A strong early candidate for film of the year
Hey there, gamers! Welcome to Installer No. 120, your go-to source for the coolest and quirkiest finds in the gaming universe. If you’re new here, welcome aboard! Get ready for some hot takes, and don’t forget you can catch up on all the previous editions at the Installer homepage.
This week, I’ve been diving into the world of Banksy, exploring music apps, and checking out influencer agents. I’ve also been binge-watching Netflix documentaries about the manosphere and The Red Hot Chili Peppers, marveling at the songwriting talents of Ed Sheeran and Benny Blanco, and surprisingly enjoying Young Sherlock. Plus, I’ve subscribed to Joanna Stern’s new tech channel, used the Sleep With Me podcast to drift off, and whipped up a ton of brownies with that unbeatable Costco mix.
I’ve got a must-watch movie for your weekend, some fun new AI playthings, a piece of creatively designed furniture, and more. Ready to jump in? Let’s go!
(As always, the best part of Installer is hearing from you. What are you watching, reading, listening to, or playing this week? Share your thoughts: installer@theverge.com. And if you know someone who might enjoy this, pass it along and encourage them to subscribe!)
**The Drop**
* **Project Hail Mary.** Everyone I know is raving about this movie, and you should definitely catch it in theaters ASAP. I’ll admit I didn’t enjoy the book as much as The Martian, which I adored, but I’m still grabbing tickets for this one this weekend.
* **The AirPods Max 2.** Honestly, it’s wild that Apple updated these headphones without making them lighter or fixing that ridiculous charging case. However, they do improve on the original in several practical ways. But seriously, that case needs work.
* **Jury Duty Season Two.** The first season was a delightful surprise, and it seems they’ve done it again! This time, the setting is a company retreat, and I can’t wait to see how it unfolds.
* **Netlify.New.** I recently stumbled upon Netlify, which makes deploying web apps incredibly easy. Their latest feature integrates AI agents, allowing you to create an app just by using a prompt. It’s surprisingly effective and a fun way to experiment with some functional software.
* **The Boox Go 10.3 Gen II.** This is a solid upgrade for a large e-reader. It features a newer version of Android, a great front light (especially if you opt for the Lumi model), and, of course, access to all the Android apps you can handle on an E Ink display.
* **The Laundry Chair.** Simone Giertz has done it again! This project is not only fun and a bit retro but also surprisingly practical. I’m often guilty of tossing my clothes on a chair, so the idea of organizing that mess without a full cleanup is super appealing. (I know this is technically from last week, but I had to share it!)
* **Claude Cowork Dispatch.** Another day, another OpenClaw but with less danger. I’m intrigued by how messaging apps are becoming the go-to interface for AI agents and how much people are willing to do from their phones.
* **Google AI Studio Build.** A bold move at Claude Code, done in a Gemini style. I’ve heard great things about what people are creating, and I’m also hearing positive feedback about Stitch, the new AI design system. It looks like we’re gearing up for an exciting three-way showdown to become your all-in-one AI app.
**Group Project**
When I asked for your favorite pens and notebooks, I was blown away by the number of recommendations! (I should have expected it; never underestimate the Installerverse.) Since my screen share fell through this week and I received so many great suggestions, let’s turn this into an impromptu group project.
As I suspected, everyone has their go-to notebook and pen, and there are tons of fantastic options out there. (Shoutout to Tim for pointing me to the Japanese Stationery Awards, a treasure trove of organization and productivity goodies, and to Omar for sharing Peter McKinnon’s inspiring setup.) Here are some standout products and brands that popped up frequently in my inbox:
* **Leuchtturm1917.** This German brand was a big hit, with their Classic Notebooks receiving universal love. They come in various sizes and colors, but the A5 size seemed to be the favorite. I picked up a couple myself.
* **Field Notes.** No surprise here — nobody does compact, durable, well-designed notebooks quite like Field Notes. Several of you mentioned using these as disposable companions to larger, more permanent notebooks, which I think is a great idea.
* **Baronfig.** Many of you are fans of the Confidant notebook, which I’ve used and liked in the past. A few also recommended the Squire pen, which is $65 but comes highly praised.
* **Traveler’s Company.** This brand is new to me, but they offer popular notebooks along with a whole ecosystem of accessories, charms, holders, and clips, allowing you to customize your notebook setup extensively. Very much my style!
The pen recommendations were even more diverse. Here’s a list of intriguing suggestions I received, most of which are surprisingly affordable! Turns out you can just stroll into a store and find a decent pen. Here are some highlights:
* The LAMY Safari and the upgraded CP1.
* The Fisher Space Pen.
* The LePen Le Pen.
* The Uni-Ball Eye Fine and JetStream.
* The Pilot Precise V5. (No one mentioned this, but my colleague Liz will be on my case if I don’t include her all-time favorite pen.)
You also shared some great tips and tricks, a few of which I’ve already started to adopt. Thicker paper is better; dot-grid notebooks are versatile; don’t rush to build a perfect system right away; and hold off on going full fountain pen until you’re ready. I appreciate everyone who took the time to share their systems and recommendations. Once my packages arrive, I’m planning to embrace a bit more analog in my life. I’m really looking forward to it!
**Crowdsourced**
Here’s what the Installer community is into this week. I want to hear what you’re enjoying right now too! Email installer@theverge.com or message me on Signal — @davidpierce.11 — with your recommendations for anything and everything, 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.
“Just finished part one of 13 of Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, which I completely missed until I saw it on both The New Yorker’s and The Guardian’s end-of-year podcast lists.” — Richard
“Unfortunately, I’ve become slightly obsessed with Wikipedia Gacha, the new Wikipedia card-collecting game.” — Yoinks
“I’ve been playing with a 10-year-old Olympus Pen Lite E-PL8, picked up in Map Camera, Tokyo. Small enough to carry every day, but big enough (with a Micro Four Thirds sensor) to take much better photos than an iPhone. And with the silver-colored old lens, it looks way cooler!” — Brian
“I just found out about the Rekindle site, which adds a ton of tools/games/utilities to your Kindle through a browser-friendly E Ink webpage!” — Andrew
“I’m watching The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins (basically 30 Rock) and Scrubs (literally Scrubs), trying to trick my brain into thinking it’s 2008.” — Zach
“As 1Password raised its price, I tried Strongbox, and it’s even nicer.” — Serghei
“After what felt like a street-level advertising blitz this past Friday, I picked up Esoteric Ebb on Steam and spent most of the weekend playing it! I haven’t tried Disco Elysium yet, but I hear this is very much in that vein of games. Highly recommend stepping into The Cleric’s shoes to uncover what happened at the tea shop and who to vote for.” — Adam
“I recently discovered the daily illustration that accompanies each NYT Connections puzzle, accessed by pressing the lightbulb icon above the puzzle. It gives a hint or two about the solution in a really creative way. Even if I don’t need it for help, I enjoy checking it each day and find it oddly soothing!” — Tom
**Signing Off**
I wore an Apple Watch for years, but I recently got one of the new Pebble 2 Duos, which I like! Except for the design. I’m also looking to reduce the tech I wear on my wrist, so I’m on the hunt for a simple yet stylish watch. Surprisingly tough to find!
So far, the highlight of my search has been exploring the world of Casio modders: watchmakers who take apart these basic digital watches and upgrade them in all sorts of creative ways. Sometimes they add new features, and other times they completely rebuild them from scratch. I’ve been captivated by this modified A700 all week, and Adam Savage’s Casio Royale watch has me smitten. The modding community is a blast, full of innovative ideas, and I have a feeling I’ll end up with way too many watches by the end of this journey. Just no fancy ones!
Catch you next week!
