--- title: Looking Back 2024 date: 2024-12-31 09:00:10 permalink: https://lesterchan.net/blog/2024/12/31/looking-back-2024/ author: Lester Chan excerpt: "Looking back at 2024, the year I turned 40 and inflation bit hard as Singapore's GST rose from 8% to 9%. My standout gadgets were the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer and Anker's Prime 250W charger, plus a new iPad Pro 11-inch." categories: - Blog tags: - "2024" - "2025" - looking back --- 2024 is the inflation year and is the year I turned 40. Everything went up this year. GST went from 8% to 9% in Singapore. In 2023, GST was increased from 7% to 8%. In hindsight, it might be better to increase from 7% to 9% straightaway rather than break it up into 2 years. The increase in GST twice worsens the inflation. ## Gadget Probably the most interesting gadget I bought in 2024 got to be the [Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2024/11/18/ray-ban-meta-wayfarer-review/). Next will be followed by the [Anker Prime Charger 250W 6-Port GaNPrime Charger](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2024/12/09/anker-prime-charger-250w-6-port-ganprime-charger/). ## Apple Got myself an [Apple iPad Pro 11″ (M4)](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2024/07/02/singapore-changi-airport-ipad-pro-11-m4-prices/) with [Apple Pencil Pro](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2024/07/08/apple-pencil-pro/), to replace my seven years old Apple iPad Pro 10.5″. I bought the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max (Desert Titanium 512GB) for my yearly iPhone upgrade. ## Smart Home There is not much of an update besides writing two posts about my Smart Home journey at my new house, as I have many questions about how I plan my smart home. - [My Smart Home Journey 2](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2024/06/10/my-smart-home-journey-2/) - [My Smart Home Accessories](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2024/06/24/my-smart-home-accessories/) Not exactly a smart home thing, but I did upgrade my home network to 10Gbps with the [Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 Mesh Router](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2024/11/11/asus-zenwifi-bq16-mesh-router-review/) and [TP-Link 8-Port 10G Desktop/Rackmount Switch (TL-SX1008)](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2024/10/14/tp-link-8-port-10g-desktop-rackmount-switch-tl-sx1008/). Now, I need to wait for my Internet contract to expire in June 2025 before upgrading my Internet to 10Gbps. ## Travel I went to quite a few places this year. Tokyo in February, Hong Kong in April, Kuala Lumpur in June, Shanghai in November, and Bangkok in December. **[What I Said In 2023](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2023/12/31/looking-back-2023/)** > I like the Apple HomePod and use it to control my smart home daily. Though I wish it had a screen. I hope Apple will introduce an Apple HomePod with a screen sometime next year. I am not getting my hopes up, though. This did not happen, but there are strong rumors that it will come in 2025. > My Apple iPad Pro 10.5″ will be 7 years old next year. It may be time for me to upgrade it. I bought the Apple iPad Pro 11″ (M4) to replace it. > At my new house, I am using the [EverDesk Max Standing Desk](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2021/12/13/everdesk-max-standing-desk-review/) as my gaming and working desk. I hope to get a separate gaming desk soon, as the setup is not conducive for either purpose. I did get the [ULTIDESK Xtreme Standing Desk](https://lesterchan.net/blog/2024/03/14/ultidesk-xtreme-standing-desk-review/) as my gaming desk. > Regarding traveling, I hope to visit Taiwan, Hong Kong, or China towards the end of next year. I did visit both Hong Kong and Shanghai this year. ## For 2025 There are strong rumors that the Apple HomePod will come with a screen next year. If so, as usual, I will get it. iPhone 17 Pro is rumored to undergo a redesign. I will upgrade my Internet to 10Gbps, provided Singtel allows me to bridge to my Asus ZenWiFi BQ16 without using their crap Mesh Router. I will be looking to change my car before April 2025, as my road tax is up, and my COE is in its 8th year. I paid a deposit for a Tesla Model 3 Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) with Category B COE. Travel-wise, I have Hokkaido planned in February 2025 and Okinawa planned in October 2025. **Wishing all my readers, visitors, and supporters a Happy New Year 2025! May we earn more money since inflation is still not stopping.** **Looking Back 2024** >