Hello, buddies! Welcome to Installer No. 83, your information to the most effective and Verge-iest stuff on this planet. (If you happen to’re new right here, welcome, please don’t spoil Andor for me, and likewise you possibly can learn all of the previous editions on the Installer homepage.)
This week, I’ve been studying about Mission: Unattainable and Sam Altman’s kitchen and unhealthy roommates, ranting to PJ Vogt about all of the methods I’m attempting to make use of my telephone much less, writing all my scratch notes in Antinote, deciding to be cautiously optimistic about The Paper, rewatching the final season of Mythic Quest, watching and studying about life as an air visitors controller, attempting to restart a meditation follow after discovering I get Headspace by means of work, and utilizing Ludex to see if any of my sports activities playing cards are value something. Up to now… they’re not.
I even have for you a pair of headphones you’re virtually assured to like, two new sci-fi exhibits to take a look at, the brand new Airbnb, and far more. Let’s dive in.
(As all the time, the most effective a part of Installer is your concepts and ideas. What are you studying / watching / listening to / enjoying / carrying round in a backpack this week? What ought to everybody else be simply as into as you’re proper now? Inform me every little thing: [email protected]. And if you already know another person who may take pleasure in Installer, ahead it to them and inform them to subscribe right here.)
Some private information: I’m having one other child! I’m occurring depart someday across the starting of July, and can be gone for the summer season scoping sick child devices, devising sophisticated spreadsheet-based techniques for monitoring consuming habits, and as soon as once more testing each recreation I can discover that’s playable one-handed.
Excellent news, although: you’ll be in good fingers once I’m gone. The Verge’s Jay Peters goes to be taking up Installer for a few months, discovering and sharing all the great things similar to all the time. (Finest I can inform thus far, Jay likes wonky indie video games the way in which I like note-taking apps, so get able to refill your consoles in a rush this summer season.) You’ll be listening to from him right here a bit for the following a number of weeks, too, however I’m not going wherever simply but.
As he begins to get ramped up for all issues Installer, I figured one of the best ways for us all to get to know Jay could be to have him share his homescreen. It’s simply the worth of admission ’spherical these elements. Right here it’s, plus some information on the apps he makes use of and why:
The telephone: An iPhone 16 Professional I bought earlier this yr. I upgraded from an iPhone 12 Mini that I miss desperately — the iPhone 16 Professional is simply too heavy and too massive for me.
The wallpaper: A grey gradient I made utilizing Apple’s built-in wallpaper instruments. I’ve tried the all-black background, however I discover it jarring once I open an app and immediately a notch or Dynamic Island seems. I made the apps grey so that they’re much less visually stimulating, and as a relentless reminder that I ought to in all probability be doing one thing aside from scrolling on my telephone.
The apps: Cellphone, Calendar, Pictures, Digicam, Voice Memos, Apple Maps, Clock, Settings, Messages, Notes, Reminders.
As a lot as attainable, I depend on Apple’s inventory apps as a result of they sync properly between my telephone and my Mac. (Voice Memos is a very helpful one in my line of labor!) I additionally hold my homescreen fairly tidy by shoving many of the few apps I carry on my telephone into the App Library. If I’m actively testing or utilizing one for no matter purpose, it briefly lives on the high below the 2 widgets.
The countdown widget comes from an app known as Days Since. I’m a newish dad to a really early riser, and I spotted final yr that even one glass of wine made me a step too sluggish to maintain up with my lively child. I’ve set a objective to not drink for a yr simply to see if I can do it, and thus far, so good.
I additionally requested Jay to share a number of issues he’s into proper now. Right here’s what he despatched again:
Right here’s what the Installer neighborhood is into this week. I need to know what you’re into proper now as properly! E mail [email protected] or message me on Sign — @davidpierce.11 — together with your suggestions for something and every little thing, and we’ll characteristic a few of our favorites right here each week. For much more nice suggestions, try the replies to this publish on Threads and this publish on Bluesky.
“Acquired my new Minimal Cellphone per week in the past and it’s glorious. There are nonetheless some points to be resolved, however general there’s a ton of potential for this idea of a wise dumb telephone.” — Robert
“At the moment studying: Co-Intelligence: Dwelling and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick. It’s implausible thus far, and has already modified my thoughts a bit on the entire AI factor.” — Matt
“Morsle, the each day phrase recreation that offers you the morse code of a 5 letter phrase to guess.” — Kev
“I used to be a person of Ranges for a very long time to trace my glucose, however didn’t understand now you can purchase a Dexcom Stelo for $80 on Amazon and it integrates into Oura ring to grasp extra about your holistic well being. It’s an awesome various for those who’re considering monitoring your glucose.” — Will
“My fav low cost headphones that I exploit most days are the Sony MDRZX110NC, that are sort of noise cancelling, however nothing fancy. My ‘actual’ headphones are the MDR-V6 and the long-discontinued MDR-V700DJ that I’ve principally retired. Not likely a lot of a wi-fi man since I similar to to plug stuff in.” — Ben
“Obtained the early chook entry to Subo app! It’s an impartial app to trace your subscriptions, appears fairly too!” — Kevin
“The brand new season of Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman’s motorcycle travelogue present on Apple TV Plus has began, this time titled Lengthy Approach Residence. Only a nice present for lifting your spirits and for exhibiting the enjoyment of partaking with and having fun with different cultures.” — Andy
“I bought the Siete Churro Strips from Wegman’s final week, and I’ve been crumbling them up and placing them on my vanilla ice cream at evening. It’s so good to get that little little bit of crunch with the vanilla ice cream.” — Ben
“Dialing in my work-from-home setup this week. How come nobody talks about the truth that you possibly can daisychain screens with DisplayPort 1.2 cables?! Additionally, I’m procuring round for a footrest for beneath the desk, and I don’t know the place to begin.” — Jeremy
I used to be in New York for a few days this week, engaged on an enormous new challenge I’m very excited to share with all of you… later. One factor I bought to do as a part of the challenge was a deep dive into previous Vines, and you already know what? Vine was superior, y’all. A lot of that platform is now fully gone, however there’s nonetheless a lot great things in YouTube compilations and different YouTube compilations and nonetheless different YouTube compilations.
If you happen to weren’t round on the time, a few of it would make completely no sense, however there’s extra comedy chilly in these six-second movies than you’ll discover nearly wherever, And for those who’re feeling notably nostalgic, it’s best to learn this story from our buddies at New York about possibly the best Vine of all time.
