Sponsored and seeded products I was sent to review, disclosed as such, mostly chargers, cases, and other accessories.
The ZTE Axon Elite launched in Singapore on 3rd October 2015, exclusively for M1 customers, then off-contract from mid-October at Challenger, Gain City, and others for S$699. It's ZTE's first high-end smartphone launched outside China.
The Klipsch Reference R6i On-Ear Headphones launched in Singapore on 20th September 2015 for S$199, the newest addition to the Reference lineup. They follow the R6/R6i In-Ear Headphones I got last year, sharing the same advanced acoustic engineering.
I didn't realise Belkin made a 4-port car charger besides my Aukey one. The Belkin Road Rockstar, available at all 34 Challenger outlets and Lazada for S$79, is a 36W/7.2A charger with two USB ports on the unit itself.
The Linksys EA8500 Max-Stream AC2600 MU-MIMO Gigabit Router launched on 4th August 2015, exclusively at Challenger before reaching most electronics stores, at S$399. Despite the lower model number, it isn't really a step down from the EA9200.
The JBL Flip 3 is a portable, splashproof Bluetooth 4.1 speaker retailing for S$179 in Singapore. Its durable splashproof fabric and rugged rubber let it shrug off rain and spills, and you can rinse it under a tap.
The Choetech 60W 6-Port Desktop USB Charger retails for US$29.99. Two of its six ports support Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0, charging compatible devices up to 75% faster, including most Snapdragon phones like the Galaxy S6, Note 5, and Nexus 6.
The Choetech Circle Qi Wireless Charger retails for US$19.99 on Amazon. It charges Qi-enabled devices, or any phone with a Qi-compatible cover, outputting 5V/1A. About the size of a coffee coaster at 84mm wide, it's finished in metallic silver.
Ambi Climate is a small, sleek IoT device that makes your existing infrared remote-controlled air conditioner smart. Using predictive climate control, it monitors temperatures inside and out to run your aircon more efficiently and lower your energy bill.
The Jabra Sport Coach retails in Singapore for S$248 in Blue, Red, and Yellow. The younger sibling of the Jabra Sport Pulse I reviewed in May 2015, it's S$50 cheaper, omitting the in-ear heart rate monitor of the pricier Pulse.
Algolia is a French startup offering hosted cloud search as a service, with a developer-friendly API that's easy to integrate in any language. It provides 11 API clients, four mobile SDKs, and a WordPress plugin.
I received the Cooler Master Power Fort 6,000mAh as a door gift at a Cooler Master seminar. I hadn't even known Cooler Master made power banks, and the Power Fort series now seems discontinued.
I received the GoGear Splash n Dash Bluetooth Speaker as a door gift. It retails for S$49.90 at Mustafa and selected 7-Elevens, in four colours. With Bluetooth 4.0 and an IPX5 rating, it suits the bathroom.
GearBest sent me the iMacwear M7 to try, a watch selling for US$112.63 excluding shipping. It isn't an Android Wear device but a full Android 4.4 KitKat watch. Fairly bulky at 120g, it carries an IP67 dust and water resistance.
The D-Link DSP-W215 WiFi Smart Plug connects to your wireless network to make any device plugged into it smart. Running on 802.11n and retailing for S$69, it lets you switch the connected device on and off through the mydlink app.
Accompanying the #LEGORebuildSG campaign are four LEGO SG50 Limited Edition Singapore Icons Mini Builds, depicting quintessential local icons: the Cable Car, Ice Cream Bike, HDB Flats, and Dragon Playground. They're redeemable at selected stores with a minimum S$50 purchase.
The SanDisk Dual USB Drive Type-C launched in Singapore in April 2015 for S$99, in a single 32GB size with a two-year warranty. It's a USB 3.0 drive, backward compatible with USB 2.0, though I have no USB Type-C devices.
The D-Link DIR-890L AC3200 Wireless Tri-Band Gigabit Cloud Router launched in Singapore in February 2015 at S$399, matching the Linksys EA9200 AC3200. I do wonder about router names these days, as each maker seems to cram in ever more keywords.
I'd been using StrongVPN's PPTP plan at US$55 a year, but didn't renew once my contract ended, feeling its server-switch quota too limiting despite never hitting it. Last week, VyprVPN reached out, so I switched over.
Back in April 2015, Tiger Beer released its Limited Edition 1965 Vintage Can and Bottle for Singapore's SG50 celebration. Now, again for SG50, Tiger sheds its blue-and-silver look for the national red and white across its cans, pints, and bottles.
I'm not too familiar with LEGO Ninjago, introduced in 2011 around four ninjas, Kai, Cole, Jay, and Zane, trained by Sensei Wu to fight evil and protect Ninjago. This summer, LEGO released nine new Ninjago sets and an Airjitzu Flyer.
SHAPL designs and makes Smart Shower Containers, handy for travel, the gym, or home. BPA-free and recyclable, they come in two sizes, 65ml and 35ml, and are sold as standalone units, packs of three, or packs of six.
I received the Mophie Power Reserve as a door gift at Mophie's official Singapore launch. It retails for S$69 on the Apple Online Store, though I hear it's being discontinued. It's a compact 1,350mAh power bank weighing 55g.