Readwise since last September is testing a reader app in closed beta, and their description and rationale looks very promising. They point to how different inputs (RSS reader, Tweets, PDFs, newsletters, e-books) for reading really shouldn’t need completely separate work flows, and that highlighting, annotating and saving it into your own note making flow is key. They describe how they started looking at reading, by looking what comes after such reading. That sounds good, as it means looking at the thing readers are actually trying to do, for which reading is a means.
They also point to how e-books still haven’t built in any of the affordances digital text can provide, and wanting to address that. Also promising and important: they are not aiming for a social app, but for a local first tool for an individual reader.

I added myself to their waitinglist for when the public beta launches. When I did, I also was asked to take a brief survey about my current information strategies, app use (they asked about Obsidian e.g.), and needs. When they asked about sharing from the reader, I mentioned IndieWeb Micropub, and configurable responses.

I’ve never been a Readwise user, because of their silo’d cloud first approach until now, but I’m going to take a look at their new app when it becomes available. They’ve set my expectations high 😀