest development.  And don’t forget that our own Jonathan Long will be spending some quality time at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in mid February.  At that time, Samsung is expected to announce the latest on their smartphone devices.  Jonathan is committed to feed us the latest news as he sees it and you can expect us to feature dynamic updates right here on MRT regarding Samsung and all the other vendors featuring their latest exciting announcements.

For now, we can say that it is safe to look for the newest Sidekick 4G incarnation as well as the Vibrant 4G to debut in the first half of 2011.  I think it is safe to speculate that they will come with Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) on board.  Fingers are crossed .

So how do you feel about the upcoming Sidekick and Vibrant 4G? You know that we always love to hear from you. And don’t forget, we will be announcing details on CES giveaways very soon.

For now, you may want to get a head start and follow @MyRealityTech on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook if you have not already done so.  As with all our other contests, a substantial number of prizes will be awarded via these two avenues, so it always pays to follow us!

By Foster Scott (Contributing Editor)

Staff Note: Don’t forget about our ongoing contests and prize giveaways, upcoming giveaways and exciting passes to exclusive events!  Now that Brittney and Foster are done with CES 2011, we should have a lot to review and give away.   Remember that our contests are ONLY eligible to our fans & subscribers so don’t forget to sign up.  We send you a copy of each new post and giveaway announcement via email. No more, no less, zero spam! That’s a promise!  We’re always doing contest giveaways every month so it pays to be  on the list

With CES over and Jenna cracking her whip (I really am kidding but if I am not careful she will so please laugh), I bring you the second installment of my guide to Apps, Tech or Programs I think you should know about.  This time I wanted to talk about a fun music recognition App I like called SoundHound from Melodis.  I find myself using  SoundHound even more as I learn all that it can do along with unlimited ID’s even for the free version.  This App is simple to use and with a tap of the screen this App takes the music from your radio, old mix tapes or they say from humming the melody and compares it to a database.  Then it returns the Song Title, Artist, Album and any other info it has for the song (I will explain more on that further on down the page).  Well I can’t carry a tune in a bucket so you can guess my humming did not return any results, but when it listened to songs on the radio or even music I keep stored on my cell phone or computer, SoundHound returned most results in just seconds (that includes songs with bad Metadata possibly due to old CD ripping software or if you used torrent sites back in the day, more on that later too).  I have to add that it did not find 100% of the songs I tried only as long as you understand I used foreign, Anime cuts, and radio station “in studio” recordings as well as radio edits for my tests.  To be fair it found most of the foreign and Anime but failed at the live studio recordings that are in stores to purchase on CD’s.  Spanish radio station playlist were no problem for SoundHound either.

   SoundHound includes:

World’s fastest music recognition: name tunes playing from a speaker in as little as 4 seconds

World’s only viable singing and humming recognition

Instant lyrics and artist for your iPod songs

Split-second say search: just speak a title or band name to check it out

New: Unlimited ID’s, upgrade for ad-free and more features

Plus More

So after finding the ID of a song, here is where the fun begins.  For my example I turned on my local country radio station and Tapped SoundHound Square on my iPod Touch 4th Gen.  Lady Antebellum was in mid song when in what seemed like less than 4 seconds, SoundHound returned this result.  I expected to see the Song Title, Artist and Album and sure enough there it was.  What was unexpected, possibly due to my manly instincts to not read the instructions or fully read the App description, it also returned a few more items.  A play button on the Album cover art was there so I could play a clip of the song to confirm the ID.  To the right is a old iPod icon with a yellow play symbol (this time it was grayed out) that would be solid, get this, if the song was already on my iPod. I could click it and listen to the full song without searching my iPod and playlists.  It has a button for iTunes in case I want to buy it.  I could also email, text or add to one of the main social websites FaceBook and Twitter if I wanted to share.

Now I feel like an old late night TV commercial as I say, “wait a minute, there’s more”.  If SoundHound has the Lyrics it will return them too, if not you get a link to click so you can search online but most songs I tried did return them making this an App I use more and more just for that reason. Next, scroll down to find some YouTube Videos for that song, making SoundHound an old school Mtv instant music video player.  Finally, rounding off the list of what SoundHound can do if it can, is links for iTunes Ringtones for that Artist, Launch Pandora Station, Tells you of Tour Dates, Similar Artists and Song’s Album Appearances.

A few of you might be yelling at the screen (I hope not, lol) asking me what about Shazam?  I am not sure if it does all the things SoundHound does or if the results look as nice either since Shazam only lets you ID 5 songs a month!  SoundHound is now unlimited and to tell you the truth, I have rarely noticed any of the ads that support the free version.  So while Shazam may be good App too, as much as I use SoundHound for the lyrics and videos, 5 Tags per month had me delete Shazam from my device.  Plus the whole point of my guide is to find you Free or “so cheap you can’t live without it” items that paying for Shazam to get what the free version of SoundHound does so well speaks for itself.

Earlier I mentioned the songs I used to test SoundHound.  I won’t go into exact song titles, but to give you an idea of how SoundHound performed I will say the following.  Radio station songs, whether  it was Pop, Country, Spanish, etc gave the quickest and best results.  Japanese pop I downloaded on my PC was hit or miss (2 songs by the same group, found one and not the other) and popular Anime music (a lot of songs from Anime are sung by popular artists so reason to believe why ID’s were easier to find) found each one I threw at it.  The biggest snag was a CD of different artists that did “In-Studio” acoustic versions for a local radio station.  They were top billboard songs but SoundHound stuck out for each one.  Even when the App could not find the ID, that was part of the fun, like stump the music expert.  It became a challenge for me to find songs it could not find.  The amazing thing was how little it missed.  So for a free App, any music lover or those that one time or another heard a song on the radio and was left wondering who the hell it was, I say you need to add this to your Apple or Android device.  You can thank me later!

As always, please comment below of you like this series or if you have something you would like me to check out. 

And don’t forget, now that the Holiday Season has safely come to an end, we will be announcing details on CES giveaways very soon.

For now, you may want to get a head start and follow @MyRealityTech on Twitter and “like” us on FaceBook if you have not already done so.   We give away some items exclusively through those Social media sites so it pays to add us. 

P.S.  I will be giving out some cool Toddy Gear Microfiber cloths to followers of my  own Twitter feed when I reach 300 followers.  Keep an eye out for further details here and on my Twitter feed @OnFostersMind

By: Tony Novoa (Contributing Editor)

Staff Note: Don’t forget about our ongoing contests and prize giveaways such as Jenna’s Holiday Extravaganza, upcoming Apple MacBook Air and exciting passes to exclusive events! Our contests are ONLY eligible to our fans & subscribers so don’t forget to sign up.  We send you a copy of each new post and giveaway announcement via email. No more, no less, zero spam! That’s a promise! We’re always doing contest giveaways every month so it pays to be  on the list.

MyRealityTech & NEC Representing At CES

At MyRealityTech, we are looking forward to CES and having our very own Foster Scott & Brittney Wilson represent us and press some flesh while they learn about all the latest and greatest in consumer technology.

There is so much to see at CES that 3 days probably won’t do it justice.  One of the vendors we will be making sure to check out this year will be NEC.  Evidently, they are entering the Android tablet market with a dual screen tablet computer which they will be featuring at the January International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Word has it that the new tablet will be based on the LifeTouch model that NEC recently showed off in Tokyo last month. While that device had a single 7-inch touch screen with its focus as an access device for cloud-based services, the new tablet will feature 2 7 inch screens.  This will enable users to view different information on each screen and will also have the ability to connect via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G cellular.

Here’s a video of the single screen model to give you an idea of it’s functionality:

Oh, The Possibilities

NEC will plan to offer the new tablet to consumers by way of service providers that will bundle their online service with the device.  As for where you can expect to see the device… think healthcare, logistics, e-books… the possibilities are really very vast.  Just think about how a single screen device like the iPad has been widely adopted.  Well, imagine being able to view a full screen movie or TV show while you’re surfing the web.  Ahhh… the joys of multi-tasking!

But lest you think that’s all NEC is up to, how about an Android netbook with a physical keyboard? NEC will also be launching that at the show.  Sounds like good stuff.  We’re sure that Foster and Brittney will bring back lots of pictures and cool videos so stay tuned!

The International Consumer Electronics Show will take place from January 6 to 9 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Learn more about NEC

Tell us what you think about NEC’s new Android-based dual screen tablet device.  Do you think it has a chance in this competitive tablet market?  You know that we always love to hear from you.

And don’t forget, we will be announcing details on the MacBook Air giveaway very soon. In order to avoid any conflict with our current giveaways such as the Dyson Ball and the Jenna’s Holiday Extravaganza (10 great gadgets in 1 giveaway!), we are planning to award the MacBook Airs toward the end of the Holiday Season. Details will soon be announced. For now, you may want to get a head start and follow @MyRealityTech on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook if you have not already done so. As with all our other contests, a substantial number of prizes will be awarded via these two avenues, so it always pays to follow us!

By: Tony Novoa (Contributing Editor)

Staff Note: Please note that we have discontinued our Nokia N8 giveaway thanks to the recent quality problems that have surfaced with the phone.  But don’t lose heart.  Because we love you so much, everyone who won can send back their phone to MRT and we will gladly replace it with one of your choice from better companies (Samsung, Motorola, Apple, HTC, RIM) who actually care about their customers.  Don’t forget about our ongoing contests and prize giveaways such as the weekly iPhone 4, Apple Magic Mouse, Jenna’s Holiday Extravaganza, upcoming Apple MacBook Air and exciting passes to exclusive events! Our contests are ONLY eligible to our fans & subscribers so don’t forget to sign up.  We send you a copy of each new post and giveaway announcement via email. No more, no less, zero spam! That’s a promise! We’re always doing contest giveaways every month so it pays to be  on the list.

Recent Exposure

Boy oh boy, Samsung can really make some truly awesome phones can’t they. My recent exposure to Android 2.2 with the Samsung Galaxy S made me realize how much fun a smartphone can be.  After all, being a heavy Blackberry Storm 2 user, I have long appreciated the utility of the Blackberry while settling for an inferior user interface and unstable device… never knowing when it was going to lock up or worse, reboot for no particular reason.

Granted, the Galaxy sported an awesome Super AMOLED Screen, excellent user interface (I really love SWIPE), captured great video, had awesome applications (Google Sky Maps, Google Map Navigator), offered addictive games (Angry Birds, Jewels), fit nicely in my shirt pocket, was sleek, light and thin.  It did, however, fall short in a few areas… most noticeably, it was limited in it’s support for multiple Google Calendar Accounts and lacked the ability to store a massive quantity of email or displaying it all in one container. Worse, while it fully supported mail folders (i.e. Labels), this was actually a detriment when I needed to quickly scan all my email in one place. Admittedly, this is probably not a show stopper for the average user, but it was a shortcoming that kept me relying on my Blackberry for easy, consolidated email and integrating multiple calendars in one place.

Oh, The Irony

Ironically, the multiple calendars were Google Calendars – synchronized by Google Sync.  Why multiple Google Calendars wouldn’t be flawlessly handled on Google’s native Android operating system completely escapes me, but I remain hopeful that these shortcomings will be addressed with upcoming releases of Android. Which brings me to the topic at hand.

There’s A New Phone In Town, Bring On The Gingerbread!

In the spirit of the season, how about a little Gingerbread in the form of Android 2.3?  Better yet, how about a shiny new phone to deliver the latest goodies? Enter the Nexus S… the self proclaimed world’s first Android 2.3 phone now sports a 4-inch Contour Display with a curved design that promises to provide a more ergonomic style and feel.  Of course, it will be powered by a 1 GHz Hummingbird processor and will support rich 3D graphics, HD-like multimedia content and deliver faster upload and download times.

Gyroscopes Anyone?

But it doesn’t stop there… the Nexus S will sport a gyroscope sensor that will “provide a smooth, fluid gaming experience” and include 16GB of internal memory for all your data requirements.  Want more?  How about Near Field Communication (NFC) chip support? With NFC technology, users are now able to read information off of everyday NFC enabled objects like stickers and posters.  Want a VGA front facing camera?  The Nexus S has that too along with a 5MP rear facing camera and video recorder.  Combine all that with a clean, new user interface, an improved multi-touch keyboard and VOIP/SIP support for internet calling via the wireless radio and I’d say this will be one sweet device.

What’s Under The Hood?

Availability

After December 16, Nexus S will be sold unlocked and carrier-independent initially through Best Buy stores in the U.S. and after December 20 at Carphone Warehouse stores in the UK.

Want to know more?  Visit: Samsung Nexus S

So, are you as excited as we are about the advancements with Samsung and Android?  Shout out and share your thoughts. You know that we always love to hear from you!

And don’t forget, we will be announcing details on the MacBook Air giveaway very soon. In order to avoid any conflict with our current giveaways such as the Dyson Ball, we are planning to award the MacBook Airs right around the Holiday Season. Details will soon be announced. For now, you may want to get a head start and follow @MyRealityTech on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook if you have not already done so. As with all our other contests, a substantial number of prizes will be awarded via these two avenues, so it pays to follow us!

By: Tony Novoa (Contributing Editor)

Staff Note: If you missed our very own Jenna Gonzalez on the Mobile Sense Show as she talked about Nokia mobile tech, you still have a chance to hear her and the boys on the Ustream Replay!  Plus don’t forget about our ongoing contests and prize giveaways such as the 12 Nokia N8s, weekly iPhone 4, Apple Magic Mouse, upcoming Apple MacBook Air and exciting passes to exclusive events! Our contests are ONLY eligible to our fans & subscribers so don’t forget to sign up.  We send you a copy of each new post and giveaway announcement via email. No more, no less, zero spam! That’s a promise! We’re always doing contest giveaways every month so it pays to be  on the list.

Not Just Monitors…

Not to date myself, but whenever I see the name ViewSonic, the image of a high quality, affordable computer monitor comes to mind.  ViewSonic has come a long way since then, now offering a diverse product line that encompasses LCD TVs, Projectors, Digital Signage, Digital Photo Frames, Digital Media Devices and Computing.  Although hardly the first out of the gate, ViewSonic is throwing its hat into the highly contested and in vogue tablet market with a dual-boot Windows 7 / Android ViewPad 10 and it’s more compact Google Mobile enabled ViewPad 7.

One Is Good, Two Is Better

Are you a Windows user who also can’t seem to get over their infatuation with the smoking hot Android platform?  The ViewSonic ViewPad 10 has you covered.  The 10.1” dual-boot Wi-Fi device provides you with a choice between Windows® 7 Home Premium and Google Android 1.6 within the same device.  Packing a high performance, high speed Intel® Atom™ 1.66GHz processor with 1GB RAM, 16GB SSD hard drive and expandable micro SD slot, the ViewPad 10 allows the user to view Flash-based content and run Windows Office programs.  Want Android with that?  You got it.  The 1024×600 LED backlit panel comes with a G-sensor and capacitive multi-touch which enables intuitive navigation across multiple applications. Also included is a 1.3-megapixel webcam with built-in microphone, so if you want to video conference, you can do that too.  Before you get too excited, note that this is a dual-boot product – which would imply that you will need to choose whether you want to run in Windows or Android mode.  If it could provide the ability to run both operating systems side by side… well, that would be really sweet.  Then again, let’s not forget that we are talking Windows here, not known for it’s ability to always run it’s own operating system with stability, so no let’s not push it. The ViewPad 10 with dual-boot OS will be available in Q1 2011 for about $629.

Size Does Matter

Want something a bit more compact?  Take a look at the smaller ViewPad 7 which comes with the Android 2.2 OS in a lightweight, pocket-sized, 7-inch format.  According to ViewSonic, this device is one of the only 7-inch tablet devices to sport Android Google Mobile Services (GMS) with the ability to handle 3.5G of data. Equipped with an 800 x 480 WVGA LCD capacitive screen that allows viewing more than 100,000 apps and games while also providing access to Gmail, YouTube and your favorite social networking apps.

Want instant messaging, VoIP, web browsing and USB?  The ViewPad 7 has both wireless 802.11 b/g and Bluetooth connectivity. It also comes with two cameras: a 3-megapixel autofocus camera in the rear and a 0.3-megapixel camera in front. Hmmm… I believe Apple iPad users are still waiting for that front facing camera. The ViewPad 7 provides 32GB of internal storage as well as up to 32GB of additional storage via a micro SD card slot. It has a battery life of up to 10 hours. The ViewPad 7 will be available by the end of the year with a suggested retail price of $479.

See more here:

ViewSonic ViewPad 10

ViewSonic ViewPad 7

So, what do you think?  Are you excited about these upcoming devices?  Are you already an iPad fan?  Do you have another preference?  Do you think this would make a sweet giveaway?  Sound off and let us know.  You know that at MyRealityTech we always love to hear what’s on your mind and our very own Jenna Gonzalez is always eager to give away more cool stuff!

And don’t forget, we will be announcing details for the MacBook Air giveaway very soon. In order to avoid any conflict with our current giveaways such as the Sony Xperia X10 and the Nokia N8, we are planning to award the MacBook Airs right around Black Friday toward the Holiday Season. Details will soon be announced. For now, you may want to get a head start and follow @MyRealityTech on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook if you have not already done so. As with all our other contests, a substantial number of prizes will be awarded via these two avenues, so it pays to follow us!

By: Edward Jackson (Senior Editor)

New carrier is unlikely to turn back the Android tide, but should make Apple a tidy sum of cash.

Since the launch of the iPhone one critical factor has remained constant.  In the smartphone’s biggest market — the United States — the iPhone was sold exclusively on AT&T.  But that’s about to change. The Wall Street Journal claims that multiple sources brief by Apple have said that a CDMA iPhone will land early next year on Verizon’s network.  CDMA is Verizon’s 3G tech of choice.  Sprint also uses CDMA, while T-Mobile and AT&T utilize GSM, a rival standard.

The iPhone undeniably helped AT&T hang on to its second place spot in the U.S.  However, many customers — particularly in 2007 and 2008 — were disgruntled about AT&T’s poor voice network.  While AT&T has made a concerted effort to improve, the experience has still left a bitter taste in many’s mouth, and many still hold a negative opinion about the carrier’s quality of service.

Meanwhile the iPhone is struggling to stave off dozens of handsets sporting Google’s Android operating system which have flooded the U.S. market.  Android has already passed the iPhone in U.S. sales and analysts generally believe that it is only a matter of time before it does the same worldwide.  More worrisome for Apple, interest in the iPhone is also dropping. A shift to Verizon, the nation’s largest carrier, could help Apple somewhat with both problems. According to James Ratcliffe at Barclays Capital, a Verizon iPhone would grow the carrier’s subscriber base by 900,000 in 2011 and sell 9 million iPhones in total (most sales going to existing customers).  Hudson Square Research, on the other hand, believes that Verizon could gain even more new subscribers, estimating that 4 million iPhone users would switch from AT&T — roughly 18 percent of AT&T’s iPhone subscriber base.

Verizon Communications Inc. President Lowell McAdam refused to confirm or deny the rumors of an Apple deal, stating, “At some point our business interests are going to align.  I fully expect it, but I don’t have anything to say.” The report offers a lot of compelling details to support its claims that the Verizon iPhone is real.  It claims that Pegatron Technology Corp., a contract manufacturer subsidiary of Taiwanese electronics giant Asustek Computer Inc. won the contract to produce the phone.  And reportedly Qualcomm is providing the CDMA chipset for the new phone, though the form factor will stay the same.

A Verizon iPhone was already prophesied earlier this year by Bloomberg, which says the phone will land in January (coinciding with one of Apple’s typical product launch times).  However, one of the sources briefed by Apple told The Wall Street Journal offers a new piece of information — Apple is also working on a different form factor of its popular device. If it truly exists, the real question is whether this form factor is bigger or smaller than the existing iPhone. A likely scenario seems a smaller candy-bar like phone, similar to the iPod Nano 5G. The need for a Verizon iPhone is illustrated most clearly by subscriber numbers.  According to market researchers at Comscore, in August 2009 there were only 866,000 Android smartphones, compared to 7.8 million iPhones in the U.S.  In August 2010 Android had exploded to 10.9 million phones, while Apple managed an impressive, but lesser growth to 13.5 million handsets.

Ultimately despite the “danger” of getting passed by Android, the release of a Verizon iPhone may be more about bumping up profit and less about staving off its competitor.  After all, Apple currently has only 2.8 percent market share in the global phone market, but it makes 39 percent of its profits thanks to its ability to move less-than-premium hardware at premium prices and its aggressive negotiation of supply deals.  Android eventually passing Apple seems inevitable, even if Apple does launch a Verizon iPhone, but the new phone could send the already profitable company soaring to new heights in profitability.

Did you know MRT has a YouTube Channel?  We will be adding more video on a regular basis, and yes, we will be running a ton of giveaways exclusively though our Youtube channel so subscribe! http://www.youtube.com/myrealitytech 

Plus you can always follow us on Twitter and Facebook too.

By: Tony Novoa (Contributing Editor)

Staff Note: Don’t forget about our ongoing contests and prize giveaways such as the Sony Xperia X10 phones, 12 Nokia N8s, weekly iPhone 4, Apple Magic Mouse and exciting passes to exclusive events! We’re always doing contest giveaways every month so it pays to stay tuned in!

Well.. Monday certainly was a big day for Microsoft and their Windows Phone product line.  With the Advent of the totally revamped and rewritten Windows 7 smartphone platform, they have essentially rebooted their recent reboot of their Windows Mobile Platform in the form of their failed Kin.  Microsoft and rebooting… seems to be a long running theme.  At MyRealityTech we are all about fair exposure for all things tech and we are excited about what the Windows 7 smartphone platform and the accompanying devices bring to the table.  As Microsoft CEO, Steve Balmer said at the opening of his New York press conference: “I’ve been looking forward to this day… for some time, you might say.”  I guess we can say that we share that sentiment!

Beginning November 8, the Windows Phone 7 will be available on three AT&T networked phones which will sell for $199.99.  Another phone will be offered thereafter by T-Mobile. As for applications, there will supposedly be thousands of third party applications available and during the conference, programs from eBay, Amazon’s IMDB, AT&T’s U-Verse Mobile and EA’s “The Sims 3″ were shown.  Not surprisingly, the Windows Phone 7 will connect to the Xbox Live gaming service as well as the Office platform.  My understanding is that this will provide support for an integrated to-do list – something that is missing on the iPhone & Android platforms.

The Samsung Focus

As for devices, there were nine Windows Phone 7 devices shown from Dell, HTC, LG and Samsung with the expected variations in interfaces and screen sizes. In this case, our opinion is that the Samsung Focus stands out for its sleek and light design and vibrant, high resolution screen.  The phone features a 4″ super-AMOLED  display, 110g weight, 1 GHz Qualcomm QSD8250 Processor, 8GB of internal memory and up to 32GB with a microSD card, 5MP camera with 720p HD Video and GSM, HSDPA and UMTS network support.  Battery life is documented at 3 hours talk time – a bit light by many standards – and up to 10 days standby time.

All being said, the morning did leave some questions unanswered.  Most notably: what of multi-tasking capability?  What about support for other carriers beyond AT&T or T-Mobile or the ability to synchronize with non-Windows computers or non-Microsoft Web services?  I guess time will tell.  In the meantime, we can celebrate variety, innovation and lots of options in this competitive market that will surely continue to keep vendors on their toes and customers salivating at the next new shiny thing to capture their attention.

Want to know more?  Go here for more details on Microsoft and Windows Phone 7: Microsoft Windows Phone 7

So, what are your thoughts?  Is this the shot in the arm the Windows Mobile platform needs?  Are you already down a different path?  Sound off and share your thoughts.  As always, don’t forget to follow @MyRealityTech on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook for additional chances to win our super cool giveaways. 99% of the time, we choose individual winners exclusively through Facebook & Twitter!

By: Tony Novoa (Contributing Editor)

Update: Nov 1, 2010. This contest is now officially closed. Congratulations to the winners (announced below) who nabbed their very own unlocked Sony Xperia X10. We would like to thank our friends at Sony and all the fans who participated in the contest. Remember, we have lots and lots of giveaways currently up so don’t forget to enter!

Winners:

Suresh G. of Los Angeles, CA

Jason H. of  Portland, OR

Christina N. of Newark, NJ (Twitter)

Larry M. of Toronto, Canada (Facebook)

Staff Note: Oct 1, 2010. We’ve been telling you on Twitter & Facebook for the last few days. Now it’s a reality! Yes, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 is officially a giveaway! All you have to do is read the review and comment down below on why you want one. It’s that simple! Please make sure to read all the way down for the rules. On October 30, 2010 we will award 2 very lucky commenters with their very own UNLOCKED Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 phone! Also, 1 very lucky Facebook Fan & 1 Twitter follower will win their very own units as well!

First and foremost, it needs to be said that as a long-time BlackBerry user I bring a different perspective to my initial exposure with an Android phone. How lucky am I that it happens to be the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10! Note: For this particular review, I used the AT&T branded Xperia X10 and not the Unlocked Global Version. I must also disclose that as my first Android device, I have no basis for comparison to any other Android device. All I can say is that I now understand why Google’s OS has so quickly captured both market and mindshare and is becoming so ubiquitous in the growingly crowded smartphone world. I have become a fast fan.

The Basics

For starters, the X10 is powered by Android OS 1.6 and doesn’t have a hardware keyboard. You interact with it via a beautiful 4-inch capacitive touchscreen and three buttons beneath the display. Powering it is Qualcomm’s fast 1 GHz Snapdragon processor, making it Sony Ericsson’s most powerful smartphoneyet. I must say that the responsiveness of this phone is also quite impressive.

Even more impressive is that the X10 is the first Sony Ericsson phone to feature Google’s OS and I’m happy to report that everything seemed to work fairly well. let’s take a look at the design shall we?

Build & Design

From a packaging perspective, the X10 comes in a small box. But don’t let that mislead you. This is one of Sony Ericsson’s largest phones to date and also one of the larger cell phones on the market. What is surprising is that despite the the size of the display, which covers almost the entire front of the handset (119x63x13 mm), it is quite comfortable to hold in one hand. The well executed trick is in the width of the phone, which is identical to the BlackBerry Storm form factor. The height is where you find the extra real estate to provide a larger, more encompassing display.

What’s In The Box?

Packaged with the phone you’ll find the basic fare:

• Battery
• Modular charger with a generous micro USB cable (60″)
• 2 GB microSD Card
• 3.5mm headset
• Quickstart Guide

The X10 has a black, sleek design flanked by curved aluminum and a plastic back cover. The overall impression is a sharp, futuristic, sexy looking device. Frankly, this is not a big surprise coming from Sony. The right side of the handset features multimedia control buttons which control the camera and MP3 player.

The plastic battery cover encompasses the entire back of the X10 and is not easy to remove. You need to use your fingernail to remove it by prying a groove at the bottom of the handset. Right next to it are lanyard holes which I guess can come in handy if you want to attach a wrist strap or hang it somehow.

All The Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Goodies

The display is impressive. Providing a sharp & crisp image is a 4-inch capacitive display with 480 x 854 resolution and 64K color support that delivers good image quality and features. Not quite like Samsung’s AMOLED or Apple’s Retina display but still very sharp and vivid. No complaints here. The Android OS in version 1.6 comes with a 64K color limit, but you will soon be able to upgrade to the latest 2.1 version of the operating system which supports 16M colors. I would expect that the difference isn’t that noticeable but the more colors the better, right?

The current display has excellent contrast and adjusts according to surrounding light. The result is that images remain clear even under direct sunlight. Images may sometimes seem too bright, but this can also be adjusted in the display settings.

In terms of interaction, the screen is very sensitive; the reaction to finger touches is fast. More importantly, the screen is very precise, which facilitates the use of virtual keyboard in both the horizontal and the vertical position (full QWERTY keyboard appears on the screen in both cases). As a BlackBerry Storm user who has long struggled with its virtual keyboard, I can attest to the better and effective execution here.

Similarly, browsing through photos and contacts, web page scrolling and other actions that include moving the finger across the screen can be performed quickly and accurately. The 1 GHz Snapdragon processor definitely makes a difference. However, multi-touch is not supported (why not?????). My understanding is that it won’t be supported even if Android OS was upgraded to version 2.1 (or later) due to “hardware issues,” according to Sony Ericsson. Unlike other handsets with Google’s OS, web pages and photos can’t be zoomed in by pinching. Instead, zooming in can be performed by pressing the icons marked by the plus and minus signs that show up on the screen in certain situations. If you love the way Android works on other devices or are used to Apple’s iOS, this is clearly a disappointment and one of the biggest downsides of the phone.

Xperia X10 Main Menu

Xperia X10 In Locked Mode, Lit Buttons

Buttons

The three front buttons below the screen consistently have the same specific function. Pressing the left button activates the standard context menu, which as I understand, represents the same choices on every Android handset. Note that the list of available options changes according to the active application. Pressing the middle button always brings up the home screen, while the right one is a one-step-back button. This is not unlike the Blackberry interface – except that it typically offers a four button layout.

Something to note is that when the buttons are pressed, two small lights between them light up. Although this seems to be mostly for aesthetic reasons, it does come in handy when using the device in the dark. Despite the fact that all three buttons are clearly marked and protrude enough to be easily pressed without looking, the icons don’t light up.

The multimedia buttons located around the sides are significantly smaller, flatter and poorly marked. They have a response time delay of a few hundredths of a second, so it is helpful that photos can also be snapped by pressing the much more sensitive screen.
Finally, the top of the handset contains the power button, a micro-USB port covered with a flap and a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack. A comment about the flap… while I understand its aesthetic value, it is also woefully annoying to manipulate when it is time to charge the device. I struggled to keep the flap out of the way while connecting the charging cord.

Xperia X10 Front View, Turned Off

Xperia X10 Back View

Performance

Equipped with a smoking fast processor and big, high resolution screen, the X10 performs very nicely and responsively. The operating system and applications run quickly, zooming in and scrolling through multimedia and web pages is impressive and the overall experience is quite satisfying. Keep in mind that this smartphone currently comes with older version of Google’s operating system, Android OS 1.6. Word has it that Sony Ericsson has promised to release an OS upgrade very shortly.

As far as memory capacity goes, the handset comes with 1 GB of internal memory and an 2 GB microSD memory card, which seemed a bit light given the plethora of apps available for Android OS as well as the potential number of files that one typically wants to store these days. The good news… for those who need more memory, the device supports microSD cards of up to 16 GB.

Xperia X10 Fits Elegantly In Jenna's Delicate Hands

Call Quality/Wireless

The Xperia X10 supports all 2G and 3G bands and can therefore be easily used around the world without concern about the mobile network operator’s technology. Certainly, this is a convenience that frequent travelers will appreciate. It is important to note that the phone also supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1.

As far as call quality, I can’t characterize it as as completely satisfactory. Keep in mind that performance can probably be attributed to the shortcomings of the AT&T network. That being said, people on the other end did not sound as clear as one would want or expect and many times their voice was followed by a faint echo. I must also admit that my opportunity to test call quality was hampered by having only $25 allocated to the SIM card that came with the phone. These were quickly consumed by data usage and some missed calls. While many other handsets have a significantly louder speaker, I found it to be more than adequate. Notably, the microphone quality is very good; the caller on the other end was always heard distinctly.

As far as the address book goes, I didn’t find it to be as intuitive as it could have been. After a desired contact has been found, it takes an additional three screen touches in order to actually make a call (first for the number and then on the call icon). Although I didn’t try, my understanding is that this issue can be sidestepped by installing a better dialer, many of which are available in the Android Market.

User Interface

If I have a negative comment about the user interface, it would have to be about Sony Ericsson’s Timescape/Mediascape interface. Here’s how it works… the UI focuses on Internet communication and multimedia content stored in the phone. The Timescape application manages many types of communication: calls, SMS text messages, emails and social media applications like Facebook and Twitter. It can also be set as the home screen.

When Timescape is activated, all the messages are lined up in reverse chronological order and show a photo of the person with whom you communicated. They can be filtered according to communication type and every one of them, along with the photo, has an icon with the infinity sign that shows a complete communication history with that person.

Mediascape functions similarly, but with photos, videos and MP3s organized in reverse chronological order. Most recently used or added files come up first on the list. While I can appreciate the intent of this interface, I find it highly inefficient when dealing with large amounts of communication. That is to say, to rely on this interface would lead to potentially missing important communication which would be buried with unimportant Facebook or Twitter status updates. In order to get good utility from the phone, I relied on native applications for email, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

Win this global unlocked Xperia X10 in glossy black!

This gorgeous sleek white Xperia X10 could be yours!

Web Browsing and Email

The smartphone features a fairly dated Android OS 1.6 browser, capable of rendering even complicated web pages. This is probably the one big flaw in this phone considering that it comes mightily equipped with a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor. The processor certainly allows very smooth scrolling and zooming, making web browsing a very pleasant experience. However, a phone this beautiful with Android 1.6 (while others are already up to 2.2) is simply unforgivable.

It should be noted that Flash is not supported (like Apple iPhones & iPads), but this downside is somewhat offset by a fast and simple YouTube browser. Although I did not test this, the handset includes an application suite for synchronizing various segments of MS Outlook with the handset (email, contacts, tasks, calendar). The most interesting among them is Moxier Mail, used for Exchange Server email access that doesn’t need server-side extensions since it uses the server’s Outlook Web Access interface. The standard email app can be used for POP3, IMAP and Gmail accounts.

Xperia X10 8.1MP Camera Lens

Camera

The X10 features an 8.1 megapixel camera with an LED flash. The camera software has a large feature set reminiscent of Sony Cyber-shot cameras. In addition to excellent face and smile detection, people in photos can be tagged (similar to Facebook), which can prove to be useful for subsequent sorting in Mediascape.

Daylight photo quality is above average for this class of handset, exceptionally sharp and with vivid colors. Photos taken in darker settings, however, have much duller colors and a large number of artifacts – probably due to the low light adjustment. My understanding is that some Sony Ericsson phones have much better image quality in this type of setting… and it’s a shame that the X10′s camera doesn’t do better here. Furthermore, the LED flash must be manually activated, which is another downside.

Here are some pictures taken with the phone’s camera…

Outdoors in cloudy conditions (no flash)

Indoors With Light & Flash

Battery Life

The Xperia X10 features a 1500 mAh Li-Poly battery, sufficient for about two days of normal usage. Heavy usage of Wi-Fi, multimedia and GPS functionalities reduces the autonomy drastically; the handset, under those conditions, will have to be recharged daily. This, it turns out, was my experience as I ended up extensively exercising the Wi-Fi radio due to the embarrasingly low SIM card account that came with this device (I don’t have an AT&T account so Sony sent what must have been a low capacity SIM card with the phone). Additionally, the reduced battery life can also be due to the large screen although I found the X10 to automatically lock very frequently as soon as it is not being used. Supposedly, just like other Sony Ericsson phones, ordinary calls have little impact on battery life.

Reality Grade

Building on Sony’s reputation for beautiful hardware, the Xperia X10 is an excellent Sony Ericsson mobile phone that is stylish and wonderful to look at. It could perhaps even be considered Sony’s best to date. It cannot, however, be considered the best Android-based phone on the market due to its fairly dated Android 1.6 OS (Sony says it should be upgradeable to 2.1 later this year). If Internet communication such as social networking and multimedia capabilities are features you primarily look for in a mobile phone, you will be more than satisfied. However, if you want other functions, such as multi-touch, you may want to look elsewhere. Overall, the Xperia X10′s speed and notable screen can satisfy many, but with other more inviting phones out there, even a $99 subsidized price with a 2 year AT&T Plan won’t make this one a standout. In fairness, it needs to be said that this phone has enjoyed excellent user feedback.

Pros:

• Highly responsive 4-inch touchscreen (480×854 pixels)
• Nice higher-end camera (8.1 MP with LED flash)
• Good overall performance
• Very attractive build
• Quad-band GSM and tri-band 3G support

Cons:

• No multi-touch (not even with an OS upgrade!)
• No Flash support for web browsing (yet)
• Voice quality could be better (could be due to AT&T’s service though)
• Innovative Timescape and Mediascape user interface – not really practical for efficient communication

List Price: $99 with a 2 year contract from AT&T, 499.99 without a plan (unlocked price is also around $499.99)

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So, are you ready for another giveaway? Ready or not, we are! So, share your comments with us and tell why this cool device would make a good home with you. Also, don’t forget to follow @MyRealityTech on Twitter and “like” us on Facebook for additional chances to win our super cool giveaways. 99% of the time, we choose individual winners exclusively through Facebook & Twitter!