Amazon has new Kindle models that are being described as colorful and sturdy, according to a roundup of gadget recommendations published by The Verge. The e-readers were featured in the publication's Installer newsletter on October 4, 2026. The newsletter also highlighted OpenAI's Dots, the remastered Witcher 3, and Bose's new wired earbuds.
The Installer column this week was written by Jay Peters, a senior reporter at The Verge. Peters noted that David, the column's usual writer, would return the following week. Peters also mentioned that readers can find past editions on the Installer homepage. The newsletter also included a guest contribution from Scott Stein, CNET's editor at large.
Stein described his approach to organizing his phone's home screen, saying he randomizes his apps. He uses suggested Siri app widgets, adding two widgets with eight apps each, plus eight fixed apps and four in his dock. His fixed apps include Google Calendar, Photos, Notes, Camera, Music, Gmail, Google Maps, Bluesky, Phone, Messages, Mail, and Safari. The remaining apps change based on context and frequency, and he said the shifting layout is often helpful even though it can resemble "gaslighting."
Stein's wallpaper is also randomized, drawn from family and trip photos so he can see his kids while away from home. He said it comforts him. Peters also shared his own experience with his home screen. He said a minimal setup he showed off in August became cluttered with travel-related apps during a month of trips, including airline apps, an expense reporting app, Notes, Voice Memos, and Uber. He said he has since cleaned it up, leaving only the Messages app.
The newsletter also collected recommendations from its community. Readers mentioned Arc Raiders and Control Resonant, the book East of Eden, American Horror Story: 13, Star Trek: Voyager, several spooky-season books, Antivirus Survivors 2003 Professional, Emo Revival, Tress of the Emerald Sea, and the latest episode of South Park. Peters also said he was thinking about Walmart potato drone delivery in Portland, a Mike Tomlin video about a Minecraft city, the Gears of War pizza cutter, Craig Mod's walks, and MKBHD's video about YouTube's A/B video testing feature.
The article described the Installer newsletter as a guide to the best and "Verge-iest" things in the world. It noted that readers can email the publication with recommendations for future editions. It also stated that The Verge may earn a commission from links to products mentioned in the newsletter. The column listed Amazon's Kindles as one of the items being highlighted in the current edition.
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