Pokonboy 13-in-1 Solar Robot Creation Kit ($41.33 from Amazon.sg Prime)
Nothing excites a child more than being able to build a toy that moves.
My 10-year-old daughter is still playing with a wooden toy robot she made last year using tools supplied by KiwiCo, a subscription service that delivers science kits for various age groups. She learnt how circuits work and to connect wires to a battery to power the robot’s arms and legs.
Pokonboy’s 13-in-1 Solar Robot Creation Kit takes the science project one step further by introducing the concept of renewable energy – the perfect toy for sunny Singapore. It comes with 13 designs and 190 parts, including a solar panel, for assembling and reassembling to keep the child entertained.
It is definitely on my Christmas wishlist – I will do whatever it takes to limit my child’s screen time.
Fujifilm X-Pro3 (Dura Black, $2,999, body only)
Street photography was my first love and thus, so were rangefinder cameras, which will always be associated with street photography due to their usage by legendary photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Capa.
I used to own a Voigtlander Bessa R film rangefinder, but sold it a decade ago.
Now, the Fujifilm X-Pro3 has piqued my interest again. While not a rangefinder, this 26.1-megapixel mirrorless camera is styled like one. It has a hybrid viewfinder that works both as an optical and electronic viewfinder.
Furthermore, it has a 1.28-inch E-ink display at its rear that shows only film simulation and ISO settings, making it look very much like a film rangefinder.
Now, when is that bonus coming?
Mixcder E10 headphones (about $78)
In my job, I have been lucky enough to try the best tech gizmos. But when it comes to buying my own gadgets, I am fairly frugal and get a kick out of finding products that offer good value for money. This is why the Mixcder E10 active noise cancelling (ANC) headphones are on my list.
Mixcder is one of the many lesser-known audio brands that have been around for a while. Its latest E10 Bluetooth headphones were launched in September. At around $78 (from its official store on AliExpress), the E10 is a cheaper alternative than top active noise cancellation headphones from the likes of Bose and Sony that usually cost more than $400.
Mixcder claims that its ANC system can reduce 96 per cent of ambient low-frequency sound. It also has Bluetooth 5.0, aptX support and a fast-charging feature that takes around five minutes to replenish the headphones for three hours of usage.
The proof, though, is in the listening – I cannot wait for the headphones to arrive.
Ember Temperature Controlled Mug 2 ($169 from ember.com)
Work days can get long and a hot beverage can do wonders, such as giving me that extra boost to get through the day. Unfortunately, in the rush to meet deadlines, I sometimes forget to drink my hot beverages and they quickly lose their comforting heat.
Enter the Ember Temperature Controlled Mug. With its temperature sensors to keep my tea, coffee or hot honey lemon between 50 and 62.5 deg C, never again will I be disappointed by a beverage gone cold. The mug maintains the chosen temperature for about 90 minutes on a full charge.
There is an accompanying app to customise preset temperatures and send me notifications when my desired temperature is reached. Most importantly, the mug’s sleek aesthetic is my cup of tea.
Dyson Airwrap Complete ($699, from dyson.com.sg or at retailers)
Girls with curly locks always try to iron out their hair, while straight-haired girls like me long for the luscious waves seen on the heads of Victoria’s Secret models.
Unfortunately, hair-salon perms either fail to last or make me look like Medusa, while I also lack the hand-eye coordination to manually style my hair on my own using traditional electric hair curlers.
This is why the Dyson Airwrap Complete is the perfect answer – the hair-styling tool uses what it calls the Coanda effect to create a vortex of air, automatically wrapping hair around the barrel to create natural curls.
It also operates on temperatures no higher than 150 deg C – much cooler than typical curling tongs that go up to 250 deg C – meaning my hair will not get damaged and my clumsy fingers will not get burnt.
For the sake of my vanity and safety, I need this.
Asus Rog Zephyrus S GX701 ($4,998)
Cloud gaming is supposed to be the future, but with Google Stadia’s rather rough launch last month, I will not be giving up on the good old gaming PC or laptop just yet.
Thin and light, the Asus Rog Zephyrus S GX701 has top-of-the-line specs, including an RTX 2080 Max-Q graphics card, but that is hardly the main reason for it being on my wishlist.
No, one does not simply buy a gaming laptop like the Zephyrus for gaming alone.
Like with a Ferrari, part of the pleasure of owning a Zephyrus is the feeling of having all that mechanical power at one’s fingertips, inciting awe-struck and envious looks from those in the know. That said, I could well end up mostly just sending e-mail or doing something ho-hum on it.
The Valve Index (US$999 or S$1,360)
In March, game developer Valve will release Half-Life: Alyx, the prequel to the legendary game Half-Life 2, making it the first new title in the series in 15 years.
It is also the first virtual reality (VR) entry in the series, so what better way to enjoy the game than with Valve Index – Valve’s own VR headset and controllers? The two controllers, which you strap to your hands, can measure squeeze pressure and detect individual finger motion – tech which is sure to be implemented as part of the gameplay in Alyx. For crisp visuals, the headset has two 1,440p LCD displays running at 120Hz, with a built-in slider to optimise the distance between the screens and your eyes.
The Index does not ship here, but VPost or a shipping alternative should have me covered. It is on the higher end of headsets, but I should experience the game the way it is meant to be played.
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