Accomplish tasks by speaking to your phone.
Hey there, gamers! Welcome to Installer No. 113, your go-to source for the coolest and quirkiest finds in the gaming universe. If you’re new here, welcome aboard! Just a heads up, I could really use some hot cocoa to warm up my chilly space, and you can catch up on all the previous editions at the Installer homepage.
This week, I’ve been diving into the world of private garbage collectors, vintage watches, and the true crime podcast My Favorite Murder. I also checked out The Running Man (not the best) and Sinners (definitely a winner). I gave my Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses another spin, jammed out to The Format’s new album, caught the first episode of Star Search on Netflix, finally started reading Dungeon Crawler Carl after countless recommendations, and spent way too much time battling with airplane Wi-Fi. Seriously, life’s too short for that!
This issue is a bit shorter than usual—it’s been a wild week both personally and professionally. But there’s still too much good stuff to skip out! Think of this as Installer Lite, a Mini Installer, or a “bug fixes and performance improvements” update. We’ve got a smartphone you’ll want to check out, a new soundtrack for your gaming sessions, some insightful thoughts on Hollywood, and more. Let’s jump in!
(As always, the best part of Installer is hearing from you. What are you watching, listening to, playing, or reading by the fire this week? Share your thoughts: installer@theverge.com. And if you know someone who might enjoy Installer, pass it along and encourage them to subscribe!)
The Drop
* Todoist Ramble. This is one of my favorite AI tools out there, and it just launched from beta. You start an audio recording and spill your thoughts, and Todoist does an impressive job of turning it into projects, tasks, and deadlines. A fantastic way to kick off your workday!
* The NexPhone. Imagine one phone running three operating systems! This midrange Android device (over a decade in the making) also comes with Linux and Windows, so you could potentially use it as your main computer. It won’t ship for a while, and I have some questions, but I love that this concept exists.
* Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man! A two-part, star-studded HBO documentary celebrating one of the funniest and most influential comedians of our time. Watch the Judd Apatow-directed series, then treat yourself to classics like Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, and Spaceballs.
* Crossplay. The latest word game from the New York Times, and its first multiplayer offering! A big win for couples who love Wordle. It’s like Words with Friends but with a sleeker design and fewer ads, which is a high compliment. Just wish it didn’t require a separate app download.
* MIO: Memories in Orbit. Some reviews are placing this game alongside Silksong and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which is some serious indie-game praise. It’s not only stunningly beautiful but also looks to be delightfully challenging, which will appeal to many players.
* The Sony LinkBuds Clip. I’ve been seeing these clip-on, open-ear earbuds everywhere, and I’m really into them. Sony’s noise-canceling tech and microphones are usually top-notch, so I’m eager to see how this new design performs.
* TR-49. I love a good puzzle game (Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a classic), and this one is a gem. You’re dropped in front of a WWII-era computer and must figure out how to use it. I’ve been playing the iOS version, and it’s definitely cutting into my productivity.
* “Joe Rogan Experience #2440 – Matt Damon & Ben Affleck.” This is the first time I’ll recommend a JRE episode, but Affleck and Damon have some insightful takes on Hollywood, AI, money, and the future of entertainment. That viral clip of Affleck discussing AI is just a taste of the good stuff.
* Nightshift. Kurzgesagt is a favorite in the gaming community, and their new, darker channel is off to a strong start. I secretly hope every video is about pirates!
Crowdsourced
Here’s what the Installer community is vibing with this week. I want to hear what you’re into as well! Shoot me an email at installer@theverge.com or message me on Signal — @davidpierce.11 — with your recommendations, and we’ll feature some of our favorites here weekly. For even more great suggestions, check out the replies to this post on Threads and Bluesky.
“A friend recently introduced us to Boomerang Fu. You play as cute anthropomorphic foods, hurling boomerangs to slice each other in chaotic local multiplayer rounds. Being the last food standing while power-ups stack up is hilariously fun. Our whole family loves it.” — E.E.
“Clawdbot. It runs on your machine and you can message it via Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, or even iMessage. It can do everything you’d expect from something like Claude Code or ChatGPT Codex, and it connects to various tools, interacting with nearly every aspect of your digital life. It can even rewrite its own code if you ask, which can be risky!” — Drake
“I’ve been using Bazzite for two weeks after switching from Windows on my main gaming PC! No regrets, it’s been solid.” — Kolin
“I’m convinced musicians have the best gadgets. Right now, I’m putting hours into the Dirtywave M8, the most compact and powerful music-making tool. It’s made by a single person and even comes with a hex key for DIY repairs and mods. More people should know about it! I’ve also had fun with the OP-XY from Teenage Engineering, but it felt too restrictive compared to the M8.” — Jakub
“Check out Hex for on-device LLM voice dictation, completely free. Just hold Alt, talk, and your words appear.” — Andrew
“I’m gearing up for a cozy weekend playing the Legacy of the Forge DLC for Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. It’s great to see Henry become a homeowner after all the political chaos in medieval Bohemia.” — Alex
“I’m really enjoying Alma as a food-tracking tool. It’s a smart use of AI, allowing me to casually type what I’m eating, and it figures out the macros.” — Michael
“Currently obsessed with The Iron Snail on YouTube. Best clothing content I’ve seen in years.” — Nishant
“I held out for a while, but I finally caved and bought PowerWash Simulator 2. Now, I’ve completely ditched all my real-life chores!” — Nic
Signing off
Life is hectic right now. It seems like it’s always busy for all of us. In my ongoing quest to rethink my relationship with screens and tech, I’ve realized I often skip out on things I want to do because they feel like too much of a commitment. Scrolling through TikTok or Instagram for five minutes is easy, but settling in for a movie or a book feels like a big deal.
But here’s the epiphany: you can consume almost anything in five-minute chunks! Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve watched several movies in 20-minute segments while my baby napped on me. I’ve read multiple books a few pages at a time. I’m training myself to read two pages instead of scrolling through TikTok while waiting in line; I’m about to binge every James Bond movie, one nap at a time. I still love spending hours with a good movie or book, but life doesn’t always allow it. Everything can be bite-sized! Let’s embrace bite-sized everything!
Catch you next week!
