APPLETON, Wis. — In the fast-paced world of technology, where apps and gadgets evolve almost daily, The Verge's popular Installer newsletter has once again delivered a curated selection of must-have tools and entertainment for tech enthusiasts. Edition No. 121, released this week, spotlights Flighty, an app hailed as essential for frequent flyers, alongside recommendations for binge-worthy shows, productivity updates, and classic games with a fresh twist.
The newsletter, authored by Verge writer David Pierce, opens with an enthusiastic endorsement of Flighty, describing it as a game-changer for air travel. According to Pierce, the app provides real-time flight tracking, delay predictions, and seamless integration with airline notifications, making it indispensable for anyone navigating busy airports. 'If you're a frequent flyer, Flighty is the must-have app,' Pierce writes, emphasizing its ability to turn chaotic travel schedules into manageable itineraries. He notes that the app's features, such as live gate changes and historical delay data, have been refined over years of updates, drawing from user feedback to enhance reliability.
Pierce, who hosts the newsletter as a weekly guide to 'the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world,' shares personal insights into his recent activities before diving into the recommendations. He mentions reading about Will Wright, the legendary game designer behind SimCity, and exploring sync music technologies. Pierce also reflects on revisiting Tracy Kidder's Pulitzer-winning book The Soul of a New Machine following Kidder's death earlier this year, a nod to the enduring impact of tech journalism from the 1980s. His week included adding SNL UK clips to his YouTube routine, watching Hilary Duff on Hot Ones, and experimenting with apps like Parachord for music organization and NewsBlur's Android beta for RSS feeds.
A highlight of the edition is a feature on podcaster and app developer Casey Liss, who shares his iPhone homescreen setup. Liss, co-host of the Accidental Tech Podcast and creator of the movie database app Callsheet, uses an iPhone 17 Pro with 512 GB storage in Apple's signature blue hue. His wallpaper is a simple bluish gradient created with built-in tools. 'The most surprising thing to me is a switch I made a while ago: I switched from four semi-organized homescreens (and never using Spotlight) to two homescreens, and using Spotlight constantly,' Liss explains. He prefers larger icons for aesthetics and maintains a light mode during the day and dark at night.
Liss's primary homescreen features 16 frequently used apps, including AnyList for shopping, Apple Notes and Maps, Apple Music, Sonos for multi-room audio, Overcast for podcasts, Day One for journaling, Instagram, Slack, NetNewsWire for RSS, Home Assistant for smart home control, Callsheet, Due for reminders, Photos, Fastmail, Messages, and Fantastical for calendars. The second screen includes widget stacks with photos from past dates via the Photos app and Widgetsmith, alongside Fantastical, Parcel for package tracking, and a Foodnoms widget. Additional apps there are Pushover for custom notifications from services like Home Assistant and n8n, Sports Alerts for scores, Banktivity for finances, and UniFi Protect for home cameras.
Switching from Spotify to Apple Music as part of the Apple One bundle, Liss calls it 'fine' but praises his Sonos setup across five rooms in his home. He has journaled daily in Day One since the COVID-19 pandemic, often with brief entries and photos. Liss is beta testing Indigo, a unified client for Mastodon and Bluesky developed by Ben McCarthy and Aaron Vegh. 'It’s a unified Mastodon and Bluesky client that interleaves the two timelines as one. It’s really great, and has made it so much less burdensome to keep up with both my nerds (Mastodon) and regular people (Bluesky),' Liss says. He uses NetNewsWire for RSS, benefiting from full-text feeds thanks to his Verge membership.
Callsheet, Liss's own app, is positioned as a user-friendly alternative to IMDb. 'Imagine if IMDB was written and designed by someone who… well… cares. Instead of people who are just trying to funnel you into buying junk on Amazon. Or auto-playing videos. Or begging you to log in again,' he states. Callsheet focuses on speed and simplicity for movie queries. Due serves as his reminder tool, nagging persistently until tasks are cleared, while he and his wife rely on Apple Photos and Shared Photo Library for seamless image management.
Beyond Liss's setup, the newsletter spotlights other tech and media picks. Pierce recommends Bait, a new show described as 'bizarre and delightful,' perfect for weekend binging. He also highlights a Notion update to version 3.4, which introduces enhanced collaboration features and AI-assisted note-taking, according to Notion's release notes referenced in the edition. For gamers, Pierce points to Super Mario Bros. Wonder, a 'new-old Mario game' that blends classic platforming with innovative wonder effects, encouraging players to revisit Nintendo's timeless formula.
The community section of Installer buzzes with reader submissions. Neal shares his enjoyment of Pokémon ROM hacks like Eternal X and Renegade Platinum on his AYN Thor handheld device. 'I’m playing a bunch of Pokémon ROM hacks... and having the absolute time of my life,' he writes. Nick is testing Noteful on iPad, appreciating its features but sticking partly to pen and paper. Zach seeks tips for 3D prints using his Bambu Printer A2.
Nathan praises The Capture on BBC iPlayer as 'very very good' and his MacBook Neo, bought without Touch ID to use Apple Watch sign-in. Bruce recommends Beechmore Books notebooks for bleed-proof paper, comparable to Leuchtturm1917 and available on recurring Amazon orders. Aidan sports a Bulova Computron watch in black and red, likening it to a '90s alarm clock radio on his wrist.
Jamison is building a Synology NAS setup with Plex, Jellyfin, and the ARR suite to counter the 'subscription apocalypse' and embrace physical media. Hanna finally watched The Amazing Digital Circus, calling it 'tons of fun (and psychological torment)' and hoping for indie animation's growth. Alric touts the Xteink X4 E Ink reader for its pocket size, DRM-free nature, and open-source firmware potential. Dan suggests Brad Dowdy's The Pen Addict podcast and top pens list.
Pierce wraps with his discovery of Obsolete Sounds, a website from Cities and Memory offering rare audio like winding pocket watches, calculating machines, and melting glacier ice. He envisions these as white-noise material and highlights the organization's annual remix event, where last year's submissions transformed everyday noises into art. 'Seeing both what people record, and what others do with these seemingly mundane sounds, is already changing how I hear the world around me,' Pierce observes.
This edition of Installer underscores the newsletter's role in bridging personal tech habits with broader trends. As remote work and digital entertainment persist post-pandemic, tools like Flighty and Indigo address practical needs, while cultural picks like Bait reflect a hunger for unconventional storytelling. Pierce invites submissions to installer@theverge.com or via Signal at @davidpierce.11, fostering a community-driven dialogue on tech's evolving landscape.
Looking ahead, the newsletter hints at ongoing discussions around self-hosting, inspired by Liss's podcast, and the resurgence of physical media amid streaming fatigue. With Vox Media's ethics statement ensuring transparency in affiliate links, Installer remains a trusted resource. For subscribers, it's more than recommendations—it's a weekly pulse on how technology shapes daily life.
In Appleton, where local tech meetups often reference national outlets like The Verge, this edition resonates with professionals juggling travel and productivity. As apps like Due and Notion evolve, they promise to streamline routines in an increasingly connected world.