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Plus, in this week’s Installer: a new Stranger Things series, an email app, a smart lamp, and more.
Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 125, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, send me cereal recommendations, and you can also read all the old editions on the Installer homepage.)
This week, I’ve been reading about NASA seamstresses, friction, Muskism, and scooters, highlighting Jeff VanderMeer’s terrific short story, listening to the Dissect podcast’s new season about Daft Punk, giving Firefox another run as my go-to browser, amazed by amazing music video directors, and nodding along to John Oliver on prediction markets. I’ve also been dealing with sick kids and a bunch of emergency electrical work, so my house doesn’t burn down. Fun times! Also the reason why we’ll have Ruthless Self-Promotion Week next week—thanks again to everyone who wrote in!
I also have for you some exciting new PC gear, the must-see movie of the Spring, genuinely useful new AI apps, a high-tech postcard, and much more. Let’s dive in.
(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you reading/watching/playing/listening to/dipping in hummus this week? Tell me everything: [email protected]. And if you know someone who might enjoy Installer, forward it to them and tell them to subscribe here.)
The Framework Laptop 13 Pro. I love Framework’s thesis that computers should be more upgradeable and repairable. For the first time, it seems to have made a laptop that is just really, really nice. If this lives up to its spec sheet and our first impressions, it’s going to be a big winner for Linux and Windows users.
The Framework Laptop Sleeve. I love a good laptop carrier, and this one—especially the silver model which isn’t duct tape but looks just like it—is awesome. It’s designed for Framework gear but should fit lots of other laptops too.
Stranger Things: Tales from ‘85. I feel obligated to tell you about this new animated Netflix show—because, you know, Stranger Things—even though by all accounts it’s not very good. If you watch it anyway because you can’t get enough of the Hawkins gang, just know that I get it.
New Things. Joanna Stern just started her newsletter/YouTube channel/full-service operation, and it’s delightful and very Joanna-y. Go subscribe! And keep an eye out, because we’re gonna get Joanna back in this space one way or another.
Extra. As I get worse at maintaining my inbox, I get more enticed by managing it with AI. Using Extra requires a whole rethink of what your email is even for, but it’s full of clever organizational ideas.
Memo AI. These smart transcription apps are a dime a dozen now, but this one has a couple of advantages. One, it’s made by the developer of NotePlan, which means it is thoughtfully designed and clever. Two, it’s fast. Speed has been the difference between AI tools I ditch quickly and AI tools I keep using.
Vampire Crawlers. Every so often, all my gamer friends disappear for few days, obsessed with some new title. It’s happening now, and it’s because of this extremely addictive, retro-styled deckbuilder. I probably shouldn’t get into this game. But I will.
The Govee Table Lamp Classic. Half the power is currently out in my house, making this product—a smart lamp that can be plugged in or carried around—invaluable. Govee stuff is almost as good as Hue, and way cheaper.
Claude’s Spotify connector. If you’ve been skeptical about trying AI tools, connect one to Spotify. (ChatGPT has had a connector for a while, Claude got it this week.) It’s a fun, surprising way to organize and discover music.
Screen share
Every 25 issues, I share my homescreen. As the Installerverse’s Head of Thing-Trying, I’m always experimenting with systems and apps. Plus, it’s a fun record for me.
My thinking is apparently all over the place. This is about as unorganized as I have ever been. My homescreen is a record of my phone habits recently. (And I have way too many unread everythings.) Here it is, as of this week:
The phone: iPhone 17. I love the sage color, I am sort of annoyed that I’m still an iPhone user, but here we are.
The wallpaper: Blue. I had a solid black background for a long time, so I guess this counts as change? It’s too bright, especially at night—need to go back to all black.
The apps: Coffee Pool, RB College, Memo AI, Craft, DualShot Recorder, Todoist, Google Maps, MyMind, Obsidian