The Art of Organization: Mastering Lists and Discovering New Tech with David Pierce's Installer
David Pierce's 'Installer' newsletter celebrates its 100th issue by delving into the world of personal organization and introducing a host of new technological advancements. This milestone edition highlights diverse approaches to list-keeping, showcasing how individuals manage everything from daily tasks to travel essentials and cherished memories. It also features a curated selection of fresh gadgets, innovative applications, and engaging entertainment, demonstrating the dynamic landscape of consumer technology. A notable announcement in this edition is the newsletter's upcoming transition to a subscriber-exclusive model, emphasizing the value of dedicated readership.
Featured Content and Community Insights from 'Installer' No. 100
Published on October 5, 2025, 'Installer' No. 100, penned by David Pierce, editor-at-large and Vergecast co-host, offers a rich compilation of insights and recommendations. Pierce, a seasoned technology journalist, shares his personal organizational methods, revolving around the extensive use of lists for various aspects of his life. He references external content including a New Yorker article on Tim Berners-Lee, a Guardian piece on stain removers, and discussions on AI marriage problems from Futurism. His current entertainment preferences include the film 'One Battle After Another,' a Shudder subscription for horror season, the TV series 'The Morning Show' and '7 Days Out,' the note-taking app Mem, the game 'Balatro,' and the podcast 'The Life of a Showgirl,' all while indulging in Tim Tam cookies.
This edition also brings news of Amazon's latest smart devices, an AI-powered social network, a new gaming mouse, and a highly anticipated game sequel. Critically, Pierce announces that 'Installer' will soon become a subscriber-only feature for 'The Verge,' with existing email subscribers retaining access, while new readers will need to subscribe to 'The Verge' or the 'Installer' email list for free before the transition. He invites readers to engage by sending their own recommendations to installer@theverge.com or via Signal at @davidpierce.11.
In a segment titled 'The Drop,' Pierce introduces his new show 'Version History' and reviews several recent tech releases: OpenAI's 'Sora,' an AI video app; Claude Sonnet 4.5, lauded by developers for its enhanced capabilities; 'Ghost of Yōtei,' the sequel to 'Ghost of Tsushima'; Perplexity's 'Comet' browser; Amazon's Kindle Scribe Colorsoft and Echo Dot Max; 'Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles'; Kagi News, a daily news digest; Adobe Premiere for iOS; and Logitech's MX Master 4 mouse. He also highlights a BBC podcast on the history of the Excel spreadsheet.
The 'Group Project' section reveals how readers manage their own lists. Many continue to favor traditional pen and paper, alongside digital tools like Todoist and Notion. Built-in apps such as Google Keep and Apple Notes/Reminders are popular, as are spreadsheets like Google Sheets, Excel, and Smartsheet. Niche apps like Craft, Obsidian, AnyList, Letterboxd, Trakt, and Sequel also receive mentions for specialized list management. Pierce acknowledges the shared experience of being overwhelmed by multiple lists and expresses his intention to explore new tools based on reader feedback.
In 'Screen Share,' Marques Brownlee, a prominent tech YouTuber, reveals his phone setups for Pixel 10 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro, both featuring wallpapers from the Backdrops app. His app usage includes Superhuman, Photos, Discord, Arc Search, Notion, Instagram, Relay, Spotify, and TickTick on Android, and a similar suite on iPhone with additions like Camera, Settings, Carrot Weather, YouTube Studio, Waze, Not Boring Habits, Copilot, and Tesla. Brownlee also shares his current interests: The New York Times' 'Connections' sports game, the health tracking app Athlytic, and his ongoing use of Arc browser.
Finally, the 'Crowdsourced' section presents diverse recommendations from the 'Installer' community: Spencer's portable radio setup for drive-in movies, Tim's 4K gaming experience with 'Super Mario Galaxy 2' on Switch 2, Daryl's journal app Everlog, Bob's anticipation for 'Digimon Story: Time Stranger,' Adi's folk horror novel 'The Red Tree,' Bryan's privacy-focused Brave Search, Sean's 'Simply Aviation' YouTube channel for economy flight reviews, Rich's Rode Wireless Go Gen 3 microphone, HollowedLeaf's return to Ugmonk’s Analog paper system for tasks, and Ben's addictive 'Hades II' on Switch 2. Pierce concludes by praising Spotify's new feature allowing users to exclude songs from their taste profiles, advocating for a similar 'don't hold this one against me' button across all entertainment platforms.
The breadth of topics covered in 'Installer' No. 100, from personal productivity systems to cutting-edge technology and community-driven recommendations, truly underscores the multifaceted nature of modern tech culture. David Pierce’s approach of integrating personal experiences with expert analysis and reader input fosters a vibrant dialogue. The upcoming shift to a subscriber-only model reflects a growing trend in content creation, where specialized, high-quality newsletters are valued enough to warrant direct support from their audience. This move is a testament to the community Pierce has built and the unique content he delivers, reinforcing the idea that in an age of information overload, curated, thoughtful insights remain highly sought after.