{"id":97019,"date":"2025-07-27T15:26:14","date_gmt":"2025-07-27T15:26:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/97019\/"},"modified":"2025-07-27T15:26:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-27T15:26:14","slug":"apple-beta-season-is-here","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/97019\/","title":{"rendered":"Apple beta season is here"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 91, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world. (If you\u2019re new here, welcome, how is summer more than a month over already, and also you can read all the old editions at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/installer-newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Installer homepage<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">This week, I\u2019m pondering the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/news\/712693\/google-leaks-entire-pixel-10-lineup-play-store\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>leaked Pixel 10 lineup<\/strong><\/a>, marveling at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=shared&amp;v=-QJYSkq8KVA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>BYD\u2019s leaping Yangwang U9 supercar<\/strong><\/a>, reading about why everyone\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/nymag.com\/intelligencer\/article\/why-you-are-reading-reddit-a-lot-more-these-days.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>reading Reddit<\/strong><\/a>, already looking forward to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ugSHczUhrHM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Ted Lasso<\/strong><strong>\u2019s fourth season<\/strong><\/a>, rewatching MKBHD\u2019s videos about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=O8FJSjy3bXA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Escobar<\/strong><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/_9prH7NFmLI?feature=shared\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>folding phone<\/strong><\/a>, melting with joy at the new <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/AzL8NUUgwdc?feature=shared\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Pok\u00e9mon Concierge<\/strong><strong> season 2 trailer<\/strong><\/a>, dreaming of buying the <a href=\"https:\/\/click.linksynergy.com\/deeplink?id=nOD\/rLJHOac&amp;mid=13923&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lego.com%2Fen-us%2Fproduct%2Fgame-boy-72046%3F&amp;u1=VergeNewsletter\" rel=\"sponsored noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Lego Game Boy<\/strong><\/a> but not actually doing so because my toddler would destroy it, and listening to <a href=\"https:\/\/ilovelucius.store\/music\/lucius-cd-45920\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Lucius\u2019 recently released self-titled album<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">I also have for you some new betas from Apple, a retro-styled PC, some thoughts about cases, and how to play Dance Dance Revolution at home today.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">(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: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/installer-newsletter\/714227\/mailto:installer@theverge.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">installer@theverge.com<\/a>. And if you know someone else who might enjoy Installer, forward it to them and tell them to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/pages\/installer-newsletter-sign-up\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">subscribe here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<ul class=\"duet--article--unordered-list _1ymtmqpi _11h7yix0 _1xwtict1\">\n<li class=\"_11h7yix1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/apple.sjv.io\/qzvEBL\" rel=\"sponsored noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Apple\u2019s public betas<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> Public betas for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26 are available now, giving you a chance to see Apple\u2019s Liquid Glass design language in action before the updates are released widely this fall. I\u2019ve been running the developer betas, and after some necessary tweaks from Apple, I\u2019m warming up to Liquid Glass more than I expected.<\/li>\n<li class=\"_11h7yix1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/maingear.com\/collections\/retro95\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Maingear\u2019s Retro95 PC<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> This limited release puts a retro shell over modern PC components. Anyone have $1,599 (or more) they can lend me?<\/li>\n<li class=\"_11h7yix1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/apple.sjv.io\/kOvaNN\" rel=\"sponsored noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>AppleCare One<\/strong><\/a><strong>: <\/strong>This new $19.99-per-month subscription from Apple lets you cover up to three devices at once with the same benefits you\u2019d get with individual AppleCare Plus subscriptions. You can add more devices for $5.99 per month each. I don\u2019t usually pay for warranty coverage, but AppleCare One could be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/tech\/712429\/applecare-one-warranty-play-cost-versus-plus-plan-analysis\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a good deal<\/a> for a lot of people.<\/li>\n<li class=\"_11h7yix1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.themoviedb.org\/movie\/617126-the-fantastic-four-first-steps?language=en-US\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>The Fantastic Four: First Steps<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> It\u2019s Marvel\u2019s turn to release a superhero movie with some pretty high stakes for the company that makes it \u2014 and like DC and <strong>Superman<\/strong>, Marvel appears to have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/movie-reviews\/711370\/fantastic-four-first-steps-review-marvel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mostly pulled it off<\/a>. As a huge <strong>Michael Giacchino<\/strong> fan, about half the reason I want to see this movie is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=VXo5V5VJAQ4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">for the score<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li class=\"_11h7yix1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/40xhlpi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Amazon\u2019s Kindle Colorsoft (16GB)<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> This new version of Amazon\u2019s color Kindle comes with half the storage and is missing a few perks from the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4kTwqIT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Kindle Colorsoft Signature<\/strong><\/a><strong> Edition<\/strong>, but at $249.99, it\u2019s $30 cheaper than last year\u2019s model. I\u2019m going to hold on to my <strong>10th-generation Kindle Paperwhite<\/strong> as long as I can, but whenever it\u2019s time to upgrade that, I\u2019m sorely tempted by a color ereader.<\/li>\n<li class=\"_11h7yix1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/media.irobot.com\/2025-07-22-iRobot-Launches-Roomba-R-Max-705-Combo-Robot-AutoWash-TM-Dock-The-Companys-Most-Advanced-2-in-1-Cleaning-System\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Roomba Max 705 Combo<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> This new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/news\/712966\/irobot-roomba-max-705-combo-roller-mop-carpet-cover\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">combo robot vacuum from iRobot<\/a> has a \u201cfirst-of-its-kind roller mop cover that keeps carpets dry.\u201d If that cover actually works, it seems like this could be a great dual-purpose robovacuum.<\/li>\n<li class=\"_11h7yix1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/annapurnainteractive.com\/en\/games\/wheel-world\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Wheel World<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> It\u2019s a cycling-themed open-world adventure game from Annapurna Interactive and the developers of Nidhogg. That sounds like a winning combo to me, and it might just be the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/games-review\/711680\/wheel-world-review-ps5-xbox-steam\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">feel-good game of the summer<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li class=\"_11h7yix1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/apple.sjv.io\/K0GqWx\" rel=\"sponsored noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Acapulco season 4<\/strong><\/a><strong>:<\/strong> I watched the first two seasons of this Apple TV Plus series set at a resort in Mexico and loved them \u2014 the show is funny and heartwarming. Like Ted Lasso, it can be a little saccharine, but I think we should all watch some lighter TV every once in a while. Might be time for me to catch up.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">Thanks to everyone who replied to my quandary about whether or not I should keep using a phone case. There were a bunch of great perspectives and feelings, so I\u2019m sharing a few of them here in the newsletter \u2014 a lot more people go caseless than I expected!<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">As for my own decision? Well, I haven\u2019t reached one yet, and honestly, I may never pick one lane. Typically, my <strong>iPhone 16 Pro<\/strong> lives in <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/4f7LK3x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this slim <strong>Torras<\/strong> case<\/a>, but as I write this, it\u2019s sitting on top of the case, not in it. Will I put the case on before I walk out the door? We\u2019ll see!<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">\u201cI, too, felt the urge to go caseless. I\u2019m pretty careful with my electronics, so I still didn\u2019t love the idea of setting my phone down on tables and things alike. I got the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kqzyfj.com\/click-8836598-14527713?url=https%3A%2F%2Fnomadgoods.com%2Fproducts%2Fmagnetic-leather-back-rustic-brown-horween-iphone-16-pro\" rel=\"sponsored noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>magnetic back from Nomad<\/strong><\/a>, and it has felt like the perfect meet-in-the-middle accessory for me! Phone feels almost caseless, and I still get the back protection.\u201d \u2013 Omesh<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">\u201cI am totally the same with cases. I know I\u2019ll drop it once a year and totally ruin the thing and I hate that. What I do is take the case off when I\u2019m just chilling at my desk or couch or chair. That way I get the joy of the smooth phone, but when I am in danger of dropping it on concrete or getting out of my truck, I have the protection it needs.\u201d \u2013 Travis<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">\u201cI ran my first gen <strong>Pixel Fold<\/strong> without a case (while living in a beachy resort town) for two years! If the Fold can survive it, so can a 16 Pro. The Fold is still alive and well as a secondary device\/backup phone. Of course, it\u2019s definitely not pristine, so if you don\u2019t want your phone to bear its scars, you should probably keep a case on it.\u201d \u2013 John<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">\u201cI have the <a href=\"https:\/\/go.skimresources.com\/?id=1025X1701724&amp;xs=1&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.peakdesign.com%2Fproducts%2Fgnar-case-for-iphone-16\" rel=\"sponsored noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Peak Design GNAR case<\/strong><\/a>. Saw some complaints online about the protection being too minimal for the front of the phone, but it\u2019s been solid for me. Does well being outdoors (I run outside all the time). I\u2019m rocking no screen protector.\u201d \u2013 airwr3ck6669<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">\u201cI never used cases until I got my current phone (<strong>Pixel 6A<\/strong>) because the <a href=\"https:\/\/razer.a9yw.net\/kOvabN\" rel=\"sponsored noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Razer Kishi controller<\/strong> <\/a>I used no longer fit snuggly around it, so I found a case that allowed it to fit again. I would say the case would eventually come off, but I only realized as I was reading this article that even though I no longer use that controller, I hadn\u2019t thought to take the case off.\u201d \u2013 xPutNameHerex<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">Today, I\u2019m featuring <strong>Keith Broni<\/strong>, the editor-in-chief of <a href=\"https:\/\/emojipedia.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Emojipedia<\/strong><\/a>. I thought of reaching out to him for this section after <a href=\"https:\/\/worldemojiday.com\/faq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">World Emoji Day on July 17th<\/a> (the date shown on the calendar emoji), and he graciously replied. He initially got involved with the site in 2018 and took on increasing responsibilities \u201cover the years\u201d before taking <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.emojipedia.org\/keith-broni-is-emojipedias-new-editor-in-chief\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the editor-in-chief job in 2022<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">In addition to everything about his homescreen, I wanted to know what he\u2019s looking forward to in the world of emoji. \u201cI\u2019m excited to see what the next unexpected emoji repurposing meme is going to be, especially as Gen Alpha becomes more and more online,\u201d he tells me, like how Millennials repurposed the Eggplant and Peach and how Gen Z repurposed the Skull.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">Emoji fascinate me \u2014 full disclosure, I submitted proposals that helped bring the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2021\/9\/15\/22675134\/unicode-emoji-version-14-bubbles-saluting-face-biting-lip-2021\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Saluting Face, Bubbles<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/21327599\/how-to-make-emoji-yawning-face-waffle-proposal-unicode\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Waffle, and Yawning Face<\/a> emoji into the world \u2014 so I\u2019m to share more of the emoji universe with Installer readers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">Here\u2019s Keith\u2019s homescreen and his explanation of what\u2019s on it.<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"kqz8fh1\" href=\"https:\/\/platform.theverge.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/1000125760.png?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;crop=0,0,100,100\" data-pswp-height=\"2400\" data-pswp-width=\"1080\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><img alt=\"Keith Broni\u2019s Android homescreen.\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"x271pn0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1000125760.png\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Image: Keith Broni<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\"><strong>The phone: Google Pixel 6<\/strong>. Like Molly last week, I\u2019m an \u201cuntil the wheels fall off\u201d type of person when it comes to my personal phone, though I use an <strong>iPhone 15 Pro<\/strong> for work.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\"><strong>The wallpaper: <\/strong>A 2019 picture of me (I\u2019m in all black, bar the white soles of my sneakers) wandering the grounds of the Z\u014dj\u014d-ji Temple in Tokyo, with the Tokyo Tower looming in the background.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"duet--article--unordered-list _1ymtmqpi _11h7yix0 _1xwtict1\">\n<li class=\"_11h7yix1\">The top row is my fitness-focused stuff, as I\u2019m preparing for a Hyrox-like competition in October, so it\u2019s all step counts (<strong>Garmin Connect<\/strong>), protein goals (<strong>MyFitnessPal<\/strong>), habit tracking (<strong>HabitShare<\/strong> \u2014 a free and simple tracker with some nice friend-sharing elements for accountability), and gym class bookings (<strong>Glofox<\/strong>).<\/li>\n<li class=\"_11h7yix1\">Since I\u2019m European, <strong>WhatsApp<\/strong> is my primary mode of texting \/ calling folks. And since I\u2019m Irish, you\u2019ve got my Irish banking app, <strong>AIB Mobile<\/strong>, ha.<\/li>\n<li class=\"_11h7yix1\">I\u2019m a millennial, so <strong>Instagram<\/strong> is my primary mode of social media these days, though I\u2019m also on <strong>X<\/strong> \/ <strong>Bluesky<\/strong> \/ <strong>TikTok<\/strong> a lot for work purposes (that end up drifting into non-work purposes if I\u2019m not careful).<\/li>\n<li class=\"_11h7yix1\">I\u2019m a <strong>Letterboxd<\/strong> user, and do enjoy attending the cinema as much as I can (shoutout to the Lighthouse in Dublin \u2014 I was there last night watching <strong>Friendship<\/strong>, which I thoroughly enjoyed). But really, <strong>YouTube<\/strong> is where I spend far too much of my time (and to a lesser extent, <strong>Nebula<\/strong>, which is on the next page of my home screen). <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">I also asked Keith to share a few things he\u2019s into right now. Here\u2019s what he said:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"duet--article--unordered-list _1ymtmqpi _11h7yix0 _1xwtict1\">\n<li class=\"_11h7yix1\">Music-wise, I\u2019ve been listening to a lot of <strong>Oasis<\/strong> on <strong>Spotify<\/strong> lately. I was one of the lucky 2 percent who managed to snag tickets for their current run of shows, and I\u2019ve been riding the high ever since their homecoming gig in Manchester on Sunday (the 20th). I\u2019ve also been enjoying several tracks from the <a href=\"https:\/\/storeus.wetlegband.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>new<\/strong> <strong>Wet Leg<\/strong> <strong>album<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 a band that famously workshopped their name using various emoji combos \u2014 as well as two new songs from <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/5SHgclK1ZpTdfdAmXW7J6s\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>The Last Dinner Party<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/artist\/0X380XXQSNBYuleKzav5UO\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Nine Inch Nails<\/strong><\/a>.<\/li>\n<li class=\"_11h7yix1\">To tie in with the fitness app bit above, I\u2019ve been playing the <a href=\"https:\/\/finalfantasypixelremaster.square-enix-games.com\/en_US\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters<\/strong><\/a> while walking on a home treadmill. I\u2019ve been a big old-school JRPG fan since I was a kid, though I\u2019d only played IV from this collection before.<\/li>\n<li class=\"_11h7yix1\">This Instagram account <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/theblack.lodge\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>@theblack.lodge<\/strong><\/a>, who\u2019s been doing limited drops of T-shirts inspired by <strong>David Lynch<\/strong> films (I\u2019m a big fan, especially of Twin Peaks, RIP). I\u2019ve bought at least one item from every drop so far.<\/li>\n<li class=\"_11h7yix1\">Book-wise, I\u2019ve been listening to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.penguinrandomhouse.com\/books\/776856\/algospeak-by-adam-aleksic\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language<\/strong><\/a><strong> <\/strong>by Adam Aleksic on <strong>Audible<\/strong> (sitting on the second page of my home screen). Before this, I finished reading the physical copy of <a href=\"https:\/\/wwnorton.com\/books\/9781324075158\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Face with Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji<\/strong><\/a> by Keith Houston, in which our work at Emojipedia is heavily referenced (and I\u2019m honored to have been directly name-dropped in).<\/li>\n<li class=\"_11h7yix1\">Another bit of a self-serving one (especially since you mentioned it yourself last week), but I\u2019ve been enjoying dipping into the revived <a href=\"http:\/\/emojitracker.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Emojitracker.com<\/strong><\/a> site during spare moments to watch live emoji usage unfold.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">Here\u2019s what the Installer community is into this week. I want to know what you\u2019re into right now as well! Email <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/installer-newsletter\/714227\/mailto:installer@theverge.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">installer@theverge.com<\/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 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/tech\/712776\/i-need-your-help-for-installer\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this post on The Verge<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.threads.com\/@jaypeters.11\/post\/DMfqqvFNdeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this post on Threads<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/jaypeters.net\/post\/3lupsjclcas2z\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">this post on Bluesky<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">\u201cI use <a href=\"https:\/\/coloursoftware.com\/projects\/outplay\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Outplay<\/strong><\/a> on my <strong>Apple Watch<\/strong> to track the soccer matches I play. It shows a heat map of my movement during a match and has metrics specific to playing soccer like sprints. It works better for me than using the built-in <strong>Apple Workout app<\/strong> or <strong>Strava<\/strong>.\u201d \u2013 Harry Tequila<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">\u201cBeen playing the macOS version of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyberpunk.net\/us\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Cyberpunk 2077<\/strong><\/a> on a base <strong>M4 Mac Mini<\/strong>. I am impressed with the game and graphic quality of this version. Just hoping this is the start for more Mac-native versions of A &amp; S tier games.\u201d \u2013 penguinchiller<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">\u201cI just completed the (not so) Endless Tower in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sandfall.co\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Clair Obscur: Expedition 33<\/strong><\/a> and beat Clea&#8230; on an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.msi.com\/Handhelds\/Claw-8-AI-Plus-A2VMX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>MSI Claw 8<\/strong><\/a> with an Intel chip! Didn\u2019t expect that after panning the first Claw. It\u2019s the only handheld I\u2019ve really enjoyed this game on so far!\u201d \u2013 Sean<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">\u201cI\u2019ve become obsessed with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.twosapp.com\/home\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>the Twos app<\/strong><\/a> and using it constantly. Highly recommend!\u201d \u2013 Rich<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">\u201cAfter steadfastly avoiding it because of its difficulty, I recently purchased and have been dying over and over again in <a href=\"https:\/\/housemarque.com\/games\/returnal\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Returnal<\/strong><\/a>. The environment really does feel like a hostile alien planet, and with headphones it feels like I can hear every drop of rain. And yeah, it\u2019s really difficult.\u201d \u2013 Aram<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">\u201cBeen playing <a href=\"https:\/\/annapurnainteractive.com\/en\/games\/lushfoil-photography-sim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Lushfoil Photography Sim<\/strong><\/a> and it is so relaxing and lovely.\u201d \u2013 Allison<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">\u201cI\u2019ve been binging <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/@citynerd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>CityNerd on YouTube<\/strong><\/a>. The channel discusses cities, transportation, urban design, walkability, etc. Good stuff.\u201d \u2013 low_light_mixes<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">Last week, I included a tidbit from a reader who has been playing Dance Dance Revolution recently. As someone who played a lot of DDR when I was a kid (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=N8zdf8rbtEU\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u201cButterfly,\u201d anyone?<\/a>), I was curious to learn more about how he does it. Here\u2019s some of what the reader, Tom, told me \u2014 he also pointed me to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/DanceDanceRevolution\/comments\/1i16xfk\/how_to_get_started_with_ddritg_in_2024_the\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a starter guide on Reddit<\/a>:<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">\u201cI\u2019ll start with acknowledging I am fully not an expert in the scene, but spent a lot of time in the local arcade and at home playing on a PS2 when I was growing up.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">\u201cI grabbed the Deluxe 1-inch thick foam pad from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ddrpad.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>www.ddrpad.com<\/strong><\/a>, along with the extension cord and the preloaded Stepmania Flash drive. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stepmania.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Stepmania<\/strong><\/a> is the open-source clone of DDR. People make their own stepcharts (the arrows that scroll up during a song) and make custom songs that you can download and load in, as well as songs from the actual DDR games.<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">\u201cSomeone who is really into playing may want to eventually invest in a metal pad, like what\u2019s in the arcades. They\u2019re super sturdy and will last for years of use, whereas soft mats could potentially tear over time. There are many manufacturers out there, and the price range is usually from $400 and up for the metal pads. People even buy old arcade cabinets for thousands of dollars and have them in their home.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"duet--article--dangerously-set-cms-markup duet--article--standard-paragraph _1ymtmqpi _17nnmdy1 _17nnmdy0 _1xwtict1\">Thanks, Tom! See you next week, everyone!<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"duet--article--comments-link b1p9679\" href=\"http:\/\/www.theverge.com\/installer-newsletter\/714227\/apple-ios-26-beta-retro95-pc-phone-cases-ddr-installer#comments\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><strong>Follow topics and authors<\/strong> from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"tly2fw3\">\n<li id=\"follow-author-article_footer-dmcyOmF1dGhvclByb2ZpbGU6MTIz\">Jay PetersClose<img alt=\"Jay Peters\" data-chromatic=\"ignore\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"fill\" class=\"_1bw37385 x271pn0\" style=\"position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url(&quot;data:image\/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'\/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'\/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'\/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'\/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'\/%3E%3C\/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mN8+R8AAtcB6oaHtZcAAAAASUVORK5CYII='\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E&quot;)\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/JAY_PETERS.0.jpg\"\/>Jay Peters\n<p class=\"fv263x1\">Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n<p>PlusFollow<\/p>\n<p class=\"fv263x4\"><a class=\"fv263x5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/authors\/jay-peters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">See All by Jay Peters<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>InstallerCloseInstaller\n<p class=\"fv263x1\">Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n<p>PlusFollow<\/p>\n<p class=\"fv263x4\"><a class=\"fv263x5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/installer-newsletter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">See All Installer<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>TechCloseTech\n<p class=\"fv263x1\">Posts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.<\/p>\n<p>PlusFollow<\/p>\n<p class=\"fv263x4\"><a class=\"fv263x5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/tech\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">See All Tech<\/a><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 91, your guide to the best and Verge-iest stuff in the world.&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":97020,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[45002,242,158,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-97019","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology","8":"tag-installer","9":"tag-tech","10":"tag-technology","11":"tag-united-states","12":"tag-unitedstates","13":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114925901073152280","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=97019"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/97019\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/97020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=97019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=97019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=97019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}