Toy Story 5 Embraces Technology in a Fresh Way

Hey gamers! Welcome to Installer No. 133, your go-to source for the coolest and quirkiest tech out there. If you’re new here, welcome aboard! You can catch up on all the previous editions at the Installer homepage.

This week, I’ve been diving into the world of Sam Bankman-Fried and PE Guy, dreaming about admin nights (we should totally plan one soon), jamming to Paul McCartney on Song Exploder, battling through the bugs of the iOS 27 beta to get my hands on the new Siri, and attempting to switch to YouTube Music (still not there yet). I’ve also been trial-hopping through the World Cup, finally upgraded my camera setup with the Elgato Prompter, and testing out a quirky, budget-friendly headband to see if it helps me catch some Zs. So far, the results are still up in the air.

I’ve got some exciting picks for you this week, including a must-see Pixar movie, a better way to grip your phone, a solid upgrade for Android users, a sleek new Windows laptop, and more. Let’s jump in!

The Drop
* Toy Story 5. The villain is an iPad! I’m all in. From what I hear, the film nails both its narrative and offers a thoughtful exploration of the ups and downs of screen time. Pixar really knows how to tackle device usage in a meaningful way. I’ll be catching this in theaters Saturday morning.
* Lettera. There are tons of Markdown editors out there, but few can match the prowess of Shiny Frog, the creators of the fantastic Bear app. This text editor is currently in beta, but it’s already impressively fast and stable. I’m definitely going to be using this a lot.
* The PopSockets Low-Pro Grip. I might just be the biggest fan of PopSockets and phone grips in general. (Let’s face it, phones can be uncomfortable to hold!) I’ve been using the kickstand PopSocket for a while, but I’m ready to swap it out for the sleek new model.
* Mastodon 4.6. I haven’t spent much time on Mastodon lately, but this update might just pull me back in. Collections are a smart solution to Mastodon’s discovery and search challenges, making it easier for newcomers to navigate the platform. Plus, you can let people subscribe to receive your posts via email. Fediverse, here we come!
* Snap Specs. A whopping $2,195 for a pair of smart glasses! That’s a bold move. I’m not entirely convinced there’s a market for these — they’re bulky and pricey. However, Snap has a knack for understanding how people want to use tech, so I’m not counting them out just yet.
* Android 17. Coming soon to a Pixel near you: a simpler way to capture reaction videos, floating app windows that promise to enhance multitasking (here’s hoping iOS takes notes), and a built-in controller for gaming on foldables. As always with Android, not all features will be available on every device, but I’m excited about the direction it’s heading.
* VSCO Studio Pro. VSCO is known for its photography tools, and this app, designed for editing large batches of photos, is quite clever. The “Make all my other photos look like this photo” feature is super handy! I’m not thrilled about the potential subscription model, but I appreciate what VSCO is creating.
* “The Music Industry is Broken.” A compelling video from Drew Gooden discussing how the music business is evolving due to streaming services, AI, ticketing monopolies, and more. While there’s a bit of “you’re just mad at capitalism” in there, Drew effectively highlights the changes and why they feel unsettling.
* The Microsoft Surface Laptop 8. There’s a new Surface Pro as well, but I’ve always thought the standard Surface Laptop (not to be confused with the Ultra) was one of the best Windows devices available. If the new Qualcomm chips perform as promised, this could be a fantastic all-purpose laptop. Plus, it looks sharp in green.
* Songs of The Dead. Kicking off a new series co-authored by fan-favorite Brandon Sanderson, titled The Strata Wars, this book weaves together themes of music, magic, time, and space. Some reviewers found it a bit overwhelming, but others loved it. Sanderson has a dedicated following, and I know many of us are excited.

Screen share
Josh Cajas just joined us this week as a producer on The Vergecast, which is now publishing daily and has some cool merch! Before joining, Josh had quite the journey: he worked in the US House of Representatives, played in a fantastic band, and created many cool things. He’s also just a great person.

I like to have new team members share their homescreen with us early on to get a glimpse of their personality before they dive into a team full of mechanical keyboard enthusiasts and productivity app fanatics. Here’s Josh’s homescreen, along with some details about the apps he uses and why:

The phone: I have a Google Pixel 10.
The wallpaper: A photo I took last year during a trip to Japan of the Kiyomizu-dera shrine at sunset (shot on my Pixel 9 Pro XL). Kyoto is stunning, especially at that time of day, and I was lucky to capture it during cherry blossom season.
The apps: Settings, Google Maps, Gmail, Google Keep, Phone, Messages, Edge, Camera, Play Store, Photos, Translate, TrainTime, ChatGPT, Focus Friend, Snipd.

I use the Microsoft Launcher to customize my homescreen, ditching the At a Glance widget and search bar, and allowing me to use icon theme packs. I’ve been using Flight Pack, Retro Mode – Neon, and Viral for a cohesive look. KWGT has been great for creating a custom Apple Music widget and utility bar. I also love the Google Photos widget that cycles through my images, including my dog Butters!

My first page features my essentials (work apps, social media, streaming services) and a favorites folder for shopping, banking, and food. With baseball season in full swing, my MLB app gets a lot of action, though not so much this year with how the Mets are performing.

My second page is dedicated to fitness and productivity. I’m a big Pixel Watch user, so my Google Health widget is front and center, along with my MyFitnessPal widget for tracking calories. My favorite productivity app is Focus Friend by Hank Green, which combines a Tamagotchi pet with a focus timer. You earn beans for staying off your phone, which you can spend on items for your Bean Friend’s environment. For podcasts, I’ve been using Snipd since its launch, and its growing list of AI features like transcriptions, summaries, and insights make it easy to jot down ideas and catch up on my favorite shows.

I also asked Josh to share a few things he’s currently into. Here’s what he sent back:
* I’m watching Mindy Kaling’s new show Not Suitable for Work on Hulu, and it’s surprisingly enjoyable for someone who doesn’t watch many sitcoms. I’m a big Seinfeld fan, and it captures that same vibe of adults navigating life in NYC — but with a modern twist.
* I’ve fallen into the YouTube Shorts rabbit hole lately, and one of my favorite creators is AsamaPOV. If you’ve ever wanted to “walk” through local restaurants in Japan without leaving your home, he’s the one to watch. His interactions with the owners and cooks are incredibly wholesome, and the food looks amazing.
* I keep going back to PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale on my PS Vita. I’m a PlayStation fan at heart, and while it’s no Smash Bros., I love the gameplay, stages, and finishing moves, especially those of PaRappa the Rapper!

Crowdsourced
Here’s what the Installer community is enjoying this week. I want to hear what you’re into as well! Email your recommendations to installer@theverge.com or message me on Signal — @davidpierce.11 — and we’ll feature some of our favorites here each week. For even more great suggestions, check out the replies to this post on Threads and Bluesky.

“I just watched Cunk on Life. It’s a BBC comedy/documentary about ‘life’ from an absurdist perspective. It’s by Charlie Brooker of Black Mirror. I laughed so hard, I gave myself hiccups.” — Kelly
“Really enjoying Young Sherlock on Amazon Prime. It’s Guy Ritchie at his (almost) best: stylish, British, fast-talking, crime-ridden, with a dash of humor and a healthy dose of fun.” — Logan
“I’ve been using Wildbirds since closed beta, and it’s everything birders want from Instagram, but better.” — Michiel
“Playing Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition — Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and really hoping these titles change at some point.” — Connor
“I’m studying for a technical exam and put all the materials into Claude. I had it break down the material into daily, 30-minute study chunks to be emailed to me over the next two weeks. Each email has a prompt for a short quiz at the end. A little wonky to start, but it’s working well so far.” — Ian
“I’ve been using the Dirty Little Zine website to create pocket-sized photography zines. It’s a cheap, fun, and easy way to get my photos out of the digital realm and into the real world.” — Mark
“Finished reading the Silo series in anticipation of the next season coming in July.” — Chris
“I’m currently going through Craig Alanson’s Expeditionary Force sci-fi novels. They’re kinetic, silly, and a bit rough around the edges, but I’m having a blast.” — Carlo
“I’ve gotten back into playing PowerWash Simulator after work. I’m actually kind of excited about Star Wars again after watching The Mandalorian and Grogu a couple of weeks ago, so now I’m looking forward to the PWS2 Star Wars DLC next month.” — Salt Palace

Signing off
There was some surprisingly big news this week: Google Calendar now has more colors! Instead of just the usual green and blue, you can now color-code your calendar with 200 custom colors. This feature is rolling out now and might genuinely change how I plan my days. I’ve been considering ditching my to-do list entirely and living out of my calendar — I aspire to be a one-text-file kind of person — and now I can finally customize my calendar to my liking. I’m trying to resist the urge to get overly detailed with the color-coding, but I have a feeling that’ll happen. For now, I’m back to time-blocking like a pro. Feeling powerful.

Catch you next week!