The original reading app has received a major update.

Hey gamers! Welcome to Installer No. 138, your go-to source for the coolest and quirkiest in the gaming and tech universe. If you’re new here, welcome aboard, and happy August! You can catch up on all the previous editions at the Installer homepage.

This week, I’ve been diving into the sounds of microwaves, exploring Meta glasses, and comparing Alex to Alix. I’ve also been testing the Logitech Alto Keys K98M to see if I’m ready to embrace the mechanical keyboard lifestyle. I’ve been digging into the history of the first chatbot, clearing some desk space for a Bob Ross deskmat, and rewatching Ted Lasso in anticipation of the new season next week. Plus, I finally decided to jump into Cyberpunk 2077 now that it’s super affordable, chuckling at an Adobe critique, and upgrading my home camera setup with the massive Elgato Prompter XL.

On a personal note, I’m excited to share that I’m expecting a baby! (If you’re thinking, “Didn’t you just have a bunch of kids?” Yes, yes I did. Send good vibes my way!) I’ll be out from mid-August to early October, but I’m in the “could-happen-anytime” zone now. If I suddenly disappear, that’s why! My colleague will be stepping in to handle Installer while I’m away, and I know he’ll do an awesome job.

But for now, I’m still here! I’ve got a fresh superhero flick, a new spin on an old game, some hilarious Musk-related comedy, and a lot more to share. Let’s dive in!

The Drop
* Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The Tom Holland Spider-Man era just keeps delivering. It’s impressive to pull off a near-total story reboot while keeping the same cast, and this one seems to nail it. Since I still can’t snag IMAX Odyssey tickets, this is at the top of my watchlist.
* Pastebot 3. I missed this gem last week! Great clipboard managers are essential, right up there with launchers and text expanders, and Pastebot is one of the best for Mac. The new version features smart organization, support for various media types, and more. You’ll find endless uses for it.
* President Curtis. I was going to call this a “Rick and Morty spinoff” before realizing it actually is one. People seem to either love it or hate it. While many agree that R&M isn’t what it used to be, the chaotic energy injected into the US government does yield some entertaining moments, along with a dose of political commentary.
* “Why Is So Much AI Tech Useless?” Two of my favorite internet personalities dive deep into the effectiveness of AI in our lives. The disbelief at all the overhyped products is both relatable and entertaining.
* Halo: Campaign Evolved. Confession time: I’ve always been terrible at Halo, and it’s made me unfairly bitter about the series. The new remake might be a mediocre game with cringeworthy dialogue, but it’s a nostalgia trip that could appeal to many looking to reconnect with Master Chief.
* Leafy Corner. This game sits somewhere between Animal Crossing and RollerCoaster Tycoon, and I mean that in the best way. It’s a cozy, management sim set in a plant shop, and it’s absolutely adorable.
* Spotify Running Mode. I think Spotify’s last running feature, with adaptive tempos and generative beats, was a cooler take on AI. Still, their prompted playlists are solid, and I appreciate the built-in timing updates instead of another app interrupting my music to tell me I’m lagging behind.
* “Elon’s Epic Ego Explained.” Josh Johnson nails topical comedy, and this is my favorite of his recent sets. It’s not just a roast of Musk; it also touches on The Odyssey and more, all while being both sharp and insightful about the world’s richest man.
* The SwitchBot Battery Circulator Fan 2 Pro. My colleague has convinced me that SwitchBot’s fans are worth considering over the usual models I’ve been buying. This new $120 fan is quiet, powerful, charges via USB-C, and will be my go-to for the patio this summer.

Screen Share
I buried the lead: The biggest news this week is Instapaper 10. Instapaper is one of the original read-later apps and remains a top contender. After some ownership changes, it’s now in the hands of Brian Donohue, who has been steadily enhancing the service. This week’s launch features a sleek redesign, an improved web app, and a host of helpful organization and reading tools. I’ve been testing it, and it’s back to being my top recommendation for reading apps.

With the new app out, I asked Brian to share his homescreen setup. Here’s what he’s using and why:
The phone: iPhone 16 Pro. I usually upgrade every other generation. Maybe I’ll try a foldable this year?
The wallpaper: A picture of my daughter, reminding me that my apps need to be top-notch to keep food on the table.
The apps: Safari, Google Calendar, Emerald, Google Maps, Weather, Photos, Instapaper, Kobo Books, Reddit, 1Password, Google Authenticator, Slack, Google Docs, Google Sheets, ForeFlight, Flight Circle, Claude, Linear, Phone, Sunflower, Messages, Spotify.

Let’s start with the apps not yet in the App Store: Emerald and Sunflower.
Emerald is a Markdown editor I’m developing to address two personal challenges: a native iOS/macOS client and collaboration on markdown files. I’ve been a dedicated Obsidian user for the past two years, but it hasn’t met my needs. I’ve been exclusively using Emerald for a few months, and it’s almost ready for beta testing. You can join the waitlist through the link.
Sunflower is a new email client from Bobby Goodlatte and team. It’s beautifully designed and includes some neat AI features, like inbox summarization and an Autopilot feature that’s perpetually “Coming Soon.” I’ve been trying out various AI email clients, including Extra and an autopilot tool called Cora, but they didn’t stick.

Instapaper’s big launch this week also introduced a new home screen widget that fits nicely alongside the Apple News, Stocks, and Weather widgets. Additionally, I’m doing a lot of my work with Claude and Linear these days, both of which have fantastic iOS apps.

I also asked Brian to share a few things he’s currently into. Here’s what he sent back:
* I’m always inspired by creative builders, and two stand out right now. The first is Andrew Jones, who’s creating free and open-source alternatives to paid software (e.g., Granola, Wispr Flow) — fingers crossed Instapaper is next. The second is Q, a designer crafting small, single-purpose websites that I find inspiring. It reminds me of a simpler version of the Internet, where you built fun Geocities pages without the pressure of fame.
* Hyper Mesh. Q has been exploring image reveal animations and created a tool to tweak presets for the initial mask and the animation that reveals the image.
* SVG Star Editor. Create a star with different settings and export it to SVG.
* Chess Moves. Q is learning chess with his girlfriend and made this tutorial website as a companion tool.

Crowdsourced
Here’s what the Installer community is into this week. I want to hear what you’re enjoying too! Email your recommendations to installer@theverge.com or message me on Signal — @davidpierce.11 — and we’ll feature some favorites here each week. For even more great suggestions, check out the replies to this post on Threads and Bluesky.
“I’m completely hooked on Murdoku. It’s free online, or you can play the old-school way through books. It’s a logic game where you solve crimes by process of elimination.” — Kurt
“I’ve been loving Paradiso for finding movie showtimes. It alerts you when something on your Letterboxd watchlist is playing nearby and is better than Fandango for browsing first-run showtimes.” — Mike
“My friend just got a Galaxy Z Fold 8, and I had to introduce them to Good Lock.” — B
“I love Anker products and usually choose them over others. But I have the Anker 3-in-1 travel charger, and this ESR one (a brand I hadn’t heard of) is better in every way. The Apple Watch charger is in a better position, it’s thinner, and the cooling fan works better. I can’t speak to long-term reliability yet, but I have one by my bedside and one in my travel bag!” — Peter
“I finally switched from a mess of read-it-later apps to a second brain setup with Obsidian + Claude, inspired by Karpathy’s LLM Wiki concept. Hoping this setup sticks…” — Kartik
“I use Readwise Reader for all my newsletters. It has unique email addresses to add newsletters to your library or RSS feed. I love keeping everything I need to read in one app, including newsletters and PDFs.” — Rich
“I HIGHLY recommend the movie Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender. It’s a crime that Paramount isn’t putting this in more theaters, AND that it was leaked on X earlier this year. Stunning visuals that left me frustrated I was watching it at home. It deserves better than being dumped on Paramount Plus.” — Nolan
“Watching the restored version of Lawrence of Arabia. Peter O’Toole’s blue eyes are mesmerizing.” — SaltedPork

Signing Off
The coolest internet experience I had this week was scrolling through the Everything Machine, a detailed breakdown of how your phone works. It’s just the first chapter of what I hope will be a long exploration of how smartphones have changed everything. I love how it interacts with your phone as you scroll. Our phones are such a ubiquitous part of our lives, and I appreciate anything that makes me pay more attention to this cultural force and economic engine that occupies so much of my time. Highly recommend checking it out.

Catch you next week!