Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer<\/em> No. 140, your guide to the best and Verge<\/em>-iest stuff in the world. (If you\u2019re new here, welcome, don\u2019t forget to hydrate, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer<\/em> homepage<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This week, I\u2019ve been reading about Will Ferrell<\/strong><\/a> and Fabrizio Romano<\/strong><\/a> and Heather Cox Richardson<\/strong><\/a>, scrolling and scrolling through Ordinary Abundance<\/strong><\/a>, <\/strong>watching Avatar Aang<\/em><\/strong><\/a> (which is as good as you said it was), finally getting proficient in CapCut<\/strong><\/a>, <\/em><\/strong>obsessing over the latest scandal unearthed by PTFO<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, rewatching Tires<\/em><\/strong><\/a> now that the third season is out, trying Spark\u2019s<\/strong><\/a> AI tools for solving my inbox (so far\u2026 meh), revisiting Reply All<\/em><\/strong><\/a> after the great Hyperfixed<\/em><\/strong><\/a> episode about its end, and trying to get all my dentist, doctor, haircut, and other appointments done before this baby arrives.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This is my last Installer <\/em>before heading out on parental leave! Thanks to everyone who has sent well wishes and sleep tips. I need them all. For the next several weeks, you\u2019ll be in the very good hands of Jay Peters, and I\u2019ll be back in early October. For now, though, I also have for you the new phone hotness from Google, a shockingly good dinosaur movie, a look at the Chinese tech industry, and much more. Let\u2019s do this.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n (As always, the best part of Installer<\/em> is your ideas and tips. What are you watching \/ reading \/ playing \/ listening to \/ packing in a cooler this week? Tell me everything: installer@theverge.com<\/a>. And if you know someone else who might enjoy Installer<\/em>, forward it to them and tell them to subscribe here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I\u2019ve been watching Silo<\/em><\/strong><\/a> recently \u2014 it took me a couple of tries to get into, but once I got to about episode 3, it absolutely hooked me. The show has in turn gotten me into the books they\u2019re based on, by Hugh Howey<\/strong><\/a>. <\/strong>I\u2019ve followed Hugh\u2019s work for years, both as an author and as that jacked dude who sometimes appears on my Instagram feed<\/a>, but I also discovered this week he\u2019s a product guy!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n After almost a decade of work, Hugh just launched a writing tool \u2014 the one he\u2019s been building for himself \u2014 called Neo<\/strong><\/a>. <\/strong>It is very specifically a tool for writing books, and very specifically for writing books the way Hugh Howey writes books<\/a>, but I really enjoy the app even as a look into someone\u2019s very particular process. I don\u2019t know any author who likes the tools they use to write books; maybe Hugh\u2019s onto something.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Anyway, I asked Hugh to share his homescreen with us, to get another peek into his process and life. Here it is, plus some info on the apps he uses and why:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The phone: <\/strong>It\u2019s a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra. I feel kinda bad, what with a show on Apple TV right now, but Android is just better. I use a MacBook Air and iPad to help offset the guilt.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The wallpaper: <\/strong>It\u2019s a photo of my wife, Shay, and me on the deck of a friend\u2019s boat, one of the few times we were on a boat and fully clothed, so I wanted to document the occasion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The apps: <\/strong>Orca, Windy, SmartLife, Smart Fittings, Navily, Threads, Instagram, Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp, Clock, QRme, Board Game Arena, Pocket Casts, Stellarium, Moon Phase Calendar, Chase, Gmail, Calendar, Play Store, Photos, Phone, Messages, Google Maps, Chrome.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The top row is there because my wife and I live on a sailboat full-time. Orca<\/strong><\/a> is for navigation. Smart Fittings<\/strong><\/a> tells me the current load in tons on the main shrouds, so we know when to put in a reef. SmartLife<\/strong><\/a> lets me control the hot water heaters so the batteries and Shay are both happy. Navily<\/strong><\/a> gives us reviews of anchorages and where to clear customs. BGA<\/strong><\/a> (Board Game Arena) might be the most entertainment you can possibly have on a phone (Ark Nova<\/em><\/strong><\/a> is my fav). And Pocket Casts<\/strong><\/a> is by far the best podcast program ever made.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I also asked Hugh to share a few things he\u2019s into right now. Here\u2019s what he sent back:<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Here\u2019s what the <\/em>Installer community is into this week. I want to know what you\u2019re into right now as well! Email <\/em>installer@theverge.com<\/em><\/a> or message me on Signal \u2014 @davidpierce.11 \u2014 with your recommendations for anything and everything, and we\u2019ll feature some of our favorites here every week. For even more great recommendations, check out the replies to <\/em>this post on Threads <\/em><\/a>and <\/em>this post on Bluesky<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI\u2019ve had a chat with my coworker about the Tin Can<\/strong><\/a> phone for kids. Looks retro cool.\u201d \u2014 Bart<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cGuildrun<\/em><\/strong><\/a>, <\/em>the best demo for a game I\u2019ve ever played.\u201d \u2014 Adam<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI\u2019m training for the Berlin Marathon next month and I downloaded an app called CheerMyRun<\/strong><\/a>. My family and friends will be able to send me audio messages that will play at specific miles during the race. I told them it could be encouraging, or just shouting expletives at me. Should be fun!\u201d \u2014 Brian<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cAfter a three-year break, I\u2019m watching the final season of Servant<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. Penultimate episode.\u201d \u2014 Simon<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cBig Walk<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. <\/em>A game that naturally turns into just hanging out with friends. I\u2019d use it instead of Zoom if I could.\u201d \u2014 BTTK<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cJust wanted to shout out the new 8BitDo FlipPad<\/strong><\/a>. Being able to carry around classic games on your phone is amazing, but on-screen controls for these can die a very hot death in a very hot fire. This sucker is super small and lightweight, clips on in a second, and feels damn close to the original inputs. I naturally went for the very Nintendo-inspired color version.\u201d \u2014 Ryan<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cWatching Spider-Noir<\/em><\/strong><\/a>. In black & white, of course.\u201d \u2014 DHRME<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cBeen enjoying Standard Reader<\/strong><\/a> as a reading app for blogs on the ATmosphere.\u201d \u2014 Tynan<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cJust read The Dream Hotel<\/em><\/strong><\/a> by Laila Lalami, set in a slightly-distant future where people can have \u2018dreamsaver\u2019 technology implanted in their heads. Upside: more restful, restorative sleep in less time. Downside: the government harvests and surveils dreams to identify \u2018risky\u2019 citizens.\u201d \u2014 Jennifer<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cGames like Truxton Extreme<\/em><\/strong><\/a> don\u2019t always get the spotlight, but I am a shmup fan through and through and it is a decent shmup that tries its best to pay tribute to its predecessors. For all of the jaded gamers out there, shmups are alive and well \u2014 both retro and modern \u2014 and we welcome you to the arcade philosophy with open arms!\u201d \u2014 Vin<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Okay, so all the stuff we\u2019re learning about The Social Reckoning<\/em><\/strong><\/a> suggests it might not be a great movie. Fine! It has already given us two great things: a Jeremy Strong press tour<\/strong><\/a> that is going to be one of the all-time method actor moments, and this really fabulous interview<\/strong><\/a> with Aaron Sorkin about writing, humanity, social networks, AI, and much more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I know, \u201cAaron Sorkin is a good writer\u201d is a super hot take, right? Here\u2019s a hotter one: Sports Night<\/em><\/strong><\/a> is the best show he\u2019s ever written. If you can find it streaming, watch it ASAP.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I\u2019ll be back in a few weeks \u2014 you\u2019re in good hands with Jay. See you soon!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
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