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since 2002
The Mophie Wireless Charging Base is one of two Apple-endorsed chargers that fast-charge the iPhone 8/8 Plus/X at 7.5W; my benchmarks confirm non-endorsed pads don't. It retails for S$99 at Apple, though I picked one up in Japan.
The Liberty+ is a true wireless earbud from Zolo Audio, an Anker brand. It came from a hugely successful Kickstarter, raising US$2.8 million from 25,412 backers, helped by Anker's mentorship, before launching on 21st June 2017.
The Apple Watch 42mm Black Sport Loop retails for S$78 in Singapore. I bought mine at Apple Omotesando in Tokyo for about S$68. I'd hoped to use Yodobashi's 5% VISA discount, but their strap selection was limited.
Apple Watch Series 3 in Space Black Stainless Steel with Milanese Loop isn't sold in Singapore. None of the high-end models, Stainless Steel, Edition, or Hermes, are, because they come only in GPS + Cellular, unsupported by local telcos.
The Adidas 3D Gym Sack and 3D Roll Top Backpack look like Issey Miyake designs, but it's not a collaboration. Both are sold in Adidas Originals stores in Japan, the Roll Top Backpack retailing around S$129.
Having bought the 1.5m Nomad Universal Cable from South Korea, I wanted the shorter 0.3m version too. The 1.5m is great from a wall outlet but too bulky coiled, so the 0.3m suits charging from a power bank.
My brother helped me get my first Yeezy, the Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 v2 in Blue Tint. Launched on 16th December 2017 at S$349, it features a tinted blue upper with contrasting red lettering and a mirrored 'SPLY-350' mark.
Looking back at 2017, almost two years into my home, my MCO Touch Panel smart switches proved unreliable. Three 1-gang units lost power entirely, and the Z-Wave module in a 4-gang panel failed.
I bought the Anker PowerPort Qi 10W from Amazon for US$19.49, down from US$25.99 thanks to an exclusive Kinja Deals coupon. Handily, some Anker products, including this one, ship directly to Singapore for a small fee.
The KeySmart MagConnect is the brand's latest accessory, a magnetic take on the Quick Disconnect that lets you easily attach and detach key fobs from your KeySmart. The magnet is strong, and it retails for US$9.99.
Google's US Store makes it hard for non-US buyers, but the Google Home Mini's 40% discount to US$29, from US$49, was tempting. I've ordered from it without trouble, needing only a US VPN and US Google account.
I bought the Sony XB950B1 Extra Bass Wireless Headphones from Amazon for US$98 during Black Friday 2017, down from US$128. They qualified for free AmazonGlobal shipping above US$125. The same headphones cost S$269 in Singapore, 50% more expensive.
I bought the Anker Micro USB to USB-C Adapter from Amazon for US$6.99, a two-pack working out to US$3 each. It ships directly to Singapore. I needed them to keep using my spare Micro-USB cables with USB-C power banks.
The Synology DS918+ is the flagship 4-bay NAS in the Plus Series, announced at Computex 2017 and released that October. Retailing for S$811 at Fuwell, it costs S$100 more than the DS418play, adding a quad-core processor and 4GB RAM.
A day after ending free AmazonGlobal shipping, Amazon launched Amazon Prime in Singapore, as many suspected. It costs S$8.99 a month, or just S$2.99 as an introductory offer of unspecified duration, and comes with a 30-day free trial.
After four and a half years, Amazon appears to be ending its free AmazonGlobal Saver Shipping to Singapore. Items I bought during Black Friday 2017 that qualified no longer do, signalling the end of the popular program.
Passport is Zendure's world-first fail-safe global travel adapter. Its Kickstarter, launched in June 2017, raised US$217,053 from 4,887 backers. It shipped to me that November. The standout feature is an auto-resetting fuse to protect your devices.
My Synology DS415play was showing its age, often failing to stream video via Plex to my Apple TV 4K and forcing a VLC workaround. This post looks at the DS418play, the natural upgrade to address those streaming bottlenecks.
Zero Latency, a free-roam multiplayer virtual reality gaming experience, has landed in Singapore as its 14th branch worldwide, after cities in Japan, the US, Spain, and Australia. It's brought in by Tomorrow Entertainment, who also own Bounce Singapore.
Following my unboxing post, the Huawei Mate 10 Pro scored 173,824 on AnTuTu, about 44% faster than last year's Mate 9, largely on 3D and UX gains. I'm glad Huawei shrank the top and bottom bezels.
As I planned to upgrade my Synology DS216+ to the DS918+, which supports two M.2 NVMe SSDs for fast cache, Synology connected me with Samsung, which sponsored two Samsung 960 Evo NVMe M.2 1TB SSDs for the build.
The Huawei Mate 10 Pro is officially available in Singapore today for S$1,098, from Huawei Concept Stores, telcos, Lazada, and electronics retailers like Courts and Harvey Norman. Two colours are offered, Mocha Brown and Midnight Blue.