Full hands-on reviews of gear I bought or was sent, with the pros, cons, and whether it is worth your money.
The Roborock Dyad Air is the mid-range model in Roborock's Dyad wet-and-dry vacuum series, retailing for S$499.90. At S$200 less than the Dyad Pro, it drops to a single roller and loses the automatic cleaning-solution dispenser.
The Aqara Camera E1 is Aqara's latest security camera at S$99, essentially a stripped-down Camera Hub G3 costing about S$100 less. It drops the built-in Zigbee hub but still supports HomeKit Secure Video, with improved Wi-Fi.
A longtime Ariston user, I chose the Slim2 Lux-D Wi-Fi, a 'smart' water storage heater unlike the dumb Andris Lux I had to wire up myself. It launched in Singapore in April 2023.
Thanks to Souky, I was among the first in Singapore to install the Aqara D200i Smart Door Lock, the global version of the China-only D200. It adds remote unlocking and Southeast Asia support, retailing for S$999.
Dreame splits its cordless vacuums into confusing V, R, and T series. The R20 seems to blend the best of the V12 Pro and T30 flagships, and like the T series it features a removable battery.
Happy with my Google Nest Cams but wanting to drop Homebridge in my new house, I looked at integrating cameras natively into HomeKit. The Aqara Camera Hub G3 is my test of a direct smart-home setup.
The Roborock S8 Pro Ultra is the flagship, retailing for S$1,769.90 in black or white. The robot offers 6,000Pa suction, dual roller brushes, and VibraRise 2.0 mopping, with the Pro Ultra adding an all-in-one dock.
The much-awaited Aqara Presence Sensor FP2 launched in Singapore on 20th April 2023 for S$159. Unlike PIR motion sensors, its 60GHz mmWave radar detects actual presence, sensing multiple people and even someone sitting perfectly still.
Most igloohome locks are Bluetooth-only, needing your phone in range. The igloohome Bridge, at S$110, links your phone to the lock over Wi-Fi for remote control, though only certain, non-dated lock models are compatible.
The igloohome Smart PadLock 2 succeeds the original, with changes mostly on the hardware. It swaps the 9V battery for a USB-C rechargeable lithium one and upgrades to IPX7 waterproofing, making it outdoor-ready.
The Aqara Smart Video Doorbell G4 reached Singapore at S$209.90. It offers a 162-degree 1080p view with infrared night vision, runs on six AA batteries or a wired adapter, and supports up to a 512GB microSD.
The Dreame H12 Pro is a 3-in-1 wet and dry vacuum, adding self-cleaning over the standard H12. Launching 11th November 2022 at S$729, early-bird pricing dropped it to S$649, or S$614 with the code DREALESTE.
My last Google Pixel was the 3a XL three years ago, now end-of-line. The Pixel 7 Pro, announced at Made by Google on 7th October 2022 and released in Singapore on the 14th, comes in three colours.
Knocki turns any surface into a remote control: tap or knock on it and the device translates that into actions. It raised over US$1.1 million on Kickstarter in 2016 but, after delays, only shipped in April 2019.
The QNAP TS-464 is the latest 4-bay NAS and successor to the TS-453D. The TS-464-4G, with 4GB of RAM, retails for S$929 and runs on a quad-core Intel Celeron processor, shipping with cables and mounting screws.
The DreameBot L10s Ultra is Dreame's flagship robot cleaner. Dreame is part of the Xiaomi ecosystem, distributed exclusively in Singapore by Dasher. It retails for S$1,599, Shopee-exclusive until end September 2022, with early-bird pricing lower.
The Roborock G10 launched in Singapore on 7th July 2022 with an RRP of S$1,699, though double-digit sales days routinely bring it far lower, to around S$999.90 on both Shopee and Lazada.
After more than five years on my first-generation eero, I upgraded to the Wi-Fi 6 eero Pro 6. I grabbed a discounted 3-pack for US$389, well below the usual US$599, shipped to Singapore via HopShopGo.
The Poly Sync 20 is a speakerphone via Bluetooth 5.1 or a USB-A cable. Its three-mic array picks up voices within two metres, paired with a 40mm driver and dual passive radiators. Around S$135 on Amazon.sg.
This review covers the Poly Studio P5 Webcam, part of the Poly Studio P5 Kit with Sync 20+. Most of the kit's contents belong to the Sync 20+ speakerphone, leaving the webcam as the lone item.
My second CalDigit product, the TS4 Thunderbolt 4 Dock was a 38th-birthday gift from my brother in March 2022. Back-ordered at B&H until May, it finally arrived; he paid US$359.95 plus DHL shipping and duties.
Arlo splits its cameras into four lines: Ultra, Pro, Essential, and Go. The Arlo Pro 4 Spotlight Camera sits in the Pro line with 2K HDR recording, a step below the 4K Ultra.