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.
In Sydney, almost everything costs more than in Singapore, except coffee and this HiRise dock. I bought the Twelve South HiRise for iPhone 5 & iPad Mini at the Apple Store Sydney for AU$34.95, versus S$49 online.
I'd used the Huawei MiFi E585, bought four years ago, until its battery gave out, going flat after an hour. Spoilt by 4G, I find Singapore's congested 3G far too slow. I'd wanted a 4G mobile Wi-Fi modem last year.
Another six months on, it's time for another lesterchan.net update, v4.2. The biggest new feature is Site Analytics, powered by Google Analytics, pulling data through the Google Analytics API and rendering it with the HighCharts JavaScript charting library.
The HTC One (M8) arrives in Singapore from 5th April 2014 at all mobile operators, SingTel, M1, and StarHub, plus authorised retailers. It comes in Gunmetal Grey and Glacial Silver, with the 16GB model at a recommended S$998.
I bought the Sony NEX-3N from Amazon during a lightning deal on 13th January 2014 for just US$289.99. HopShopGo received it with a 3KG chargeable weight, but their repack option trimmed it to 1KG, so shipping cost me only US$20.32.
After roughly four years in the making, Microsoft Office for iPad is finally here, and it's free for viewing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. To edit, you'll need an Office 365 subscription, with Home Premium at S$138 a year.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier is the third Phase Two film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, after Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World. It precedes Guardians of the Galaxy on 1st August 2014 and stars Chris Evans.
Announcing the winner of the Fitbit Flex giveaway I held on 12th March 2014. Congratulations to @angelorohit, whose winning tweet cleverly parodied 'Every Breath You Take'. You've won a Fitbit Flex courtesy of Fitbit, and I'll pass your details.
I received the Crumpler Bell - Action iPad Pouch (S$95) as a 30th birthday present from my brother Leroy and his fiancee Huimin. Part of the Crumpler Bell range launched in Singapore in March 2014, it's heavier than the Milonas.
Yesterday was my 30th birthday, the big three-oh, and I'm officially out of my twenties. I've just returned from a week's holiday in Sydney with Li Xiang. It's a lovely place to retire, though generally pricier than Singapore.
Li Xiang gave me the Crumpler Bag - Milonas (S$45) for Valentine's Day. I love bags, so a Crumpler or Timbuk2 never disappoints. The Milonas fits any generation of iPad in its main slot, plus a Bluetooth keyboard.
The SanDisk Ultra Dual USB Drive, announced last month, is SanDisk's first dual USB drive, with 16GB at S$20, 32GB at S$35, and 64GB at S$60. It's aimed at Android phone and tablet users wanting to move photos and videos.
Simple Wallet was a Kickstarter project funded last March, raising US$19,587 against a US$10,000 goal. Its sequel, Simple Wallet 2.0, did even better, pulling in US$80,369. I received mine thanks to @DaryoushFar, the founder and CEO, and the quality excellent.
The Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for iPad Air retails for S$139 on the Apple Online Store, in Black or White. Despite its smaller size, it keeps full-size keys for comfortable, easy typing, and includes a built-in stand.
The Microsoft Surface 2 goes on sale in Singapore from 13th March 2014 at authorised retailers like Challenger, Harvey Norman, and Newstead. Accessories include the Touch Cover 2, Type Cover 2, and Arc Touch Mouse Surface Edition.
Thanks to Fitbit, I'm giving away one Fitbit Flex, worth S$129, to a lucky winner. If you'd like to know more, do check out my Fitbit Review. To enter, follow @gamerz and tweet why you want the Fitbit Flex.
SingTel has launched discounted data-bundle plans for seniors aged 55 and above, cutting 20% off its SuperLite and Lite plans. My dad is on the Lite plan, but his line is registered under my name, so he doesn't qualify.
I caught Need for Speed before it officially opens in Singapore on 13th March 2014, distributed locally by Buena Vista International. An adaptation of Electronic Arts' racing game, it stars Aaron Paul, the two-time Emmy winner from Breaking Bad.
Derrick Koh, Lenovo's Head of Communications for Asia Pacific, messaged me on Facebook to invite me to the Lenovo booth media tour at MWC 2014. I dropped by with Jason Goh and previewed new phones like S860, S850, and S660.
On Tuesday, 25th February 2014, the day began with breakfast and a 30-minute talk by Nokia Entertainment Evangelist Dean Patrick on Nokia Mix Radio. At MWC, we joined two blogger sessions with Dirk Didascalou, SVP of Mobile Phones R&D.
On Monday, 24th February 2014, we woke at 6am to reach the venue by 7.30 for good seats, ahead of the 8am press conference. Nokia announced just five new low-end devices: the Nokia X, X+, XL, 220, and Asha 230.
Thanks to Nokia Connects for inviting me to Mobile World Congress 2014, my third event with them, after Nokia World 2011 in London and MWC 2012 in Barcelona. This year's itinerary was a day shorter, but I found it worthwhile.