Hello, mates! Welcome to Installer No. 91, your information to the very best and Verge-iest stuff on the earth. (In case you’re new right here, welcome, how is summer time greater than a month over already, and in addition you possibly can learn all of the previous editions on the Installer homepage.)
This week, I’m pondering the leaked Pixel 10 lineup, marveling at BYD’s leaping Yangwang U9 supercar, studying about why everybody’s studying Reddit, already trying ahead to Ted Lasso’s fourth season, rewatching MKBHD’s movies in regards to the Escobar folding cellphone, melting with pleasure on the new Pokémon Concierge season 2 trailer, dreaming of shopping for the Lego Recreation Boy however not really doing so as a result of my toddler would destroy it, and listening to Lucius’ not too long ago launched self-titled album.
I even have for you some new betas from Apple, a retro-styled PC, some ideas about instances, and learn how to play Dance Dance Revolution at residence at the moment.
(As at all times, the very best a part of Installer is your concepts and ideas. What do you need to know extra about? What superior tips are you aware that everybody else ought to? What app ought to everybody be utilizing? Inform me every part: installer@theverge.com. And if you understand another person who would possibly take pleasure in Installer, ahead it to them and inform them to subscribe right here.)
- Apple’s public betas: Public betas for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26 can be found now, supplying you with an opportunity to see Apple’s Liquid Glass design language in motion earlier than the updates are launched extensively this fall. I’ve been operating the developer betas, and after some mandatory tweaks from Apple, I’m warming as much as Liquid Glass greater than I anticipated.
- Maingear’s Retro95 PC: This restricted launch places a retro shell over fashionable PC parts. Anybody have $1,599 (or extra) they’ll lend me?
- AppleCare One: This new $19.99-per-month subscription from Apple allows you to cowl as much as three gadgets directly with the identical advantages you’d get with particular person AppleCare Plus subscriptions. You may add extra gadgets for $5.99 monthly every. I don’t often pay for guarantee protection, however AppleCare One might be deal for lots of people.
- The Unbelievable 4: First Steps: It’s Marvel’s flip to launch a superhero film with some fairly excessive stakes for the corporate that makes it — and like DC and Superman, Marvel seems to have principally pulled it off. As an enormous Michael Giacchino fan, about half the rationale I need to see this film is for the rating.
- Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft (16GB): This new model of Amazon’s colour Kindle comes with half the storage and is lacking a couple of perks from the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Version, however at $249.99, it’s $30 cheaper than final 12 months’s mannequin. I’m going to carry on to my Tenth-generation Kindle Paperwhite so long as I can, however each time it’s time to improve that, I’m sorely tempted by a colour ereader.
- Roomba Max 705 Combo: This new combo robotic vacuum from iRobot has a “first-of-its-kind curler mop cowl that retains carpets dry.” If that cowl really works, it looks like this might be a terrific dual-purpose robovacuum.
- Wheel World: It’s a cycling-themed open-world journey recreation from Annapurna Interactive and the builders of Nidhogg. That appears like a profitable combo to me, and it’d simply be the feel-good recreation of the summer time.
- Acapulco season 4: I watched the primary two seasons of this Apple TV Plus collection set at a resort in Mexico and beloved them — the present is humorous and heartwarming. Like Ted Lasso, it may be a bit saccharine, however I feel we must always all watch some lighter TV each on occasion. Is perhaps time for me to catch up.
Because of everybody who replied to my quandary about whether or not or not I ought to hold utilizing a cellphone case. There have been a bunch of nice views and emotions, so I’m sharing a couple of of them right here within the publication — a lot extra folks go caseless than I anticipated!
As for my very own choice? Properly, I haven’t reached one but, and actually, I could by no means choose one lane. Usually, my iPhone 16 Professional lives on this slim Torras case, however as I write this, it’s sitting on high of the case, not in it. Will I put the case on earlier than I stroll out the door? We’ll see!
“I, too, felt the urge to go caseless. I’m fairly cautious with my electronics, so I nonetheless didn’t love the concept of setting my cellphone down on tables and issues alike. I received the magnetic again from Nomad, and it has felt like the proper meet-in-the-middle accent for me! Telephone feels virtually caseless, and I nonetheless get the again safety.” – Omesh
“I’m completely the identical with instances. I do know I’ll drop it annually and completely destroy the factor and I hate that. What I do is take the case off once I’m simply chilling at my desk or sofa or chair. That means I get the enjoyment of the graceful cellphone, however when I’m at risk of dropping it on concrete or getting out of my truck, I’ve the safety it wants.” – Travis
“I ran my first gen Pixel Fold with out a case (whereas residing in a beachy resort city) for 2 years! If the Fold can survive it, so can a 16 Professional. The Fold remains to be alive and nicely as a secondary machine/backup cellphone. In fact, it’s positively not pristine, so in the event you don’t need your cellphone to bear its scars, it is best to most likely hold a case on it.” – John
“I’ve the Peak Design GNAR case. Noticed some complaints on-line in regards to the safety being too minimal for the entrance of the cellphone, but it surely’s been strong for me. Does nicely being outdoor (I run outdoors on a regular basis). I’m rocking no display protector.” – airwr3ck6669
“I by no means used instances till I received my present cellphone (Pixel 6A) as a result of the Razer Kishi controller I used now not match snuggly round it, so I discovered a case that allowed it to suit once more. I’d say the case would ultimately come off, however I solely realized as I used to be studying this text that although I now not use that controller, I hadn’t thought to take the case off.” – xPutNameHerex
Right this moment, I’m that includes Keith Broni, the editor-in-chief of Emojipedia. I considered reaching out to him for this part after World Emoji Day on July seventeenth (the date proven on the calendar emoji), and he graciously replied. He initially received concerned with the location in 2018 and took on rising tasks “through the years” earlier than taking the editor-in-chief job in 2022.
Along with every part about his homescreen, I wished to know what he’s trying ahead to on the earth of emoji. “I’m excited to see what the subsequent surprising emoji repurposing meme goes to be, particularly as Gen Alpha turns into an increasing number of on-line,” he tells me, like how Millennials repurposed the Eggplant and Peach and the way Gen Z repurposed the Cranium.
Emoji fascinate me — full disclosure, I submitted proposals that helped carry the Saluting Face, Bubbles, Waffle, and Yawning Face emoji into the world — so I’m to share extra of the emoji universe with Installer readers.
Right here’s Keith’s homescreen and his rationalization of what’s on it.
Picture: Keith Broni
The cellphone: Google Pixel 6. Like Molly final week, I’m an “till the wheels fall off” kind of individual relating to my private cellphone, although I take advantage of an iPhone 15 Professional for work.
The wallpaper: A 2019 image of me (I’m in all black, bar the white soles of my sneakers) wandering the grounds of the Zōjō-ji Temple in Tokyo, with the Tokyo Tower looming within the background.
- The highest row is my fitness-focused stuff, as I’m getting ready for a Hyrox-like competitors in October, so it’s all step counts (Garmin Join), protein targets (MyFitnessPal), behavior monitoring (HabitShare — a free and easy tracker with some good friend-sharing components for accountability), and gymnasium class bookings (Glofox).
- Since I’m European, WhatsApp is my main mode of texting / calling of us. And since I’m Irish, you’ve received my Irish banking app, AIB Cell, ha.
- I’m a millennial, so Instagram is my main mode of social media as of late, although I’m additionally on X / Bluesky / TikTok quite a bit for work functions (that find yourself drifting into non-work functions if I’m not cautious).
- I’m a Letterboxd consumer, and do take pleasure in attending the cinema as a lot as I can (shoutout to the Lighthouse in Dublin — I used to be there final evening watching Friendship, which I completely loved). However actually, YouTube is the place I spend far an excessive amount of of my time (and to a lesser extent, Nebula, which is on the subsequent web page of my residence display).
I additionally requested Keith to share a couple of issues he’s into proper now. Right here’s what he mentioned:
- Music-wise, I’ve been listening to numerous Oasis on Spotify recently. I used to be one of many fortunate 2 % who managed to snag tickets for his or her present run of exhibits, and I’ve been using the excessive ever since their homecoming gig in Manchester on Sunday (the twentieth). I’ve additionally been having fun with a number of tracks from the new Moist Leg album — a band that famously workshopped their title utilizing numerous emoji combos — in addition to two new songs from The Final Dinner Occasion and 9 Inch Nails.
- To tie in with the health app bit above, I’ve been enjoying the Remaining Fantasy Pixel Remasters whereas strolling on a house treadmill. I’ve been a giant old-school JRPG fan since I used to be a child, although I’d solely performed IV from this assortment earlier than.
- This Instagram account @theblack.lodge, who’s been doing restricted drops of T-shirts impressed by David Lynch movies (I’m a giant fan, particularly of Twin Peaks, RIP). I’ve purchased at the least one merchandise from each drop to date.
- E-book-wise, I’ve been listening to Algospeak: How Social Media Is Remodeling the Way forward for Language by Adam Aleksic on Audible (sitting on the second web page of my residence display). Earlier than this, I completed studying the bodily copy of Face with Tears of Pleasure: A Pure Historical past of Emoji by Keith Houston, during which our work at Emojipedia is closely referenced (and I’m honored to have been instantly name-dropped in).
- One other little bit of a self-serving one (particularly because you talked about it your self final week), however I’ve been having fun with dipping into the revived Emojitracker.com website throughout spare moments to look at stay emoji utilization unfold.
Right here’s what the Installer group is into this week. I need to know what you’re into proper now as nicely! E-mail installer@theverge.com along with your suggestions for something and every part, and we’ll characteristic a few of our favorites right here each week. For much more nice suggestions, try the replies to this publish on The Verge, this publish on Threads, and this publish on Bluesky.
“I take advantage of Outplay on my Apple Watch to trace the soccer matches I play. It exhibits a warmth map of my motion throughout a match and has metrics particular to enjoying soccer like sprints. It really works higher for me than utilizing the built-in Apple Exercise app or Strava.” – Harry Tequila
“Been enjoying the macOS model of Cyberpunk 2077 on a base M4 Mac Mini. I’m impressed with the sport and graphic high quality of this model. Simply hoping that is the beginning for extra Mac-native variations of A & S tier video games.” – penguinchiller
“I simply accomplished the (not so) Countless Tower in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and beat Clea… on an MSI Claw 8 with an Intel chip! Didn’t anticipate that after panning the primary Claw. It’s the one handheld I’ve actually loved this recreation on to date!” – Sean
“I’ve turn into obsessive about the Twos app and utilizing it consistently. Extremely advocate!” – Wealthy
“After steadfastly avoiding it due to its problem, I not too long ago bought and have been dying time and again in Returnal. The setting actually does really feel like a hostile alien planet, and with headphones it seems like I can hear each drop of rain. And yeah, it’s actually troublesome.” – Aram
“Been enjoying Lushfoil Images Sim and it’s so enjoyable and wonderful.” – Allison
“I’ve been binging CityNerd on YouTube. The channel discusses cities, transportation, city design, walkability, and so on. Great things.” – low_light_mixes
Final week, I included a tidbit from a reader who has been enjoying Dance Dance Revolution not too long ago. As somebody who performed a lot of DDR once I was a child (“Butterfly,” anybody?), I used to be curious to be taught extra about how he does it. Right here’s a few of what the reader, Tom, informed me — he additionally pointed me to a starter information on Reddit:
“I’ll begin with acknowledging I’m absolutely not an skilled within the scene, however spent numerous time within the native arcade and at residence enjoying on a PS2 once I was rising up.
“I grabbed the Deluxe 1-inch thick foam pad from www.ddrpad.com, together with the extension wire and the preloaded Stepmania Flash drive. Stepmania is the open-source clone of DDR. Folks make their very own stepcharts (the arrows that scroll up throughout a music) and make customized songs that you could obtain and cargo in, in addition to songs from the precise DDR video games.
“Somebody who is basically into enjoying could need to ultimately spend money on a metallic pad, like what’s within the arcades. They’re tremendous sturdy and can final for years of use, whereas gentle mats may probably tear over time. There are a lot of producers on the market, and the worth vary is often from $400 and up for the metallic pads. Folks even purchase previous arcade cupboards for hundreds of {dollars} and have them of their residence.”
Thanks, Tom! See you subsequent week, everybody!
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