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.
I was invited to Canon's product launch for the second half of 2011, held at Zirca on Thursday, 29th September. It covered seven PIXMA inkjet printers, ten imageCLASS laser printers, three PowerShots, two IXUS cameras, and a projector.
In case you hadn't noticed, I've added a Featured Section under Blog in the right sidebar. It collects blog posts with original content, organised by company. By original, I mean my own writing, not press releases or copied content.
I backed the Heckler Design OneLessDrop on Kickstarter on 4th February 2011. It funded on 2nd March, raising US$22,271 against a US$12,500 goal. I paid US$25 plus US$10 shipping, and received it on the 27th of September.
Microsoft Singapore officially launched Windows Phone 7.5 yesterday, bringing more than 500 new features and enhancements. The HTC Radar, at a recommended S$569, and the Samsung Omnia W, at S$498, are the first Windows Phone 7.5 handsets here.
Firefox 7.0 has been released, remarkably fast given Firefox 6.0 only arrived last month on 17th August 2011. Highlights include drastically improved memory use, a new rendering backend speeding up Canvas on Windows, and near-instant bookmark and password syncing.
WhatsApp has been on the Windows Marketplace for Mobile since last Saturday, but only for Windows Phone 7.5 Mango users. Most of us are still on Windows Phone 7.0, eagerly awaiting the 7.5 upgrade.
Sony announced the ICF-DS15iP last Thursday. Part of its ICF range of iPod and iPhone docks, this one is a dock clock radio. If you want a cheaper iPhone dock with alarm clock, I'd recommend it. It retails for S$179.
I received an email from Guyi Shen, director of Lobangclub, an iPhone app I find cool. Similar to ShopSavvy and SingTel's Price Pal, Lobangclub is a free Singaporean app that finds the best deals on any product through community contributions.
I bought a packet of three PowerPac Plug Keys from Challenger at Funan for S$0.90, or S$0.72 with a 20% member's discount. Each Plug Key converts a 3-pin socket to accept a 2-pin power cable, since Singapore follows British standard.
I bought a pack of two Taiyo 3-Pin Plug Adapters from Challenger at Funan for S$14.90, or S$13.41 with a 10% member's discount. I like that each of its three 3-pin sockets has an individual switch.
I was invited to the blogger event for the early launch of Trend Micro Titanium Cloud Edition Maximum Security 2012. I'm a big fan of ESET NOD32, which is lightweight, effective, and reasonably priced, protecting my home and office computers.
My Hong Kong cousin gave me the MiPow Power Tube 6600, which retails for S$125. It packs a 6,600mAh capacity in a durable anodised aluminium case, and bundles charging tips for a wide range of devices.
I've joined the dark side with the Nespresso Pixie in Electric Red. It retails for S$398, but a friend at Nestle got me staff price. Made in Switzerland, not China, it has a handle and includes 16 capsules.
Three months ago, PayPal Singapore made a clever video about my SwitchEasy CoverBuddy for iPad 2 purchase. It was a huge effort, with a different video for each of 20 bloggers, so kudos to the team. Now, the TuneWear Eggshell.
The Google+ API has finally been released. This initial release focuses on public data only, letting you read what people have shared publicly on Google+. Its methods are RESTful HTTP requests returning JSON responses, using OAuth 2 for secure access.
I got the Bluelounge Extra Connectors (Micro USB) for US$5.95 to use with my Bluelounge The Sanctuary, needing another Micro USB port to charge my HTC Desire and Mozart at once. Shipping to Singapore alone costs US$2.53 via USPS.
The last time we saw Windows 8 was at Computex on 2nd June 2011. Yesterday at the BUILD conference, Microsoft demoed the Windows 8 Developer Preview. The new Metro UI looks fantastic, and I hope Microsoft keeps the interface consistent.
I ordered the Bluelounge MiniDock (UK variant) from bluelounge.com for US$19.95, my first purchase through the site since it isn't sold in Singapore yet. Shipping cost about US$4.15 via USPS First Class, the cheapest option, though delivered by normal mail.
I got the Bluelounge SpaceStation from the Design Museum Shop at Red Dot Traffic for S$127.35. I haven't seen it sold anywhere else yet, but I'll update this post if I do. For now, it completes my Bluelounge collection.
I'm helping a fellow NUS SoCian, Reuben, founder of Household.sg, spread the word. Household.sg is an online supermarket that aims to eliminate the tedious trip to the supermarket for groceries, freeing up your time for what truly matters.
I first previewed the Nokia N9 at Nokia Connection 2011 in June, when the software was still in beta. I was invited again to the N9 Blogger Event on Wednesday. The N9 launches in Singapore in early October at S$799.
Travelling to the US this December for the first time, I sought a US version of HungryGoWhere, and many recommended Yelp, which wasn't in the Singapore App Store. I tweeted @yelp, they asked, and hours later it appeared.