2) For my Subox, I kept seeing this brand of cotton to make wicks recommended here and we could find it at shoppers, anyone know what I'm talking about?

Shisedo cotton pads. They're ok but they're bleached, if that bothers you. I used Muji but there's others that are suitable.

3) Has much changed over the last 3-4 years or barely in terms of vaping in general? How does the subox stand?

It's still a viable option if you like a basic vape. I used them for years but switched to the Aromamizer Plus; big tank, big deck, great clouds, never leaks. Of course there's lots of other good options out there, depending on whether you like prebuilt heads, build your own, etc.