Hello, mates! Welcome to Installer No. 97, your information to the most effective and Verge-iest stuff on the planet. (In case you’re new right here, welcome, hope you’re having iPhone / again to high school / it’s-finally-not-hot-anymore week, and in addition you’ll be able to learn all of the outdated editions on the Installer homepage.)
It’s so good to be again! Large, large because of Jay Peters for doing such a superb job right here over the past couple of months, and large because of all of you as at all times for having such good contributions and concepts. Jay will nonetheless be round these components once in a while, too, so don’t fear, your esoteric gaming suggestions aren’t going wherever.
I used to be going to do an entire “all of the cool stuff I caught up on this summer season” factor, however then it turned out I had a new child child, so all I had brainpower for was Entourage and Veep episodes on repeat. However this week, I’ve been studying about AI docs and face-lift tradition and Glen Powell and Lofi Lady, watching The Paper (which I actually preferred as quickly as I ended wanting it to be The Workplace), enjoying the newest season of NFL Retro Bowl, marveling at the engineering inside AirPods, being regularly impressed with Notion AI, persevering with to throw my life’s notes and nonsense into Craft, and instantly on the brink of transfer homes. Pray for my sanity.
I even have for you the most effective issues that Apple launched this week, a brand new option to watch everybody’s favourite sport present, a Stephen King film price seeing, and far more. We’re so again, y’all. Let’s do that.
(As at all times, the most effective a part of Installer is your concepts and ideas. What are you watching / studying / enjoying / downloading / getting out for the autumn this week? Inform me every thing: [email protected]. And if another person who may take pleasure in Installer, ahead it to them and inform them to subscribe right here.)
- The iPhone 17. The Air appears to be like nice, the Professional has plenty of spectacular options, however for my cash, the bottom iPhone 17 is the one to get this 12 months. Display screen improve, extra sturdy, digital camera enhancements, extra storage, good value. Apart from the zoom digital camera, there’s probably not a lot of a cause for folks to go Professional. Effectively, aside from the orange. I do love the orange. Hmm.
- The AirPods Professional 3. The brand new Apple factor that I’m most enthusiastic about is definitely the $250 headphones with higher noise cancellation, higher battery, extra sturdiness, and a few helpful well being options. A slam-dunk improve to one in all Apple’s finest merchandise.
- Beats iPhone 17 Professional Kickstand Case with MagSafe and Digicam Management. Clunky title, intelligent product: an iPhone case with a lanyard that flips round and turns into a kickstand. I barely perceive how this even works, however I love a option to prop my telephone up on the counter.
- Jeopardy! Two issues I’ve not too long ago realized about Jeopardy: it’s streaming new episodes as of this week, on each Peacock and Hulu, and it’s completely A+ background tv. The always-on channel is now a staple in my home.
- The Nikon ZR. This video-centric new digital camera appears to be roughly what you’d count on a 12 months and alter after Nikon acquired RED: an important seize system with a large quantity of post-production flexibility. It’s not on sale till subsequent month, although, so begin placing apart the $2,200 now.
- The Lengthy Stroll. One other day, one other Stephen King film. However evidently a fairly good one! It seems like a fairly heavy night on the theater, however with somewhat Starvation Video games, somewhat Squid Sport, and a bunch of fine performances, I believe it’ll be definitely worth the journey.
- Spotify Lossless. Solely took most of a decade! And at no additional value. I feel it’s nice that there’s a higher-end streaming possibility, regardless that it’s not as hi-fi as another streaming providers, and I don’t suppose my laptop computer audio system are going to mission a lot distinction anyway.
- Borderlands 4. This is likely to be a silly factor to say, however I really like a sport that doesn’t attempt to be, like, considerate and good and about one thing. Borderlands 4 makes no bones about what it’s: it’s all plot, all motion, no filler, no pondering concerned. That’s precisely what I wished it to be.
- RabbitOS 2. I by no means ever thought that I’d point out Rabbit right here once more. And but the brand new model of this machine’s software program is… type of neat? It’s nonetheless principally a telephone app dressed up in an orange field, however the touch-first interface is means higher, the built-in AI agent is extra enjoyable to play with, and I’ve really caught myself utilizing the R1 on function once more.
You might in all probability ascribe a big a part of my character to a particular period of the web site Lifehacker. Again within the day, it was this breezy, enjoyable, curious, and self-aware weblog about the right way to use expertise and discover the web and simply be an individual sooner or later. And for a very long time, it was all popping out of the mind of Gina Trapani, one of many web’s nice bloggers.
Gina’s been as much as plenty of stuff in recent times, however now she’s running a blog once more! Her website, Observe to Self, was an instantaneous subscribe for me — and for those who like Installer, then I believe you’ll prefer it, too. Once I noticed the positioning launch, I reached out to Gina to see how a real lifehacker does a homescreen in 2025.
Right here’s Gina’s homescreen, plus some data on the apps she makes use of and why:
The telephone: Proper now, I’ve acquired a four-year-old iPhone 13 Professional, which suggests I’m wanting ahead to upgrading this 12 months. When you get three to 4 years of mileage out of your telephone, if you do lastly commerce up, the newest mannequin feels completely heavenly, and I recognize it extra.
The wallpaper: That is Apple’s 2025 Pleasure wallpaper, which I grabbed in June and haven’t up to date since. I like what Apple did with the Pleasure designs this 12 months — they managed to make one thing contemporary however recognizable.
The apps: Digicam, Settings.
Individuals who know me from Lifehacker will count on me to have a tricked-out setup with all the recent new apps, and I’m right here to disappoint. I’ve been in touch-grass mode for some time; I need my preteen to see extra of me than the highest of my head whereas I look down at my telephone. So my homescreen is minimal and utilitarian.
I’ve turned off nearly all these horrendous pink badges; I really feel conflicted about utilizing AI as a substitute of my mind. I maintain a small variety of my most continuously used apps on my homescreen, and nearly all of them are grouped into purpose-related folders, like Communication, Well being & Health, Journey. That provides one other faucet to get to them, however the additional step helps me be intentional about what I got down to do. For every thing else, I pull down the search bar to seek out it.
I’m a giant note-taker, and I exploit Obsidian, so I’ve an iOS shortcut referred to as “Observe.” It’s a direct hyperlink to an Obsidian notice referred to as “Inbox,” the place I seize stuff to course of later.
In Well being & Health, I’ve acquired a triathlon coaching app I vibe-coded on Lovable, pushed by a private Google Sheet. All it does is inform me one factor: whether or not I’m speculated to run, bike, or swim on the fitness center that day.
Because it seems, I’m practically 5 a long time outdated and want a teeth-brushing coach. The Oral-B app paired with my electrical toothbrush gamifies issues, which works for me. It helps me get stress and protection proper, and my full two minutes of brushing in as a result of I received’t in any other case.
Superhuman is best than Gmail. Todoist is for deadlines. Citymapper is my favourite option to navigate New York Metropolis. Monarch is my where-does-the-money-go app. Checking ebooks out of the library with Libby brings me a lot pleasure.
I additionally requested Gina to share a number of issues she’s into proper now. Right here’s what she despatched again:
- KPop Demon Hunters! My preteen has our complete household deep in it, and I’m not mad about it.
- I’ve been studying precise books this 12 months, and I extremely advocate: All Techniques Pink: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells (the Apple TV Plus adaptation is on my watchlist, although I hear it’s not so good as the ebook), The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley, and Intermezzo by Sally Rooney.
- My on-line responsible pleasure is r/LinkedInLunatics.
Right here’s what the Installer neighborhood is into this week. I need to know what you’re into proper now as nicely! Electronic mail [email protected] or message me on Sign — @davidpierce.11 — along with your suggestions for something and every thing, and we’ll function a few of our favorites right here each week. For extra nice suggestions, try this put up on Threads, this put up on Bluesky, and this put up on The Verge.
“I ‘inherited’ my daughter’s Nintendo Swap and acquired Demon Slayer: The Hinomaki Chronicles on sale for $20. Getting myself overestimated for the film this weekend.” – Michael
“Stephen Robles on YouTube has created a tremendous iOS shortcut that may assist defend your iPhone if it’s ever stolen. It sends you the placement of your machine together with images from each the back and front cameras. It even performs an audible alert that claims, ‘This iPhone is stolen!’ Better of all, you’ll be able to activate it from any telephone, whether or not Android or iOS.” — Owen
“I simply began Frieren and man, the hype is warranted. I’m extra of a rom-com, slice of life man somewhat than fantasy, however the story is tremendous compelling up to now.” — Ryan
“I’ve been completely having fun with Invoice McKibben’s Right here Comes the Solar: A Final Probability for Local weather and a Contemporary Probability for Civilization. Its thesis — that the astoundingly speedy buildout of photo voltaic and wind may present us a lifeline out of the worst results of local weather change, if we act now — has introduced extra hope and enthusiasm concerning the future than I’ve felt in what seems like years.” — Hoto
“At the moment trying out the beta of 2XKO, a free 2v2 tag-team preventing sport set within the League of Legends universe. Seems to be nice for newcomers.” — Daniel
“I’m cautiously having fun with a brand new function on the Garmin Forerunner 955. A current software program replace ties in my journey plans to the watch, and I get suggestions for time zone changes. It gave respectable ideas once I went from the US to Italy, again to the US, then to France all inside every week. The mild reminders of when to cease caffeine have been the most effective.” — Sean
“I binged and beloved Lengthy Story Brief by the creator(s) of BoJack Horseman.” — Tal
“1001 Albums Generator recommends a brand new album day by day (together with weekends for those who like) from the ebook 1001 Albums You Should Hear Earlier than You Die. It’s an effective way to take heed to a number of the best-regarded music and broaden your listening habits past your music advice algorithm.” — Richard
“Alien: Earth. Let’s speak concerning the octopus eye.” — Sheila
Okay, so there’s one present I watched this summer season that I need to speak about, only for a second. It’s a Netflix present referred to as Constructing the Band, and it’s primarily American Idol meets Love is Blind meets The Circle. The premise is senseless! It additionally completely works. I discovered myself shockingly invested in all these singers and bands, and the entire thing is structured in order that not one of the 10 episodes ever really feel repetitive or draggy. I might watch a thousand seasons of this present — and figuring out Netflix, I assume that’s precisely what we’re going to get. And to not brag, however I referred to as the winner with about 4 episodes to spare.
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