Another COVID-19 year has passed, and on 23rd January 2022, will mark’s COVID 2 year mark in Singapore.

I think I have more exciting gadgets this year than in 2020.

Smart Home
Decided to make my life easier when it comes to household chores. Bought a new ILife Shinebot W450 Mopping Robot to do the mopping and a Roborock S7 to replace my aging iRobot Roomba 980.

I wanted to upgrade my dumb doorbell to a smart one. I tried the Nest Hello. However, it failed me after a week, and I returned it. Replaced it with a Eufy Video Doorbell 2K (Wired) and it has been working very well.

With the addition of my Sonos Beam, I now have a 5.1 Surround Sound for my Living Room television.

Gadgets/Tech
Upgraded to a new NAS, Synology DiskStation DS1621+.

Recently, I have been into keyboards. So I got the Keychron K7, and my brother bought me the Keychron Q1 for modding. My Keychron Q1 (silicone mod) is on Gazzew Boba U4T (62g) switches with Akko Cherry Profile Carbon Retro Keycap, and Durock Stabiliser V2.

Li Xiang got me a new camera Sony ZV-E10, to replace my aging Canon PowerShot S95.

I finally bought a Nintendo Switch (OLED Model) after much procastination.

Microsoft Windows 11 is released in October 2021.

Standing Desk
ErgoEdge has been rebranded to EverDesk+ and they have kindly upgraded my three years old ErgoEdge AmpDesk Standing Desk with their latest EverDesk+ Max Standing Desk.

Apple
I have four new and three upgraded Apple products this year.

My brother got me an Apple AirPods Max for my birthday! It is an expensive gift.

Since Apple HomePod Mini is not coming to Singapore this year, I decided not to wait and get the Apple HomePod Mini from a reseller on Lazada instead.

Apple AirTag is finally here after so much leaks. I got the Apple AirTag in a pack of four.

After much procrastination, I finally got the Apple iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe during this month 12/12 sale.

Upgraded my Apple TV 4K to Apple TV 4K (2nd Generation), iPhone 12 Pro Max to iPhone 13 Pro Max, and Apple Watch Series 3 (Stainless Steel) to Apple Watch Series 7 (Watch Edition).

Travel
It is COVID, what travel? Even with Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL), you will pay a lot of money just for the PCR tests. I think it might even cost more than the air tickets. I will wait it out.

What I Said In 2020

I am hoping to see the successor to Nest Hub and Nest Cam in 2021.

The second generation of Nest Hub was released on 30th March 2021. There is not much difference in terms of design. The most significant new feature is probably sleep tracking, where eventually it will transit to a paid service.

Yeap, I bought the Google Nest Hub (2nd Generation) on Lazada for S$99.99 back in September 2021.

Nest Cam got updated as well in August 2021. Google Nest Cam Battery, Google Nest Cam with floodlight, and Google Nest Cam (2nd Generation). But the reviews were just average.

I also foresee more MCO Z-Wave switches will die as it hits the 5-year mark, and I will replace them with Sonoff Wi-Fi switches.

It seems three more MCO Z-Wave spoiled, Master Bedroom, Kitchen and Games Room. I got pissed off, and during Black Friday, I bought replacements for all the remaining switches, so whenever one got disconnected from Z-Wave, I would replace it with Sonoff. Wi-fi is just more reliable for me than Z-Wave thanks to eero Wi-Fi System.

The design for iPhone 13 will remain the same as iPhone 12, but maybe with a 120Hz screen, and hence the notch is still here to stay.

This is correct. I bought the iPhone 13 Pro Max, and it includes the Super Retina XDR display with a ProMotion 120Hz display. The notch became smaller, but Apple still didn’t use the space to have a battery percentage.

Third-year in a row, I am hoping that Apple Homepod will be available in Singapore

Sadly, still not available in Singapore.

I don’t think we will see a 4th Apple Store in Singapore anytime soon.

Correct as well. But I hope to see an Apple Store in the western part of Singapore in the future.

We will still feel the impact of COVID. I don’t think leisure travel will be possible in 2021, although we will be vaccinated by Q3 2021.

Still, someone accurate. Singapore opens up more VTL with more countries, but travel is still a hassle.

I took my first Pfizer dose on 24th June 2021 and the second Pfizer dose on 22nd July 2021. I became fully vaccinated on 5th August 2021 (two weeks after the 2nd dose).

I got offered a booster shot, and I chose Moderna this time around instead. A Pfizer + Pfizer + Moderna shot reduces infection risk by 72%, while three Pfizer shots only reduce infection risk by 62%. I took the booster shot on 14th December 2021.

For 2022
I am looking forward to getting the Roborock Onyx in 2022. Roborock Onyx is the auto-empty dock for the Roborocks S7. The stocks come and go, and there is no way for me to pre-order it on Lazada or Shopee, so I can only manually check it now and then.

There are a lot of rumors that the iPhone 14 will drop the notch. I hope it is true. AirPods Pro 2 will be released in 2022.

Maybe 2022 will be when I get my personal MacBook/MacBook Air/MacBook Pro that uses Apple Silicon. My current personal laptop is a hand-me-down 13″ MacBook Pro (Retina) from Li Xiang, which is an early 2015 model.

Nest will launch a new wired video doorbell in 2022 that supports 24/7 recording. I hope they fixed the power issue, and I may consider getting it again.

I think it might be possible to travel by the end of 2022 without VTL. I am hoping to visit Japan or U.S. at the end of 2022.

Wishing all my readers, visitors, and supporters a Happy New Year 2022! Keep your distance, wear a mask, and stay safe!

Looking Back 2021

92 posts were posted in 2021, accumulating 79 comments, and 752,400 views.
December 2021
31st
Looking Back 2021
27th
KAWS:HOLIDAY Singapore Figure
23rd
Apple iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe
20th
FOREO ISSA 3 Toothbrush Review
13th
EverDesk Max Standing Desk Review
7th
Sonoff RM 433 Multipurpose Custom Remote Controller
2nd
Samsung Evo Select 512GB microSDXC UHS-I U3
November 2021
30th
Dobe Joy-Con Charging Dock
26th
Nintendo Joy-Con – Neon Purple/Neon Orange
24th
Moshi Overture Case with Detachable Magnetic Wallet For iPhone 13 Pro
22nd
Moshi Arx Clear Slim Hardshell Case for iPhone 13 Pro Max
19th
Roborock S7 Review
17th
Sony ZV-E10
15th
Nintendo Switch (OLED Model)
8th
Apple Watch Edition Series 7 (45mm Space Black Titanium Case)
5th
Ugreen 4-Port 100W Wall Charger
3rd
Ugreen Magnetic Wireless Charger
1st
Snactiv – The Snacking Tool
October 2021
28th
Akko Cherry Profile Carbon Retro Keycap Set
26th
Keychron Q1
22nd
Torras Coolify Portable Air Conditioner Review
18th
AhaStyle MagSafe Charger Stand
14th
Keychron Coiled Aviator Cable
11th
Elgato Stream Deck MK.2
5th
Windows 11 Available Starting Today
4th
Eufy Video Doorbell 2K (Wired) Review
September 2021
29th
Keychron K7
27th
Google Nest Hub (2nd Generation)
22nd
My Nest Hello Doorbell (Wired) Is Bricked
20th
Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max Clear Case with MagSafe
16th
Singtel iPhone 13 Mini, iPhone 13, 13 Pro, And 13 Pro Max Price Plans
13th
Installing Nest Hello Doorbell To HDB BTO Doorbell
8th
Koncept Z-Bar LED Desk Lamp Review
1st
ILife Shinebot W450 Review
August 2021
27th
Moshi Integra USB-C Cable
25th
Moshi Integra USB-C to Lightning Cable
23rd
Moshi HDMI Cable
20th
Ugreen USB-C to USB-A Adapter
18th
Moshi Lounge Q Wireless Charging Stand
16th
Moshi Symbus Mini 7-in-1 USB-C Hub
10th
Verbatim 4-in-1 Wireless Charging Dock
2nd
Verbatim 4-Port PD 100W Charger
July 2021
26th
Verbatim Sync & Charge USB-C Cable
21st
Xiaomi Mi Multifunctional Digital Clock
14th
Ugreen 4-Port PD 100W Charger
12th
Atlas Headrest for Herman Miller Classic Aeron Chair
7th
Synology DiskStation Manager 7 (DSM 7)
June 2021
28th
Testing Sonos 5.1 Surround Sound
23rd
Sonos One SL
21st
Logitech C920 Pro HD Webcam
16th
Lululook Magnetic iPad Stand
14th
Sonos Sub (Gen 3)
9th
Western Digital My Passport SSD
7th
Amazon Echo & Alexa App Now Officially Available in Singapore
3rd
Targus 15″ Newport Backpack
1st
Apple TV 4K (2nd Generation)
May 2021
19th
Sonos Beam
17th
Arlo Essential Indoor Camera Review
14th
Apple AirTag Leather Loop
12th
OEM Apple AirTag Key Ring
10th
Apple AirTag Leather Key Ring
7th
Apple AirTag
5th
Ugreen 65W Triple USB-C Plus USB-A Charger
3rd
OEM Apple AirPods Max Silicone Cover
April 2021
26th
Baseus 65W GaN Dual USB-C Plus USB-A Charger
19th
Baseus 20W USB-C PD Charger
12th
OEM Portable Laptop Stand
5th
Installing Ubuntu Server On Synology NAS
1st
Apple HomePod Mini
March 2021
29th
Synology SNV3000 Series NVMe M.2 SSD
25th
Happy 37th Birthday To Me
22nd
Synology DDR4 RAM (ECC)
18th
Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Hard Storage Case
15th
Synology DiskStation DS1621+ Review
11th
OEM Apple AirPods Max Case
8th
Linksys Velop MX4200 Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Router
1st
Apple AirPods Max
February 2021
26th
ORIA Digital Hygrometer Thermometer Display
24th
OEM Apple Pencil (2nd Generation) Replacement Tip
22nd
Ugreen 65W Dual USB-C Charger
17th
Ugreen USB 3.0 Extension Cable
8th
UNI-T Mini Light Meter (UT383)
5th
Philips Sonicare ProtectiveClean 5100 Electric Toothbrush
1st
ASUSTOR Lockerstor 4 (AS6604T) Review
January 2021
27th
HOCE MagSafe Charger Holder
25th
Ugreen 20W USB-C PD Charger
22nd
Ugreen Headphone Splitter Cable
18th
Martiangear Astronaut (Fabric) Gaming Chair Review
15th
OEM Audio Cable with Mic for Bose QC35
13th
LEGO Botanical Collection
11th
Sudio Nio Wireless Earbuds
4th
Sonoff Micro USB Smart Adaptor