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. 114, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, send Arc Raiders tips, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)
I also have for you a nice upgrade to an Apple gadget, a great new AI search tool, a couple of excellent new things to watch, new Sonos gear, and much more.
And I have a question: What’s your favorite non-Big Tech piece of tech? I’m hearing from a lot of people who, for a variety of reasons, want to ditch devices and services from Google or Apple or Amazon or Microsoft or any number of other companies. If you have, and you’ve had a great experience, tell me about it! I’m [email protected] and @davidpierce.11 on Signal, and I want to hear everything you like. For now, lots to do, let’s go.
(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you reading / watching / listening to / playing / building out of snow 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
Apple AirTags . This is great timing, because all my AirTag batteries are dying. I’m most excited by the new model’s louder speaker, but it’s full of little upgrades that should make this very simple, very useful gadget just a little better at everything. This is great timing, because all my AirTag batteries are dying. I’m most excited by the new model’s louder speaker, but it’s full of little upgrades that should make this very simple, very useful gadget just a little better at everything.
Yahoo Scout . This is already straight-up my favorite AI search product on the web. It has lots of links, it’s not weirdly friendly or overly complex — it’s kind of like an auto-generating Wikipedia page, on whatever subject you pick. Just make sure you click the links instead of believing the bot, you know? This is already straight-up my favorite AI search product on the web. It has lots of links, it’s not weirdly friendly or overly complex — it’s kind of like an auto-generating Wikipedia page, on whatever subject you pick. Just make sure you click the links instead of believing the bot, you know?
Crushable . Big week for Yahoo, apparently! This is Wordle meets Candy Crush, if that makes any sense? I do like the idea of a finite version of games like this that incentivize you to just play a few minutes a day. Also, TIL the Yahoo Games app exists. And is pretty good. Big week for Yahoo, apparently! This is Wordle meets Candy Crush, if that makes any sense? I do like the idea of a finite version of games like this that incentivize you to just play a few minutes a day. Also, TIL the Yahoo Games app exists. And is pretty good.
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