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since 2002
If you're visiting Singapore as a tourist or on business and plan to buy mobile phones, gadgets, computers, or components, this post is for you. Hopefully you'll find it via Google beforehand. First, do not buy anything from Lucky Plaza.
Two years after buying the MicroSIM Cutter, I picked up the NanoSIM Cutter, also from Deal Extreme. Both are made by NOOSY. It cost US$6.60 with free shipping. I ordered on 6th November 2012 and received it on the 28th.
The Nokia Lumia 820 and Lumia 920 arrive in Singapore from 8th December 2012 at Nokia retail stores and telco shops, having first been announced on 6th September. The Lumia 820 costs S$699 without contract, available in Black or White.
The Cisco Linksys EA6500 succeeds the EA4500 and is now in stores for S$349. It uses the new 802.11ac wireless technology, still under development, to deliver near-gigabit wireless speeds. Most AC routers currently reach a theoretical maximum of 1.3Gbps.
The Asus PadFone 2, successor to the original PadFone, goes on sale in Singapore from 22nd November 2012 at authorised Asus retailers and StarHub Shops, seemingly a StarHub exclusive. The 32GB PadFone 2 with Station costs S$1,099, or S$848.
The Toshiba FlashAir is a no-frills take on the Flucard Pro and Eye-Fi Pro. Distributed in Singapore by Trek 2000, it retails for around S$100. Since Trek doesn't enforce an RRP, I can't quote an official price. Only the 8GB.
I'd always wanted to experiment with NFC tags to automate tasks. My iPhone 5 lacks NFC, but my work phone, the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 LTE, has it. Samsung's TecTiles weren't available in Singapore yet, so I tried Tapway's instead.
StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm launches on 12th March 2013, though Singapore gets it a day earlier on the 11th. It retails here for S$49.90, or MYR125 in Malaysia. A Licence2Play exclusive pre-order event runs at Marina Bay Sands.
Happy 28th birthday to my dearest wifey! I didn't get you a present this year, unless the Pixel Ruler I bought last month counts. I promise more effort next year. Tonight I've found a few ice cream spots.
I bought the Apple Lightning to Micro USB Adapter from the Apple Online Store for S$28. It was initially Europe-only, since EU law requires phones sold there to support Micro USB. Last Saturday, Apple made it available worldwide.
On 1st November 2012, Sanyo announced new and improved eneloop Rechargeable Batteries, model HR-3UTGB, replacing the older HR-3UTGA. They boast a 20% longer lifespan, around 1,800 recharge cycles, and improved storage, retaining 70% of their capacity even after five years.
I'm proud that Singapore made the tech news last week with the world's thinnest 2.5-inch hybrid hard drive. Just 5mm thick, it stores 1TB of regular HDD plus 32GB of SSD. The challenge was shrinking the 7mm drive by 30%.
Aftershock is a Singapore-based company making gaming laptops, so unless you're into gaming you've probably not heard of them. Based in Singapore, the team of hardware junkies, gamers, and IT professionals builds custom gaming notebooks aimed at the highest performance.
On 30th October 2012, Lenovo announced a new range of convertible devices designed for Windows 8. It calls them convertibles, not laptops, because they're more than ordinary notebooks. The IdeaPad Yoga 13 and Yoga 11 rotate their screens 360 degrees.
Announcing the winner of my Logitech G930 review and giveaway, held on 1st October 2012. Congratulations to @EmilyMallare, whose winning tweet praised how 7.1 surround sound keeps her covered, from footsteps to gunshots. You've won a brand new Logitech G930.
Google has announced the Nexus 4, Nexus 10, and an updated Nexus 7. The Nexus 4, its fourth Nexus phone and made by LG, packs a 4.7-inch 1280x768 display, an 8MP rear camera, a quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro, 2GB RAM.
Microsoft launches Windows 8 today. Until 31st January 2013, Windows XP, Vista, and 7 users can download Windows 8 Pro for S$49.99. Those who bought a Windows 7 PC between 2nd June 2012 and 31st January 2013 also qualify.
At this morning's event, Apple refreshed the iMac, Mac mini, and iPad, and introduced two new products: the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display and the iPad mini. Apple also seems to be dropping the 'new iPad' name.
The Elevation Dock was the 8th Kickstarter project I backed, on 7th February 2012. It funded just days later, raising US$1,464,706 against a US$75,000 goal. It was meant to ship that April, but delays meant I only received it later.
The Canon EOS M is now available in Singapore as of 20th October 2012, at authorised Canon dealers. The EOS M Kit, pairing the body with an EF-M 18-55mm IS STM lens in Black or Red, costs S$1,149.
The Samsung Galaxy Note II, announced about two months ago at IFA 2012, is now available in Singapore. As of 20th October 2012, the Galaxy Note II LTE retails for a recommended S$998 without contract, including 7% GST.
Lytro is now available in Singapore, with Qool Labs as the official distributor here and in Hong Kong. The 8GB model retails for S$648, in Electric Blue or Graphite, while the 16GB costs S$778, only in Red Hot.