University of South California alumni, Eason Tang and Henry Yin, have founded a start-up tech company, Mark Engineering, aiming to dynamically change the way people read through the use of innovation and artificial intelligence. “Mark,” the Grade-5 Titanium plated bookmark, is the first step in combining hardware and software to accomplish their goal of creating a better society through access to and retention of knowledge.
On February 26, the Los Angeles based company uploaded this tweet to X, announcing their product as “the bookmark that helps book readers remember everything” and pricing it at $129. Boasting its elegant, Bauhaus-inspired design, the company is marketing this sleek device as an opportunity to remain connected to the tangible, print literature world while having streamlined connection to technology at your fingertips.Â
The website calls Mark an ecosystem and promotes it as an alternative to products such as Kindle and other eBooks. With the Mark device, the user would simply read their physical book as normal, and slide in the plate after, similarly to a paper bookmark. Once the bookmark is in place, it would automatically synchronize with the connected devices, offering the reader instant access to specific summaries, key details, quotes, and insights into the pages they just read. It would track the number of pages read, the time taken to read and synthesize the data collected into individualized graphs to better display their reading patterns and behaviors. Once synched, readers can create their own notes and highlights within the app, allowing Mark to function essentially as a “second brain” as explained in this tweet.
Additionally, the company states on its X handle that it will offer readers the opportunity to study the readings through “spaced repetition.” Spaced repetition is the concept of exposing a learner to newer, harder concepts more frequently than older, easier topics to help recognition and understanding. Its ecosystem will also come with a community feature, where readers are able to keep up with their friends’ readings and participate in reading discussions with others, similar to Goodreads, but more personalized to interact with their own friends.Â
The company also stated they will allow users to upload their own titles in case the book is not already in their database.
While there is no product on the market yet, a pre-order has been teased, and the site has uploaded a waitlist registry for interested readers to sign up.
Why does this app exist?
The app has been met with plenty of excitement, but it’s also faced backlash too. Many book-lovers find the idea of an AI bookmark to be appalling at first glance, especially with the irony of encouraging reading while simultaneously selling a digital device which creates summaries.
X users also questioned the importance of this device: “Could this not just have been an app?”Â
According to the manifesto on their website, Mark aims to tackle the issue of humanity’s unrealized potential hindered by doom scrolling, and the lack of a personal connection to digital materials. Citing that 65% of Americans prefer printed/tangible reading materials, Mark advocates to retain the physical aspect while also offering digital benefits such as continuous note-taking, AI insights, and page-specific summaries. Readers never have to let go of their immersion into the words; they can simply sit back and let Mark do the work after.Â
“But screens fragment focus, and digital reading has never replaced the depth of physical books”
As someone who grew up on physical books, I understand the importance of holding books in my hand—I can trace my fingers through the lines, inhale the slightly sweet scent as I pore over the words, and feel its weight in my hands. While I have grown to love e-books, too, there are plenty of readers who still prefer the traditional way of reading. This tool might not be my next purchase, but for those who love innovation, Mark can be their bookmark, notebook, and tracker all in one.Â
