The creator of Wordle has launched an exciting new puzzle game.

Hey there, gamers! Welcome to Installer No. 119, your go-to source for the coolest and quirkiest finds in the gaming universe. If you’re new here, welcome aboard! Hope your gaming sessions are epic, and don’t forget you can catch up on all the previous editions at the Installer homepage.

This week, I’ve been diving into a mix of topics, from Pixar’s upcoming projects to the mystery of flight MH370, sports betting, and the latest trends on YouTube. I finally started reading Dungeon Crawler Carl after your persistent recommendations, hoping Rooster continues to impress like it did at launch. I also picked up a MacBook Neo that I definitely didn’t need, revamped my Obsidian setup to match James Bedford’s style, tested out the Fairbuds XL headphones, and packed away my winter gear—only to pull it all back out when the snow hit. Classic!

I’ve got some fresh gaming content for you, including a new title to check out, an exciting Sonos speaker, a massive book on Apple’s history, a fun YouTube experience, and more. Let’s jump in!

The Drop
* **Parseword**: From the mind behind Wordle comes this new game that takes inspiration from cryptic crosswords. It’s a bit trickier to explain than Wordle, but it’s just as satisfying for word game enthusiasts.
* **The Sonos Play**: After more than a year, Sonos has released a new speaker. Priced at $299, it’s on the pricey side for a wireless speaker, but it delivers impressive sound quality. It’s big enough for your living room yet portable enough for outdoor use, and it supports Bluetooth too! I’m definitely eyeing one.
* **Apple: The First 50 Years**: David Pogue’s latest book is a hefty 600 pages packed with fascinating Apple history, stunning photos, and insights into the company’s evolution. As a long-time Apple follower, I found plenty of new information in this read.
* **Perplexity Personal Computer**: A wave of new apps is emerging that I’d describe as “OpenClaw, but simpler and less risky.” This one from Perplexity is gaining traction; it still requires a dedicated device and has some risks, but it’s much easier to set up.
* **California Forever**: I had almost forgotten about this ambitious tech-driven proposal to create a brand-new city outside San Francisco! A recent episode of a podcast dives into how this city would function, and I’m eager for part two.
* **The Bigfoot emoji**: The rollout of Unicode 17.0 is underway, bringing a bunch of new emojis, including Bigfoot! We need to decide on a fun, culturally relevant way to use the Bigfoot emoji. Should it mean “badass” or “I don’t believe that’s real”? I’m open to suggestions!
* **Channel Surfer**: This web app transforms YouTube into a nostalgic grid of TV channels, allowing you to flip through videos like you would on a hotel TV. You can also import your subscriptions, making it one of the best laid-back YouTube experiences I’ve encountered.
* **My WordPress**: This new local version of WordPress runs entirely in your browser, requires no setup, and just works. It’s like having WordPress as a local operating system, which is a bit confusing but intriguing given the rise of local-browser apps.

Screen Share
Lately, many of you have expressed interest in seeing how others are utilizing AI—tools, setups, and projects. What a fantastic idea! So, from time to time, we’ll feature AI setups in this space.

First up is Brian Lovin, a designer at Notion and a prolific developer. If you checked out Shiori, the bookmarking app I mentioned a while back, you’re already familiar with his work. Brian and I recently chatted about his setup and how he manages it all. Here’s a screenshot he shared of his mobile AI workspace:

Brian shared a prompt he loves, credited to Notion cofounder Simon Last: “Step back and think really hard. How can we make this simpler and dumber while still achieving our goals?” He uses this prompt frequently with AI coding agents, and I think it’s brilliant.

While his setup is always evolving, here are some apps Brian currently loves for AI work:
* **Claude**: He uses the Claude Code app for various tasks and interacts with Claude in the Mac’s Terminal, Cursor, Zed, and more.
* **Claude Skills**: Brian emphasizes the importance of building skills for your AI agents, especially for repetitive tasks. GitHub is a treasure trove of skills created by others if you want to start there.
* **Monologue**: This voice-dictation app features a clever iOS keyboard for cross-app use. Brian often uses Monologue to brainstorm tasks and projects, preferring exploration over immediately adding to his to-do list.
* **Conductor**: Brian believes more people should explore this app, which helps manage multiple AI agents working simultaneously. While it can lead to unnecessary clutter, learning to multitask with AI agents is a significant advantage.

Currently, Brian is focusing on back-end coding with AI while handling front-end work himself. He noted that coaching Claude Code can be challenging, but he’s continually impressed by how much AI coding tools are improving. His setup may look entirely different in just a few months!

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 finally starting to understand Android Studio. I might have too many options and tools (Claude, Gemini, Manus, Firebase Studio, Android Studio, Replit, etc.), but I’m getting there. I’m trying to create a notes/to-do app where notes with tasks show up on my to-do side with links to the notes, while syncing with Gemini Nano on my phone and Google Calendar. Podcast app is next!” — Omar

“My current obsession is Cosmic Princess Kaguya, which is playing in theaters all over Japan even though it’s been on Netflix for a month. Nothing beats watching a great film in a packed theater!” — Bea

“Just discovered All Creatures Great & Small. It’s about a small veterinary practice in 1930s Great Britain. It’s endlessly wholesome, surprisingly moving, and quintessentially British. I’m streaming it on PBS.” — Zac

“I’ve been reflecting on Maggie Appleton’s essay, ‘Home-Cooked Software and Barefoot Developers,’ a lot lately!” — Jacob

“I have a book recommendation you’re going to love: The Prize. It covers the history of oil from its inception to now, detailing the economic background and the history of Western companies versus national ownership and production. It really highlights how our modern society revolves around energy-dense fuels.” — Christopher

“I’m reading The Power Broker and listening to the 99% Invisible companion podcast with Roman Mars and Elliott Kalan.” — craigkocur

“Have you tried Rematch? It was released almost a year ago, and it’s still my favorite football-related game.” — Eldar

“For anyone looking for MP3 taggers for ripping CDs, I recommend MusicBrainz Picard or Beets if you enjoy the command line.” — Daryl

“I can’t recommend Mist enough as an AI health and fitness companion. It’s a minimalist AI chatbot focused solely on health, syncing with Apple Health and other services. It’s cheaper than a Gemini subscription and has a responsive developer!” — Justin

Signing Off
I don’t know if it’s just my YouTube algorithm, but it seems like paper notebooks are trending right now. All the productivity enthusiasts I follow are suddenly raving about their favorite analog systems and how writing longhand has helped them feel more organized and productive.

I love the idea, but I have two issues: my handwriting is terrible, and I’m unsure which notebook to choose. I guess that means I need to buy a bunch of pens and notebooks, right? Gear will solve everything, won’t it? Anyway, I’d love your recommendations. If you’ve gone analog or have always been that way, share the gear you use. Maybe one day, I’ll even be able to read my own writing.

Catch you next week!