Much has been written about the power of the real time web. it’s particularly powerful in a social and mobile context. I’m writing this post on my iPhone so I can’t link to it but i recall a great post by my friend john Borthwick on the realtime web that is worth re reading. I’ll add a link later.
But this post is about the later web. Like a DVR for the internet a number of services have emerged that give us the ability to play later, watch later, read later, learn later, eat later and and so on. The idea is that we often stumble into great content in our streams but dealing with it now isn’t convenient or as useful as dealing with it later.
One of the most notable and earliest forms of a later web service has to be Marco Arments Instapaper. Instapaper allows you to save a link to read for later on your iPad or iPhone. The integration between twitter for iPad and Instapaper is perfect in my mind. See a tweet with an interesting link and one tap later it’s on Instapaper ready to be read when it’s the right time to fo so.
Boxee has a ‘watch later’ bookmarklet that I love. See a cool video online, hit the bookmarklet and it will be ready and waiting for you on your Boxee box.
ExFm users have the ability to listen later with their “noted” feature. You can listen to songs I’ve noted from great tunes I find on blogs on my ExFm profile – http://ex.fm/bijan. Push play and enjoy.
Over the weekend I discovered and wrote about google maps’ ‘navigate later’ mode. I can save a google maps link to my car’s navigation system with two clicks.
Foursquare has a powerful “later” mode as well with their to do lists. Very simple to use and so damn cool. Hers a link to learn more about FS todos. http://support.foursquare.com/entries/260997-what-is-a-to-do-list
I’m a big fan of the real time web but the later web has me an the edge of my seat right now.