Founder of lesterchan.net, a Singapore tech and gadgets blog running since 2002. An engineering leader by day and a WordPress plugin developer since 2003, with a soft spot for gadgets, smart home, and a good deal.
My brother gave me the OSIM uJolly Back Massager for my 35th birthday. It retails for S$449, often cheaper on Lazada, in Red and Grey. Its V-Grip technology delivers precise, human-like massage to your shoulders and lumbar area.
After nearly five years, it's time to update my Singapore Future MRT/LRT Map. The 2014 version drew strong SEO and views. This April 2019 edition covers the Cross Island Line, Jurong Region Line, and Circle Line Stage 6.
I bought the PRISM+ Vantage Triple Monitor VESA Arm during Lazada's 7th birthday sale for S$118, down from S$159. Moving to a triple-monitor setup, I replaced my ErgoEdge Freedom dual arm rather than just add a single arm.
The Flosku Aluminium Desktop Stand for Apple Pencil is crafted from solid aluminium with an inner silicone fitting to protect the tip. It comes in silver and black, retailing for £25 plus shipping to Singapore.
Flosku is a Somerset, England tech-accessory startup making cases and products for the digital home. Its Walnut Case for the Apple TV Remote is crafted from 100% natural walnut wood and retails for £45, plus shipping to Singapore.
I celebrated my 35th birthday with a one-night staycation at Singapore Marriott Tang Plaza Hotel, a gift from my mom. They upgraded me to a Premium Deluxe Room, with late checkout and a good breakfast at Marriott Cafe.
I bought the Xiaomi Mi Standing Fan for S$109 from the Mi Home Store at Suntec City. The version sold here is the second generation, also called the Smartmi Fan 2, which uses a plastic standing pole.
Singtel's price plans for the Samsung Galaxy S10e, S10, and S10+, available in Singapore from 8th March 2019. For the first time there are three models, the S10e being new, starting at S$1,078 for the 128GB S10e.
The HyperDrive USB-C Hub for the 2018 iPad Pro is a USB 3.1 Gen 2 hub for the 11-inch and 12.9-inch models, in a CNC aluminium enclosure. It began as a Kickstarter that raised over US$1.1 million.
The Atmotube Pro is a portable air quality tracker, the company's fourth product. Pre-orders opened in February 2019 at US$131, shipping that April, with a US$189 retail price thereafter. It's now on Amazon.sg for S$215.
Microsoft's Surface Pro 6, Surface Laptop 2, and Surface Studio 2 launched in Singapore on 15th January 2019, all on 8th-generation Intel processors. A Chinese New Year promo offers 5% off with the code GOHARVEY.
The Casio Pro Trek Smart WSD-F30 is an outdoor smartwatch running Google's Wear OS, the third generation of the Pro Trek line after the WSD-F10 and WSD-F20. It comes in three colours, Orange, Blue, and Black, with orange the standout.
Sandbox VR is the latest immersive VR gaming experience in town, arriving after Zero Latency and making Singapore its sixth city, alongside San Francisco, Hong Kong, and others. The Singapore branch sits on level 5 of Orchard Central.
The Amazon Echo Wall Clock is a 10-inch clock designed as a companion to an existing Echo device, retailing for US$29.99. It runs on four included AA batteries and, despite the Echo name, has no microphone for voice commands.
I bought the Cable Matters Premium Certified HDMI Cable from Amazon for US$7.99. This 4K cable meets the HDMI 2.0b spec, supporting 4K at 60Hz, HDR10, and RGB 4:4:4 chroma, plus other resolutions.
The Humixx 4-in-1 USB-C Hub offers two USB-A 3.0 ports, a 4K 30Hz HDMI port, and a USB-C Power Delivery passthrough. Housed in anodised aluminium and retailing for US$34.99 on Amazon, it's spec-similar to the HyperDrive 4K HDMI hub.
I bought the Braun CoolTec CT 4S Shaver from Lazada for S$179, a strong deal against its S$289 retail price. I'd weighed it against the Braun Series 5 5140, also discounted, before settling on the CoolTec.
The HyperDrive 7-in-2 USB-C Hub began on Kickstarter in late 2016, raising over US$1.8 million. It plugs into both Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports on a MacBook Pro, expanding them into seven ports, though it occupies both at once.
The HyperDrive 4K HDMI 3-in-1 USB-C Hub retails for US$49.99, a cheaper alternative to Apple's S$98 USB-C Digital AV Multiport Adapter. Its USB-C PD port sits on the opposite side from HDMI and USB-A, making cable management less tidy.
Looking back at 2018, I left my smart home mostly alone, adding three voice-assistant devices: an Echo Spot bedside alarm, an Echo Show photo frame, and a Google Home Hub. I also upgraded to the iPhone XS Max.
I bought the Google Home Hub on Black Friday, when Google knocked US$50 off the US$149 retail price. Rather than risk the Google US Store, where my order likely wouldn't go through, I ordered from B&H instead.
The Innergie 60C USB-C laptop adapter, after a Kickstarter raising US$312,227, is now on sale on Amazon. As a backer I received mine months earlier, but Innergie kindly sent the retail-packaged version too.