At alaTest, we do our best to make your job a lot easier. In a series of post aimed at the holiday season, we will put together a list of the best gifts of all kinds. In this post, we are looking at affordable gifts for the holiday season.

1. Amazon Kindle 2012 – The Amazon Kindle 2012 is the very basic of all the Kindle tablets and you can buy it for just $69. Nevertheless, it works perfectly for people looking for a sharp reading experience, thanks to the e-ink technology. While it might not offer any fancy features, it is designed for a particular niche and it performs excellently within that niche. If you have a friend or a relative who is an avid reader, this is the perfect gift for him or her. Using a Kindle, one can access thousands of books and magazines, all with a single tablet.

2. Seagate Backup Plus – Until a few years ago, external hard drives were ugly, heavy and bulky. In some cases, they were just as cumbersome to carry as a heavy laptop. However, now, you can easily find sleek and swanky drives at economical prices. The Seagate Back Plus has a storage capacity of 1 TB and is available in a variety of bright colors. Priced at $98, it makes for a perfect gift, one which has immense functional value.

3. Logitech Wireless Solar K760 – Wireless keyboards have become increasingly popular, especially with the emergence of tablets. With a good keyboard, your tablet can double up as a laptop in times of dire straits. If you have a traditional wireless keyboard, you will need to change the batteries at repeated intervals. However, the Logitech Wireless Solar K760 is backed by solar energy, hence, you can charge it with a light source. The keypad is comfortable to use and the design is fashionably sleek. The keyboard is available at close to $60.

4. Logitech Touch Wireless Mouse – This holiday season, step into the future with the Logitech Touch Wireless Mouse which comes with a touch sensitive surface. This feature makes switching between Windows extremely quick and smooth. Besides being a joy to use, the mouse is quite a looker with its minimalistic design. And the best part is that it is quite affordable as well, you can buy it just for $69. It goes without saying that your loved ones will instantly fall in love with the mouse.

Razer Tiamat 7.1

While it’s a bit on the pricey side, the Tiamat is unrivaled when it comes to 7.1 channel surround sound quality. Unlike most 7.1 channel headsets on the market, the Tiamat is a true 7.1 channel system, with  front, rear, center, side, and subwoofer drivers in each ear cup. This gives a much more realistic surround sound experience than the virtual 7.1 channel systems most headsets use, processing a 7.1 channel signal into a stereo output. The Tiamat is intended for PCs, but can be used with any system that has 7.1 channel 3.5mm outputs and a USB port for power.

Logitech Wireless Gaming Headset G930

If you’re in the market for a wireless headset, the Logitech G930 ought to be one of your first choices. Its virtual surround sound processing technology is developed directly by Dolby Digital and is essentially unparalleled. Its wireless range is also quite impressive, reaching up to 40 feet without distortion. Like most wireless headsets, battery life can be problematic, offering about 10 hours of continuous playback. Fortunately, it’s possible to charge the G930 while it’s in use. Even with its impressive specs, the G930 is fairly reasonably priced for a wireless headset of its caliber. Unfortunately, because if its USB interface, the G930 will only work on a PC.

Turtle Beach Ear Force PX5

Even though it’s depressingly expensive, the Ear Force PX5 offers some amazingly customizable sound quality, perfect for any serious gamer. Designed to work for both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, the PX5 will also work with any system with an optical output. The headset even has a Bluetooth channel to pair up with PS3 chat or even your cell phone. Turtle Beach also offers downloadable software to create sound profile presets so that you can tune the PX5 for specific situations, such as playing First Person Shooters, watching HD movies, and listening to music. The wireless range is about average (up to 30 feet), but its 15 hour battery life is pretty impressive. The price is steep, but it’s easy to argue why it’s worth it.

Creative Tactic 3D Omega

Creative’s extensive experience with audio technologies definitely shows through with its Tactic 3D Omega headset. Its THX TruStudio Pro surround sound virtualization easily goes toe-to-toe with Logitech’s G930 in terms of sound quality. While the G930 does best it in wireless range, and even price, the Tactic 3D Omega has the major benefit of being compatible with the PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and technically any system with composite stereo output. If you’re a multiplatform gamer, the Tactic 3D Omega should definitely be on your list of headsets to check out – although the Turtle Beach Ear Force PX5 certainly poses a tempting (albeit slightly more expensive) alternative.

Today, we are going to offer you a magic solution to all your gift problems- gadgets. Yes, that’s right. Get your loved ones some cool and useful gadgets. One can’t say enough about the wide variety of gadgets that are available in the market. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that there is something for everybody out there. And when it comes to men, they seem to have a long affair with gadgets. But, we are not talking about the routine, mundane gadgets. We are going to give you a list of some really suave gadgets which come with a high functional value as well.

Here is a list of the best gadget gifts for him:

1. Amazon Kindle- Amazon stormed the gadget market with their range of e-book readers a few years back, and there has been no looking back ever since. As of now, there are many version of the original e-book reader, the Amazon Kindle Fire, Amazon Kindle Touch, Amazon Kindle DX etc. The Kindle tops our list of amazing gadget gifts because it is a wonderful combination of functionality and looks. The best part about this e-book reader is that it doesn’t feel like a gadget at all. It’s manafacturers have made all possible efforts to ensure that the experience of using a Kindle is just like reading a book. The Kindle is portable, it is useful and it comes with stunning looks- all the ingredients of a perfect gift.

2. X Mini II Capsule Speaker- So, what is it that distinguishes this speaker from the many others out there. True to its name, the X Mini II Capsule is almost the size of a capsule, it is so tiny that it can fit into the palm of your hand. But don’t judge it’s performance based on its size. It comes with a long battery life, the sound quality is great and it is very affordable.

3. Logitech Harmony – All of us have experienced the frustration of those five minutes when we can’t find the remote anywhere. The Logitech Harmony universal remote is the best solution for that. The remote comes with some very exciting features- it has a colored LCD screen with an excellent layout for the buttons, and it is compatible with just about any gadget. To top it all off, you can also program it via Windows or Mac PC.

4. iPod Shuffle- This is the best contingency plan that you can get. So, when you run out of all other gift ideas, it’s time to go to an Apple store and buy an iPod shuffle. There is no way a man wouldn’t want an iPod Shuffle, it is tiny yet it delivers and, it goes without saying that it is a looker. Need we say more?

These five computer speakers all offer great value for money, clocking in at a little under $50. Don’t expect them to match up to a pair of $500 Bowers & Wilkins speakers or compete with an expensive Bose setup, but for the price, you’ll be hard pressed to find better deals:

1. Logitech S220

What can $23 get you? Meals for two at a Chinese takeaway, the cheapest pair of Levi’s on sale, or even a set of powerful Logitech computer speakers.

The Logitech S220 has long been a favorite among price-conscious buyers who want big, round sound that – pardon the cliché – burn a hole in their pockets.

The Logitech S220 includes a sub-woofer and 17 watts of RMS, 34 watts of peak power. The satellite speakers are surprisingly clear and lucid that’ll be right at home in cramped dorms as well as large living rooms.

For $23, one of the best value-for-money computer speakers on the market!

2. Logitech Z313

Logitech is the reigning king of the cheap speaker market, and it’s products like the S220 and Z313 that have led it to this enviable spot. The Logitech Z313 is the more powerful cousin of the S220 and promises greater clarity, richer sound and deeper bass, courtesy of its 25 watts of RMS power.

A useful puck-shaped controller lets you change the volume and bass settings on the fly, and the speakers themselves don’t skimp on the looks either.

Highly recommended for gamers and music aficionados who would enjoy deep, rich price at an affordable price ($39).

3. Sony SRSM50

The Sony SRSM50 favors portability over sheer glass-shattering, wall-shaking, neighbor-waking power. The two tiny 3″ speakers will fit in just about anywhere – in a nook above your computer monitor, in your backpack, or between the books on your bookshelves. The speakers can also be powered through batteries for the ultimate portable music experience.

At just 5 watts of RMS power (2×2.5 watts), the sound is, by all standards, puny. But at a mere $32, these are also perhaps the cheapest portable speakers you can lay your hands on.

4. Altec Lansing VS2621

The Altec Lansing VS2621 is stunning. There can be no two ways about it. The straight, minimalistic lines and silver accents will upgrade the oomph factor of your computer twofold, while with 28 watts of RMS power, you can be sure of waking up the neighbors with late night renditions of Led Zeppelin guitar solos.

The sound is good if not great. The low frequencies suffer from adequate bass response, but the performance in the mid to high tones is nothing short of spectacular, courtesy of the Audio Alignment Technology that strives to reproduce sound as accurately as possible.

At $41, it is priced aggressively to appeal to a wide range of buyers.

5. Cyber Acoustics CA-3602

Powered by an 18W sub-woofer and twin 6W speakers, the CA-3602 sounds suspiciously like a $200 speaker, with smooth, rich high tones and deep, thumping bass. The sound scarcely breaks even at high volumes, and the $38 price-tag will be music to your wallet as well!

Picture and Sound Quality

Before getting into the real showdown between the competing internet platforms, let’s talk briefly about the picture and sound quality of the Vizio VIA line. For starters, the sound is about what you’d expect from your average HDTV, essentially comparable to Sony and Samsung TVs. It certainly won’t hold up to the standards of a die-hard audiophile, but anyone caring about sound quality that much should have a standalone sound system.

Picture quality is a bit of a different story since it actually varies considerably amongst the VIA line. At the lower end of the spectrum are the standard LCD models. Despite suffering from some slightly lower contrast ratios, the overall image quality is quite good, and their affordable price make them the cheapest internet capable HDTVs by far. The next step up is the Edge-Lit LED models.

They offer nearly identical picture quality to Sony’s NSX Google TV models at a much cheaper price. A 42-inch Edge-Lit VIA can be found for less than $800, compared to the $999 price tag of a 40-inch Sony NSX, though the addition of Google TV may be worth the additional $200 (but more on that later). At the top of the VIA totem pole (not counting the 3D TVs) are the TruLED models, which have a full LED backlight for excellent contrast ratios, resulting in vibrant colors and deep blacks. Vizio’s TruLED TVs offer nearly unrivaled picture quality, but they also step out of Vizio’s usual price range, with prices starting around $1200 for a 42-inch screen.

Internet Apps: Which Platform Holds Supreme

There are a handful of major players when it comes to internet enabled TVs: Vizio’s VIA, Samsung’s Internet@TV, Sony’s Bravia Apps, and Google TV. Oddly enough, Samsung and Vizio’s app engines are almost identical, and because Sony offers TVs with Google TV built in, its Bravia Apps are basically redundant. This leaves the battle between VIA and Google TV.

Built on the Android operating system, Google TV is superior in just about every way. Unlike VIA, Google TV is truly integrated with the internet, allowing things like full web browsing and internet downloads. VIA only offers a handful of applications, like Netflix streaming, Facebook, TV Guides, Weather, and etc, while Google TV has access potentially to the entire Android Marketplace, which has over 200,000 apps. To top it off, Google TV has dedicated hardware for running the platform, making it significantly more responsive than VIA. The only point for VIA is its price, considerably cheaper than Google TV solutions.

It’s also worth noting that Google TV is available in standalone devices, like the Logitech Revue and Sony’s Internet TV Blu-Ray player, which allow you to add internet applications to any television you own; however, if purchasing a new TV, it will generally be more cost effective to go with Sony’s NSX line rather than a TV/Google TV combo.