The Installer tech and gadget reward information for 2025

Hi, pals! Welcome to Installer No. 107, your information to the most effective and Verge-iest stuff on the planet. (If you’re new right here, welcome, hope you’re having a stunning and lengthy weekend, and likewise you may learn all of the outdated editions on the Installer homepage.)

This week, I’ve been studying about Faker and Chinese EVs and art thieves, looking for cool acoustic tiles for my new house workplace, utilizing a night-light app to surprisingly helpful impact, testing the Pebble 2 Duo, devouring the Colossus series from Search Engine, lastly beginning to watch Pluribus, wrestling with the dumb app for my dumb new thermostat, transferring a few of my searching habits to Kagi’s Orion, and eventually reconnecting all my good house gear to an Echo Dot Max. And, as a lot as doable, I’ve been making an attempt to disconnect and hang around with my household. Or at the very least sit close to them and take a look at my cellphone, which completely counts.

I even have for you the largest factor to hit Netflix this 12 months, a rad-looking new comedian collection, the newest and biggest model of Claude, and rather more. Short week, massive stuff to get to! Let’s do it.

(As at all times, the most effective a part of Installer is your concepts and suggestions. What are you enjoying / studying / watching / looking for / baking at 400 levels this week? Tell me all the things: installer@theverge.com. And if you recognize another person who may get pleasure from Installer, ahead it to them and inform them to subscribe right here.)

I like a present information, at any time of 12 months. Most of my favorites (apart from The Verge’s, after all, which is the all-time nice and I’ll hear no different opinions) are usually only a single particular person saying, “here’s some stuff I like!” Robin Sloan does nice reward guides. So does Helen Rosner. Max Read, too. I’ve discovered so many issues I like as a result of folks I like say they’re good.

In that spirit, I come to you with a present information that isn’t remotely scientific or consultant of something, however is as a substitute only a bunch of stuff I like. This is all stuff I’ve paid for with my very own cash, not simply examined with a loaner gadget from an organization. It’s all stuff I like and advocate wholeheartedly. And for probably the most half, it’s all fairly reasonably priced. So right here’s my reward information for 2025:

One different be aware on procuring this weekend: there are clearly a lot of good gross sales operating, for Black Friday and Cyber Monday and no matter we name this procuring season that now lasts roughly 4 weeks. But I’d argue the most effective factor you should purchase proper now’s streaming providers. They’re all consistently elevating costs, however nearly all supply a terrific deal on an annual subscription proper about now. The deeply complicated way forward for tv is much more palatable at half value.

Now it’s your flip: ship me the stuff you’re shopping for for others and hoping they purchase for you! Next week’s Installer goes to be much more gift-y.

I first met Naveen Gavini a few years in the past, when he was Pinterest’s chief product officer. I don’t bear in mind what he needed to speak in regards to the first time we spoke, however I do keep in mind that he confirmed me an app on his cellphone, and his homescreen included a bunch of apps I’d by no means heard of. That doesn’t occur fairly often!

Now, Naveen is the CEO of a brand new firm referred to as ConstructForever, which simply launched its first product: an e-mail app referred to as Extra that goals to completely rethink your relationship together with your inbox. (I’ve seen an early demo, and it’s fascinating. It additionally seems nothing like several e-mail app I’ve ever seen — and I’m unsure but how I really feel about that.)

I requested Naveen to share his homescreen with us, to see if there have been another secrets and techniques I would have the ability to be taught. Here it’s, plus some information on the apps he makes use of and why:

The cellphone: iPhone 17 Pro.

The wallpaper: I’ve a folder on iOS that I save a bunch of good wallpapers to. It rotates every day — this one is a rainforest that appears nice with the iOS 26 depth impact.

The apps: Camera, Photos, Calendar, Notes, Figma, Slack, Oura, Google Maps, Retro, Tangle, Super Me, Tesla, Phone, Messages, Safari, Extra.

As you recognize, I take a look at quite a lot of apps, however a couple of issues to name out:

I additionally requested Naveen to share a couple of issues he’s into proper now. Here’s what he despatched again:

Here’s what the Installer neighborhood is into this week. I wish to know what you’re into proper now as properly! Email installer@theverge.com or message me on Signal — @davidpierce.11 — together with your suggestions for something and all the things, and we’ll characteristic a few of our favorites right here each week. For much more nice suggestions, take a look at the replies to this post on Threads and this post on Bluesky.

“I’ve been playing the daily games from Spark. They’ve been great and I’ve been learning things along the way. I love the daily learning habit it’s creating for me.” — Carter

“All about world immersion for me this week. Been reading the first Dungeon Crawler Carl. Super fun and like reading a video game. Accidentally fell down a Kingdom Come Deliverance rabbit hole. Got the new one on sale and decided it was so good that I had to get the first one and play that instead.” — Manny

“Come on, it’s the 4K Criterion release of Eyes Wide Shut, obviously!” — Naught

“Really considering getting a Viwoods AIPaper Reader. Like a Boox Palma, but Carta 1300, Android 16, etc. Waiting on battery tests though.” — Scott

“The Division 2, the video game. Yes, it’s about seven years old now, but it’s still got a huge user base and the dev team is rolling out new stuff all the time. In like a month’s time the game is getting a total redesign to add some things the users have been asking for. It should be pretty exciting!” — Jack

“The Great Work, the debut novel from Sheldon Costa, was my most recent fantastic read.” — Bill

“Home Assistant because, apparently, home automation is my new hobby and I like the idea of local control. Shouldn’t be too long before I’ve locked myself inside my house.” — Lee

“Catching up with Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End before Season 2 hits. It’s an anime that starts where most end: the 10-year quest is over and we see where the party members go from there. It might be the show with the most heart airing right now, and it’s beautiful to look at.” — Yoinks

“I just started In Stars And Time, a black and white RPG with the best character writing I’ve seen in years. Even the annoying character is adorable by the end of the first hour.” — Jordan

I discussed above that Stranger Things is again this week. I’m excited! It’s additionally been roughly 648 years because the final season debuted. Luckily, YouTube exists, so moderately than attempt to plow by each episode once more I’ve been watching a bunch of collection recaps. Turns out it is a complete style of YouTube I didn’t find out about! Here’s the entire collection in 24 minutes, and the entire collection in 27 minutes, and the entire collection also in 24 minutes.

The channel doing this concept probably the most, at the very least so far as I can inform, is Man of Recaps, which presents a very astounding variety of single-season and even full-series recaps of reveals and flicks. (Why you’d wish to know everything that happens in Breaking Bad, starting to finish, in 21 minutes is past me, however 5 million views say I’m the foolish one right here.) Anyway, as ever, YouTube to the rescue. Now I’m very prepared for season 5.

Have an amazing vacation, for those who’re celebrating, and see you subsequent week!