# Ben Springwater: Read-It-Later: Why You Are Your Own Best Algorithm ![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QSMK7J_-kc4/maxresdefault.jpg) ## Read It Later Apps - Read It Later is a system where users save content to revisit and read at a later time. [(00:01:10)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=70s) - Read It Later applications first appeared with the release of the first [[IPhone | iPhone]]. [(00:03:20)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=200s) ## Matter: A Read It Later App - [[Matter]] is a read-it-later app that allows users to save content from various sources, including web articles, [[Twitter]] threads, and email newsletters. [(00:11:16)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=676s) - Users can save content to their reading list, called the "queue," using a web extension or by forwarding emails to a unique address. [(00:10:59)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=659s) - Matter aims to provide a superior reading experience by offering features such as reader mode, audio listening, and content organization through tags. [(00:12:16)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=736s) - Users can add tags to articles to easily find groups of articles on the same topic. [(00:14:47)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=887s) - Users can manipulate their reading queue by changing the order of articles, filtering by article length, or using the shuffle feature. [(00:15:25)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=925s) - Matter offers a reading experience that includes a readability mode, text-to-speech, and integration with [[Amazon Kindle | Kindle]]. [(00:17:50)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=1070s) - [[Matter]] allows users to connect their Kindle account to send articles to their device with a “Send to Kindle” option. [(00:21:26)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=1286s) - Matter gives users the ability to highlight and annotate text and sync it with several other platforms, including Readwise, [[Notion (productivity software) | Notion]], and Shuffle. [(00:22:30)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=1350s) - Longer form reading is done on an [[IPad | iPad]], typically at a coffee shop, for one to three hours, while shorter form reading is done on a phone or desktop browser in two to ten minute chunks. [(00:26:28)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=1588s) - Matter, a read-it-later app, will be available as a web app soon. [(00:28:20)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=1700s) - While there are plans for an [[Android (operating system) | Android]] version of Matter, the focus is on developing the [[IOS | iOS]] and [[Apple Inc. | Apple]] ecosystem versions first. [(00:28:29)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=1709s) - Matter will have both free and paid tiers; however, the pricing structure has not been determined. [(00:29:39)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=1779s) - [[Matter]] is working on a web version of their app. [(00:36:11)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=2171s) - Matter is also working on incorporating audio content such as podcasts and [[YouTube | Youtube]] videos into their app. [(00:36:50)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=2210s) - Matter is not planning on adding subfolders, but believes that tags fulfill the same function. [(00:38:52)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=2332s) - Matter will support arbitrary [[RSS]] links in a future release. [(00:41:17)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=2477s) - Matter will allow users to search their entire library and follow specific writers and sources. [(00:44:21)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=2661s) - Matter stores user data both locally and on their servers. [(00:45:22)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=2722s) ## Highlighting and Annotating - Meta has a highlighting function for articles, which is important for a "second brain" workflow, allowing users to save only the most important parts of an article. [(00:46:40)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=2800s) - Highlighting should be done judiciously, only highlighting information that the reader feels compelled to remember. [(00:47:40)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=2860s) - When reading to learn, highlighting should focus on passages that contribute to knowledge on the topic and are not redundant. [(00:48:35)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=2915s) ## Matter's Unique Features - [[Matter]] has unique features for content discovery, including a subscriptions inbox that aggregates newsletters from [[Gmail]] or through forwarding, and allows users to follow writers across the web. [(00:53:45)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=3225s) - Matter aims to seamlessly integrate various media formats, focusing on written and audio content like articles and podcasts, while excluding images and entertainment videos. [(00:56:06)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=3366s) ## The Future of Read It Later Apps - The future of read-it-later apps involves increased intelligence and user control, enabling seamless transitions between different media categories, and promoting interoperability between various products in the ecosystem. [(00:57:47)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSMK7J_-kc4&t=3467s)