Manila Bulletin

‘Tech up’ your Christmas Gathering

- By JOYCE REYES-AGUILA

What’s a party without music in the background? Holiday and upbeat tunes set the tone of your party, so make sure that silence is not the main thing your guests remember when they leave. Aside from dishing out music, sound bars are also good to have if you will stream videos or projects.That live basketball game will sound more awesome piped through this gadget. And in case you will be challengin­g guests with a round or two of Just Dance on your gaming console, a sound bar will certainly help bring out the best dancers in them! This is a must for many Pinoy gatherings. Let your guests sing their heart out. Being able to belt out a few tunes or secretly score the performanc­e of a fellow guest is entertainm­ent at its finest for some. Newer models in the market even offer pitch-correction as well as the ability to connect with a smartphone, tablet, and even a guitar! Karaoke microphone­s are also great space savers, in case you want to invest in one soon.

Get-togethers these days entail more than just food preparatio­n and creating a festive ambience for the venue. Hosts can think of additional ways to keep guests entertaine­d and comfortabl­e. Contempora­ry settings may even involve appliances and devices as integral parts of the event. Yuletide is a time to enjoy great conversati­ons, to de-stress and relax. But finding ways to keep children busy while the adults enjoy a cup of coffee may prove to be a challenge; same with thinking of novel ways for a group to reconnect.

Luckily, we have gadgets to help us do so! And we become more grateful for investing in these that give us and our families daily convenienc­e when we see more people benefiting from them. So make sure these are setup for your holiday parties at home! These will definitely keep your younger guests entertaine­d longer so they can stop asking their parents if it’s time to go home yet. Prior to your event, decide on where to position the console during the party. It should be a spot where the adults can still monitor the kids while they catch up with other guests. Clear the room of any fragile items as the room will be full of activity. These are great to have, especially for yuletide events. Current models enable homeowners to pre-set programs or change colors with voice commands. Do be mindful of your neighbors as you decide on how late you should keep them on at night. You could set a reminder before 11 p.m. – as you start turning the music down, turn off the disco lights to respect their sleeping hours. Selfies are cool but what about group shots that actually give everyone a chance to fit into a frame equally? How about catching unguarded moments of laughter with photos? Digital cameras also allow you to record video and sound which are great features – especially­if you want to send snippets of the party to relatives or friends abroad.

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