By Rich Whittle on September 8, 2008 in Books / Inventions
High School senior Andre Brooks, a 2007 Staples Invention Quest Kids national semifinalist, is waiting to hear back from the United States Patent and Trademark Office on his SmartMark bookmark.
Not only does Brooks’ version of the bookmark save your page, it saves which line you were on, too. There are two components that are connected by a string.
The idea hit him while he was in his 2006 history class. His teacher gave him a Post-It note to save his page; he simply tore it in half, using one half to save the page and the other to mark his spot on the page. The Smart Bookmark was born.
Brooks was one of 15 semifinalists out of 4,000 entries nationwide.
In March, he flew to Staples Headquarters in Massachusetts to present the SmartMark to the panel of judges.
Brooks thanked his parents for helping him pursue his dream of becoming an inventor. While he waits for a response from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, he’s starting an online business.
Photo by Special To The Times.