At alaTest, we have been celebrating the spirit of the holiday season in our recent few posts. With one week to go for the New Year’s eve, we are hoping that you would have finished your gift shopping. In fact, this is the time when people really start getting into the holiday mode. Offices begin to shut down, the whole city is decorated in shades of red and green and most likely, you are hoping to start your new year with a bang.

When it comes to New Year’s eve, some people get a little anxious about hosting parties. On one level, it is totally legitimate, one has to organize so many little things- the food, the alcohol, the entertainment, not to mention the post party clean-up drill. However, you would be surprised to know that all you need is a few gadgets to get your party started. Here is a list of some of them:

1. Bang and Olufsen BeoSound 8 - The first thing that comes to mind when someone says party is music. Not all of us have a high end home theater system, but these dock speakers make for a decent replacement. For starters, the BeoSound is compatible with all gadgets operating on iOS i.e. iPod,. iPhone and iPad. This means that you won’t have to deal with a bunch of wires. Instead, simply connect your iOS device or alternatively, you could also stream music from iTunes directly. The sound is loud and sharp and the futuristic design of the speakers is perfect for a party.

2. Wunderbar Beer Chill Dispenser – Serving alcohol can get pretty messy at parties. You can always keep pints in the refrigerator, but there is never enough room. This beer dispenser comes with a 5-litre keg and it keeps the beer chilled. Most importantly, everything is clean as there is little spillage and there are no bottles to discard later on.

3. Xbox 360 Games – Now, lets talk about entertainment. More often than not, you end up sacrificing your own New Year’s just to make sure that your guests are amply entertained. Not any more. If you don’t have an Xbox 360, borrow one from a friend for the party. Truth be told, some Xbox games like Dance Central and Rock Band  were made for parties. They have options for a multiplayer set-up, which means that your guests can participate all at once. This will keep the party going and for once, you can join in the celebrations as well.

4. iRobot Roomba 790 Vacuum Cleaning Robot – Don’t be surprised to see a vacuum cleaner on this list. The iRobot Roomba is meant not so much for the party but for the day after the party. No one wants to kickstart a new year with a round of tiresome cleaning. Allow this robotic vacuum cleaner to surprise you as it cleans the entire house all by itself. It comes with sensors which detect the dirtiest areas and cleans them according to the kind of surface in question. In a few hours, your house will be as good as new.

Before we sign off, a very Merry Christmas to all our readers!