After years without switching defaults, the browser pick that finally worked is Vivaldi 8.0, now with a cleaner out-of-the-box design and the same deep customization. The week’s tech mix also includes Star Wars theater returns, new earbuds and podcast history,
For the first time in years, the browser tab at the center of daily routines finally changed.
Vivaldi 8.0 became the new go-to across the writer’s devices—replacing Arc. which is now framed as a loss after roughly five years. The pitch isn’t just speed (though it’s described as very fast) or customization (it’s called incredibly customizable. packed with clever organizational tools). It’s the look. The prior version was “irredeemably ugly” in the writer’s words. but the new design is described as much cleaner out of the box—enough that the writer says they’re fully happy using it all the time. The tradeoff?. They warn readers to budget a long time in settings if they want to tune Vivaldi to their liking.
That same week’s reading and listening list also reads like a person trying to get through being sick without giving up curiosity. The writer watched and revisited space adventures with anticipation for Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. expressing that reviews for Star Wars releases have been uneven but adding that they’re “straight-up thrilled” for the return of Grogu on the big screen. hoping for “as big as possible” and “as long as possible.”.
Two technology-focused books are also on the list. One is Steve Jobs in Exile. described as Geoff Cain’s new book built around NeXT. Pixar. Jobs’ deep personal changes. and the story of how the man who “almost destroyed Apple came back to save it.” The other is How to Rule the World. said to be by a Stanford student and presented as a deep dive into the author’s own world and its connection—“bizarre and problematic and outrageously successful”—to the tech industry. with an emphasis on how Stanford and Silicon Valley have long been tied together.
On the gadget side, the excitement is surprisingly direct. The Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro are positioned as the kind of earbuds the writer didn’t expect to care about—priced roughly the same as AirPods—until a colleague, John Higgins, says they’re the best phone-call earbuds he’s ever used.
Audio history and audio delight show up together, too. Age of Audio: The Inside Story of Podcasting is called a terrific history lesson from Twenty Thousand Hertz. with stories from “a bunch of legendary podcasters. ” and it’s tied to a related documentary of the same name the writer says they’re eager to find a way to see.
There’s also a game and a productivity idea for people who keep their evenings busy. Forza Horizon 6 is praised for “gorgeous. ultra-realistic cars” and “ultra-realistic Japanese landscapes. ” with the writer describing it as sometimes intense but also “almost… cozy. ” like a Sunday drive. The MacStories Shortcuts Playground is mentioned as something built for Apple Shortcuts enthusiasts—Federico Viticci and the MacStories team are described as making a way to use Claude Code or Codex to describe the shortcut you want. which then “magically appear[s]” as a Shortcut. A huge set of Shortcuts they made is also referenced.
The community recommendations section shifts the focus from one person’s screen time to what others are doing with tech right now. One reader says they picked up an Oculus Go for $10 at a thrift store and found that many apps are “nonexistent except for YouTube. ” but still calls it “surprisingly… fine. ” adding a question about whether future AI wearables will be useful for a long time because. in their view. Apple devices are still usable even after half a decade. Another reader’s focus is family and simplicity: they say a Stickerbox was given for a 9th birthday. with many hours spent making stickers. and they specifically point out that it “embraces simplicity” while still being “a toy with AI and a screen. ” with the bonus that there’s “no subscription.”.
Books and workflows find their way into the thread, too. One recommendation praises Andrew Chaikin’s A Man on the Moon as one of the best nonfiction books the reader has listened to recently. and says they kept up their “race cadence” by listening to the Apollo 11 moon landing section. Another reader plans to experiment with Google Docs alternatives—Writer and Ellipsus—while working through the slog to transition away from Gmail. noting their account has been active since you “needed an invite.”.
Sound quality also gets its moment: the Sony WH-1000XM5 are called “amazing. ” with the sound quality described as “incredibly professional.” There’s also a specific cable recommendation—an Allroundo Eco cable from Vonmahlen described as a short. coiled USB-C to USB-C cable in a little case that includes USB-A. microUSB. and Lightning adaptors. The reader doesn’t know the rated speed for power or data delivery. but says they’ve used it “for years” so the question becomes “a moot point.”.
Even when the recommendations veer into games and streaming, they stay rooted in routine. One reader says they’re almost done with Light Bringer (Red Rising book 6) on their Xteink X4. Another mentions Record Club. described as a European indie selling itself as the Letterboxd of music. wishing for a section for vinyl/CD/cassette collections but praising the site and the new social-sharing images. A separate comment says they’re rewatching Scavengers Reign because it’s coming off Netflix at the end of the month. And one gamer keeps a standing schedule: after a few years of trying multiplayer games. “me and the homies” have a Monday-evening Diablo IV date boosted by the new Lord of Hatred expansion.
Elsewhere, the week’s tech conversation briefly detours into podcast culture and late-night TV. The writer says it was the last week of Stephen Colbert’s run on The Late Show and the end of The Late Show overall. Their brightest silver lining. they say. was that the Strike Force Five gang got back together: a podcast started by five late-night hosts during the writers strike in 2023. with at least one episode—Strike Force Wives!—that made the writer laugh hard enough to stop listening for a while. The guys return for one more episode to celebrate Colbert’s run. plus a long hang on Colbert’s show. and the writer says it’s “predictably delightful. ” prompting a joke about starting to wear a suit for every Vergecast episode.
By the end of the week. the picture is clear: the tech news isn’t just about what’s new—it’s about what actually survives the messy parts of life. Vivaldi 8.0 wins a spot because it finally looks good enough to stick. while the rest of the list—from new Star Wars outings to earbuds and audio history—keeps the focus on gadgets and stories that can slot into real routines. even when you’re sick in bed and trying to stay curious.
Vivaldi 8.0 browser Arc tech news earbuds Anker Soundcore Liberty 5 Pro Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu Age of Audio podcasting Forza Horizon 6 Apple Shortcuts