The Must-Have AR and VR Headsets You Won't Want to Take Off

Welcome to Installer No. 54: Your Ultimate Guide to the Best in Technology and Entertainment

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 54, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. If you’re new here, welcome! We’re excited you found us. Don’t forget you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage.

What’s New this Week?

This week, I’ve been diving into AI slop, sports betting, and the innovative designs of Jony Ive. I’m also prepping for the new season of The Great British Bake Off and watching Sicario, Pirates of the Caribbean, and A Quiet Place: Day One on plane-seat screens. Plus, I've been enjoying Hasan Minhaj’s new YouTube show, and I can't help but share Vergecast clips through Pocket Casts’ new feature. Let’s get into this week’s highlights!

The Drop: Exciting New Trends and Gadgets

Meta’s Quest 3S: With improved passthrough and a more reasonable price, this new model looks to address previous criticisms of the Quest 3.
Ray-Ban Meta Wayfarer: A limited-edition pair of smart glasses that have caught my eye, despite being pricier.
Balatro Mobile: This poker roguelike has been highly recommended, and now it’s available on mobile for just $10.
Wolfs: A big-budget flick featuring Clooney and Pitt that promises to be entertaining.
New Roku Ultra: Faster and better with essential improvements that enhance streaming experiences.
The Wild Robot: An animated film that's drawing positive attention despite early skepticism about its quality.
The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom: Play as Zelda in this new game, which promises fun gameplay.
Spotify’s AI Playlist Feature: Now available in the US, this feature helps to curate personalized playlists.
Social Studies: A documentary tackling the impact of social media on children today.
The Nothing Ear Open: Excited about the design and quality of these new open earbuds.

Joanna Stern’s Homescreen and Recommendations

Joanna Stern, a notable columnist at The Wall Street Journal, shares her current homescreen setup post iPhone 16 review. Here’s a glimpse of her essential apps:

WSJ
ChatGPT
Google Maps
Instagram
Spotify
And many more!

Her current favorites include:

The Devil at His Elbow: A gripping audiobook on the Murdaugh murders.
Full Swing: A documentary series offering insights into professional golf.
Take Your Pet to School Day: A favorite children’s book.

Crowdsourced Recommendations from the Installer Community

This week, the community has shared some engaging recommendations, including:

Sliding Seas: A captivating match-three game that stresses strategy.
Gisnep: A daily puzzle game that adds a twist to traditional word games.
Satisfactory 1.0: A fun game that resembles work but keeps you engaged.
OmniFocus: Highly recommended as a task manager.
Flighty: A good travel companion app, especially after App in the Air’s shutdown.
English Teacher: A highly entertaining show on FX.

My New Travel Hack: A Reliable Wall Charger and Portable Battery

After many trips, my new travel essential is a wall charger that doubles as a portable battery. I recommend the Anker model, which charges multiple devices simultaneously and has a robust capacity to keep my gadgets powered up during my journeys.

Share Your Thoughts!

What are you into right now? What recommendations do you have for others? Email me at installer@theverge.com, or message me on Signal at @davidpierce.11. I’d love to feature your favorites in our next edition!

See you next week!