The latest edition of The Verge newsletter explores a variety of new gadgets, software developments, and community recommendations ranging from smart home upgrades to unique digital tools. Curated by David Pierce, the weekly roundup highlights interesting projects and media making waves across the tech landscape.
The Drop and Smart Home Tech
Among the notable hardware highlights is the Home Assistant Connect Aux-2, a straightforward device designed to help users integrate new equipment into a smart home setup. The gadget places a particular focus on music gear while functioning as a universal controller for Bluetooth devices and traditional home appliances.
Other notable mentions include We Chose to Go to the Moon, a live history of the Space Race featuring music and visuals, and TK, a writing app from Medium centered on private idea sharing. The roundup also features Tripod, a podcast app designed by Ben Rice McCarthy, alongside a prototype collaborative workspace from Google called Google Tabletop, and the $250 Ring Drone Cam designed for indoor inspection.
iPhone Duo Insights and Community Favorites
The newsletter delves into user experiences with the iPhone Duo foldable phone, drawing on insights from The Verge’s Allison Johnson. Johnson utilizes a minimalist homescreen layout with essential apps like NYT Games, Kindle, Headspace, and Spotify, alongside the TypeDraw app and built-in iOS lo-fi playlists.
The crowdsourced section highlights community recommendations, including Search, a Webkit-based browser developed in Paris, and Monarch as an alternative to Quicken. Other recommendations feature the audiobook Dungeon Crawler Carl, the open-source VR project Brenpoly, the Safari extension Widen, the animated film Wildwood, the browser Brave Origin, the game Queen’s Domain, and the travel series Jet Lag: The Game.
The author concludes by previewing an upcoming story on hardware hacking centered around M5Stack developer kits, which allow users to customize ESP32-based devices with E Ink or round touchscreens.
