I have used these products personally and really find them worth buying. Listing them down to help any one out there thinking of what to get!

  • Ipad Air + Ipad Pencil (Gen 2)

If you are someone who has to read documents, write or draw a lot in your daily life, I can’t recommend the Ipad Air and the Ipad Pencil enough. I used to only have an Ipad and a non-Apple stylus but the palm rejection technology really makes it worthwhile to pay more for the Pencil. With the latest PadOS updates, there is a significant improvement to handwriting recognition, which makes taking notes and keyword search afterwards so much more efficient. The ability to use the Ipad as an external monitor or simply to spilt screen within Ipad itself, makes multi-tasking so much smoother especially when taking notes while reading ebooks or pdfs.

Some apps that I would recommend using on the Ipad:

Libby – for borrowing ebooks and audiobook from the library

CollaNote [Must Try] – for collaborative notetaking, drawing experience

Both apps are available for free so no harm giving them a try!

 

  • Macbook Pro

It may take you some time to learn the shortcuts, but once you get the hang of it, you won’t believe why it took you so long to change to a Macbook (sorry windows users!). And what’s more your macbook will continue to run smoothly even after 4 or 5 years of usage without lagging. If you are the impatient kind, I think investing in a Macbook is bang for the buck.

And definitely don’t forget to try out the super time-saver automation function. Whether it’s converting image format from webp to png, or batch renaming of files (esp if you have to import images, etc. often), it’s just magical how Automator do all these within seconds for me.

A major complaint that I do have is that you only have two USB-C ports on the machine. If you use one of it to plug into the power for the macbook pro, you are left with only one port. It’s likely that you will need a usb-c hub if you still want to connect to your usb drive, or usb mouse, etc. Luckily, I think this situation will improve since we are moving towards USB-C (which charges and downloads faster than USB-A) but I was still disappointed with this since I have paid so much!

  • Elecom Trackball

The reason I got this is mainly because I wanted a mouse that connects either via USB-C or wirelessly and this trackball does all 3. In addition, there are more than 5 buttons for you to click on the mouse, which you can customize the function to your own liking if you like shortcuts like me. Friends have also said that using the trackball has helped to alleviate pain in their shoulders, so if you are looking for a new mouse, I would definitely recommend that you give this a try!

Other things I would recommend:

  • Apple Watch Series 6

I used to think that Apple Watch is an overpriced accessory but the new functions in Series 6 changed my mind. With the addition of ECG and oximeter that allows the wearer to check heart beat and oxygen level, it really helped me to check on my heart health. It was particularly useful for me after I had my 2nd jab of the Moderna vaccine. I was feeling kind of funny and realized that my heart rate was actually higher than my usual resting heart rate. So I was really glad that I had been wearing it to monitor my health.

For those who are actually worried about the price, I would recommend enrolling in the Lumi Health App, which has a health program with Singapore’s Health Promotion Board. By taking part and logging health activities, you can actually receive up to $380 for the program, more than making up for half the value of the Apple Watch Series 6.

Do note that although the Apple Watch Series SE is cheaper, it does not come with the ECG monitoring function.

  • Dyson Hair Dryer

Have been using this for a few years, and it has definitely made my hair smoother and more manageable. When I first used it, I thought it was overpriced but I have now changed my opinion about it.

The air is strong and comes with different attachments that makes it easy for you to style your hair accordingly. At the same time, this hair dryer is definitely much quieter than other hair dryers and helps me achieve smoother and straighter hair in less time. If you have unruly hair, please give it a try!