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since 2002
The Plugable DisplayLink 4K Dual Monitor Adapter comes with or without a 1Gbps Ethernet port. Only the Ethernet version (USBC-6950UE) was on Amazon.sg, retailing for S$139; a 5% voucher brought mine down to S$132.05.
I backed the HyperJuice 4-in-1 Magnetic Wireless Charger Stand on Kickstarter in June 2021, pledging US$99 as an early bird. COVID delays pushed shipping from September 2021 to March 2022, when it finally arrived.
Hunting for a replacement for my dead Choetech USB-C to HDMI cable, I found the Sumlett on Lazada for under S$10. It is nylon-braided with gold-plated connectors, though HDMI 1.4 caps it at 4K 30Hz.
The ErgoTune Supreme V3 (2022) is the third iteration of the chair, following the original ErgoTune (2019) and Supreme V2 (2020). With the line well-established, assemblers are now far quicker at setting it up than before.
My 38th birthday, ending nearly a month of blog silence. The first celebration was with Li Xiang at Cure, a one-Michelin-star restaurant serving 'Nua' Irish cuisine by chef-owner Andrew Walsh in a casual yet refined setting.
After a screw punctured my run-flat tyre and the pressure quietly dropped, I learned how handy a portable pump can be. The Xiaomi Mi Portable Electric Air Compressor 1S lets me top up tyres anywhere.
I bought this OEM adjustable aluminium swivel stand for my Google Nest Hub Max on Amazon.sg for S$56.24, since the device's camera angle sits too high. The 5cm stand rotates 360 degrees and tilts 25 degrees.
Looking for a cheaper alternative to the Xiaomi Mi Selfie Stick Tripod, I found the Yunteng version for half the price at S$11.54. The catch: its phone holder doesn't rotate, so switching orientation means unscrewing it.
I'd long wanted the Google Nest Hub Max but balked at its US$229 price plus shipping. A Project KR flash sale on Lazada during the 2/2 event finally let me grab it for a reasonable S$255.60.
LEGO Architecture Singapore 21057 is the line's biggest skyline at 827 pieces, featuring landmarks such as Marina Bay Sands, Lau Pa Sat, The Fullerton, and Gardens by the Bay's Supertree Grove. I ordered it from Shopee for S$89.90.
After getting my Roborock S7, I wanted the Auto-Empty Dock, but it was perpetually out of stock. Checking daily finally paid off when Shopee restocked it on 29th December 2021, and I bought it for S$481.90.
I backed the Sonoff NSPanel Smart Scene Wall Switch on Kickstarter in October 2021, paying about S$85 all-in. It was perhaps the fastest Kickstarter to deliver, fully funded within a month and far exceeding Sonoff's goal.
Stack Overflow's The Key Macropad began as an April Fools' joke before partnering with Drop in September 2021 to make it real. I preordered it for US$58, with slow DHL only delivering it on 30th December.
Looking back at 2021, another COVID-shadowed year but one packed with more gadgets than 2020. On the smart-home front I added an ILife Shinebot W450 mopping robot and a Roborock S7, replacing my ageing Roomba 980.
The KAWS:HOLIDAY exhibition ran in Singapore in November 2021 at The Float @ Marina Bay, featuring a giant 42-metre inflatable of KAWS' Companion figure. Alongside it, the collectible KAWS:HOLIDAY Singapore Figure was sold.
The Apple iPhone Leather Wallet with MagSafe retails for S$89, dropping to S$69 during the 12/12 sale. I finally had a use for one after getting the UOB Absolute Cashback Card, which doesn't support Apple Pay.
FOREO is a Swedish beauty-tech brand best known for its LUNA facial cleansing massagers. I discovered it has electric toothbrushes too, under the ISSA line. The ISSA 3 is its third-generation adult toothbrush, retailing for S$246.
I'd used an ErgoEdge AmpDesk standing desk since 2018, well before COVID made working from home routine and triggered a surge in standing-desk demand. This review looks at my upgrade to the EverDesk Max standing desk.
After my MCO switches dropped off Z-Wave, I moved to Sonoff T2UK Wi-Fi switches. With most lights now on Sonoff, I added the RM 433 remote to control up to eight via 433MHz.
I picked up the Samsung Evo Select 512GB microSDXC UHS-I U3 during Amazon's pre-Black Friday sale for S$75.52, well below its usual S$120. After much research, it's the best-value card for the Nintendo Switch.
After buying a second set of Joy-Con, I needed a way to charge all four. The Dobe Joy-Con Charging Dock is cheap at S$12.90, with USB-C charging and light beams that glow red then green.
With many Nintendo Switch games supporting four players, a second pair of Joy-Con is worth having. Joy-Con come in nine colours across five pairs; since orange is my favourite, I picked Neon Purple/Neon Orange.