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've spent the first quarter of my life studying: six years primary, four secondary, three at Singapore Polytechnic, two-plus years serving the nation, and three and a half at NUS. Finally it's time to step into the working world.
Thanks to Benjamin and Lionel from STB for inviting me aboard the Uniquely Singapore Clipper! We were out at sea nearly three hours, and I steered a boat for the first time, like driving a car without power steering.
Received my Apple iPhone 3GS/3G USB Desktop Sync & Charge Cradle from MobileFun yesterday. At just £9.99 it's a great alternative to Apple's own iPhone 3G Dock and Universal Dock, working exactly the same, bundling cradle, cable and charger.
Apple has announced the iPad, built around a custom 1GHz A4 system-on-a-chip. It has a 9.7-inch LED-backlit IPS Multi-Touch display at 1024x768 (132ppi) with an oleophobic coating, plus Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR connectivity.
After a week and a follow-up email, D-Link replied. The normal repair is US$61, but out of goodwill they offered 30% off, bringing it to US$42, so I'll repair it and get a Synology DiskStation DS210j too.
Conducted across eight Asia-Pacific markets including Australia, China, Hong Kong, India and Taiwan, the second quarterly Digital Brand Index (DBI 2.0) keeps surfacing insights on the most discussed brands online and the subjects sparking the liveliest debate.
Ordered a 21.5-inch 3.06GHz iMac for my dad, to replace his old computer. I'd meant to order two, the second for my mom's office, but she had doubts about Mac OS X and software compatibility.
The Motorola DEXT with MOTOBLUR is Motorola's social phone and another SingTel exclusive, much like INQ's Mini 3G and Chat 3G. Motorola took a fresh approach with its own MOTOBLUR service, essentially their take on Apple's MobileMe.
Had a great time at Intel's event at Ben & Jerry's in Dempsey Village: free-flow ice cream, five scoops in, plus my first-ever Segway ride. I was nervous about falling at first, but soon settled in.
I bought my D-Link DNS-323 at Comex 2008 on 1st September, and three days ago it died, just a year and three months on, after its one-year warranty lapsed. Argh! I wrote to D-Link anyway to try my luck.
My D-Link DNS-323 died two days ago, so I needed temporary storage to transfer its data. My computer lacked space and my old 300GB external runs on slow IDE, so I bought the Western Digital My Book Essential 1TB.
Soon after my Razer Abyssus, I received another Razer mouse, the Imperator, announced 16 days later on 26th November 2009. It carries an RRP of S$139 and feels like a meaningful step up from the simpler Abyssus.
Li Xiang designed these gift packs during her internship at my mom's office, and they're now on sale at Watsons, NTUC, Prime Mart and mini-marts. The Glico Pocky Chinese New Year pack retails at S$10 with five boxes inside.
The Razer Abyssus was announced two months ago on 10th November 2009 and has been on sale here since December, with an RRP of S$79. Razer pitches it as giving gamers a competitive edge by focusing on the fundamentals.
Thinking of a career with the Home Team? The Ministry of Home Affairs holds a career fair from Friday 15th to Sunday 17th January 2010, 11.30am to 9.30pm daily at Marina Square.
Got the Sanyo Eneloop Mobile Booster KBC-L2S after my old KBC-E1S, running on just two AA batteries, couldn't give my iPhone enough juice. The KBC-L2S lists at S$69.90, but I picked it up for S$57 on eBay.
Some media reports note 3G connectivity issues with the Nexus One on M1 and StarHub in Singapore. SingTel customers shouldn't be affected, as the phone auto-connects to their network, perhaps hinting that SingTel may officially bring in the Nexus One.
On Saturday, Li Xiang and I attended HP and Microsoft's Envision the Future event at Giraffe Restaurant & Bar, opposite Plaza Singapura. The food wasn't bad, and we each got a name tag to write our thoughts on the theme.
Google has launched its own phone, the Nexus One, though it leaked relentlessly beforehand, with photos, videos, specs and even the official site appearing early, arguably the most leaked phone of 2009. It's priced at US$529 without contract.
My December 2009 site traffic stats: 11,295,850 hits, 969,383 pages and 269,297 visits, from 174,310 unique sites. Daily hits averaged 364,382, peaking at 444,000-odd, totalling roughly 44.7 million KBytes transferred over the month. A solid finish to the year.
The INQ Chat 3G is a full-QWERTY version of the INQ Mini 3G, with a better 3.2MP camera and a noticeably faster processor. It measures 114.5 by 61 by 12.8mm and weighs 120 grams.
Today is the last day of 2009; ten years ago everyone fretted over the Y2K bug. I'll spend it inside GV VivoCity watching Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakquel at 10:50pm. Last year I counted down in Taiwan.