The ultimate app for tracking your favorite TV shows, movies, and podcasts.

Hey there, gamers! Welcome to Installer No. 122, your go-to source for the coolest and quirkiest finds in the gaming universe. 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 stories of early Apple employees, exploring weather apps, and experimenting with one-page productivity systems. I’ve been watching Avatar: Fire and Ash on my phone in bite-sized chunks, just like James Cameron intended. I’m also on a quest to find a better Gmail address than the one I picked two decades ago, caught the Artemis II launch because space is just too cool, splurged on a new mug that’s a bit pricey but totally worth it, swapped my work playlist for an epic DJ set from Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter, tuned into a Darknet Diaries episode about music fraud (shoutout to Josh for the recommendation), and fine-tuned my first vibe-coded project that’s actually turned out pretty well.

I’ve got some exciting new ways to browse the internet, a fresh Mario movie, a more private video chat option, and a ton of apps to share this week! Let’s jump in.

The Drop
* **Sofa 5**: This major update to a fan-favorite app is now an awesome tool for managing everything you want to watch, read, play, and even do in real life. I struggled to stick with it when it was just for movies and shows, but now it feels like a Notion for my personal life. It’s Apple devices only, but I’m really loving it.

* **Surf**: After a lengthy beta phase, this feed reader/social network/timeline app has finally launched, and I think it’s a fantastic concept. The fediverse can be more than just a Twitter clone, and Surf is a prime example of that.

* **The Super Mario Galaxy Movie**: The cast for this film is absolutely stacked! While the reviews aren’t stellar, they weren’t great for the last one either, and I loved that movie! I have a feeling my kid and I will be watching this one a ridiculous number of times.

* **Hozy**: I’ve recently discovered the cozy game genre, and it’s a delightful escape. Life can be tough, so it’s nice to have something soothing and mindless to engage with. In this case, it’s all about home renovation and decoration, and it’s surprisingly fun.

* **Proton Meet**: With growing concerns about meeting privacy, recordings, and AI summaries, Proton’s new tool offers a secure, straightforward solution that works well. I’m planning to switch many of my Google Meets to this.

* **“Jeopardy! YouTube Edition”**: Don’t watch this expecting a classic episode of Jeopardy. Tune in for the endless meme references, Ken Jennings trying to stay relevant, and a bunch of questions that anyone who’s a bit too online can answer.

* **Day One Chat**: This chatbot guides you through journaling, turning each day into a conversation rather than a monologue. It’s not for everyone, but it might help you get into the journaling habit. Just be cautious about sharing your entries with AI tools; Day One seems to be handling it well.

* **NewsBlur for Android**: There aren’t enough solid RSS readers for Android, but NewsBlur is one of the best. The new version has received a much-needed redesign along with new organization and discovery features. It might just become my go-to feeds app on Android.

* **“Cindy Cohn – Fighting for Digital Human Rights in Privacy’s Defender”**: This extended segment from a popular show features the head of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, providing a clear and compelling argument for why privacy matters and what we can do to protect it. Many discussions on this topic can get convoluted, but Cohn is refreshingly straightforward. I need to check out her book now.

Screen Share
I’ve been using Twos, a note-taking and to-do list app, quite a bit over the last couple of years. It’s packed with features but remains straightforward, aligning perfectly with how my brain works. My only issues have been with its design and polish—it never felt quite finished.

Well, Parker Klein, the developer behind Twos, just released a new version that significantly improves its look and feel. Every aspect of the app feels cleaner and more refined, and I’ve been enjoying the beta for the past few weeks. The coolest part? The entire app was built using Claude Code. Parker mentioned he’s not writing code himself anymore; he’s orchestrating the process while Claude handles the coding.

I asked Parker to share his AI setup with us, hoping to snag some tips for my own projects. Here’s what he shared:

* “I use the Claude Mac app on my MacBook Pro with their Max plan. It integrates directly with my files and directories, and I commit to GitHub for deployment. Occasionally, I use the Claude Code extension in VSCode, but it was crashing while I worked on New Twos, so I switched to the Claude app.

* “I’m currently using Opus 4.6 and previously used the Auto mode on Cursor until they changed their pricing.”

* “This photo shows Claude on the right and the iOS simulator on the left. I was cropping photos for the custom wallpaper in the capture view of New Twos. I use a similar workflow for Android and the new web version. You can see I use very simple language and let it do its thing.”

Parker doesn’t have any go-to prompts he uses repeatedly, but he did share a clever tip: have Claude create its own documentation for larger features and architecture, then refer back to that documentation when addressing bugs or new features. It saves a lot of time and keeps everything organized.

I also asked Parker for tips on using the new Twos, and he gave me his usual advice: “My advice probably won’t ever change. Write things down. We’ve designed the app for quickly capturing anything, so that’s what we’re optimizing for. I still heavily use lists, bookmarks, search, and chat for recall, but those are only useful if you’re writing things down.” He’s got a point!

Crowdsourced
Here’s what the Installer community is into this week. I want to hear what you’re enjoying right now too! 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.

* “John Siracusa’s app Hyperspace on the Mac App Store — great for saving space on your Mac (but it doesn’t actually delete any files through the use of APFS).” — Quack

* “I got a terrible/wonderful color e-ink photo frame: the VidaBay Snap. No wires, no battery. Transfer exactly one (1) photo via NFC. It only works on iOS (for now?), I have to transfer a white image to clear it thoroughly before changing the photo, and it’s SUPER janky. But it’s cool and it makes me happy. I want a half dozen of ‘em.” — Daniel

* “I’m playing Crimson Desert, the amazing open-world RPG with characters who have no personality and a main plot with no diegetic quest delivery. But it’s gorgeous and huge, combat is fun, and it lets you pick grasshoppers out of a field. Truly feels like a next-gen Bethesda RPG, albeit with the writing of a bowl of stale crackers.” — Jordan

* “One of my favorite YouTube channels that I keep coming back to is Ryan’s Edits. He takes Star Trek blooper reels, mainly from TNG, and re-edits them back into the episodes, usually with the appropriate music and sound effects. The results are absolutely hilarious, and I’d love to watch an entire episode done this way.” — Nicholas

* “We just watched this unexpected banger documentary about extreme birdwatching called Listers that deserves more attention.” — Mal

* “Indie Game Works. Excellent new book release from ROM on the greatest indie games of the 21st century.” — Andy

* “Recently, I’ve been searching ‘how to use an old phone as a media server,’ and Reddit suggested I try Emby. It’s a little slow — maybe I should connect ethernet to my TV — but it’s kinda awesome!” — Aftab

* “I’m an avid audiobook fan, and thought these recommendations might be of interest. The Demon Cycle series by Peter V. Brett is an epic world of magic, demons, and fantasy. A dark and fascinating cultural delight! Also, The Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson – the epitome of large-scale fantasy. Warring realms, gods, and evil. What’s not to like!” — Brian

* “I recently gave Wanderlog a try for planning my family’s summer road trip. It made it a breeze to co-plan this with my husband. It also saved us from accidentally making a 12-hour driving day. Such a great tool!” — Naomi

Signing Off
Guinness World Records has become my new favorite TikTok rabbit hole. I can’t believe I didn’t discover it until this week! It’s just an endless stream of incredible feats, whether it’s clapping a billion times a minute, driving a truck through an impossibly tiny opening, or showcasing a very large snake. Why do most of these records exist, or why do people even attempt them? Who knows! But this concept is perfectly suited for endless scrolling, and I definitely binged that account this week. No regrets here!

Catch you next week!