While buying a regular laptop, you might look for features like processor speed and storage memory. However, when it comes to gaming laptops, the parameters involved undergo some major changes. To begin with, the audio and video specifications of the laptop assume prime importance since they have to support complicated features like dynamic lighting, landscapes and explosions which are commonplace in the gaming world. A good gaming laptop must have a 1 GB video card even as dual video cards have become the rage currently. The power of these dual video cards is harnessed by the NVidia SLI technology, taking the gaming experience to another level altogether.

After you have taken note of the video card, the next feature that you must consider is the processor. A quad core processor with a minimum speed of 2.0 GHz is standard for a gaming laptop. You can find these specifications in a Core i5 or an i7. Additionally, look for a laptop with hard drive storage of no less than 320 GB as the games can occupy a lot of storage space. Finally, the battery life of the laptop must be quite strong because constant gaming can take a heavy toll on the battery.

Based on these considerations, we have put together a list of the best gaming laptops.

1. Alienware M18x – Alienware has been associated with PC gaming for ages now and they have produced some of the very best gaming laptops till date. The Alienware M18x is no exception. This gaming laptop delivers on all fronts, right from design to performance to ease of use. It comes with an 18.4 inch display, a Core i7 processor which runs at 2.7 GHz with a turbo boost that reaches 4GHz. Moving on to the most crucial factor in a gaming laptop, the video card. The Alienware laptop boasts of a pair of SLI-enabled Nvidia GeForce GTX 580M graphics cards and each of them has a memory of 2 GB. The only flip side is the steep price.

2. Asus G74SX- If you are looking for a more affordable gaming laptop without compromising on the performance, the Asus G74SX is ideal for you. This Asus laptop is powered by a 2.2 GHz Core i7 processor with 8 GB RAM. In the graphics department, it is equipped with one of the best graphic processors i.e. Nvidia GeForce GTX 560M. The battery life isn’t exceptional, but that is a common feature in all gaming laptops.

3. MSI GT683- The MSI GT683 is a whole series of gaming laptops, all of which perform exceptionally well. The MSI GT683R-289US runs on a Core i7 processor with 12 GB RAM and is powered by a Nvidia GeForce GTX 560M. The processor speed is not exceptional, but it won’t give you many chances to complain either. The screen is 17.3 inches and the laptop is lighter than the average gaming laptop.

These were just some of the most popular gaming laptops as of now. Besides these, there are others which have their own unique advantages. The MSI GT783R-625US, Toshiba Satellite P755-S5269 and the Alienware 17x come highly recommended in the gaming world.

Let’s begin from the basics. This is how the AirPlay technology works. You can use the AirPlay to stream music, video and other forms of media from an iOS operated device to AirPort Express enabled speakers or television. This way, you can play music or videos on your television by streaming the content from your iPod or iPhone or iPad, and it’s all wireless. That’s what makes it so incredibly cool.

So, basically, if one were to say it in simple words, AirPlay allows you to have music all over the house, streamed straight from your iOS enabled device. All you need to have is an iPod or an iPad or an iPhone and speakers or a television which support the AirPlay technology and you are good to go. In many ways, AirPlay is the future of the world of music. Apple made a big leap into the future by making way for a world where your phone or iPod will have all the data, but, you could send it over to better audio or video devices through a streaming friendly, wireless technology.

Now that we have laid down the fundamentals of the AirPlay technology, it’s time to look at some of the best AirPlay devices out there. We have already established the many benefits of an AirPlay speaker, the most prominent among them being that your music can literally be everywhere around your house. Ever since the AirPlay feature was introduced by Apple, all the major audio device giants have cashed in on the opportunity by releasing several models of AirPlay speakers. On the one hand, this means brilliant news, because, as a customer, you have all the options in the world. But, there is a tiny flip side as well. With so much to choose from, you might just go astray.

To make sure that you are on the right track, we have put together a list of the best AirPlay speakers in the market as of now. Here it is:

1. Audyssey Audio Dock Air- This is among the best AirPlay speakers out there. It is the size of a shoe box, but it can make a room come alive with its fantastic audio. The sound is sharp and crisp, both at extremely high and low volumes. The Audyssey Air Dock can easily replace your traditional speakers as the main audio device in the house. Besides the technical details, the design is simple and minimalistic, which means that the speakers easily blend into the décor of the room. In all probability, you won’t even notice them, except for the sound, of course.

2. Logitech UE Air- the Logitech UE Air comes with all features you would expect in a good AirPlay speaker- the sound is great and the design is sleek and simple. But the USP of this product is just how easy it is to operate. Unlike other AirPlay speakers, you simply have to download an app, fill in a few details and the set-up is done. That’s just how easy it is.

3. Philips Fidelio DS3881W- Philips made its entry into the AirPlay segment with these speakers among others. The Fidelio DS3881W speakers are shaped like doughnuts (yes, you got that right, doughnuts) and come with complete surround sound technology. They are very portable and they have a rechargeable battery. Did we forget to mention that the sound is great as well. So, if you are looking to spice your room up, get yourself one of these.

A good workout is incomplete without the perfect music and you can have the perfect music only when you have the very best headphones. While working out, music can serve both as a distraction and as an energizing force. This post will take you through the criteria for choosing the perfect headphones/earbuds for working out. Based on these very criteria, we have compiled a list of the best headphones for working out available in the market as of now.

While looking for a generic headphone, the audio quality remains the primary criterion and quite rightly so. But when you have a specific purpose in mind i.e. working out, there are some other factors which become equally important. Firstly, you have to look for something which will stay put even as you jog or run on the treadmill. If your headphones keep falling off, it can irritate you immensely, spoiling the entire workout session. Secondly, the external built has to be sturdy and strong to resist any breakdown during physical exercises. Thirdly, the audio range has to be dynamic with a decent bass range so that the audio quality is great for all kinds of music- the loud songs for cardio and the slow ones for yoga etc. And finally, headphones designed specifically for working out come with additional features like sweat-resistance and water-proof external coating. Be sure to look out for these while buying one for yourself.

Considering all of these factors, we have put together a bunch of headphones for working out:

1. Sennheiser PMX80 Sport II Neckband Headphones- These headphones from Sennheiser use the neckband design. Usually, people prefer earbuds to neckband headphones when it comes to workouts and they have substantial reasons for that. But this particular headphone comes with a strong and sturdy neckband which stays on even if you are doing push-ups or other exercises which require extensive body movement. Add to this the excellent audio quality and we have a winner!

2. Sennheiser OMX 680 Sports- This model is the earbud equivalent of the above mentioned neckband design. Everything else remains the same, only the external design changes. The ear clips are completely adjustable, they have been design to align to the contours of the ear and they are extremely light weight. Additionally, they are water and sweat resistant.

3. SoundMAGIC E30 Earphones – These headphones come with the in-ear monitor technology which is usually found in the higher end models. The sound is sharp and clear and the cable design is resilient enough to withstand intensive workout sessions. They come with different sizes of ear clips, so that you can choose conveniently for yourself.

4. H2O Audio Surge 2G- Till now, we have been speaking about work outs which don’t include water sports or swimming. The H2O Audio Surge headphones are designed for under water usage. The ear clips drive the water outwards and the whole earphones are water resistant. So, if you are looking to enjoy a nice, long swim in the pool, you might want to invest in these to make your swimming session more enjoyable.

Contrast Ratio

Manufacturers have invented the term “Dynamic Contrast Ratio.” Realistic contrast ratios are around 1,500:1, but dynamic contrasts state numbers like 1,000,000:1. The top rated PC monitor on alaTest right now, the Asus VG278H lists a 50,000,000:1 “Smart” Contrast Ratio. Samsung’s D8000 Series, the top rated HDTV lists 25,000,000:1

Ultimately, these numbers are completely meaningless. A display’s contrast ratio is a ratio between the brightest and darkest image the display can produce. Dynamic contrast cheats by turning off the display’s backlight when the screen’s image is entirely black, using that as the darkest value. In a real viewing scenario, the entire screen would never be black like that, so you would never see dynamic contrast in action.

Manufacturers have even started to omit true contrast ration specs entirely. Some don’t even use the word “Dynamic” when listing their misleading numbers.

Full backlit LED TVs that can turn off a portion of the screen’s backlight, making dynamic contrast slightly more applicable, but even that scenario rarely occurs in real life viewing. OLED displays are the only ones that can truly take advantage of this concept, but they don’t need dynamic contrast to do it. Unfortunately, OLED TVs are quite rare and expensive right now.

Refresh Rate and Response Times

Manufacturers have started advertising their TVs with “Effective Refresh Rates.” That’s to say, they’ve developed special algorithms that strobe the backlight in order to make a refresh rate of 120-240Hz (such as the Sony Bravia KDL-XBR9) look more like 960Hz – or so they claim.

A refresh rate comes from a display’s ability to refresh the image on the screen so many times per second, while the response time is how long it takes a pixel to turn from black to white and back to black again.

The above image shows a 1/160^th of a second snapshot of a display advertized as having a 120Hz refresh rate and 8ms response time. You can make out 8 distinct refresh cycles trailing behind the squares. This means that the real response time is actually about 65ms. The discrepancy is because manufacturers do not take into account gray-to-gray response times.

Color Gamut

Color Gamut has become a popular advertising term, especially for computer monitors. Manufacturers are always trying to outdo each other with higher/wider color gamut; however, a higher color gamut won’t result in more accurate color. In fact, it will only over saturate the image.

Almost all image content is created from a standard color gamut, as shown within the white triangle above (computer displays use sRGB and HDTVs use Rec.709). You can think of a standard color gamut as a set of defined colors. By widening the color gamut of a display, you’re only adding colors that are never used (ie: colors outside the triangle). At the same time, widening the gamut also reduces color precision, unless you also increase bit depth.

*Note regarding Adobe RGB color gamut: Some displays advertise Adobe RGB color gamut. This is a wider range gamut than other standards, but it is only used in specialized fields, such as professional photography. Adobe RGB is a positive feature, but only for those specific purposes.

How to Choose a Display among this Dishonesty?

No display manufacturer is innocent of playing the numbers game, but that doesn’t mean that some displays aren’t better than others. The trick is finding out their real specs, and to do this, it’s best to read expert reviews where the specs are measured by the reviewers.