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. 135, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, crank the AC, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)
I also have for you a cheap toolkit worth keeping around, a pair of earbuds you might want to try, a delightful new spin on toys for adults, and more.
And don’t forget to tell me about your reading setup! I’ve been loving all your cool Kindle hacks, fun book-shopping tricks, and the many ways to get stuff off the internet and onto your reading device. Tell me more! I want to hear it all! More to come on that next week. For now, let’s get into it.
(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you watching / reading / playing / listening to / buying on Blu-ray 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
The iFixit Megalodon Driver Kit . My last year has been filled with small and large home repairs, and I really should have gotten a kit like this. It’s not a full-on gadget repair set (though iFixit has a good one of those, too), more of a just-right set of bits, adapters, and drivers for all the small fixes life requires. This and My last year has been filled with small and large home repairs, and I really should have gotten a kit like this. It’s not a full-on gadget repair set (though iFixit has a good one of those, too), more of a just-right set of bits, adapters, and drivers for all the small fixes life requires. This and a Hoto screwdriver are basically my toolkit going forward.
The Nothing Earbuds 3A . Nothing’s wireless earbuds have generally been among the best you can get for $99. I’m also very intrigued by the new Audio Snapshot feature, which records a snippet of whatever you’re listening to — for me, it’ll be mostly podcast moments I want to remember — and syncs it to your phone. Nifty! And really nice to have on the buds themselves. Nothing’s wireless earbuds have generally been among the best you can get for $99. I’m also very intrigued by the new Audio Snapshot feature, which records a snippet of whatever you’re listening to — for me, it’ll be mostly podcast moments I want to remember — and syncs it to your phone. Nifty! And really nice to have on the buds themselves.
Ugmonk’s Analog Card Variety Pack . I know there are a lot of Analog fans in the Installerverse, and all the new card types look great for some pen-and-paper productivity. The more I lean into just using a card a day to keep myself organized, the more I like it.
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