3,440 posts
since 2002
I bought the Aeon Labs Aeotec Z-Wave Smart Switch 6 from Automate Asia for S$110, so new it wasn't yet on their site. After the Fibaro Starter Kit hooked me on energy monitoring, I added these for my always-on appliances.
The OnePlus 3 arrives in Singapore from 4th July 2016, exclusively online via Lazada until 30th July. From the 30th, it reaches retail stores and telcos at an RRP of S$699. Only one variant is offered.
When I wanted to make my home smarter, I engaged Automate Asia, which I'd come across in the local news. Not a sponsored post, I paid for their services. A shout-out to Mike and the team for their great help.
Thanks to Sudio, I'm giving away one Sudio Vasa Bla worth S$165 to a lucky reader, who'll receive their preferred colour. The Vasa Bla wireless earphones come in four colours; check out my review to learn more.
Samsung Pay launches in Singapore from 16th June 2016, supporting the Galaxy Note 5, S6 edge+, S7, and S7 edge. Singapore is the fifth country after Spain, China, the US, and South Korea, partnering Amex, MasterCard, Visa, and major banks.
Igloohome is a Singapore smart-home startup that raised US$1.25 million in seed funding, led by Wavemaker Partners with Singtel Innov8 and DreamIt Ventures. Its first product is the Igloohome Smart Lock, which I review here.
Sudio is a little-known Swedish earphone brand from Stockholm, with four series: TVA, KLANG, VASA, and VASA BLA. The entry TVA is S$65 with a one-button remote, while KLANG steps up to a three-button mic remote.
I backed the MOGICS Power Donut/Bagel on Kickstarter in February 2016, a project that raised US$437,738 from 9,882 backers. Both are circular travel power strips designed to save space, each packing five power sockets. This covers the Power Bagel.
During SmartThings' Spring sale and a follow-up Memorial Day promotion until 4th June 2016, most products were 20% off, on both the SmartThings store and Amazon. I bought my items from Amazon, since they qualified for free AmazonGlobal Saver shipping.
Leagoo is a little-known Chinese smartphone brand under Shenzhen OTEDA Technology. It has launched its first Singapore phone, the Leagoo Shark 1, retailing for S$399 at various mobile retailers, though not yet at telcos. This is the unboxing.
A month after Apple Pay launched for AMEX in Singapore, support for VISA and MasterCard has arrived. Not all banks are included, though: the initial rollout supports credit cards from just five, POSB, DBS, OCBC, UOB, and Standard Chartered.
The ZUS Smart Car Charger is nonda's latest, a smart hardware startup founded in December 2014 in Palo Alto. ZUS began on Indiegogo, raising US$273,165, and nonda has more coming, including the ZUS Kevlar Charging Cable and a USB-C Hub+.
The Lomography Lomo'Instant grew from a Kickstarter two years ago, raising US$1,118,333 from 8,448 backers. Several designs are available, priced from S$168 to S$258 on Lomography's store. It uses Fuji Instax Mini film, at S$13.90 for a ten-shot pack.
I backed the Flip British Plug on Kickstarter in November 2015, a project that raised £28,115 from 1,140 backers. I chose the £14 reward, paying about £19 with shipping for one Flip Quad, a thin, foldable British plug.
The Apple Magic Keyboard retails for S$148, the successor to the Apple Wireless Keyboard at S$98. It's S$50 pricier because Apple finally ditched AA batteries for a built-in rechargeable one, charged via a Lightning cable, giving it a sleeker profile.
Thanks to Lomography, I'm giving away one Lomo'Instant worth S$258 to a lucky winner. To enter, like the Lomography Singapore and lesterchan.net Facebook pages, share this post, and answer a simple question via the linked Google form.
Circles.Life is a Singapore consumer brand of Liberty Wireless, founded by three entrepreneurs with backgrounds at Temasek, McKinsey, and StarHub. As a mobile virtual network operator, it's sometimes called Singapore's fourth telco. This covers its price plans.
I bought the Anker PowerLine+ Lightning Cable (0.9m) from Amazon for US$13.99. Since it doesn't ship to Singapore directly, I forwarded it via HopShopGo. It comes in four lengths, from 0.3m at US$12.99 up to 3m at US$16.99.
I bought the TP-Link 8-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch (TL-SG108) from Challenger VivoCity for S$43, my first TP-Link product, for my new house. I'd weighed it against D-Link's metal-cased DGS-108 at S$55 but chose the cheaper TP-Link.
I bought the Apple Magic Mouse 2 for S$119 after my old Magic Mouse failed, its cursor frozen despite swapping batteries and Macs. The new model swaps AA batteries for a built-in rechargeable one.
I submitted my site to publish Facebook Instant Articles last Thursday, and it was approved today, faster than the stated 24-48 hour review. I use Automattic's official Instant Articles for WP plugin to generate the feed.
After last October's announcement, Apple Pay is finally live in Singapore, with American Express the first supported card; VISA and MasterCard follow soon. It works at stores including Din Tai Fung, FairPrice, Starbucks, Uniqlo, and Shaw Theatres.