is editor-at-large and Vergecast co-host with over a decade of experience covering consumer tech. Previously, at Protocol, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired.
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Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 106, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, Happy Thanksgiving Week, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)
I also have for you a new way to use your Windows computer, Google’s new LLM, a documentary that’ll take up your whole weekend in the best way, and much more.
(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you reading / watching / playing / building / snacking on this week? Tell me everything: [email protected]. And if you know someone else who might enjoy Installer, forward it to them and tell them to subscribe here.)
The Drop
Raycast for Windows . Raycast — a launcher, clipboard manager, shortcut system, and much more — is the first app I install on any new Mac. Now it’s finally on Windows, too! It’s not quite on par with the Mac app in this public beta, but it’s pretty close, and I suspect it’ll make a lot of things about your computer better. Raycast — a launcher, clipboard manager, shortcut system, and much more — is the first app I install on any new Mac. Now it’s finally on Windows, too! It’s not quite on par with the Mac app in this public beta, but it’s pretty close, and I suspect it’ll make a lot of things about your computer better.
Kirby Air Riders . I don’t think anyone expected this game, a Switch 2 sequel to a delightful but deeply weird GameCube title. It’s a racing game, and a battle game, and it doesn’t let you do very much but also seems to be totally filled with havoc and chaos all the time. Perfect combo, if you ask me. I don’t think anyone expected this game, a Switch 2 sequel to a delightful but deeply weird GameCube title. It’s a racing game, and a battle game, and it doesn’t let you do very much but also seems to be totally filled with havoc and chaos all the time. Perfect combo, if you ask me.
Marvel’s Deadpool VR . I don’t remember the last time a new VR game caused me to actually get my Quest out of its charging stand. But this one, with Neil Patrick Harris voicing Deadpool and a lot of the same bonkers action energy as the movies, might just get me playing again. I don’t remember the last time a new VR game caused me to actually get my Quest out of its charging stand. But this one, with Neil Patrick Harris voicing Deadpool and a lot of the same bonkers action energy as the movies, might just get me playing again.
Gemini 3 . Google’s LLM appears to be among the best all-purpose models available right now, and you can use it practically everywhere. It’s in the app, it’s in Search, you can use it to make apps and visualizations and all sorts of things. Google… might be winning. Google’s LLM appears to be among the best all-purpose models available right now, and you can use it practically everywhere. It’s in the app, it’s in Search, you can use it to make apps and visualizations and all sorts of things. Google… might be winning.
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