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So long, farewell, to my favorite web-clipper.

For 18 years, Pocket helped the Internet’s voracious readers—and biggest procrastinators—collect their favorite stories online. Stored neatly in one, easy to access location, as a digital hoarder, Pocket was an indispensable asset. That Forbes article on the “secretive, pay-for-play world of movie trailers?” Pocketed with a single click, thanks to cross-platform integration. Or, a deep-dive on “the unstoppable rise of digital detox retreats?” Intriguing, but not for right now. Pocketed. These articles, along with hundreds of others, that ranged from “Why America has so few carpenters” to “The amazing psychology of Japanese train stations” were kept safe, just for me, in my digital magpie nest.

That time has ended.

While dutifully logging onto the app one day, a pop-up appeared, reading “Pocket is shutting down.” The parent company, Mozilla, went on to explain: “After careful consideration, we’ve made the difficult decision to phase out Pocket—our read-it-later and content discovery app. This includes the Pocket Web, Android, iOS, and macOS apps, as well as the Pocket browser extensions.”

ereader, website, internet, article, clipperPocket says goodbye to the internet. Credit: Screenshot, Kat Hong

They also added,

“Pocket has helped millions save articles and discover stories worth reading. But the way people save and consume content on the web has evolved, so we’re channeling our resources into projects that better match browsing habits today. Discovery also continues to evolve; Pocket helped shape the curated content recommendations you already see in Firefox, and that experience will keep getting better. Meanwhile, new features like Tab Groups and enhanced bookmarks now provide built-in ways to manage reading lists easily.”


So, as of July 8th, 2025, after nearly two decades of faithful pocketing, Pocket is saying farewell. I don’t often feel sentimental about app closures or websites shutting down, but scrolling through my saves, it felt akin to a baby bird being pushed out of its nest before it learns how to fly. It felt like the end of an era.

Pocket and me <3

Pocket’s clean, simple interface (which, could be enhanced or further customized with Pocket Premium, the web-clipper’s paid model) was unique. Not overly fussy, like other websites or apps I tried to use, but functional. Genuinely nice to look at, in an age where aesthetics rules over all else.

It was also downright reliable, a function that’s increasingly becoming harder to find and thus exponentially more valuable. With a single click, eye-catching articles, deep-dives, or fleeting curiosities were safely secured, saved for a quiet moment to be unfurled. Often, that moment never came. That’s not the point. I had a digital treasure trove, collected and curated by me, that I could return to at times when scrolling on whatever social media app I was currently obsessed with could no longer hold my attention.

Pocket’s demise resounds through the Internet

But Pocket always felt too good to be true. While the Internet rushed toward instant gratification, overconsumption, and unlimited algorithmic feeds, Pocket cultivated patience and intentionality. With their daily collection of “Saves,” seemingly handpicked from the Internet, Pocket was more than a web-clipper—it felt like a genuine part Internet that could almost pass as community. Contributing writer Samantha Cole from 404 Media provides some context noting, “The Mozilla-owned Pocket, formerly known as ‘Read It Later,’ launched in August 2007 as a Firefox browser extension that let users save articles to… well, read later. Mozilla acquired Pocket in 2017.”

She continues,

“As I said, I’m upset! I use the Pocket Chrome extension almost daily, and it’s become a habitual click for articles I want to save to read later even though I fully know I never will. Before the subway had Wi-Fi, back when I commuted to work 45 minutes each way every day, I used Pocket to save articles offline and read outside of internet access. Anecdotally speaking, Pocket was a big traffic driver for bloggers: At all of the websites I’ve worked at, getting an article on Pocket’s curated homepage was a reliable boost in viewers.”

On Reddit, Pocket users are similarly mourning its dissolution, with one person writing, “I’m grieving. I used this feature nearly every day and loved the Kobo integration that allowed me to read saved articles distraction-free on a my Kobo e-ink devices. It’s the end of an era.”

Another wrote, “I’m gutted. I love Pocket…”

User @ThunderDaniel lamented, "Kind of bittersweet. I loved Pocket when I was a broke student that only had access to wifi speeds in the max of kilobytes per second. I’d download long form articles and cool listicles and read that stuff on my phone for hours. Surprised it took this long for Pocket to be shut down, but RIP nonetheless."


Computer, laptop, internet, collecting, pocket, ereadingWhat's next, now that Pocket is through?Photo credit: Canva


Now what?

The official Mozilla blog post says that Pocket will shut down on July 8th, 2025, but users will be able to export their saves at any time until October 8th, 2025. On that day, all user data will be deleted.

Premium monthly subscriptions will be automatically canceled before the next billing cycle and annual subscriptions will be canceled on July 8th with users receiving a prorated refund.

Finally, the Pocket email newsletter, Pocket Hits, (which offers readers "daily and weekly curation of engaging content from trustworthy sources") will be renamed to “Ten Tabs,” curated by the same editorial team.


ereader, website, internet, article, clipperInstapaper? Maybe that's the new frontier? Credit: Screenshot, Kat Hong

What platform will fill the Pocket-shaped hole in my digital existence? Well, I’ve been experimenting with Instapaper. People on Reddit seem to enjoy Raindrop.io.

Or, as 404 Media puts it, “404 Media contributing writer Matthew Gault suggests copy-pasting links to articles into a giant document to read later. Now that Pocket is no longer with us, I might have to start doing that.”

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Regis University

Imagine this scenario: You’re late to an appointment and your apartment is a disaster.

Clothes are strewn about, your phone could be in the bathroom, your keys are somewhere in the kitchen, and there’s no sign of your wallet.

Sound familiar?


Well, for an entrepreneur who’s trying to move their business forward, the tons of information out there, especially on the internet, can be overwhelming to sift through — just as challenging as it is for you to find your phone, keys, wallet, and clean clothes when you’re in a rush.

To be successful with your business, it helps to seek out and understand certain data, like competitor pricing, tax demands, news on technological advances, as well as many other things you might not even be aware of.

That’s where Go Code Colorado comes in.

This is a government-sponsored competition that brings entrepreneurs, business partners, and developers together to come up with ways to make the best use of the information that’s available.

Hashtagitude/Go Code Colorado

As the first and only statewide effort like it, Go Code Colorado features a series of networking and collaboration events that take place every year.

Teams from all over Colorado meet with mentors to develop ideas on how to best use public info. They then turn those ideas — in the form of apps and other software — over to judges.

And it’s a great time for something like this to exist because many new laws have passed — on the state and federal level — that make more government data accessible to the public, increasing transparency and helping various organizations in new ways.

“We think that public data can be an asset to business decision makers,” says Andrew Cole, project manager of Go Code Colorado.

Hashtagitude/Go Code Colorado

“Open data has a little something for everyone,” he adds, from big cities to small business owners.  

Cole studied politics at Regis University, graduating in 2005, and logged in four years of work in various capacities on Capitol Hill. But now he’s immersed himself in Colorado’s burgeoning tech industry. Cole has toured the state, meeting with people from both urban and rural areas. In particular, he’s also learned how many people are using data and technology to help them build businesses.

“We have a very vibrant startup scene with really smart, creative people who can do cool things with data,” Cole explains. “But they don’t often think of public data as a resource, and there’s a lack of understanding where you might get data, who to ask for it, and how.”

Go Code Colorado is changing that by encouraging people to think more creatively about how to use this incredible resource.

Kelly Erin Photography/Go Code Colorado

Both finalists and winners of the competition have gone on to make great things.

For example, in the inaugural Go Code Colorado competition, a company called Beagle Score emerged victorious. (First prize got them a $25,000 contract with the state.) This company developed an app that gathers info geared toward helping an entrepreneur find the best location for their business.

Beagle Score automatically weighs data on area taxes, neighborhood features, infrastructure, success of past businesses, local competition, and more to give a potential business location a grade. The higher the grade, the better the chances for success there.

“Technically, all of the data behind it is public,” Cole says of Beagle Score, “but if you’re a bakery owner, it’s going to be hard to track all that down and find it in its most recent form and bring it all together.”

Though just three team finalists each year are awarded contracts with the state, everyone's a winner in the Go Code Colorado competition.

That's because all the contestants, regardless of the results, get the chance to bounce their ideas off like-minded people.

Jeremy Poland/Go Code Colorado

In the 2015 competition coder Doug Clayton met graphic designer Adam Cochran, and they decided to join forces to develop an app that would alert Colorado travelers to weather and road conditions, while providing them real-time tips on nearby recreation sites and lodging.

Clayton and Cochran’s idea helped them earn a spot at the competition’s “mentoring weekend” where they got the chance to brainstorm ways to take their app to another level. Though their app wasn’t quite built up enough to make it to the next round, they kept working on it after the event.

They’re now in the later stages of development for what they call “skiosks,” which are computer screens set up in various businesses along Colorado roads that inform travelers about ski conditions, travel routes, and attractions. For their innovation, Clayton and Cochran were awarded a five-year contract from the state’s Department of Transportation.

Hashtagitude/Go Code Colorado

“I often get comments like 'I didn’t know the government did cool things like this,'” Cole says.

And it all started with Cole's experiences as a university student. "My Regis education created a habit of continually challenging my own assumptions and considering [a] variety of perspectives," he writes in an email. "This has been a core aspect of my professional success."

And an open mind, curiosity, and creativity is what Go Code Colorado is all about. Each year, this competition inspires more technological advancements, in a way that simplifies the entire data-collecting process and helps businesses flourish.

With public data becoming more transparent, who knows what kinds of innovative ideas will come next?

Family

Wondering how to help after a tragic news story? This bot might have the answer.

Technology is coming through for us all in a big way in the age of Trump.

There's a lot going on in the world right now, and it makes total sense if you're feeling a bit overwhelmed. I am too.

Hurricane recovery, wildfires ripping along the West Coast, rising tensions with North Korea, repeated threats to the state of health care in this country, trans people being banned from the military, people from other countries being banned from traveling here, Title IX protections being reinterpreted, environmental protections being gutted, professional sports becoming a divisive topic — the list goes on and on.

Maybe one of these causes really hits home for you. Maybe you want to help, but don't know where to even start. I hear that, and as someone who is both plugged into current events and prone to anxiety attacks when presented with complicated situations, getting involved can be really overwhelming.


I've turned to robots for help. Yes, robots.

A slew of new chatbots have come out in the past year or so, and they're really useful for people, like me, who are feeling overwhelmed by the world around them.

Some chatbots, such as infinite conversation application Cleverbot, are little more than novelties, but others are actually improving lives in tangible ways.

DoNotPay is a chatbot that started out as a way to automatically challenge parking tickets in court, but now includes the ability to sue Equifax in the wake of its massive data breach. Other bots, such as 5 Calls and Resistbot, make contacting your representatives in Congress a breeze.

One of the newest chatbots I've added to my life recently is called Hope.

When you open up the app's chat dialogue in your phone's browser, you're presented with a handful of the day's top stories. Tell it which one you're curious about, and it will ask if you're interested in getting more context, want links to more detailed sources, or it gives you the option of learning how you can help.

The interface is simple, feels natural, and makes for a pretty smooth user experience for chatbot power-users as well as relative newbies. I was drawn in by its ability to distill overwhelming events into single action items. For example, if you select the "How can I help?" option when reading about recovery in Puerto Rico, you'll be prompted to donate to either the Hispanic Federation, a nonprofit currently being promoted by Lin-Manuel Miranda, or Bethenny Frankel's B Strong initiative. Clicking "Donate" takes you directly to the individual charities' websites.

"Sometimes we'll see a really cool action [people can take] tied to a news story and build it out from there," says Marisa Kabas, Hope's editorial director, describing the process as a bit of a "chicken and egg" situation.

One thing Kabas and her team ask themselves before highlighting a story on Hope is whether there's actually something people can do with the news item. In other words, it's unlikely you'll see much about Trump's tweets or the controversy in reaction to those tweets on Hope. Kabas says that those types of stories are "just adding to the noise" and are often unproductive.

While the simplicity and narrow focus of Hope is one of its strengths, it's also one of the bot's biggest weaknesses, as its "help" options are currently limited to a somewhat sparse selection of topics. Still, if you're feeling stressed, but interested in finding out how to get involved in a specific cause, Hope is a pretty solid first place to check.

Whether you're looking for a new way to consume news, contact your representatives, or take action, there's probably a chatbot out there for you.

Maybe, like me, you're easily overwhelmed by what Kabas refers to as "the noise," the superfluous-yet-predictable result of a 24-hour news and entertainment media. Or maybe, like so many of us, you're just really busy and don't have time to tackle every thing happening in the world all at once.

The bots mentioned above are great because they do a lot of the work for you, helping you be informed while giving you real, tangible things you can do to make your life even just a little bit easier.

Disclaimer: We were not paid to promote any of the products mentioned in this article. We just thought they were pretty cool.

True
Hum by Verizon

For anyone diagnosed with a serious illness, support from friends and family is crucial. For Alan Cohen, extra support came from a surprising place: his car.

Alan was diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer in April 2017. "It was a shock," he says. "I don't drink. I don't smoke. I eat very healthy."

Image via Alan Cohen, used with permission.


Despite having done everything right, he suddenly found himself dealing with doctor's visits, prescription pickups, and the daily stress and anxiety of having a serious disease — all in addition to the appointments and commitments of his regular life.

"You fight it every day," says Alan. "Every day is a fight to live."

Alan's particular treatment is, luckily, 95% effective in curing his type of cancer. But that doesn't mean his days don't include struggle. He's still a dad, a medical professional, and a person with tons of things to juggle in addition to keeping up with his medical treatment. He has to remember to take his medications and make time for bloodwork in addition to everything on his already-full plate.

Image via iStock.

For Alan, a bit of relief came in the form of Hum by Verizon, which keeps him connected to his car.

Alan is already dealing with enough stress — he doesn't have time for the strain of unexpected car troubles, such as his car not starting or a flat tire. Hum has features that remind him to keep his car well-maintained — he sets reminders for things like oil changes and tire rotations — helping prevent him from winding up stranded on his way to important doctor appointments.

"It told me my battery was low, and I hadn't realized that," he says. "Of course, I was on my way to work, and that's when it popped up. But I made it back home and had my battery changed the next day. It helped prevent me from running late to other appointments and whatnot. That helped a lot."

Image by Verizon.

Alan has enjoyed his Hum so much, he even reached out directly to Verizon to let them know:

"Just got the Hum and it's worth every penny. I'm hard of hearing so the Bluetooth is awesome, works really well. I like you can press for help and the police and fire dept. can locate you. Haven't needed to use that as of yet. I feel very comfortable using it and I like the car health reports it sends me."

We've all had days where it seems like everything that can go wrong, will.

When you're already dealing with something serious and long-lasting, every minor inconvenience can feel like the universe is really piling it on. Even though car troubles aren't the greatest of Alan's concerns, knowing they won't crop up to make a difficult day worse grants him a little bit of valuable peace of mind.

More seriously, his car's connectivity also eliminates his concern that he'll have a health issue while he's alone and unable to get help.

"I feel really, really confident that if anything happens, I'll be able to use the Hum's emergency button," he says.

Rather than being continually fearful of being by himself, Alan is able to continue his life feeling independent and secure.

It's easy for smaller stresses to take a backseat when we're dealing with something huge — but it's the avoidable worries that are the easiest to prevent.

Hum is another example of how innovations can help people free up the time and energy they need to deal with life's bigger challenges, by handing the smaller ones over to technology.