Acer Swift 1: Budget Laptop with a Unique Value Proposition

Laptops sold in Singapore can generally be classified into two categories: bargain-basement offerings with specifications considered mediocre even eight years ago, or premium offerings that offer the latest in display, storage and processor technologies.

The Acer Swift 1 straddles the rare middle ground, offering a Full HD screen (as compared to the dated 1366×768 offerings seen in virtually all budget laptops), 4GB RAM and up to a 128GB SSD, all for just S$500 (if you know where to look; more on that later). The catch? You're saddled with an Intel Celeron N3350 processor, an Atom-class processor that is far from the fastest thing around.

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Xiaomi Redmi Note 4: Still the Best Budget Phone in 2018

Introduced over a year ago in January 2017, the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is still one of the best phones you can get today for under $200 and $250 (3GB/32GB and 4GB/64GB version respectively). I've been using the 3GB/32GB version since February last year and I thought it deserves a special mention and a long-term review.

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Orchard Central: From Dying to Thriving

When it rains, it pours. In 2009, three shopping malls opened along Orchard Road in succession–Orchard Central, ION Orchard and 313@Somerset. Prior to this, there had been no new mall openings along Singapore's prime shopping belt in over a decade.

Both ION Orchard and 313@Somerset found their footing and thrived rather quickly, in part because they were located right next to the MRT, and in part due to their selection of tenants. Meanwhile, Orchard Central struggled.

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