Tag: looking back

2024 is the inflation year and is the year I turned 40. Everything went up this year. GST went from 8% to 9% in Singapore. In 2023, GST was increased from 7% to 8%. In hindsight, it might be better to increase from 7% to 9% straightaway rather than break it up into 2 years. The increase in GST twice worsens the inflation.

Gadget
Probably the most interesting gadget I bought in 2024 got to be the Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer.

2023 is the “back to normal” year when most countries ended their COVID-19 restrictions. It feels like we lost three years, all thanks to COVID-19. I hope we will never experience something like that ever again in our lifetime.

Coffee
I jumped onto the coffee-making bandwagon and got myself stuck in the rabbit hole. Here is my setup:

After almost two years plus on-and-off restrictions due to COVID-19, Singapore finally opened up slowly in the year’s second half, and mask-wearing became optional for most places. Finally, we are almost back to normal. I hope in 2023, mask-wearing will become optional on public transport.

Robot Vacuum Cleaner
Thanks to my ex-colleague, JayJay, for the link up, I got into Roborock’s Public relations (PR) list. They have sent me two Roborock cleaners for review, the Roborock Q7 Max and Roborock G10.

Another COVID-19 year has passed, and on 23rd January 2022, will mark’s COVID 2 year mark in Singapore.

I think I have more exciting gadgets this year than in 2020.

This site got a revamped back in April 2020, and in its current iteration, it is version 5.

Smart Home
The only change I did in 2020 was to slowly replaced all my spoiled MCO Z-Wave switches to Sonoff T2UK Wi-Fi Smart Wall Switch. So far, I have already replaced three out of ten, one 4-gang, one 2-gang, and one 1-gang.

Smart Home
Added Amazon Echo Wall Clock, WYFY Beam, and Xiaomi Mi Standing Fan to my Smart Home collection.

I bought a new gaming console, Sony PS4 Pro God of War / The Last of Us Remastered Bundle during 11/11 Singles Day Sales so that I can play Final Fantasy VII Remake on 3rd March 2020.

Smart Home
Didn’t do much to my smart home this year. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Added three new voice assistant devices to my home:

Smart Home
Been staying at my place for almost two years now. With regards to my smart home update, I found out that MCO Touch Panel is not very lasting.

Three of my 1-gang MCO Touch Panel (MH-S411) spoiled. Spoiled in a sense, it doesn’t have power to the unit, and hence I can’t switch on or off my lights. Another of my 4-gang MCO Touch Panel (MH-S314), the Z-wave module inside it spoiled, so I can’t pair it.

Looking Back 2016, I moved into my new house on 14th May 2016. That is probably the biggest change in my life so far.

I managed to make my house into a smart home with Fibaro, SmartThings and a couple of Amazon Echo. You can read about my journey here and here.