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since 2002
Amazon.sg now stocks the Amazon Echo (4th Generation) and Echo Dot (4th Generation) in international versions with the correct plug. The Echo retails for S$141 plus shipping, though some Alexa skills remain unavailable in certain countries.
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.
Apple refreshed its set-top box at the 21st April 2021 event, keeping the Apple TV 4K name as the 2nd Generation. Given Apple TV's long product cycles, it's worth buying at launch.
I bought the Sonos Beam during Shopee's 5/5 sale for just S$509, well below its S$699 retail. It replaces my Samsung 2.1 soundbar, which came free with a Samsung TV I've found disappointing.
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 Apple AirTag Loop comes in two variants. The Polyurethane Loop offers four colours, including Electric Orange, for S$45 (S$40.66 on EPP), while the Leather Loop comes in Saddle Brown or Product Red for S$59.
If Apple's AirTag Leather Key Ring feels too pricey, OEM versions are cheap. I bought two from Shopee at S$3.32 each. The silicone holder comes in six colours, though the non-stainless metal ring will eventually rust.
The Apple AirTag Leather Key Ring retails for S$55, or S$49.22 on the EPP, in Baltic Blue, Saddle Brown, and Product Red. With a stainless steel ring and soft French leather holder, it feels premium, if pricey.
Apple finally launched its own lost-item tracker, the AirTag. I got mine on 4th May 2021, because I opted for engraving. Pricing is competitive: S$45 for a 1-pack and S$149 for a 4-pack.
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 AirPods Max's anodised aluminium cups scratch easily, and once marked they're hard to unsee. So I grabbed an OEM silicone cover from Shopee for S$3.19. It fits well and comes in five colours.
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.
I bought this OEM Portable Laptop Stand from Lazada for S$14.50 during the 4/4 sale. It comes in two variants: a cheaper plastic P1 Pro and the aluminium N3, each in three colours.
A step-by-step guide to installing Ubuntu Server on a Synology NAS. You download the roughly 1GB Ubuntu Server ISO, install Virtual Machine Manager from Package Center, and create a virtual machine from the image.
Since the Apple HomePod Mini isn't officially sold in Singapore, I bought mine from a Shopee shop, monmartechnology. Priced at S$155 in black or white, a CitiBank voucher brought it down to S$145.
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.
My 37th birthday, celebrated jointly with my brother, whose birthday falls just four days after mine. We dined with family at JAAN by Kirk Westaway, a one-Michelin-star restaurant atop Swissotel The Stamford in Singapore.
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.
After dismantling my slow USB 2.0 Western Digital enclosures to reuse the bare drives at faster speeds, I needed somewhere safe to store them. To my surprise, dedicated hard-shell HDD storage cases exist for exactly this purpose.
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.
The Smart Case bundled with the AirPods Max barely protects the headphones, so I sought a proper carrying case. I picked the cheapest well-rated OEM option on Shopee, a hard EVA shell case for S$15.19 that fits perfectly.