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. 116, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, happy National Ferris Wheel Day to all those who celebrate, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)
I also have for you a fun new Switch game, a wild new movie to see this weekend, the best new earbuds on the market, a new AI model to watch, and much more.
Oh, and! Somewhat miraculously, we have a few copies of our incredible zine, Content Goblins, still available for sale. If you buy one, and use the code 30OFFZINEINSTAL at checkout, you’ll get 30 percent off. I don’t think there are many left, get yours while you can!
Las thing, quick programming note: Installer is off next week. Taking a break while we get some other stuff ready. But we got a big one this week to make up for it! Let’s go.
(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you watching / reading / playing / listening to / downloading onto a thumb drive 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
Group project
Over the years, lots of people have tried to chart an online life without Big Tech companies. Reasons abound, from advertising ickiness to data privacy to the overall feeling that these companies don’t support your values, but my impression was always that the project is hard, and that getting away from Google and Apple and Microsoft and the rest is probably too much work for most people.
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