GoKawiilis 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. 133, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, happy belated Juneteenth, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)
I also have for you the new Pixar movie worth your time, a better way to hold your phone, a nice upgrade for Android users, a lovely new Windows laptop, and much more. Let’s do this.
(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you watching / reading / playing / listening to / doing during commercials 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
Toy Story 5 . The bad guy is an iPad! I love it. And by all accounts, the movie completely works both as a story and as The bad guy is an iPad! I love it. And by all accounts, the movie completely works both as a story and as a thoughtful look at the real pros and cons of screentime. We often talk about device use in all the wrong ways; leave it to Pixar to get it right. I’ll be in the theater Saturday morning.
Lettera . Markdown editors are a dime a dozen right now, but hardly anybody does text editing better than Shiny Frog, the folks behind the great Bear app. This text editor is in beta, but it’s already super fast and stable at least for me. Gonna use this a lot. Markdown editors are a dime a dozen right now, but hardly anybody does text editing better than Shiny Frog, the folks behind the great Bear app. This text editor is in beta, but it’s already super fast and stable at least for me. Gonna use this a lot.
The PopSockets Low-Pro Grip . I might be the world’s most fervent supporter of PopSockets, and of phone grips of all kinds. (Phones are not comfortable to hold!) I’ve been using the I might be the world’s most fervent supporter of PopSockets, and of phone grips of all kinds. (Phones are not comfortable to hold!) I’ve been using the kickstand PopSocket for a while, but am going to gladly trade it, and my $40, for the super-thin new model.
Mastodon 4.6 . I don’t spend that much time on Mastodon anymore, but this might help win me (and some others) back. Collections are a clever way to solve Mastodon’s big discovery and search problem, and a good way to help people get started on a new social network. Plus, you can let people sign up to get your posts sent via email. Fediverse, baby! I don’t spend that much time on Mastodon anymore, but this might help win me (and some others) back. Collections are a clever way to solve Mastodon’s big discovery and search problem, and a good way to help people get started on a new social network. Plus, you can let people sign up to get your posts sent via email. Fediverse, baby!
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