New addition to my daily workflow: Pocket

Formally known as Read it later, Pocket has vastly improved the way I consume content on-the-go. Not being impressed with the current competing read later apps for daily use, continuing reading an article from the desktop to the mobile relies greatly on memory and since not all web sites are optimized for viewing on mobiles, navigating pages are a laborious task. The whole experience is very uninspiring.

Saving content for reading later whether using your mobile or desktop is a breeze with Pocket. The text and images are extracted from the content your have saved and is optimized beautifully to be read distraction free on an Android, iPhone/iPad or any browser using the web app.

It all works seamlessly from clicking the bookmarklet on the current web page your are viewing and then picking up a mobile device with Pocket to resume reading the same web page page on the move. It even remembers where you were reading last on the page, so picking up any device that has Pocket resumes exactly where you left off.

With over 300 apps integrating Pocket functionality and an easily accessible API, there’s no shortage of ways you can save to Pocket. I highly recommend you check out Pocket. It will make reading on the move much more enjoyable.

Pebble: E-Paper Watch for iPhone and Android

Finally there’s a smart watch that’s built with customizability in mind. The watch face is made of E-Paper so it’s always-on unlike past watch efforts with LCD screens present. Connecting through Bluetooth to an Android or iPhone to access auxiliary data makes this watch available to almost anyone with a smartphone bought in the past few years. With the SDK soon to be available there are many opportunities for app makers to integrate by the time the watch is released.

Grab it quick if you want to be part of the first batch as they are only 10,000 more watches left or 10 days –which ever comes first from here.

UPDATE: The watches have now sold out. You will have to wait until the end of the year to grab one.

Putting NFC to good use with Google Wallet

After years of having NFC technology available, Google starts the ball rolling with their implementation Google Wallet. It looks very promising, while not only allowing your credit cards to be loaded onto this “digital wallet” but also such items as loyalty cards and rewards programs. Google are planning to extend this to other items such as boarding passes and movie tickets in the near future. Unfortunately the rest of the world will have to wait a while longer as it is currently US only and being offered only on the Nexus S 4G.

MasterCard have announced plans introducing PayPass cards and terminals in time for the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. Currently ANZ is the only bank that offer PayPass enabled cards. It is unclear if/when Google Wallet would allow loading of such cards to be used locally.

Google Wallet will no doubt spur Apple, Microsoft and others into incorporating NFC into their upcoming roadmaps (if they already haven’t). With NFC-enabled mobile phones likely to become ubiquitous as credit cards it will be interesting to see new and inventive ways NFC is put to use next.