As far as I can tell, the little pads are for a 3.3V surface mount voltage regulator but I'm not sure about the package style/size I need. After searching, it looks like SOT-89 might be it but I'd appreciate the confirmation.
Also, from various sites that sell these boards, they say the voltage regulator pads are "jumpered", i.e., direct connection for 3.3V supply at the edge connector when not using a voltage regulator. I can confirm the Vcc edge connector pin has a direct connection to the ESP-12 Vcc pad. What do I need to do if I put a voltage regulator on there? I'm guessing I need to remove the 0R resistor (dead short) which seems to be acting as the "jumper" link. Am I correct?
Cheers,
Brian