The alaTest Blog

The powerful combination of performance and functionality has ensured the dominance of smartphones in the cellphone market. One doesn’t have to be a gadget guru to figure out that smartphones are here to stay. The one possible area where there is ample room for improvement is their physical resilience. The most popular of smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy SIII and HTC One X are rather fragile and can be damaged quite easily. All of us know someone who has a broken or a water damaged smartphone. Read the rest of this entry »

Did you know there are nearly six different models of Kindle available in the market as of now? Of course, it says a lot about the popularity and efficiency of these E-book readers but, at the same time, it also means that you can’t just walk into a store and buy a Kindle e-book reader. You have to do your homework, gather information about the different kinds of Kindle and the features they offer. Luckily for you, we are giving you the ultimate Kindle buying guide, complete with all the information you are going to need. Read the rest of this entry »

Smartphones have been presenting a lot of competition to dedicated GPS units lately. The iPhone has plenty of apps that offer turn-by-turn directions. Microsoft’s WP7 is still a little rough around the edges when it comes to navigation, but it certainly gets the job done. Google Maps on Android is an extremely polished suite of navigation tools. Still, dedicated GPS units do offer a few benefits you won’t find in a Smartphone. Read the rest of this entry »

 As the Olympics commenced in London a week ago, the whole world is gripped with sports fever. People have traveled all across the globe to witness the grand spectacle that this sporting event is. Inspired by the Olympics spirit, we at alaTest have decided to put together a list of some cool fitness video games. Read the rest of this entry »

Any serious gamer will tell you that a good set of headphones can make a world of difference in your gameplay. Being able to muffle outside noise makes for a much more immersive gaming experience, and in competitive gaming (particularly First Person Shooters), the ability to hear minute details – such as the sound of footsteps – can drastically improve your skill. So what are some of the best headsets on the market today? Read the rest of this entry »

Summer is always a popular time for family vacations, with the kids out of school and the warm weather. A must-have for almost any vacation is a bit of travel time entertainment. Playing “I Spy” and singing “99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall” will only get you so far, but handheld games have a bit more staying power. For this, the Nintendo 3DS and Sony PlayStation Vita offer some excellent choices. Read the rest of this entry »

Water and gadgets aren’t exactly the best of friends. All of us must have lost some gadgets to water, be it a cell phone or headphones or an iPod. With most of the gadgets, the good news is that you can easily save them from any contact with water. However, what do you do about gadgets you want to use around water? That’s when things start getting a little tricky. Waterproof digital cameras or rugged cameras, as they are sometimes called, have been designed to serve a very specific niche. Let’ see how well they have fared up till now. Read the rest of this entry »

Barely more than a year ago, tablets were little more than overpriced Netbooks without keyboards, and there were plenty of arguments against buying a tablet, favoring laptops and Ultrabooks. Those tides are starting to change, and there are now quite a few compelling arguments in favor of tablets. So if you’re in the market for a new tablet, what are your best options? Read the rest of this entry »