Startup Mark Engineering has debuted a brand-new device, an AI-powered bookmark. Named the Mark 1, the metallic slab "inspired by Bauhaus design" can track what you read, share passages with your friends, and summarize your last reading session thanks to an "ecosystem" of connected features presented as a companion application.
AI is infiltrating consumer hardware, no matter where you might look. From the Humane AI Pin (whose parent company was sold to HP last week for $116 million) to news of AI models disrupting stock markets, it's hard to disconnect from just how ubiquitous AI has become.
The company touts that the Mark 1 can generate "intelligent summaries" of what you have just read, and can highlight key themes and quotes, in addition to statistics. Not much is known about the hardware inside, aside from that it features a small screen, and has what appears to be a rotary knob to its right.
As showcased in a promotional video, it appears as though you manually take note of the place in your book by using the knob. The Mark 1 then sends the data about your reading session, including what you have just read, to your synced device.
Introducing Mark — a $129 AI bookmark that helps book readers remember everything.🧵👇 Thread: pic.twitter.com/LllFwgMLYSFebruary 26, 2025
In a mock-up of the application to be used for the Mark 1, it appears that you can see what other users are reading and share insights of your own. Mark 1 also collates data about your reading habits, from the amount of pages you have read and the amount of time you spent reading it. It's showcased that you can track your reading pace, the number of successive days that you have read, and track your progress throughout the book, with Fitbit-like activity diaries also included.
Mark 1 can also score your "Knowledge" based on what you have read across genres and types of books. The application also features interactive reading games. Mark Engineering's approach might mirror Humane AI, which attached a $24-per-month subscription to a $699 product.
Mark Engineering is pinning its hopes on users interacting with both the Mark 1's hardware and software experience, which aims to "seamlessly" fit between the pages of whatever you read. The company also boasts that the Mark 1 is crafted from "Grade 5" titanium.
Mark Engineering also posted a "Manifesto" of issues to address and goals the company wishes to achieve, citing that their mission is "To transform the reading experience and revolutionize how people absorb knowledge —making it more engaging, intuitive, and impactful".
The lofty claims of aiming to "reshape the way we read" might have to be delayed, for any interested readers. The Mark 1 is not currently up for pre-order, with no pricing details announced, either. Instead, you'll have to sign up for a waitlist.
Since the revolution has to wait, you might want to print out similar insights by talking about what you've read to an LLM of your choice, like the recently released Grok 3, and printing out the result with an AI-powered printer.
