Hello, buddies! Welcome to Installer No. 16, your information to the perfect and Verge-iest stuff on the earth. (If you happen to’re new right here, welcome to our pleasant nook of the web, sorry about all of the productiveness apps, and in addition, you may learn all of the previous editions on the Installer homepage.)
Hope you all had a terrific vacation, or at the very least a terrific week with one fewer electronic mail in your inbox. This week, I’ve been testing Supernotes as a each day diary app, studying about what it takes to make an iPhone in India and no matter “gamified theater” is, unsubscribing to each model that despatched me a “Happy Holidays!” electronic mail, looking for video games to play on my new Spine controller, watching Mike Birbiglia’s wonderful The Outdated Man and the Pool particular (and listening to his podcast, Working It Out), and ramping up my vacation film watching in a giant means.
I even have for you a brand new truck ( which one), some enjoyable year-end wrap-ups, a few new reveals to observe this weekend, lots of concepts for making YouTube a saner place, some cool AI initiatives, and extra.
As at all times, the perfect a part of Installer is your concepts and ideas. What do you wish to know extra about? What superior tips have you learnt that everybody else ought to? What app ought to everybody be utilizing? Inform me every little thing: [email protected]. And if another person who would possibly take pleasure in Installer, ahead it to them and inform them to subscribe right here.)
We’re a bit extra entertainment-heavy than standard this week as a result of ’tis the season I suppose. However a lot of enjoyable stuff to get to. Let’s go.
The Drop
- The Tesla Cybertruck. It lastly launched! Ish! I’ve spent so many hours looking at and speaking about this factor for the final 4 years, and I nonetheless can’t resolve if I like or hate the design. Slowly however absolutely, it appears like we’re about to start out seeing them within the wild — and till then MKBHD’s 40-minute video must do. Additionally, for those who purchased one… wanna highway journey?
- iA Author 7. I love the way in which this writing app integrates ChatGPT: it detects if you’re pasting in generated content material and prompts you to notice what’s human and what’s AI, and it treats AI extra as a “help me brainstorm and think” device than a “just write this for me” one. Tons of intelligent UI, and I feel precisely the suitable method.
- Godzilla Minus One. This seems like a extra complicated film than your common monster flick, however in a extremely great way. And simply from the trailers and footage I’ve seen, this one’s going to be value viewing on a giant display screen simply to see the way in which director Takashi Yamazaki depicts the beast itself.
- Spotify Wrapped. All of the year-in-review stuff appears to have kicked off this week — YouTube, Apple Music, Pocket Casts, and extra — however Spotify’s simply higher at this than everyone else. The AI-powered “DJ: Wrapped” characteristic has been a very enjoyable option to journey again by means of all of the bizarre stuff TikTok acquired me into this yr.
- Apple’s and Google’s apps of the yr. That is the opposite year-end supply of fine stuff: the app retailer lists are at all times a mixture of very fashionable apps you positively already know and a smattering of actually cool, unknown stuff. I’m loving Stumble Guys to date, and the way did I not learn about Mubi earlier than?
- Teenage Engineering’s EP-133 KO II. I’m not likely a musician, however I discover myself desperately wanting the brand new $299 KO II, which is each a cool music-making machine and only a attractive set of buttons and knobs. (I acquired a bunch of crap in our feedback for calling it a synthesizer and never a sampler, which, honest! Sampler is extra correct. However the distinction is blurry, and it doesn’t actually matter — this factor appears enjoyable it doesn’t matter what you name it.)
- Dot Social. This is perhaps the primary “brand” podcast I’ve ever beneficial right here. However it’s a great one! Flipboard is all in on the fediverse and the open net, and CEO Mike McCue’s plan is to speak to sensible folks about it. The 2 episodes are with a number of the smartest folks on this house, and so they’re each wonderful.
- Obliterated. Apparently, this new Netflix present, which seems like The Hangover meets Zero Darkish Thirty, is unhealthy. I don’t care. I’m completely assured I’m going to adore it and watch each single episode — I’m a sucker for a spy flick, and a foolish comedy, and particularly the intersection of these two issues.
- Sluggish Horses season 3. This present, alternatively, undeniably guidelines. (As does the guide sequence it’s based mostly on, by Mick Herron.) It’s a narrative about washed-up MI5 brokers roped again in for yet one more job… after which a bunch extra jobs. From what I hear, season 3 is the perfect but — add it to your vacation watching listing for certain.
- Proton Mail. The newest launch notes on Proton’s mail and calendar apps are tremendous humorous. There’s nothing big and new right here, it’s similar to, “We fixed all the stuff you wanted us to fix, here you go!” And it’s nice. If you happen to’re searching for a privacy-focused various to the entire Google suite, Proton’s a terrific one. (The Drive file-storage app is a specific favourite.)
Deep dive
YouTube is an incredible platform, and all these years later, I hold being amazed by the stuff on it. The opposite evening, I watched a 13-year-old video of a dude placing collectively a crib that’s now not offered, and it helped me do it myself! What!
However YouTube as an app… sort of sucks. You simply wish to watch a video, and also you’re overrun by suggestions, one million social options, and too some ways to purchase one thing. YouTube doesn’t have a single first rate option to save one thing to observe later, and it’s all algorithmic to the purpose of being unusable generally.
So lately, I’ve been exploring a bunch of huge and small methods to enhance the YouTube expertise a bit. I’m not making an attempt to eliminate adverts or beat the system, simply… take pleasure in YouTube extra. I’ve discovered some I actually like! So I figured I’d share:
- The Play app. I now open this as a substitute of the YouTube app. It’s an app for storing and organizing video from everywhere in the net, however I just about solely use it for YouTube. After this week’s replace, it will possibly robotically herald movies from channels you subscribe to, which makes it much more helpful. It’s Apple-only, sadly, but it surely works throughout Apple gadgets, together with the Apple TV. That is so a lot better than making an attempt to handle a library within the YouTube app.
- Piped. Piped is a intelligent workaround: it makes use of the YouTube API to allow you to seek for and watch something on the platform however doesn’t ship any knowledge again to Google about you or what you watch. There are Piped-compatible cell apps, too, and for those who’re feeling enterprising, you may even self-host the app and run it nonetheless you need.
- Unhook. There are a bunch of browser extensions on the market that allow you to take away stuff from the YouTube interface to get a quieter viewing expertise. Unhook’s my favourite as a result of it’s so customizable — I turned off all of the suggestions and sidebars however left chapters and feedback. And because of a beautiful Unhook setting, my computerized YouTube homepage is now my subscriptions and never the default For You feed.
- Enhancer for YouTube. One other browser extension, and sort of the non secular reverse of Unhook. This one can cover issues like feedback and proposals, however it will possibly additionally add a lot extra stuff to YouTube. Lots of it’s actually helpful! I like having a one-click option to screenshot a body, a number of the keyboard shortcuts are useful, and I’ve very a lot loved creating my very own customized YouTube theme. (It’s very grey.) I’ve seen some people having points with it lately, but it surely continues to work tremendous for my functions.
- Bookmark It. One final browser extension, which helps you to take time-stamped notes on a YouTube video and return to them later. I take advantage of this once I know I’m going to wish to come again to a selected second later, which occurs extra typically than I anticipated.
My new YouTube technique is working properly to date: once I discover one thing I wish to watch later, I dump it into Play. I’ve just a few folders for academic stuff and longform interviews, however largely, every little thing simply goes within the pile to be watched later. Once I wish to discover one thing particular, I’m going to Piped, particularly if I don’t need my YouTube algorithm to be overrun by, like, plumbing movies. In any other case, I’m utilizing YouTube — however a a lot much less chaotic model.
The purpose was at all times to seek out the stuff I wish to discover on YouTube and never be bothered by every little thing else on the platform. I’m getting nearer! In case you have concepts for what else I / we will do to make YouTube higher, I’m all ears: [email protected].
Display screen share
If you happen to’ve been a part of the Installer group for very lengthy, I can’t assist myself from consistently switching to-do listing apps. I sincerely assume I’ve tried all of them. However I hold coming again to Todoist, which is accessible in all places, super-duper quick, and simply is smart.
Over time, I’ve additionally gotten to know its founder, Amir Salihefendic, a bit. He has sensible ideas on productiveness instruments but additionally nearly how we will reside higher, saner lives on-line. (One time, he tweeted an image of his calendar, and it had, like, nothing on it. He might simply do work! All day! What a life!) Along with constructing Todoist, his firm, Doist, can be engaged on Twist, which goals to be principally a much less chaotic tackle Slack and messaging.
I requested Amir to share his homescreen figuring he’d skew fairly minimalist, and I used to be proper. Right here’s Amir’s homescreen, plus some information on the apps he makes use of and why:
The cellphone: iPhone 15 Professional.
The wallpaper: My lock display screen cycles by means of footage of my children and household images 🥰 Homescreen wallpaper is simply black.
The apps: Calendar, Images, Google Maps, Spotify, Overcast, Audible, Halist, Twist, Todoist, Safari, Telephone.
Probably the most attention-grabbing are in all probability:
- Todoist is a to-do app (shock! )
- Twist as a staff communication app (one other shock! )
- Overcast as a podcast participant
- Halist as a ChatGPT various. I created my very own ChatGPT various as I don’t absolutely belief the privateness coverage of ChatGPT (as a result of they will prepare on the information).
I additionally requested Amir to share just a few issues he’s into proper now. Right here’s what he got here again with:
- The OpenAI drama. It’s just like the real-life model of HBO’s Succession present (which is improbable). Let’s imagine it’s the nerd model of Succession.
- I’ve began watching Blue Eye Samurai, and it’s unimaginable.
- Age of Empires II: Definitive Version. This is likely one of the greatest video games ever! There’s nonetheless a group on Twitch, and I commonly watch video games. I additionally performed a bit with buddies, however my eyes acquired tremendous sore, so I’m on pause.
- Lastly, I’m studying Walter Isaacson’s biography of Elon Musk, and it’s a wild learn. It seems like a fully chaotic life. Studying what it takes to construct a few of these accomplishments is attention-grabbing.
Crowdsourced
Right here’s what the Installer group is into this week. I wish to know what you’re into proper now as properly! E mail [email protected] along with your suggestions for something and every little thing, and we’ll characteristic a few of our favorites right here each week.
“This awesome project out of Mozilla, Llamafile. You can get a pretty fully featured version of ChatGPT running locally on your own computer (with image analysis and everything), super easily. I followed the three steps and got the thing working in less than a minute, and it works as fast as GPT-4 (so, more slowly than GPT-3.5) on my Intel 2019 MacBook Pro. It’s really cool.” – Matthew
“Me and my wife are recovering from watching the finale of Modern Family and found Fresh Off the Boat to be a great watch. Absolutely hilarious!” – Adam
“Trash Baby. Chaotic and creative and wacky AI-based photo remixing app. Combine two photos to create some really out-there outputs. It’s a really creative and collaborative play on generative AI. Every “baby” is an surprising pleasure.” – Kyle
“It’s called Loddlenaut, and it recently came out on Steam! Your job is to basically clean up a polluted ocean planet and to become friends with the Loddle creatures living there. P.S. You can pet the Loddles.” – Andrew
“Last Stop Larrimah. Being a town of only 11 people, Larrimah is kind of like Cheers. A place where everybody knows your name (and also spends most of their time in a bar). But they’re not all glad you came. When one of the residents goes missing, two others become prime suspects. And the theories as to how they might have disposed of the body, well, I won’t spoil it for you.” – Carl
“In response to the recommendation for Frinkiac, the Simpsons meme generator, I thought I’d recommend the equivalent Futurama meme generator, Morbotron, which is made by the same people. Now you can create all the ‘Shut up and take my money’ memes you desire!” – Jonathan
“Fleeting Notes. In my quest to de-Google my life, I have found a really great replacement for Google Keep. It’s cross-platform, available offline, and syncs with Obsidian. Plus it’s end-to-end encrypted, open source, and free. Perfect for when I have something I need to quickly jot down or remember without the hassle of creating a whole Obsidian note.” – Braedon
“Travle. Wordle-style, you play once a day, it counts your streaks, etc. The premise is super simple: they give you two countries and a number of attempts you have to name the countries that connect them. Sometimes they spice it up and tell you a country you need to avoid going through. My girlfriend and I have been playing it every day for months now, and there’s also different versions where you name regions / provinces in a specific country.” – Sam
“Here are my two fastest ways to add to Apple Reminders. 1: On my iPhone, I use this app called Remind Me Faster. 2: On Mac, I use Type to Siri. E.g., Remind me to call home at 4PM.” – Krishna
Signing off
I’m deep in lip-syncing TikTok, y’all. I don’t understand how I acquired right here, however I’m right here: there are numerous folks on TikTok who, like, sing lovely harmonies in garages and kitchens whereas making very intense faces and physique motions, and it seems, lots of these persons are prerecording their audio and autotuning it earlier than pretending to sing it reside, and now, there are a bunch of creators whose shtick is to name these folks out, and folks on all sides are mad. (Do you ever write a sentence and instantly notice you sound insane? That is what I’ve develop into.) However the perfect half was when shirtless Charlie Puth did a video that was similar to, “Everyone uses autotune, it’s 2023, let’s all be nice to each other.” And everybody acquired mad about that, too! However I feel shirtless Charlie Puth is correct. The web ought to hearken to shirtless Charlie Puth.