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Hello, mates! Welcome to Installer No. 91, your information to the most effective and Verge-iest stuff on this planet. (In the event you’re new right here, welcome, how is summer season greater than a month over already, and likewise you possibly can learn all of the outdated editions on the Installer homepage.)
This week, I’m pondering the leaked Pixel 10 lineup, marveling at BYD’s leaping Yangwang U9 supercar, studying about why everybody’s studying Reddit, already wanting ahead to Ted Lasso’s fourth season, rewatching MKBHD’s movies concerning the Escobar folding cellphone, melting with pleasure on the new Pokémon Concierge season 2 trailer, dreaming of shopping for the Lego Sport Boy however not truly doing so as a result of my toddler would destroy it, and listening to Lucius’ just lately launched self-titled album.
I even have for you some new betas from Apple, a retro-styled PC, some ideas about instances, and the way to play Dance Dance Revolution at dwelling immediately.
(As all the time, the most effective a part of Installer is your concepts and ideas. What do you wish to know extra about? What superior tips have you learnt that everybody else ought to? What app ought to everybody be utilizing? Inform me all the things: installer@theverge.com. And if another person who would possibly take pleasure in Installer, ahead it to them and inform them to subscribe right here.)
- Apple’s public betas: Public betas for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26 can be found now, providing you with an opportunity to see Apple’s Liquid Glass design language in motion earlier than the updates are launched broadly this fall. I’ve been operating the developer betas, and after some mandatory tweaks from Apple, I’m warming as much as Liquid Glass greater than I anticipated.
- Maingear’s Retro95 PC: This restricted launch places a retro shell over fashionable PC parts. Anybody have $1,599 (or extra) they’ll lend me?
- AppleCare One: This new $19.99-per-month subscription from Apple enables you to cowl as much as three units without delay with the identical advantages you’d get with particular person AppleCare Plus subscriptions. You’ll be able to add extra units for $5.99 per 30 days every. I don’t often pay for guarantee protection, however AppleCare One may very well be an excellent deal for lots of people.
- The Unbelievable 4: First Steps: It’s Marvel’s flip to launch a superhero film with some fairly excessive stakes for the corporate that makes it — and like DC and Superman, Marvel seems to have principally pulled it off. As an enormous Michael Giacchino fan, about half the rationale I wish to see this film is for the rating.
- Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft (16GB): This new model of Amazon’s colour Kindle comes with half the storage and is lacking just a few perks from the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Version, however at $249.99, it’s $30 cheaper than final yr’s mannequin. I’m going to carry on to my Tenth-generation Kindle Paperwhite so long as I can, however each time it’s time to improve that, I’m sorely tempted by a colour ereader.
- Roomba Max 705 Combo: This new combo robotic vacuum from iRobot has a “first-of-its-kind curler mop cowl that retains carpets dry.” If that cowl truly works, it looks as if this may very well be a fantastic dual-purpose robovacuum.
- Wheel World: It’s a cycling-themed open-world journey recreation from Annapurna Interactive and the builders of Nidhogg. That appears like a profitable combo to me, and it would simply be the feel-good recreation of the summer season.
- Acapulco season 4: I watched the primary two seasons of this Apple TV Plus collection set at a resort in Mexico and beloved them — the present is humorous and heartwarming. Like Ted Lasso, it may be a little bit saccharine, however I feel we must always all watch some lighter TV each occasionally. May be time for me to catch up.
Due to everybody who replied to my quandary about whether or not or not I ought to preserve utilizing a cellphone case. There have been a bunch of nice views and emotions, so I’m sharing just a few of them right here within the publication — a lot extra folks go caseless than I anticipated!
As for my very own resolution? Effectively, I haven’t reached one but, and truthfully, I’ll by no means choose one lane. Usually, my iPhone 16 Professional lives on this slim Torras case, however as I write this, it’s sitting on high of the case, not in it. Will I put the case on earlier than I stroll out the door? We’ll see!
“I, too, felt the urge to go caseless. I’m fairly cautious with my electronics, so I nonetheless didn’t love the thought of setting my cellphone down on tables and issues alike. I obtained the magnetic again from Nomad, and it has felt like the proper meet-in-the-middle accent for me! Telephone feels nearly caseless, and I nonetheless get the again safety.” – Omesh
“I’m completely the identical with instances. I do know I’ll drop it annually and completely break the factor and I hate that. What I do is take the case off once I’m simply chilling at my desk or sofa or chair. That method I get the enjoyment of the sleek cellphone, however when I’m at risk of dropping it on concrete or getting out of my truck, I’ve the safety it wants.” – Travis
“I ran my first gen Pixel Fold with out a case (whereas residing in a beachy resort city) for 2 years! If the Fold can survive it, so can a 16 Professional. The Fold remains to be alive and effectively as a secondary gadget/backup cellphone. In fact, it’s positively not pristine, so in case you don’t need your cellphone to bear its scars, you must in all probability preserve a case on it.” – John
“I’ve the Peak Design GNAR case. Noticed some complaints on-line concerning the safety being too minimal for the entrance of the cellphone, but it surely’s been stable for me. Does effectively being outdoor (I run exterior on a regular basis). I’m rocking no display protector.” – airwr3ck6669
“I by no means used instances till I obtained my present cellphone (Pixel 6A) as a result of the Razer Kishi controller I used now not match snuggly round it, so I discovered a case that allowed it to suit once more. I might say the case would ultimately come off, however I solely realized as I used to be studying this text that although I now not use that controller, I hadn’t thought to take the case off.” – xPutNameHerex
At present, I’m that includes Keith Broni, the editor-in-chief of Emojipedia. I considered reaching out to him for this part after World Emoji Day on July seventeenth (the date proven on the calendar emoji), and he graciously replied. He initially obtained concerned with the location in 2018 and took on growing obligations “through the years” earlier than taking the editor-in-chief job in 2022.
Along with all the things about his homescreen, I wished to know what he’s wanting ahead to on this planet of emoji. “I’m excited to see what the following surprising emoji repurposing meme goes to be, particularly as Gen Alpha turns into an increasing number of on-line,” he tells me, like how Millennials repurposed the Eggplant and Peach and the way Gen Z repurposed the Cranium.
Emoji fascinate me — full disclosure, I submitted proposals that helped deliver the Saluting Face, Bubbles, Waffle, and Yawning Face emoji into the world — so I’m to share extra of the emoji universe with Installer readers.
Right here’s Keith’s homescreen and his rationalization of what’s on it.
Picture: Keith Broni
The cellphone: Google Pixel 6. Like Molly final week, I’m an “till the wheels fall off” kind of individual relating to my private cellphone, although I take advantage of an iPhone 15 Professional for work.
The wallpaper: A 2019 image of me (I’m in all black, bar the white soles of my sneakers) wandering the grounds of the Zōjō-ji Temple in Tokyo, with the Tokyo Tower looming within the background.
- The highest row is my fitness-focused stuff, as I’m making ready for a Hyrox-like competitors in October, so it’s all step counts (Garmin Join), protein objectives (MyFitnessPal), behavior monitoring (HabitShare — a free and easy tracker with some good friend-sharing parts for accountability), and fitness center class bookings (Glofox).
- Since I’m European, WhatsApp is my main mode of texting / calling of us. And since I’m Irish, you’ve obtained my Irish banking app, AIB Cellular, ha.
- I’m a millennial, so Instagram is my main mode of social media today, although I’m additionally on X / Bluesky / TikTok so much for work functions (that find yourself drifting into non-work functions if I’m not cautious).
- I’m a Letterboxd person, and do take pleasure in attending the cinema as a lot as I can (shoutout to the Lighthouse in Dublin — I used to be there final evening watching Friendship, which I totally loved). However actually, YouTube is the place I spend far an excessive amount of of my time (and to a lesser extent, Nebula, which is on the following web page of my dwelling display).
I additionally requested Keith to share just a few issues he’s into proper now. Right here’s what he stated:
- Music-wise, I’ve been listening to a variety of Oasis on Spotify currently. I used to be one of many fortunate 2 p.c who managed to snag tickets for his or her present run of reveals, and I’ve been driving the excessive ever since their homecoming gig in Manchester on Sunday (the twentieth). I’ve additionally been having fun with a number of tracks from the new Moist Leg album — a band that famously workshopped their identify utilizing numerous emoji combos — in addition to two new songs from The Final Dinner Occasion and 9 Inch Nails.
- To tie in with the health app bit above, I’ve been taking part in the Last Fantasy Pixel Remasters whereas strolling on a house treadmill. I’ve been an enormous old-school JRPG fan since I used to be a child, although I’d solely performed IV from this assortment earlier than.
- This Instagram account @theblack.lodge, who’s been doing restricted drops of T-shirts impressed by David Lynch movies (I’m an enormous fan, particularly of Twin Peaks, RIP). I’ve purchased not less than one merchandise from each drop to date.
- Ebook-wise, I’ve been listening to Algospeak: How Social Media Is Remodeling the Way forward for Language by Adam Aleksic on Audible (sitting on the second web page of my dwelling display). Earlier than this, I completed studying the bodily copy of Face with Tears of Pleasure: A Pure Historical past of Emoji by Keith Houston, through which our work at Emojipedia is closely referenced (and I’m honored to have been immediately name-dropped in).
- One other little bit of a self-serving one (particularly because you talked about it your self final week), however I’ve been having fun with dipping into the revived Emojitracker.com website throughout spare moments to observe stay emoji utilization unfold.
Right here’s what the Installer neighborhood is into this week. I wish to know what you’re into proper now as effectively! E mail installer@theverge.com together with your suggestions for something and all the things, 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 The Verge, this publish on Threads, and this publish on Bluesky.
“I take advantage of Outplay on my Apple Watch to trace the soccer matches I play. It reveals a warmth map of my motion throughout a match and has metrics particular to taking part in soccer like sprints. It really works higher for me than utilizing the built-in Apple Exercise app or Strava.” – Harry Tequila
“Been taking part in the macOS model of Cyberpunk 2077 on a base M4 Mac Mini. I’m impressed with the sport and graphic high quality of this model. Simply hoping that is the beginning for extra Mac-native variations of A & S tier video games.” – penguinchiller
“I simply accomplished the (not so) Countless Tower in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and beat Clea… on an MSI Claw 8 with an Intel chip! Didn’t count on that after panning the primary Claw. It’s the one handheld I’ve actually loved this recreation on to date!” – Sean
“I’ve turn out to be obsessive about the Twos app and utilizing it always. Extremely suggest!” – Wealthy
“After steadfastly avoiding it due to its problem, I just lately bought and have been dying time and again in Returnal. The surroundings actually does really feel like a hostile alien planet, and with headphones it looks like I can hear each drop of rain. And yeah, it’s actually troublesome.” – Aram
“Been taking part in Lushfoil Pictures Sim and it’s so stress-free and wonderful.” – Allison
“I’ve been binging CityNerd on YouTube. The channel discusses cities, transportation, city design, walkability, and many others. Good things.” – low_light_mixes
Final week, I included a tidbit from a reader who has been taking part in Dance Dance Revolution just lately. As somebody who performed a lot of DDR once I was a child (“Butterfly,” anybody?), I used to be curious to be taught extra about how he does it. Right here’s a few of what the reader, Tom, advised me — he additionally pointed me to a starter information on Reddit:
“I’ll begin with acknowledging I’m absolutely not an skilled within the scene, however spent a variety of time within the native arcade and at dwelling taking part in on a PS2 once I was rising up.
“I grabbed the Deluxe 1-inch thick foam pad from www.ddrpad.com, together with the extension twine and the preloaded Stepmania Flash drive. Stepmania is the open-source clone of DDR. Folks make their very own stepcharts (the arrows that scroll up throughout a music) and make customized songs you could obtain and cargo in, in addition to songs from the precise DDR video games.
“Somebody who is basically into taking part in might wish to ultimately spend money on a steel pad, like what’s within the arcades. They’re tremendous sturdy and can final for years of use, whereas gentle mats might doubtlessly tear over time. There are numerous producers on the market, and the value vary is often from $400 and up for the steel pads. Folks even purchase outdated arcade cupboards for 1000’s of {dollars} and have them of their dwelling.”
Thanks, Tom! See you subsequent week, everybody!
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