Keep track of what you should read. Keep it in your “Pocket”

By Dr. Rafsan Halim

The internet has aided the ease in which one can obtain information. These days, the harder thing is to have enough time to read all the latest articles & information that we are constantly bombarded with. How many times have you browsed websites and thought “that sounds interesting, I’ll come back and read it later” only to have forgotten the article or not be able to find it again?

This is where a nifty service called “Pocket” come in. Its function is exactly what its former name implies being “Read it Later”. Pocket essentially creates a reading list of articles and web pages for you to read at your leisure. It requires a valid email address and a free registration on the website at http://www.getpocket.com.

After signing up, you can register your email address with the service. This allows you to send the URL of any webpage to add@getpocket.com. The service then recognises that the email is from your linked address and adds it to your reading list. There is also a host of plug-ins available for various browsers that adds a “add to Pocket” button to the menu. After you set this up, it’s as easy as finding an interesting article and hitting the button.

Once you have saved an article or webpage to Pocket, you can view it whenever you login. You are presented with a neatly designed tile of all the saved pages. Clicking on the tiles will launch into a nicely formatted view of the article, free of any distracting ads or images. If you need to see the original article, you can always click the “view original” button. After you are done reading the article, you can check it off your list and Pocket will still keep the reference in its archive if you need to return to it later.

Neatly designed interface with “tiles” of your articles

Distraction free “reading” view

Competing services do exist and it is possible to assemble similar functionality with synchronised bookmarks etc, but the simple interface and easy-to-use nature of Pocket makes it an unobtrusive addition to every professional's workflow. The service also supports mobile operating systems with well designed apps for both iOS and Android with the mobile version of their website compatible with all other smartphones. Now it’s easier than ever to keep your research in your Pocket.