### The Five-Year Journey to Craft an Adventure Game from Ink and Paper **Image: John William Evelyn** --- “I couldn’t walk away from the pen and ink thing,” says John Evelyn, the visionary creator behind **The Collage Atlas**, a dreamlike storybook adventure that recently made its debut on Steam. What sets this game apart is that the entire world within it is meticulously hand-drawn, from the tiniest flowers and insects to massive buildings and the clouds that gracefully drift above them. As players explore this enchanting environment, they slowly uncover its surreal narrative, with the world dynamically transforming in response to their presence. “I had been drawing for many years before that […] and I’d always draw with ink straight away, without any kind of prior pencil work or sketching,”…

**The AI Assistants Are Getting Better Fast** *Image: David Pierce / The Verge* --- **Hi, friends! Welcome to Installer No. 38** Your ultimate guide to the best and most Verge-iest things in the world. If you’re new here, we're so psyched you found us! Feel free to catch up on all the previous editions on the [Installer homepage](#). **Here’s what I’ve been up to this week:** - **Writing** about iPads and the future of Google. - **Watching** *American Fiction* and *Bodkin*. - **Rewatching** *Her* (for, um, reasons…). - **Endlessly replaying** the songs of *Windows95man*. - **Learning how to make** better sandwiches. - **Testing Claude** for AI stuff. - **Listening to** the new-old Childish Gambino album. But that's not all! I have also stumbled upon a treasure trove of exciting things…

# Blue Origin Returns to Crewed Space Missions: Where and How to Watch **Image: Blue Origin** It's been a significant hiatus for Blue Origin, but the private spaceflight company is ready to return to crewed missions after more than a year and a half since their New Shepard rocket experienced a mid-flight failure. The last time Blue Origin sent passengers to space was over two years ago. Now, they're set to make a triumphant comeback by launching six people into space. ### Launch Details - **Date and Time**: The launch window opens at 6:30 AM PT / 9:30 AM ET. - **Live Stream**: Blue Origin will begin streaming the event 40 minutes before the launch on their [official website](https://www.blueorigin.com). Additionally, the company generally broadcasts their launches on their [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/blueorigin),…

--- ### This Modder Proves Everything’s Better With a GBA SP Screen Attached  #### A Fusion of Creativity: The Charm of Retrohai hai Softbank's Mods Have you ever looked at a Nintendo DS and thought that it would be cooler if the top screen were swapped out for a Game Boy Advance SP’s? Or glanced at a Super Nintendo controller and felt it needed a GBA SP screen attached to the back? Whether these thoughts have crossed your mind or not, Hardware Modder Hairo Satoh, known online as Retrohai hai Softbank, has transformed these whimsical ideas into reality with his innovative and unorthodox console modifications. Satoh’s handiwork isn’t just about creating new gadgets; it’s about…

### Replacing the OLED iPad Pro’s Battery is Easier Than Ever  Apple’s newest iPad Pro is breaking new ground in terms of rigidity and repairability. Despite its remarkably thin design, this new iPad Pro model shows significant improvements when it comes to maintenance, particularly in the ease of replacing the battery, as demonstrated in a recent teardown by iFixit. #### A Shining Example of Improved Design During the teardown, iFixit revealed that the iPad Pro’s 38.99Wh battery, a component that will inevitably degrade over time, is actually far easier to access and replace than in previous generations. According to Shahram Mokhtari from iFixit, this design enhancement “could save hours in repair time” compared to earlier iPad Pro models,…

**Blog Post: Ecobee’s Smart Thermostat Premium Is Nearly Matching Its All-Time Low Price** --- *Summer Savings with Ecobee’s Smart Thermostat Premium: The Coolest Deal This Season!* The sweltering days of summer are fast approaching, and with them, inevitably higher cooling bills. However, before you start dreading those escalating energy costs, consider a sleek and smart solution: the Ecobee Smart Thermostat Premium. This innovative device not only promises to keep your home comfortable but also offers you a chance to save money on your energy bills. And the best part? It’s currently available at a fantastic price.  *Surprisingly, Ecobee's smartest thermostat also makes for a decent air quality monitor and smart speaker.* *Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge* **A Steal of a Deal** Ecobee’s Smart…

--- **Revolutionize Indoor BBQ with the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker** Gone are the days when barbecuing was an exclusive outdoor activity, frequently subjected to the whims of weather. With advancing technology, even cooking methods that traditionally demanded outdoor space can now be brought right into the comfort of your home. Enter the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker, an innovative appliance designed to make indoor barbecuing not just practical but incredibly convenient. ### What Makes It Smart? The centerpiece of this kitchen marvel is its smart technology, particularly its Wi-Fi connectivity. By integrating with the Smart HQ app, the GE Profile smoker allows you to control and monitor your cooking remotely. Imagine starting your barbecue while relaxing in another room, checking the temperature, and adjusting settings all from your smartphone.…

**Sugar's Big Twist Was More Than a Gimmick** _image: Apple_ For most of its first season, *Sugar* on Apple TV Plus presented itself as a fairly typical, albeit slickly produced, detective story. The show featured Colin Farrell in the lead role as John Sugar, a private investigator with a number of endearing quirks—he was obsessed with old movies, wasn't able to get drunk, and was beloved by dogs. Sugar's mission centered around solving a missing persons case that involved the granddaughter of a famous Hollywood director. However, by the end of episode six, the series introduced a twist that threatened to turn the story into something entirely different. But now that the finale of *Sugar* is out, it’s evident that the twist didn’t fundamentally alter the show's essence; rather, it…

### The EV Industry Can’t Shake its Human Rights Abuse Problem  *Workers walk in Glencore’s Mutanda Mine, which Tesla sources cobalt from, in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, on June 19th, 2023. | Photo by Emmet Livingstone / AFP via Getty Images* The rise of electric vehicles (EVs) promised a cleaner, more sustainable future. However, this burgeoning industry is still heavily tainted by a legacy of human rights abuses connected to the mining of essential minerals. #### Human Rights Abuses in Mineral Mining A recent report from the nonprofit Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC) paints a grim picture. The report highlights persistent allegations of human rights violations in the extraction of minerals vital for the production of EVs, rechargeable batteries, and renewable energy technologies.…

### Get Ready for Amazon's Easter Deals: Echo and Fire TV Products at Astonishing Prices As we hop into the Easter season, Amazon is setting the stage early by announcing incredible price drops on its signature hardware products even before the official launch of its Easter deals. If you're in the market for Echo or Fire TV devices, you're in for a treat as prices are slashed, some even by half! Let's dive into what's on offer and highlight some of the standout deals you won't want to miss. #### Echo Devices: Smarten Up Your Home for Less The Echo lineup, known for bringing smart home capabilities to our living spaces, sees some notable discounts. For those looking to dip their toes into smart home technology or expand their smart…