This week's edition of Installer features an encore by Nolan, an intriguing new AI gadget, a significant enhancement to a popular notes application, and more.
Greetings, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 136, your definitive guide to the most essential and cutting-edge developments from The Verge. For those joining us for the first time, a warm welcome; I hope your local air quality is better than mine. You can always access previous editions on the Installer homepage.
My recent activities have included recording the upcoming season of Version History—with the current season's finale airing this Sunday!—delving into stories about data center heists, the classic game Backyard Baseball, and the visionary creator of Calvin and Hobbes. I've also cleared my October schedule to experience Digger approximately 30 to 40 times, navigated the new Knockout Tour routes in Mario Kart World, gained an unexpected depth of knowledge about Staten Island thanks to Revisionist History, researched the origins of the very first chatbot, and set up my Flipper Busy Bar, a device I find delightful yet haven't quite figured out how to utilize.
Additionally, I'm excited to share details about the definitive movie of the summer, a substantial update to an excellent note-taking application, a novel app designed for photo organization, and much more. Let's dive in.
As always, the most valuable aspect of Installer comes from your insights and recommendations. What content, activities, or projects are currently engaging you? Please share everything with me at [email protected]. If you know someone who might appreciate Installer, feel free to forward this edition and encourage them to subscribe via this link.
A brief administrative note: Moving forward, special sections like this one will temporarily replace Screen Share for that particular week. Feedback from many of you indicated that some issues were becoming overly extensive, and this adjustment feels like a beneficial compromise that also simplifies my workflow. A true win-win!
Despite claims to the contrary, reading is far from obsolete. A few weeks ago, I invited you to share your personal reading setups—encompassing gadgets, applications, bookstores, bookmark brands, highlighter choices, and every other detail. As expected, your responses were fantastic! Since many of you inquired, before we explore your impressive gear and advice, here's a glimpse into my current setup:
However, enough about my preferences! Here are the most frequently mentioned items and insights I received from you:
One final observation: numerous individuals expressed that managing newsletters effectively remains a challenging and unresolved issue. Do you route everything to a dedicated reading app, an RSS feed, or attempt to organize them within Gmail? The optimal solution is elusive! As you might surmise, I too contend with a substantial volume of newsletters that I struggle to manage. Should you possess any tips, I am eager to hear them. My sincere thanks to everyone who shared their reading setups!
This week, the Installer community is immersed in these recommendations. I'm equally keen to discover what currently captivates you! Please email [email protected] or message me on Signal at @davidpierce.11 with your recommendations for anything and everything, and we'll showcase some of our top picks here each week. For even more excellent suggestions, explore the replies to this post on Threads and this post on Bluesky.
“I am transitioning from Google (Gmail) to an excellent European alternative: Cirrux. With a sync service, you can detach yourself from Big Tech without sacrificing your emails.” — Olaf
“The Ghost in the Shell anime available on Amazon Prime Video is visually stunning, arguably the best-looking content on television. While its lore is incredibly dense, akin to a concrete brick, if you can overlook that complexity, it is absolutely worth watching.” — B Carzo
“Gravity stands out as the best and simplest note-taking app. Unlike most note applications where notes tend to get lost in an ever-growing list, Gravity allows you to pin any note to the top of the page, maintaining its relevance. Its simplicity is truly brilliant.” — Andrew
“My gratitude to Rohit for the 4x3 recommendation in last week’s Installer. The other game on the site, Smush, is equally fantastic. Both offer wonderful, fresh interpretations of games reminiscent of those found in The New York Times.” — Kurt
“I recently ordered the Pebble Index 01 ring. I have a strong desire to dictate short notes to myself, and the act of opening an app on my phone introduces too much friction.” — Anna
“I just completed reading Seek Immediate Shelter by Vincent Yu. The narrative follows a diverse group of individuals in a small town as they receive an emergency 'incoming missile' text, followed approximately 20 minutes later by a 'false alert' message. The book masterfully explores how each person reacts during and after this intense experience. It was truly fantastic.” — Matt
“I recently stumbled upon Joon Lee’s YouTube channel. He provides fantastic, in-depth analyses of current sports and culture from an independent perspective. Spoiler alert: many aspects have been adversely affected by gambling and private equity. In an era dominated by hot takes and clickbait, he offers a refreshing voice that sports media fans desperately need.” — Brett
“I’ve been experimenting with Hypertexting, a novel application that reimagines RSS (and your personal blog) as an open social network. It’s genuinely interesting and holds considerable potential.” — Chris
“This week, I’ve been engrossed in The Interface Series, a sci-fi/horror web serial that originated about 10 years ago. Each chapter was originally posted as a comment in a random, unrelated Reddit thread, but the entire series has since been collated at /r/9M9H9E9. It’s fascinating speculative fiction that brilliantly leverages its unique medium.” — Andie
I have always appreciated the grandeur and immersive power of an IMAX screen, but it wasn't until I recently heard Matt Damon articulate the peculiar experience of acting for an IMAX camera that I truly grasped the remarkable complexity and sophistication of this technology. Consequently, I thoroughly enjoyed this Tested video explaining IMAX projection, this interview with Christopher Nolan on his approach to film formats, this deep dive into the diminishing art of 70mm, and this excellent explainer detailing the overall technology. Alright, Chris, you win; I'll undertake the journey halfway across the state to experience this movie as intended.
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