Sponsored and seeded products I was sent to review, disclosed as such, mostly chargers, cases, and other accessories.
The Igloohome Smart Deadbolt Lock 02, or igloobolt 02, is the second generation of the Igloohome Smart Lock. The product was renamed for clarity as the range grew to include the Smart Keybox and upcoming Smart Mortise Lock.
Beseye is a Taiwanese company making home cameras and cloud services. Its first product, the Beseye Pro Wi-Fi monitoring camera, won a Red Dot Award in 2015 for its smooth design and magnetic mounting. It retails for S$299.
EOZ Audio is a young Barcelona-based audio startup. Its first product, the EOZ One, is a premium wireless Bluetooth earphone that began on Kickstarter, raising €53,062 from 554 backers and shipping in October 2016. It's now on sale directly.
The Synology Router RT2600ac launched in Singapore on 12th January 2017 at S$365, Synology's second router after the RT1900ac. It upgrades to a 1.7GHz dual-core CPU, 512MB RAM, and 4x4 802.11ac wave 2 Wi-Fi with MU-MIMO and beamforming.
Blink began as a Kickstarter, raising over US$1 million from 6,879 backers and shipping in May 2015. It's available in Singapore through Aztech, a partnership where Blink designed the software and app while Aztech manufactured the battery-powered hardware.
The Sudio Regent is the brand's first wireless headphones and my second Sudio product, after the Vasa Blå earphones. It retails for S$229; the 20% tax rebate in Singapore brings it to S$183.20, with the code lesterchan for more.
The Linksys EA9500 Max-Stream AC5400 MU-MIMO Gigabit Router has been available in Singapore since August 2016 at S$539. It's the flagship of the Max-Stream family, above the mid-range EA8500 I reviewed, featuring 802.11ac Wave 2 Wi-Fi with MU-MIMO.
The Linksys RE7000 Max-Stream AC1900 Wi-Fi Range Extender has been available in Singapore since August 2016 at S$199. This AC1900 dual-band extender adds a Gigabit Ethernet port and is the first range extender to combine MU-MIMO with Seamless Roaming.
The Linksys WUSB6100M Max-Stream AC600 USB Adapter is billed as the world's first MU-MIMO-enabled adapter, launched in Singapore in August 2016 at S$129. It connects a PC to wireless-AC and MU-MIMO networks, though there's no Mac driver available.
I've been using my Huawei Mate 9 over my Nexus 6P, finding its UI snappy. It scored 120,794 on AnTuTu versus the Nexus 6P's 71,576. My iPhone 7 Plus remains my primary phone.
The Kindle Paperwhite E-reader (2016) retails on Amazon for US$119.99, but it doesn't ship to Singapore directly, so you'll need a freight forwarder. Alternatively, the local SG E-Reader Shop sells it for a reasonable S$209 with free shipping.
The Huawei Mate 9 ships in a square brown box printed with soy ink, made in Shenzhen, China. The contents are standard: the phone, a cover, earphones, a USB-C charging cable, a SuperCharge charger, and a Micro-USB adapter.
The ViDi Action Camera came from a Kickstarter that raised US$151,880 from 1,253 backers, with shipping in December 2015. It's now officially available in Singapore for S$179, brought in by TC Acoustic, as a compact alternative to a GoPro.
The D-Link DAP-1860 AC Wi-Fi Range Extender launched in Singapore at S$189. It runs concurrent dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz with four external MIMO antennas, supporting MU-MIMO and 802.11ac Wave II for speeds up to 2,532Mbps.
Circles.Life is a Singapore MVNO riding on M1's network. I attended its May 2016 launch and signed up for a free three-month trial, with a bonus 2GB giving 5GB and 100 minutes for an attractive S$28 monthly.
Fabrix has launched its Marble Snap Case for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, both priced the same at US$22, excluding delivery. The case comes in two colours, black and white, with a marble finish.
V-MODA, founded in 2004, is a high-performance audio maker headquartered in California with a design studio in Milan. In Singapore, iFactory Asia is the sole authorised distributor. This review covers the V-MODA Crossfade Wireless headphones.
With a six-year-old Logitech Notebook Riser at work, I went looking for an aluminium laptop stand for home, to match my MacBook Pro. I narrowed it down to Rain Design's mStand, TwelveSouth's HiRise, and Belkin's Zero.
Motorola returned to Singapore on 24th August 2016, launching a portfolio of six devices, including the Moto X Force at S$899 and Moto X Style at S$799. This review focuses on the mid-range Moto G4 Plus, priced at S$499.
I hadn't heard of XPower until Kakki, its sole distributor, asked if I'd feature their products. The one that caught my eye was the XPower XPS3A, a power strip with three AC sockets and four USB ports.
The OKPOW USB Type-C Cable is a 1m USB-C to USB-A cable retailing for US$12.99 on Amazon, which doesn't ship to Singapore directly. Based on USB 2.0, it has gold-plated ends and a durable nylon-braided exterior.
Announcing the winner of my Sudio Vasa Blå giveaway from 15th June 2016. With nearly all entries strong, I couldn't single one out, so I picked the winner at random using a SQL query. Congratulations to the lucky winner.