{"id":322586,"date":"2025-11-30T15:46:10","date_gmt":"2025-11-30T15:46:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/322586\/"},"modified":"2025-11-30T15:46:10","modified_gmt":"2025-11-30T15:46:10","slug":"the-installer-tech-and-gadget-gift-guide-for-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/322586\/","title":{"rendered":"The Installer tech and gadget gift guide for 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 107, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you\u2019re new here, welcome, hope you\u2019re having a lovely and long weekend, and also you can read all the old editions at the Installer homepage<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

This week, I\u2019ve been reading about Faker<\/a> and Chinese EVs<\/a> and art thieves<\/a>, shopping for cool acoustic tiles<\/a> for my new home office, using a night-light app<\/a> to surprisingly useful effect, testing the Pebble 2 Duo<\/a>, devouring the Colossus series<\/a> from Search Engine, finally starting to watch Pluribus<\/a>, wrestling with the dumb app<\/a> for my dumb new thermostat, moving some of my browsing habits to Kagi\u2019s Orion<\/a>, and finally reconnecting all my smart home gear to an Echo Dot Max<\/a>. And, as much as possible, I\u2019ve been trying to disconnect and hang out with my family. Or at least sit near them and look at my phone, which totally counts.<\/p>\n

I also have for you the biggest thing to hit Netflix this year, a rad-looking new comic series, the latest and greatest version of Claude, and much more. Short week, big stuff to get to! Let\u2019s do it.<\/p>\n

(As always, the best part of Installer is your ideas and tips. What are you playing \/ reading \/ watching \/ shopping for \/ baking at 400 degrees this week? Tell me everything: installer@theverge.com<\/a>. And if you know someone else who might enjoy Installer, forward it to them and tell them to subscribe here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Stranger Things season 5<\/a>. Stranger Things occupies such a strange place in my brain. It has never been my favorite thing on TV, but I have devoured every season of it, and I can\u2019t wait for the new season to start. Be prepared, though: it\u2019s eight episodes, but it\u2019s\u2026 a lot more<\/a> than eight hours.Alton Brown Cooks Food.<\/a> One of the all-time great TV cooking hosts is back, and doing it big on YouTube. The first episode<\/a>, about cooking turkey, feels somehow both like a TV show and like a perfect YouTube video. He\u2019s still got it.The Beatles Anthology 2025<\/a>. The original version of this series, from 30 years ago \u2014 which includes music, a documentary, and a book \u2014 was one of the things that made me love The Beatles in the first place. This version has been remastered, includes even more stuff, and is required consumption for any music fan anywhere.Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery<\/a>. Rian Johnson<\/a>, Daniel Craig, and the rest of the Knives Out gang just don\u2019t seem to miss. This one\u2019s headed to theaters for a couple of weeks before hitting Netflix December 12th, and if I can I plan to see it in both places. I love a good whodunit, and these keep being good whodunits.Galactic<\/a>. I\u2019ve seen this new comic series compared to Star Wars, True Romance, Tarantino movies, and a dozen other things. It\u2019s violent, it\u2019s sci-fi, it\u2019s romance, it sounds pretty awesome.Amazon Leo Ultra<\/a>. Amazon\u2019s Starlink competitor is finally shaping up to be a real thing, and a good thing at that: this new antenna doesn\u2019t have a price yet but does promise up to 1Gbps of download speeds. If you\u2019re shopping for satellite internet anytime soon, this could be a winner. \u201cDo You Feel Guilty about Bad Reviews?<\/a>\u201d Two top-notch creators, Michael Fisher and Marques Brownlee, talking about AI and politics and the creator economy and life after platforms. So much to learn in this for anyone interested in tech, or life as a creator.Xbox Crocs<\/a>. Listen, I like a silly brand integration as much as the next guy, but this? This is next level. It\u2019s Crocs! With buttons! And joysticks! If I can get my hands on a pair these will become my official Gaming Footwear. Claude Opus 4.5.<\/a> Claude is consistently one of the best all-around LLMs, but generally what I hear is that it is at its best when it\u2019s coding. And Opus 4.5 appears to be a big step up in what Claude Code can do. Time to finally finish vibe-coding my perfect productivity app, maybe?<\/p>\n

I love a gift guide, at any time of year. Most of my favorites (other than The Verge\u2019s, of course<\/a>, which is the all-time great and I will hear no other opinions) tend to be just a single person saying, \u201chere\u2019s some stuff I like!\u201d Robin Sloan<\/a> does great gift guides. So does Helen Rosner<\/a>. Max Read<\/a>, too. I\u2019ve found so many things I love because people I like say they\u2019re good.<\/p>\n

In that spirit, I come to you with a gift guide that is not remotely scientific or representative of anything, but is instead just a bunch of stuff I like. This is all stuff I\u2019ve paid for with my own money, not just tested with a loaner device from a company. It\u2019s all stuff I like and recommend wholeheartedly. And for the most part, it\u2019s all pretty affordable. So here\u2019s my gift guide for 2025:<\/p>\n

The Nintendo Switch 2<\/a>. Hands down the best gadget I bought this year. If this thing only played Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Kirby Air Riders, I\u2019d probably still be happy with it. But the library is huge! And getting huger! I\u2019m gaming every day in a way I haven\u2019t in a long time.The POP Phone<\/a>. Hands down the silliest gadget I bought this year, that nevertheless brings me tremendous joy. It plugs into a USB-C port (presumably on your phone) and gives you that old-school landline feel. Way more comfortable than pressing my phone to my ear, and sounds good too.Baseus USB cables<\/a>. I\u2019m still carrying around two of these<\/a> retractable beasts as my only two charging cables, and it\u2019s still working great. Though I confess, I am tempted by the model that also has the charging brick built in<\/a>.The Hoto Electric Screwdriver<\/a>. I swear, this is the Black Friday deal of the year every year, and I completely get why. It\u2019s powerful enough for most simple tasks, charges via USB-C, lasts forever \u2014 it\u2019s my most-used tool by a mile. (You can spend more to get one with a screen, but\u2026 why.)The Doorman<\/a>. The most un-put-down-able book I read this year. It unfolds in the most unusual way, and almost seems like it can\u2019t possibly all come together in a satisfying way. But oh, boy, does it ever.The Logitech UE Wonderboom<\/a>. There are a million Bluetooth speakers out there, but nothing beats this squat little dude when it comes to battery life, durability, waterproofing, and sound quality. I have one in the bathroom, one in my travel bag, and one\u2026 somewhere else. I lost it. It\u2019ll turn up.Acquire<\/a>. I rediscovered this decades-old board game this year, and was reminded of how much I love it! It\u2019s a simple premise \u2014 you\u2019re building and merging hotel chains, one building at a time \u2014 but it requires exactly the right amount of thinking and strategy. Wits & Wagers<\/a>. My family randomly encountered this game at a winery one weekend, and it was a huge hit. It\u2019s sort of a trivia game, sort of a betting game, sort of Apples to Apples-ish. I can\u2019t remember a game that went over this well with my entire family.Google\u2019s Pixel Buds 2a<\/a>. I don\u2019t know what it is about these headphones. I have so many other headphones! But I keep picking these. They\u2019re small and light, sound good, feel good in my ears, and if I\u2019m honest, I really do love the purple.The Away Overnight Bag.<\/a> If I\u2019m traveling for between 12 hours and four days, this is the bag I take. It has a few pockets and a laptop sleeve, and a surprisingly roomy spot for all my clothes. Philips Hue Essential bulbs<\/a>. I bought a bunch of these just recently, at my colleague Jen Tuohy\u2019s recommendation, and they\u2019re exactly what I need: relatively affordable, easy to set up, compatible with everything. I don\u2019t want to think at all about my lightbulbs, you know? I don\u2019t think about these anymore.The Brick<\/a>. For some reason, this thing just works for me: I have a Brick in my office and another in the kitchen, and just by tapping my phone on the little cube I\u2019m able to turn my phone to a more minimalist mode. I should use it more, but I use it a lot.The M4 Mac Mini<\/a>. This is obviously a bigger purchase, but it is also the computer I recommend to almost everyone looking to upgrade their desktop. This combination of price and power is absolutely ridiculous \u2014 I have one as my daily driver and I couldn\u2019t be happier.<\/p>\n

One other note on shopping this weekend: there are obviously lots of good sales running, for Black Friday and Cyber Monday and whatever we call this shopping season that now lasts approximately four weeks. But I\u2019d argue the best thing you can buy right now is streaming services. They\u2019re all constantly raising prices, but almost all offer a terrific deal on an annual subscription right about now. The deeply confusing future of television is a lot more palatable at half price.<\/p>\n

Now it\u2019s your turn: send me the stuff you\u2019re buying for others and hoping they buy for you! Next week\u2019s Installer is going to be even more gift-y.<\/p>\n

I first met Naveen Gavini<\/a> a couple of years ago, when he was Pinterest\u2019s chief product officer. I don\u2019t remember what he wanted to talk about the first time we spoke, but I do remember that he showed me an app on his phone, and his homescreen included a bunch of apps I\u2019d never heard of. That doesn\u2019t happen very often!<\/p>\n

Now, Naveen is the CEO of a new company called BuildForever, which just launched its first product: an email app called Extra<\/a> that aims to totally rethink your relationship with your inbox. (I\u2019ve seen an early demo, and it is fascinating. It also looks nothing like any email app I\u2019ve ever seen \u2014 and I\u2019m not sure yet how I feel about that.)<\/p>\n

I asked Naveen to share his homescreen with us, to see if there were any other secrets I might be able to learn. Here it is, plus some info on the apps he uses and why:<\/p>\n

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

The phone: iPhone 17 Pro.<\/p>\n

The wallpaper: I have a folder on iOS that I save a bunch of nice wallpapers to. It rotates daily \u2014 this one is a rainforest that looks great with the iOS 26 depth effect.<\/p>\n

The apps: Camera, Photos, Calendar, Notes, Figma, Slack, Oura, Google Maps, Retro, Tangle, Super Me, Tesla, Phone, Messages, Safari, Extra.<\/p>\n

As you know, I test a lot of apps, but a few things to call out:<\/p>\n

I love the Pinterest<\/a> widget, which I use for motivational quotes for daily inspiration.I love to post on Retro<\/a> at least weekly to keep a photo journal of my year and the most important memories, feels like social done rightTangle<\/a>, a new app by Pinterest cofounder Evan Sharp, allows you to be intentional with your time, taking control of your calendar and setting intentions for things you want to achieve. It\u2019s helped me plan to be a more intentional parent and plan fun things with my kids.SuperMe<\/a>: I\u2019m building a startup, and sometimes I have a question about how to do something and want to hear from an expert. It\u2019s an easy way to ask experts and get human answers versus something like a general LLM, which will give you average answers.Extra<\/a>: my new email app. I quickly know what\u2019s important in my day, never miss anything important, can easily take action and filter the noise. I can also ask my inbox anything, it\u2019s awesome!<\/p>\n

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

Marcusveltri<\/a>: I spent way too long watching how awesome he is and how he brings joy to people.Doloresaurous<\/a>: Ran into him the other day walking around the streets as a dinosaur, bringing joy to kids and families.<\/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 installer@theverge.com<\/a> or message me on Signal \u2014 @davidpierce.11 \u2014 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 Threads<\/a> and this post on Bluesky<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been playing the daily games from Spark<\/a>. They\u2019ve been great and I\u2019ve been learning things along the way. I love the daily learning habit it\u2019s creating for me.\u201d \u2014 Carter<\/p>\n

\u201cAll about world immersion for me this week. Been reading the first Dungeon Crawler Carl<\/a>. Super fun and like reading a video game. Accidentally fell down a Kingdom Come Deliverance<\/a> rabbit hole. Got the new one on sale and decided it was so good that I had to get the first one and play that instead.\u201d \u2014 Manny<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, it\u2019s the 4K Criterion release of Eyes Wide Shut<\/a>, obviously!\u201d \u2014 Naught<\/p>\n

\u201cReally considering getting a Viwoods AIPaper Reader<\/a>. Like a Boox Palma, but Carta 1300, Android 16, etc. Waiting on battery tests though.\u201d \u2014 Scott<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Division 2<\/a>, the video game. Yes, it\u2019s about seven years old now, but it\u2019s still got a huge user base and the dev team is rolling out new stuff all the time. In like a month\u2019s time the game is getting a total redesign to add some things the users have been asking for. It should be pretty exciting!\u201d \u2014 Jack<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Great Work<\/a>, the debut novel from Sheldon Costa, was my most recent fantastic read.\u201d \u2014 Bill<\/p>\n

\u201cHome Assistant<\/a> because, apparently, home automation is my new hobby and I like the idea of local control. Shouldn\u2019t be too long before I\u2019ve locked myself inside my house.\u201d \u2014 Lee<\/p>\n

\u201cCatching up with Frieren: Beyond Journey\u2019s End<\/a> before Season 2 hits. It\u2019s an anime that starts where most end: the 10-year quest is over and we see where the party members go from there. It might be the show with the most heart airing right now, and it\u2019s beautiful to look at.\u201d \u2014 Yoinks<\/p>\n

\u201cI just started In Stars And Time<\/a>, a black and white RPG with the best character writing I\u2019ve seen in years. Even the annoying character is adorable by the end of the first hour.\u201d \u2014 Jordan<\/p>\n

I mentioned above that Stranger Things is back this week. I\u2019m excited! It\u2019s also been roughly 648 years since the last season debuted. Luckily, YouTube exists, so rather than try to plow through every episode again I\u2019ve been watching a bunch of series recaps. Turns out this is a whole genre of YouTube I didn\u2019t know about! Here\u2019s the whole series in 24 minutes<\/a>, and the whole series in 27 minutes<\/a>, and the whole series also in 24 minutes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The channel doing this idea the most, at least as far as I can tell, is Man of Recaps<\/a>, which offers a truly astounding number of single-season and even full-series recaps of shows and movies. (Why you\u2019d want to know everything that happens in Breaking Bad<\/a>, beginning to end, in 21 minutes is beyond me, but five million views say I\u2019m the silly one here.) Anyway, as ever, YouTube to the rescue. Now I\u2019m very ready for season 5.<\/p>\n

Have a great holiday, if you\u2019re celebrating, and see you next week!<\/p>\n

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