{"id":76450,"date":"2025-08-17T13:44:09","date_gmt":"2025-08-17T13:44:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/76450\/"},"modified":"2025-08-17T13:44:09","modified_gmt":"2025-08-17T13:44:09","slug":"teenage-engineering-did-it-again","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/76450\/","title":{"rendered":"Teenage Engineering did it again"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 94, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you\u2019re new here, welcome, did you hydrate today, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

I also have for you some durable cables, a great new Alien show, a strange RPG, and more.<\/p>\n

(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What do you want to know more about? What awesome tricks do you know that everyone else should? What app should everyone be using? Tell me everything: [email\u00a0protected]<\/a>. And if you know someone else who might enjoy Installer, forward it to them and tell them to subscribe here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Teenage Engineering\u2019s Computer-2 PC case<\/a>: This small form factor PC case has some awesome Teenage Engineering flair. I love the hazy, semi-transparent look. Even better, the company is also giving it away for free \u2014 that is, when it\u2019s back in stock again. At least you can sign up for a waitlist.Fairphone\u2019s new cables and chargers<\/a>: Fairphone says its new accessories are more durable than what it offered before and made with sustainability in mind. They seem like solid cables and chargers, too, so they could be a great option if you like Fairphone\u2019s mission.Alien: Earth<\/a>: FX\u2019s new series set in the Alien universe is getting great reviews<\/a>. My knowledge of the Alien franchise is limited to Alien and Aliens, but Alien: Earth looks really scary \u2014 and I\u2019m overdue for a good scary show.GuliKit\u2019s ES and ES Pro controllers<\/a>: If you want a higher-end Switch 2 controller but don\u2019t want to pay $89.99, GuliKit\u2019s new $24.99 and $29.99 options are considerably more affordable and offer perks like anti-drift joysticks. The controllers work on PC, Android, iOS, and macOS, too.OFF<\/a>: This surreal RPG<\/a>, starring a baseball player on a mission to purify the world from ghosts, is now available in a modernized version on Steam and Nintendo Switch. I\u2019ve played a little bit of it, and it\u2019s quite strange \u2014 which I say in the most complimentary way.Enter the Gungeon and Exit the Gungeon on mobile<\/a>: The hit roguelike Enter the Gungeon is now available on iOS and Android for the first time, while Exit the Gungeon is back on iOS and has arrived on Google Play. Watch out for bullets.Nobody 2<\/a>: The sequel to 2021\u2019s Nobody, starring Bob Odenkirk, as a former assassin is now in theaters. I never caught the first, but I love basically everything Odenkirk does, so I\u2019m guessing I\u2019d have a lot of fun with these.<\/p>\n

This week I\u2019m featuring Soren Iverson, who you may recognize as the person who posts unhinged design concepts on social media<\/a> like an iOS app icon filling up<\/a> based on how many notifications the app has. Whenever these cross my feed, I nearly always cackle. I expected him to bring some of that chaos on his actual homescreen, but I was surprised to learn that his homescreen is even more minimal than mine \u2014 which inspired me to make mine a little less busy, too.<\/p>\n

\"Soren<\/a><\/p>\n

Image: Soren Iverson<\/p>\n

The wallpaper: A black screen. I try to make time on my phone intentional, I call, text, or take notes most frequently. Everything else I bury as a more intentional action I have to take so that I\u2019m generally more focused.<\/p>\n

The apps: Phone, Messages, Notes<\/p>\n

I also asked Soren to share a few things he\u2019s into right now. Here\u2019s what he said:<\/p>\n

I downloaded and started replaying Civilization III<\/a> (yes, the one from 2001). It\u2019s one of my favorite games, and I still love a lot of the choices they made with the interface design.I recently watched The Decline of Western Civilization II<\/a>. Super interesting three-part series on punk, metal, and has many great interviews in it (RIP Ozzy \ud83d\udda4).There\u2019s this Instagram account called @furb_exotic<\/a>, they make giant anthropomorphic Furbys that are equally disturbing and mesmerizing.Snack Wraps<\/a>, not normally a McDonald\u2019s fan but, wow, they are good.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what the Installer community is into this week. I want to know what you\u2019re into right now as well! Email [email\u00a0protected]<\/a> with your recommendations for anything and everything, and we\u2019ll feature some of our favorites here every week. For even more great recommendations, check out the replies to this post on The Verge<\/a>, this post on Threads<\/a>, and this post on Bluesky<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cBuying a bunch of Ubiquiti<\/a> gear for the new house that totally isn\u2019t overkill.\u201d \u2014 SorryAboutYourCat<\/p>\n

\u201cModel railroading. Been holding off converting to DCC from DC hoping a well designed modern alternative will appear, but it\u2019s the same over priced out of date market it\u2019s always been.\u201d \u2014 RoboticsRob<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been playing Merge Maestro<\/a> way too much. It\u2019s a fun match game with Super Auto Pets-like<\/a> emoji artwork. Free-to-start on mobile with a $2 price for the entire game.\u201d \u2014 Dominick<\/p>\n

\u201cReading: The Next Conversation<\/a> by Jefferson Fisher. Playing: Dishonored<\/a> for the first time. Watching: Mr. Robot<\/a> and Murderbot<\/a> (does this count as a theme?) Rabbit hole: Home Assistant<\/a> and generally reducing my digital footprint (I say as making this public post).\u201d \u2014 Omega86<\/p>\n

\u201cJust got to watching The Penguin<\/a>, and it\u2019s a really fun gangster romp set in Gotham. I\u2019ve mostly tired of the superhero stuff, but I\u2019m always a sucker for good origin tales, and this really delivers. And the secret is, it\u2019s really about Sofia Falcone and her war with her patriarchal mob family. Cristin Milioti is fantastic in the role.\u201d \u2014 verge_user_m573tv18<\/p>\n

\u201cUFO 50<\/a> just came out on the Nintendo Switch. I\u2019ve been following the podcast Eggplant: The Secret Lives of Gamers<\/a>, which is going through each of the 50 games in a book club-like format, with just one game a week.\u201d \u2014 Wolf3d.exe -goobers<\/p>\n

\u201cI, like many other people, watched Barbarian<\/a> recently on Netflix. It\u2019s leaving on August 31st. The director\u2019s new movie, Weapons<\/a>, just came out. Highly, highly recommend Barbarian. It\u2019s fun to go in blind, and even if you\u2019ve seen the trailer, you\u2019ll still be spared some of its great twists. There\u2019s more humor in it than you might expect, and the gruesome aspects aren\u2019t over-the-top.\u201d \u2014 Cameron<\/p>\n

Google is about to kick off the 2025 gadget season with its Pixel launch event on August 20th. I\u2019d love to hear from you all: Are you planning to upgrade anything this year, and if so, why? What are you hoping Apple, Google, and others will announce? Or are you going to keep holding onto your gear?<\/p>\n

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