I know, I know. It’s the 2nd day—or the 3rd day for some—of 2026. But man, we have to do this because these are the things that kept us “alive” in 2025. Life’s beautiful with wonderful gadgets and awesome lifestyle stuff. Now, we are not some mega organization, and our exposure is limited due to, you know, budget constraints. That said, this list is going to be small. However, it will be the truest acknowledgment you will get. Anyhoo, here’s our modest list Best of what I bought:
Best brick-built set I have bought: CaDA 1:10 Mazda 787B C63007W
I wanted to review the CaDA 767B #18—and I will, eventually—because I think it is among the best-looking, if not the best, race car Technic-style builds. It is not perfect, but the silhouette is on point. It boasts quality elements as far as non-LEGO goes, that is. It has a logical design and is suitably reinforced. Building it made me feel like a racecar engineer and pit crew at the same time. And as with any CaDA set, it has zero decals. Whatever graphics you see are all factory-printed, and that, my friends, will always be a win in my books. I cannot find anyone who loves applying stickers/decals. Actually, I do, but only if they are water slides.
CaDA 1:10 Mazda 787B C63007W | US$129.99 | decadastore.com
Best RC toy I have bought: HPI 1/64 Nano-TTR Ford Mustang RTR-X
I’ve bought several RC toys over the years, but man, as far as fun factor goes, the HPI Nano TTR is hands down the funnest. You need a whole lot of space to have fun, and it has got all the works: working headlights, taillights, brake lights, and even signal lights. On top of that, it is FAST—very fast—and it’s fully digital proportional. It has proportional throttle and steering, meaning you get smooth, precise control. And yeah, this ain’t no child’s play.
That’s not to mention it has a handsome 1969 Ford Mustang RTR-X body, based on a collaboration with Vaughn Gittin Jr., complete with Work Meister S1 wheels. Oh, while I did mention it needs only a small space to have fun, you do want a bigger space to go really fast—if not, you’ll be hitting stuff. This thing is, I said it again, FAST.
HPI 1/64 Nano-TTR Ford Mustang RTR-X | US$129.99 | www.hpiracing.com
Best gadget that I have bought: BenQ MA270U 27” 4K UHD Monitor for MacBook
OK. This one here is perhaps not quite fair game, as I only bought two monitors this year. But I have been using it as my daily driver. It is one of the most affordable monitors designed with MacBook users in mind. It boasts a wide P3 color gamut, Mac color tuning, a nano matte anti-glare screen, and USB-C with 90W power delivery. It has all the basics any MacBook may want, but it’s easier on the wallet. That alone is a major win.
It is not perfect. You can nitpick things like why the power button isn’t in the center, and how it stops supplying power to the MacBook when it goes into standby mode, et cetera. But overall, it is one good-looking, MacBook-aesthetic-friendly monitor with almost all the bells and whistles.
BenQ MA270U 27” 4K UHD Monitor for MacBook | US$499.99 | www.benq.com
Best nostalgia that I have bought: The Loyal Subjects M.A.S.K. Reboot Wave 1
Not gonna lie. There wasn’t much nostalgia going on in 2025. There are cameras, consoles, and stuff, but my choice would be the reboot of the 1985 M.A.S.K. toys. Why? Well, for old time’s sake, and because my childhood could only afford Condor (Hocus Pocus on!). It was 9.90 in Singapore at that time. It took me a long time to save up for those dollars. This is true for many of us—and my friends in the U.S., too. It was a luxury for some of us. So I guess it strikes a major nostalgia chord.
Anyhoo, the toys in the ’80s weren’t great in quality, and this nostalgia reboot is, well, the same. Despite that, it still puts a smile on my face every time I look at them. But because I read that the quality sucks, I’m keeping them in the box. And I’ll probably be giving Wave 2 a pass. I wanted Piranha and Hurricane, but I guess the OCD in me cannot accept that we’re paying so many times more for the quality of yesterday. And no, I will not be reviewing them.
M.A.S.K. BBTS Exclusive Vehicle and Action Figure Set Bundle | US$324.99 | theloyalsubjects.com
Best toy that I have bought: Action Toys Heavy Metal Series Mazinger Z Re-issue
I missed this when it was released a few years ago. And let me tell you this: this is one of those toys that defies logic. It does not look great in promo materials, but when you see it in person and start mucking around with it, you will fall in love instantly. Well, if you are a huge mecha fan, that is. It is not toon-accurate. It’s another anime version, but the retro vibe is no less strong. It hits the nail on the head when it comes to the 70s mecha vibe, and most importantly, it handles like a luxury toy. It is hefty—very hefty—and has solid joints that feel super satisfying to work with.
My only gripe is that for a toy this expensive, it lacks accessories. There’s no Jet Scrander, no detachable fist arms to recreate the Rocket Punch, and the Hover Pilder isn’t removable. It only has the Iron Cutters for each arm. Here’s the thing: the back has a connector of sorts, which means it should fit something. Pardon me for not being knowledgeable in this area.
Action Toys Mazinger Z Heavy Metal Mazinger Z Action Figure | US$309.99 | www.actiontoys.com.hk
Best bag I have bought: Pacsafe V Anti-theft Companion Crossbody
You may have read my review on this. I was swept off my feet by it. I have owned so many bags—crossbody and sling bags included—and the Pacsafe V Anti-theft Companion Crossbody has to be at the top of the chart. I was torn between this and the Orbitkey Daily Tote, but eventually this emerged as my choice for this year because, first, the Daily Tote was on the hefty side for what it is, and secondly, I didn’t actually buy it, so it does not qualify as “best… I have bought.”
I don’t need to say more about this bag. However, I did note a few shortfalls after long-term usage. It cannot stand on its own, and the zippers are also kinda difficult to secure when you have the bag slung across your body. The soft top offers no leverage. The outer compartment is reduced to minimal use—i.e., for thin objects—if the main compartment is packed. Understandably so, because the bag is crafted from rather thick materials to resist slashes. But all in all, it is an excellent bag that I highly recommend.
Pacsafe V Anti-theft Companion Crossbody | US$109.95 | pacsafe.com
Best consumer electronics that I have bought: Xiaomi TV S Mini LED 2025
I’ve had many TVs in my life, but this is the first time ever that I’m actually impressed by one. Given the price, the Xiaomi TV S Mini LED is a steal, and yes, it is a Mini LED—or more specifically, QD-Mini LED. It combines the best of Quantum Dot color enhancement with Mini-LED backlighting. I bought it just to play Black Myth: Wukong. It is a 4K 120 Hz TV, but it has a gaming mode where it gets boosted to 144 Hz. My previous TV just couldn’t keep up. Fast-paced action would result in screen freezing. TBH, I knew high refresh rates were good for gaming, but I never knew they were this critical.
On the Xiaomi TV S Mini LED, black is actually black—like on an OLED—but with no risk of burn-in, which makes it perfect as a PC monitor. I know, the size is ridiculous, but that’s what I’m using it for anyway. It also brings deeper contrast and more accurate colors. It is a 4K UHD TV with 308 local dimming zones, 1,200 nits peak brightness, a wide color gamut, and support for Dolby Vision IQ, HDR10+, IMAX Enhanced, and Filmmaker Mode. In the audio department, it has Dolby Atmos stereo speakers (2 × 12.5W).
Under the hood, it runs Google TV OS, and on the hardware end, it packs a quad Cortex-A73 CPU, Mali-G52 GPU, 3GB RAM, and 32GB storage. Aesthetically, it’s pretty slim, has super-narrow bezels, and overall, is quite a sight to behold.
Xiaomi TV S Mini LED 2025 | S$849.00 | www.mi.com
Worthy mention—Gadgets: Bus Aunty Bus Arrival Display for Home
You know how, in some countries, you can check bus schedules from an app? And how in certain countries, some bus stops have digital bus schedules? Well, Bus Aunty brings this to you on a photo-frame-like device. It’s from a Singapore maker/TikToker, Linotok. Bus Aunty basically pulls real-time information from Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) DataMall and presents it on an e-ink display mounted in a 3D-printed frame.
You can set up to four bus stops. It displays two bus stops at a time and refreshes every 30 seconds to show the next two. It displays the bus service numbers available at each stop and the next two arrival times. It will even indicate whether it’s a single-deck or double-deck bus. If it’s a double-decker, it shows an icon of a double bus—well, it’s a little abstract, but you know what it is. You can place Bus Aunty on a desk or mount it on a wall. It’s USB-C powered.
The build is not da best, but it looks good and works great. Perfect for when I’m getting ready to head out.
Bus Aunty Bus Arrival Display for Home | S$120.00 | busaunty.com
