Welcome to Installer No. 129, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. This week, David Pierce introduces his new default browser, Vivaldi 8.0, and shares other tech highlights.
Vivaldi 8.0: A New Default Browser
For the first time in five years, David has a new default browser on all his devices. Vivaldi 8.0 is fast, customizable, and now boasts a cleaner design. He recommends spending time tweaking settings to personalize it.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu
Despite mixed reviews, David is thrilled about the return of these space adventures on the big screen, featuring Grogu in all his glory.
Steve Jobs in Exile by Geoff Cain
This new book tells the story of NeXT, Pixar, and Jobs' personal transformation, offering fresh insights into how he saved Apple.
How to Rule the World
Written by a Stanford student, this book explores the complex relationship between Stanford and Silicon Valley, highlighting its successes and flaws.
Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Earbuds
According to colleague John Higgins, these earbuds offer exceptional call quality, making them a tempting purchase at a price similar to AirPods.
Age of Audio: The Inside Story of Podcasting
From the team at Twenty Thousand Hertz, this book provides a history of podcasting with stories from legendary podcasters.
Forza Horizon 6
Set in Japan, this game offers realistic cars and landscapes, providing both intense racing and a cozy driving experience.
MacStories Shortcuts Playground
Federico Viticci and MacStories have created a tool that uses Claude Code or Codex to generate Apple Shortcuts from descriptions, along with a set of pre-made shortcuts.
Community Recommendations
- Allen found an Oculus Go at a thrift store for $10, noting its limited but functional apps.
- Matt's son received a Stickerbox for his birthday, which has provided hours of creative fun without a subscription.
- James recommends the audiobook "A Man on the Moon" by Andrew Chaikin, especially the Apollo 11 section.
- Wintersong is experimenting with Google Docs alternatives like Writer and Ellipsus, and transitioning away from Gmail.
- Seb praises the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for their professional sound quality.
- Mitch loves the Allroundo Eco cable from Vonmahlen, which includes multiple adaptors in a compact case.
- Tynan is reading "Light Bringer" (Red Rising book 6) on his Xteink X4.
- comicallytinyhat enjoys Record Club, a European music discovery site similar to Letterboxd.
- Fry is rewatching Scavengers Reign before it leaves Netflix at the end of the month.
- Luis and friends have a standing Monday-night Diablo IV session, enhanced by the new Lord of Hatred expansion.
Signing Off
David notes the end of Stephen Colbert's run on The Late Show, celebrating the reunion of the Strike Force Five podcast hosts for a final episode. He humorously considers wearing a suit for future Vergecast episodes.
