The alaTest Blog

Blu-Ray players are, most definitely, the future of the modern home theatre systems. If you are looking for high picture quality on your HDTV, you simply have to switch to a Blu-Ray player. However, if you thought that a Blu-Ray player was just about state-of-the-art picture quality, you were highly mistaken. Even the most average of the current Blu-Ray players come with a surprisingly fresh range of services right from offering 3D to supporting stream content from the web. Read the rest of this entry »

When it comes to gaming, one can choose from a variety of platforms like gaming consoles, desktops and laptops. While each of these offers unique advantages, gaming laptops have emerged in a big way in the past few years. There are several reasons behind their success, versatility being the most prominent one. A laptop is almost a basic necessity these days and if you can combine that with your gaming needs, it’s a win-win situation for you. Read the rest of this entry »

Recently reaching a 51% market share, Android is undoubtedly the most popular smartphone platform. Its latest versions always offer innovative and compelling features, but unlike Apple’s iPhone, there is a disconnect between those who develop the Android OS and the manufacturers who build the devices.

Google develops Android such that anyone can build a device that runs it, but it’s up to the manufacturer to modify it and tailor it to run on the hardware they’re using. This process can take months, and it means that most Android devices out there are generally one or two versions behind. To get the most out of a new Android device, it’s important to know which are the most likely to be updated quickly. Read the rest of this entry »

Last week, we gave you a list of some essential home appliances for a fresh college grad. Following a somewhat similar course, we are going to focus on must-have gadgets for college students. In the good old days, an average college student could survive with a few books and some stationary. Things have come a long way since then. Now, the medium of education has gone largely digital as e-books and PDF’s have become standard educational sources. At the same time, newer forms of entertainment gadgets like gaming consoles and media players have become commonplace among college students. Read the rest of this entry »

Current HDTV technology has just about peeked. LCD TVs are about as affordable as they’re going to get before slowly disappearing from the market completely, and LED sets are nearly out of room for any more “value-added features.” High-end plasmas are still the top choice for anyone who wants the upmost image quality, no matter the cost, but they’re about to see some heavy competition. Read the rest of this entry »

Graduation is such a wonderful period of any student’s life, it’s the time when excitement about stepping into the real world is tempered by a sense of fear and intimidation. In a scenario where everything is new and alien to you, your home can be a sweet reminder of the comfort and pleasures that you were accustomed to. While setting up a new house for yourself, there are a few home appliances that are absolutely necessary for you. Read the rest of this entry »

Buying a new cell phone is a lot like buying a new car – you have to find something that fits your needs and your lifestyle. Our list of cell phone reviews is great for finding the top ranked smartphones on the market, but it’s not so useful if the top ranked phones aren’t they type you’re looking for.

That’s exactly why we created the Interactive Cell Phone Buying Guide. It lets you select the criteria that are most important to you and get a custom-tailored list of the perfect phones for your needs. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re in the market for a new digital compact camera (and since summer vacation is in full-bore, why wouldn’t you be?), we’ve put together a quick list of the top 5 compact cameras currently rated on alaTest. Things seem to be trending towards slightly larger which feature bigger image sensors and more manual controls, but there are a few smaller compacts in the mix as well. Read the rest of this entry »