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. 138, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you’re new here, welcome, happy August, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.)
Also, I have some personal news: I’m having a baby! (If your response to this is, Didn’t you just have like 37 other babies, yes, yes I did. Pray for me.) I’m planning to be out from about mid-August to the beginning of October, but I’m also in could-happen-anytime land now. So if I’m suddenly gone, that’s why! Just like last year, my colleague Jay Peters will be taking over Installer while I’m out, and just like last year, he’s going to be great.
But for now, I’m still here! I also have for you a new superhero movie, a new take on an old game, some great Musk-related comedy, and much more. Let’s do it.
(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you watching / reading / playing / listening to / putting in a blender 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
Spider-Man: Brand New Day . The Tom Holland Spidey era just never seems to miss. It’s pretty impressive to pull off a more or less full story reboot while keeping all the same actors and characters, but by all accounts this one pulls it off. Since I still can’t get IMAX Odyssey tickets, this one’s at the top of my to-watch list. The Tom Holland Spidey era just never seems to miss. It’s pretty impressive to pull off a more or less full story reboot while keeping all the same actors and characters, but by all accounts this one pulls it off. Since I still can’t get IMAX Odyssey tickets, this one’s at the top of my to-watch list.
Pastebot 3 . Missed this one last week! Great clipboard managers are right up there with launchers and text expanders in the “how did I ever use a computer without this” category, and Pastebot is one of the Mac’s best. The new version has smart organization options, support for all kinds of media, and much more. The kind of app you’ll find new uses for… forever. Missed this one last week! Great clipboard managers are right up there with launchers and text expanders in the “how did I ever use a computer without this” category, and Pastebot is one of the Mac’s best. The new version has smart organization options, support for all kinds of media, and much more. The kind of app you’ll find new uses for… forever.
President Curtis . I was going to describe this as “basically a Rick and Morty spinoff” before I realized it’s actually a Rick and Morty spinoff. Perhaps unsurprisingly, people seem to either love it or hate it. I think most of us would agree R&M is not what it once was, but the idea of throwing all its chaotic energy into the US government does pay off at least a few times. And it’s not not political commentary, you know? I was going to describe this as “basically a Rick and Morty spinoff” before I realized it’s actually a Rick and Morty spinoff. Perhaps unsurprisingly, people seem to either love it or hate it. I think most of us would agree R&M is not what it once was, but the idea of throwing all its chaotic energy into the US government does pay off at least a few times. And it’s not not political commentary, you know?
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