Vivaldi 8.0 is my new go-to browser

Hi, associates! Welcome to Installer No. 129, your information to the most effective and Verge-iest stuff on the earth. (If you’re new right here, welcome, come on you Gunners, and likewise you possibly can learn all of the outdated editions on the Installer homepage.)

This week, I’ve principally been sick, which has meant practically a full rewatch of Parks and Recreation whereas alternately napping and feeling dangerous for myself. But I’ve additionally been studying about Nick Fuentes and clowns, listening to outdated episodes of Short History Of, testing the NextSense Smartbuds whereas I sleep, writing within the Outerline Markdown app beta, and eagerly in search of issues to do with the upcoming Flipper One.

Today’s concern is a bit of brief since I’ve been out, however I didn’t wish to depart you fully hanging. Plus, it’s a superb week, together with my favourite new browser in years, a brand new Star Wars film, two nice new tech books, a surprisingly nice set of earbuds, and extra. Let’s do it.

(As all the time, the most effective a part of Installer is your concepts and suggestions. What are you studying / watching / listening to / taking part in / streaming over a hotspot from the seaside this week? Tell me every thing: installer@theverge.com. And if you realize another person who would possibly get pleasure from Installer, ahead it to them and inform them to subscribe right here.)

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

“Got an Oculus Go at a thrift store for $10. Most of the apps are nonexistent except for YouTube, and it’s surprisingly… fine? I wonder if the future AI wearables will be useful for a long time; Apple devices seem to be the only group that are still usable even after half a decade.” — Allen

“My mom gave my son a Stickerbox for his 9th birthday. My kids and their friends have spent many hours collectively making stickers for everything and everyone. I love that it embraces simplicity while still making a toy with AI and a screen. Also great that there’s no subscription!” — Matt

“A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin is one of the best nonfiction books I’ve listened to in a long time. I don’t often run to books anymore, but I maintained my race cadence listening to the Apollo 11 moon landing section.” — James

“I’m going to be experimenting this weekend with a couple of Google Docs alternatives — Writer and Ellipsus — and working on the slog to transition away from Gmail (I’ve had my account since you needed an invite).” — Wintersong

“I bought a new pair of headphones this month: the Sony WH-1000XM5. They’re amazing, and the sound quality feels incredibly professional.” — Seb

“​​You recommended a cable last week, and it inspired me to tell you about the Allroundo Eco cable from Vonmahlen; a short, coiled USB-C to USB-C cable in a little case. But what makes it special is it also includes USB-A, microUSB and Lightning adaptors in the case. I don’t know what the rated speed of this cable is for power or data delivery, but it’s such a brilliant package that I’ve used for years now that it’s a moot point to me!” — Mitch

“Almost done with Light Bringer (Red Rising book 6) on my Xteink X4!” — Tynan

“Been messing about on Record Club, a European indie selling themselves as the Letterboxd of music. I wish they had a section for your vinyl / CD / cassette collections, but it’s a really nice site and the new social-sharing images are a lovely touch.” — comicallytinyhat

“Rewatching Scavengers Reign because it’s coming off Netflix at the end of the month!” – Fry

“After a few years of bouncing between multiplayer games we’d try for like six weeks and then drop, me and the homies have a standing Monday-evening Diablo IV date, which has been amped up by the new Lord of Hatred expansion.” — Luis

This was the final week of Stephen Colbert’s run on The Late Show (and likewise the top of The Late Show, politics politics, late evening TV is dying, anyway, shifting on), and for my cash the brightest silver lining of the entire saga was that the Strike Force Five gang received again collectively. If you don’t keep in mind: Strike Force Five was a podcast began by 5 late-night hosts throughout the writers strike in 2023, and produced not less than one episode (Strike Force Wives!) that made me snigger so laborious I needed to cease listening for some time.

Anyway, the fellows received again collectively for one more episode to rejoice Colbert’s run (plus a long hang on Colbert’s show), and it’s predictably pleasant — and made me suppose I ought to begin carrying a swimsuit for each Vergecast episode. Might be bizarre to do in my basement studio, although. Lots to consider.