Sponsored and seeded products I was sent to review, disclosed as such, mostly chargers, cases, and other accessories.
The Ugreen EU 4-Port PD 100W Desktop Charger is the brand's first 100W unit, retailing for S$74.99 though often cheaper in flash sales. With unusually premium packaging, it's a desktop charger powered by a separate 2m cable.
The Lululook Magnetic iPad Stand mounts via the iPad's internal magnets, so it isn't compatible with every model. It fits all iPad Pro 11-inch and the 12.9-inch from 3rd gen onward, retailing at US$54.99 with free shipping.
The WD My Passport SSD is a portable drive from the My Passport series, released August 2020 in capacities from 500GB to 4TB. The smaller sizes come in five colours, and it's tiny at just 46g.
The Targus 15-inch Newport Backpack retails for S$199, part of the refreshed Newport Collection announced in May 2021 alongside totes, sleeves, and pouches. The bag is made from water-repellent twill nylon and weighs a manageable amount.
The Arlo Essential Indoor Camera is the indoor counterpart to the Essential Spotlight I reviewed, retailing for S$199. The key differences: it's wired rather than wireless, drops the spotlight, and has black-and-white-only night vision.
The Ugreen 65W GaN charger packs three USB-C ports with PD 3 and one USB-A with QC 4. It comes in EU and UK plug versions, with the UK oddly cheaper at S$39.99 versus the EU's S$44.99.
The Baseus 65W GaN charger has two USB-C ports and one USB-A. Its Lazada listing is full of dubious buzzwords like GaN2 and PD4, but in reality it's the usual Power Delivery 3 and Quick Charge 4 charger.
Alongside the Ugreen and Apple 20W chargers, the Baseus 20W USB-C PD Charger is the cheapest option at just S$10.99. It supports the usual PD 3 and QC 4, and features Baseus's 'Super Si' silicon tech.
Synology has long made its own RAM, and later branched into its own M.2 NVMe (SNV3000), SATA SSDs, and HDDs. The main reason is compatibility: these drives are optimised with custom firmware for Synology NAS.
Following up on last June's Synology DDR4 RAM post, the 21-series launch added two ECC SO-DIMMs, the D4ES01-4G and D4ES01-8G. Notably, Synology dropped the '2666' from the naming of these newer D4ES01 modules.
I upgraded my three-year-old 4-bay Synology DS918+ to the 6-bay DS1621+, which Synology refreshed late last year from the DS1618+. The DS1621+ retails for S$1,244 and gives me more room to grow my storage.
I'd waited months for the Ugreen 65W GaN Dual USB-C Charger, which kept selling out. At S$34.19, it weighs 145g, about 1.5 times the size of Ugreen's 20W charger, with two USB-C ports of differing maximum output.
I needed a USB extension to run from my Aeotec smart switch's port, powering a Xiaomi USB fan for Li Xiang's plants. Ugreen offers USB 2.0 and 3.0 versions in lengths up to 5m.
Synology, QNAP, and ASUSTOR are my three top-of-mind NAS brands, all Taiwanese. To complete the trilogy, I review the Asustor Lockerstor 4 (AS6604T), a 4-bay NAS on par with the DS920+ and TS-453D, powered by an Intel J4125.
The Ugreen 20W USB-C PD Charger is an Apple 20W adapter alternative, retailing for S$15.99. As a PD 3 / QC 4 unit, it delivers the 9V/2.22A MagSafe charging needs, though its UK pin doesn't fold.
My Razer BlackWidow Ultimate keyboard doesn't support a combined headphone jack, so I needed a splitter. I got the Ugreen Headphone Splitter Cable from Lazada for S$6.99, with a cheaper non-aluminium variant available.
The Sudio Nio is the brand's first product of 2021, available in four colours. It retails for S$119, or S$101.15 with the code LESTER15, and offers Bluetooth 5.0, IPX4 rating, touch controls, and 20 hours' battery.
Ten years ago I chose Synology over QNAP for my second NAS. QNAP wanted my take on the TS-453D against the Synology DS920+, so they sent one over. Both are 4-bay, Intel J4125-powered NAS.
The Ugreen NVMe M.2 SSD USB-C Case comes in two variants on Lazada: S$31 with both USB-C and USB-A cables, or S$28.90 with just USB-C. Its space-grey aluminium enclosure feels solid, and setup is tool-free.
The Bebird R1 is the brand's entry-level smart visual ear-cleaning rod, below the flagship X17 Pro. It retails for US$26.99, though Lazada had it for S$26.50. It packs a 3MP camera and six LEDs.
The Close Comfort Cool Focus is a personal air conditioner designed to cool people rather than a whole room, like a fan on steroids. From an Australian-Singapore startup, it retails for S$649 and draws around 300W.
PRISM+ followed its E series with the new Q Series Android TVs, becoming the first Singaporean company to earn Android TV certification, likely riding on Skyworth as OEM. This review covers the 55-inch PRISM+ Q55.