To all Cubox users,

Cubox is becoming more focused.

We are phasing out support for fleeting memos, images, and file uploads. We are letting manual organization fade into the background, opening our doors to AI-driven workflows, and allowing "Read-it-later" to evolve into your Personal Reading Memory.

Why?

For a decade, we tried to build the ultimate "all-in-one" knowledge base. We added features to meet every request: bookmarks, memos, files, and AI toolkits.

But we’ve reached a realization: Complexity is a weakness. In an era where digital hoarding is effortless, we don't need another warehouse for "stuff." We need a sanctuary for thought, a place where ideas are actually digested, not just archived.

While building Focast, I learned that true excellence isn't found in what you can add, but in what is impossible to strip away. Cubox has much that needs to be stripped away. By handing memo and file management back to specialized tools, Cubox can return to its true calling: to stop possessing information and start internalizing wisdom.

From Islands to Connections

We used to help you collect the world; now, we want to help you preserve your thoughts. Cubox is no longer just a mirror of the web; it is a curated collection of your deepest focus.

Soon, through open CLI interfaces and AI Agent protocols, Cubox will become the high-quality fuel for your digital workflow. Your reading memory will interact with AI and note-taking tools in ways we’ve only begun to imagine.

The Transition

We understand this change may be inconvenient for those using Cubox for light notes. To ensure your data remains secure:

• A Graceful Sunset: Uploads for memos and files will be phased out in upcoming versions. Existing content will remain accessible for viewing and downloading for at least 6 months (until September 2026).
• Safety Net: We will retain your file data on our servers for 12 months. If you miss the deadline, our team can assist with a manual export via hi@cubox.cc.

Final Thoughts

Action speaks louder than words. We rarely repeat our values because they are meant to be lived, not just spoken. We are practicing the art of letting go, resisting the greed of "all-in-one" features and the FOMO of the AI hype cycle.

Cubox will not be a tool for "cognitive fast food." Our AI is designed to help you filter through the noise, not to replace your thinking. Deep reading is not a violent extraction of "bullet points", it is a journey of the mind. The joy of wrestling with a great idea and the "flow" found between the lines are irreplaceable.

We are narrowing our focus to expand our soul. We choose to stay "quiet" in a loud era so that years from now, a highlight you save today can spark a conversation with your future self.

Beyond the product, stay tuned for updates to our AI capabilities and membership experience.

See you in the depths of reading.

This was the candid response given by F1 World Champion Max Verstappen when a journalist asked for his thoughts on the Netflix F1 documentary. A silence fell over the room. He looked around and added, "Freedom of speech, right?"

This sentiment isn't an isolated case in the F1 paddock. Compared to Verstappen's reluctance for deep involvement, another four-time world champion, Sebastian Vettel, is explicitly against social media. His very first Instagram post was his retirement announcement. Similarly, Vettel's friend, Kimi Räikkönen, has made his signature the terse, minimalist quotes and often-perfunctory attitude he displays in media interviews. As public figures, they arguably benefit from the global reach of social media to build their fame, but none of them seem grateful, choosing instead to say "no" to it.

Is it easier for the average person to navigate their choices and attitudes toward social media? Would our world be better if social media had never been invented?

Life Off the Feed

In the previous article, I introduced "Big Reading" as a broad concept that certainly includes social media as a medium, but that doesn't mean I hold a positive view of it. On the contrary, I enjoy criticizing social media—I even once thought a person's type could be categorized by their attitude towards it.

I have my own story to tell, which I posted on X: a three-year-plus period of not using social media. The long-term, excessive information consumption made me feel suddenly burnt out at a certain point in 2021. In my own field, content created by various opinion leaders and media made me uneasy. I started to wonder about the corners of the internet I wasn't familiar with—when misinformation appeared there, how could I even know? How could I take responsibility for every word I said online? A destructive form of perfectionism prevented me from continuing to use social media. Gradually, I simply forgot to open my accounts, rarely checked trending topics or news. This state continued for three years without me consciously planning it.

I found myself with significantly more personal time. I'd ride my bike to work early, and read outdoors nearby. The quality of time spent with family improved; there were no distracting notifications to pull me out of the present moment, and my phone could often stay in another room. I even found enjoyment in the "trivial" things I used to consider a waste of time and became more accepting of simply doing nothing sometimes. The deep satisfaction from the world outside the screen, like fresh oxygen, gradually restored my vitality and rationality.

Of course, there were challenges. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was out of the loop, not "cool." When I had to stay silent on certain topics, friends would joke, "How do you not know about that?" Then came the struggle with my own identity. If I occasionally posted on my private social feed, people might mistakenly assume that 1% of sharing represented 99% of my life, even though that wasn't my intention.

The line between our online persona and our authentic self is blurring. Every story seems to need to conform to a certain image or cater to audience expectations. For example, I noticed that people in the same professional group exhibit strikingly similar traits online, but when you talk to them face-to-face, those traits aren't nearly as prominent. Is this a result of internet culture shaping us, or is it a shared unspoken consensus developed by people in the same line of work?

Yet, abandoning this online identity feels like disappearing or even a sort of "death" in the digital world. Events where people are forcibly stripped of their online presence have already shown us this side of things.

Social media is a distorted mirror. If you believe the image in the mirror is the truth, you might go to great lengths to protect it, even changing yourself to fit that reflection. Conversely, the more sincerely we express ourselves, the more likely we are to deviate from social media's reward mechanisms, making it hard to be seen.

The feeling of Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) happens not only when actively using social media; it continued to subtly influence me even during the days I didn't open the apps, no matter how much I intellectually denied it.

Through this not-entirely-successful experience, I want to show the possibility of choosing not to use social media. Social media is so powerful; it is the dominant contemporary information medium, creating an ecosystem that makes those who stay away from it "off-track," even compelling them to write about the experience and warily look around to assert, "Freedom of speech, right?"

If I had a choice, I would choose a world without social media. But we no longer have that choice; we can't go back. Oh, and by the way, Vettel, who only registered for Instagram upon retiring, has since posted over four hundred times.

Minimalism Isn't Necessarily the Cure

Since social media is ubiquitous, let's discuss potential reading strategies.

The first easy-to-think-of method is information minimalism—focusing only on truly important information. But for every day you use social media, it has a way of constantly reminding you every time you open it: What to do when your child won't do homework? How to change your destiny by sleeping an hour earlier? How to double your income using ChatGPT? How to recognize your dog's emotional state? ... It knows you better than you know yourself; this is not a joke.

Minimalism is the inverse of FOMO, but it's not a tool to fight that fear; sometimes, it even strengthens other negative emotions. I suspect that if you practice an information minimalist approach and rarely suffer from the fear of missing out, doubt, or loneliness as a result, then minimalism is right for you. Otherwise, you'll have to accept the struggle. Practices that go against human nature are ultimately counteracted by our basic instincts.

The image of a chair in an empty room, where the owner's mind is as calm as if meditating in that space, is tempting. Like all other methods that are easy to guide and practice, minimalism can easily become a hot goal, striving to change all your habits in a short time. Minimalism is a methodology, not an outcome.

I've also shared my own practice of information minimalism, but that was focused on information management methods and the mindset for using tools, not the "decluttering" of the information itself. Excessive information filtering can also lead to cognitive bias, and I was one of the victims during those three years. The modern information environment is over-engineered; if you don't pay enough attention, it can affect your decisions. On a smaller scale, even missing a few coupons these days can make you spend a lot more money (but that's not your fault).

On the tool side, people who lived through the boom of Todo apps deeply understand this feeling: we obsessively tweak various Todo tools to manage our basic daily tasks, feeling self-satisfied. But when work truly gets busy and fragmented, the powerful tools seem to fail... We were ready for the big project when there wasn't one, and when the big project arrives, we realize we don't know how to use the tools. It's the same with minimalist tools—it's not that the tools are bad, but that everything is first and foremost about "the person".

Minimalism is an elitist lifestyle. Without matching cognitive abilities and social capital, minimalism may not be suitable. However, from the perspective of social media, watching less is still better than watching more, most of the time.

Don't Only Eat McDonald's

Social media isn't the root of all problems, but over-relying on it as an information source is a major issue. Of course, we can eat McDonald's, but if we only eat McDonald's for every meal, health problems aren't far behind. This is the core problem with social media: it has become the "information main course" for many people.

Some content is inherently unsuitable for social media presentation, yet we often enjoy reading it. This is the immediate gratification of completing something that requires no responsibility but feels satisfying. No need to be responsible for the correctness of the opinion, no need to be responsible for the source of the information, no need to be responsible for the action after reading... Why is "taking responsibility for content" so important? Just as food affects health, information shapes cognition, cognition influences decisions, and decisions determine how you live your life. No one should surrender the decision-making power over their own life.

Health supplements often sell better through video live streams than through scientific white papers. Parenting knowledge spreads more easily through short videos and online courses than through cognitive science books. The fuller picture of a topic, which takes more time to understand, is less likely to provide immediate emotional satisfaction. Fragmented information makes us ignore the differences between individuals, our own unique needs, and the growth patterns of children with different characteristics, ultimately leading our decisions astray from our goals.

But what if healthy food doesn't taste good? —This might be a misconception. If you could only choose between well-cooked chicken soup and fried chicken wings as your main food for the next month, which would you choose? Healthy food is just more expensive. Healthy information is similar in this regard; you need to invest more time and money. Social media, on the other hand, is always "free" and open to you.

Is it true that acquiring enough different pieces of information will piece together the complete truth? Eating many different kinds of unhealthy food will not balance your nutrition intake. Even piecing together "what you think is the truth" does not equate to building knowledge.

The crucial thing is to find authentic, first-hand information that isn't rewarded by the algorithm, seek understanding, and not be emotionally manipulated. "Seeking understanding" is one of the goals of reading. "Not being emotionally manipulated" is the theme of our mindful reading series.

If there's one healthy "main course" suitable for everyone, I'd certainly recommend books. The benefits of books have been discussed endlessly, but I want to share the unique feeling I get from reading them. Long periods of scrolling on social media usually result in emotional exhaustion. It's not always unpleasant; on the contrary, it's often very happy or even exciting, but the subsequent sense of loss is hard to avoid. Reading books, however, is a rich spiritual experience that often leaves me feeling mentally refreshed and my perspective renewed—the kind of fulfillment you get from eating a delicious, nutritious meal without the blood sugar spike and subsequent fatigue.

If you can summarize a book's main point in a few simple sentences, it's like seeing through the pages to the essence and truth of the matter. But on social media, most content doesn't require brainpower; simple repetition suffices. Social media encourages the results of thinking rather than the process of thinking. The results are also more likely to create authority and worship because "I know something you don't." If I only tell you what you want to know, you will naturally feel a bit more reverence for "opinion leaders."

Under this worship of authority, people imitate the actions and even the taste of others in the same circle, making those things part of themselves. Social media magnifies this trait, causing users to uncritically fall into others' narratives to gain a sense of security. This security is a shelter, but also a chronic poison that prevents people from living authentically.

You might want to pause for five minutes and think about how books are different in this regard, and why. Note the difference in your emotional state after you put down your phone versus when you put down a book. Don't take my word for it; trust your own body's feelings.

Three Social Media Reading Strategies

My goal for mindful reading on social media is to let activities that nourish and enrich the mind gain the upper hand, making the instinctive pursuit of information "fast food" less appealing. Like other things in life, this change isn't easy; it requires time and patience. There's no fixed standard of "you must do this to succeed." As long as you take conscious action, you can start on a new path today.

I believe the three main strategies that will help you achieve this goal are: Awareness, Reframing, and Creation.

Awareness: What Am I Looking At?

Holding different beliefs leads to different actions, and actions eventually reinforce those beliefs, ultimately changing a person. A person on a keto diet, soon after cutting out carbs, no longer considers them delicious or craves them. A vegetarian no longer finds meat appealing. These people eventually don't need "self-control;" these beliefs have become a part of them, naturally driving all their choices.

We need to establish our own attitude and belief system toward information, discerning its intent. For example, you can ask yourself these questions:

• Do you believe this content is being shared out of the creator's genuine desire to share the truth, or is it just a way for them to make an income?
• Why was this content created? Is it because the topic is broadly popular, or because it's rare and worth sharing?
• Why do I agree with this view? Is it because of my past experiences, or because it genuinely opened up a new way of thinking?
• Why do I disagree with this view? Is it because I already hold a contrary belief, or because I think there's a factual error?
• Would I have the same emotional reaction if the author were saying this to me face-to-face in real life?
• How did the author themselves likely form this belief—through experience, reading, or imitation?
• If this content appeared in a book or on a different platform, how might the comments differ?

In a less-than-healthy information environment, these questions are worth consciously practicing until they become intuitive. Sounds obvious? But as soon as a headline hits a nerve, we can still lose our judgment. How many times have you bought something you didn't need late at night? How many times have you casually repeated someone else's statement that you don't deep down agree with?

I believe a more positive attitude toward social media should be closer to how it was used when it first emerged—more classic, perhaps even less "diverse." Treat social media as a playground for finding inspiration and sparking creativity. You can now enrich your "inspiration library" on any platform, but don't obsess over quantity; always feel satisfied with what you have.

Reframing: Give Information Space

The design intent of social networks is not to spread profound insights but to leverage emotions. A nicer term for this is "user experience." If direct emotional confrontation is difficult, we can use tools to directly change the medium of information consumption, thereby reducing the influence of these carefully engineered platforms.

Use more general tools—this could be a reading tool like Cubox, a collection tool, a "read it later" app, Notion notes, or a local web archive... If all of those are too much, use the platform's own tools, like the simplest one: adding content to a favorites list or marking it to watch later. Its influence changes compared to when it appears in your feed. You are no longer anxiously scrolling to the next item; you are no longer instantly sad or instantly happy; you no longer need immediate gratification. You've moved from unconscious to conscious.

Don't worry too much about collecting things and not looking at them. Content that feels absolutely necessary to see now may turn out to be irrelevant later, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. At least we've made a protest through our actions: I will give information patience, time, and space. This is precisely what social media doesn't want you to do.

Create a space that allows you, in a suitable state, to watch an in-depth video podcast interview. The experience that information gives us in this way is profoundly different from a clip truncated on a short video platform. Any piece of text can be distorted when taken out of context. The distortion isn't your fault; it's the platform's and the creator's purpose, as that's what causes emotional fluctuation and feeds the algorithm. Don't let them use you.

Continue to view social media as a playground. If you discover content that interests you, tell yourself that it's the "preface" to an unexcavated book, guiding you to leave the playground shortly and go elsewhere to read properly.

Creation: Express Yourself Through Action

Beyond space, we can choose our own reading code of conduct. Who says reading social media can't involve taking notes, just like reading a book? View the flowing information stream as a book that's updating in real time. Combined with the tool usage mentioned above, you can make annotations, take notes, and synthesize your own knowledge within a single tool or across multiple tools.

Connect with people, not just information. If you're interested in an author, use a private message instead of a public comment; if you comment, don't just "like." Not all comments contribute; many are noise. The platform loves noise, and readers also enjoy noise. Don't constantly be a noise creator.

Share content in a way that doesn't carry the platform's emotional baggage. Share deeply; use sharing to drive your own thinking and to curate information into your own observations. Be like a lighting designer, using your passion to shine a spotlight on the information's hidden corners, guiding your audience's attention. Transform simply "seeing" a piece of content into "having an opinion" about it, and based on that, delve into discussion, debate, and develop your own taste. For content you have no opinion on, let it go; treat it as if it never appeared.

For example, when everyone focuses on the "How" in an article like How to Do Great Work, you might be inspired by something else you recently read to focus on the flip side of "Great Work": How to avoid what is currently considered a 'great work' from becoming a disaster for all humanity in the future? Don't let go of that inspiration. You might even contribute to saving the world.

When sharing, provide insight. And when providing insight, you don't need to start with the qualifier, "Just a thought, might be wrong." All thoughts might be wrong; acknowledge that reality and embrace our human characteristic of making mistakes. Your view might be questioned, criticized, or ignored, but this is social media, and this is human nature. Keep going. Keep controlling the spotlight in your hand.

Continue to use tools, but this time use a more private one—a journal. Record your thoughts on social media, chat logs, and the small things around you. The environment you place yourself in will influence the way you think; be kind to the thoughts in your mind.

Through writing, you can possess and shape anything in this world. When you cultivate this power to shape, you will no longer be vulnerable to the algorithm when reading social media.

Awareness, Reframing, and Creation—these three strategies progressively upgrade, moving from the unconscious to the conscious, and finally to the creative consciousness. Initially, you don't need to do anything but observe mindfully and clearly see the environment. Next, you reorganize the information, becoming the master of your information flow. Finally, you can't contain your passion, sharing and writing, making reading a part of yourself, and elevating everything.

Is it a hassle? Of course! Because social media doesn't want you to do this. But you can choose how to use it, decide what you want to get from it, and ultimately internalize the belief that "this way, I am more satisfied." After that, everything will become easy and effortless.

Don't let "user experience" design your life.

Mindful Reading Series

How to Reclaim Your Lost Attention: The Art of Mindful Reading (01)

Do you remember the first time you used an iPhone? The tactile feel of the screen, the liquid-smooth animations—it felt like the world had become lighter at your fingertips.

With the release of the new iPhone this year, iOS 26 has arrived as well. This is the biggest change since iOS 7. As an app that is focused on user experience and native design, Cubox has been working on adapting to the new system since the early beta version.

Follow along and see what's new in the updated Cubox!

Liquid Glass for a Refined Experience

Interactive components now have a fluid, glass-like texture, making even familiar operations feel more dynamic and lively.

With this new design, Cubox has not only improved its look and feel but has also reorganized its functional hierarchy for a more intuitive user experience.

The Explore tab on the main interface is now a standalone button in the bottom-right corner, making it easy to access and hard to get lost. You can also long-press the button to quickly ask questions to the AI across your entire library.

Article Reading Controller

With the launch of Listen Anywhere: Your Articles Read Aloud by AI, we've not only continued to upgrade our reading engine, but we've also created a dedicated visual design for iOS 26.

The new controls feature a glass refraction effect that reflects the surrounding content, better integrating with the different theme colors of the reader. This makes the overall experience more fluid and natural, allowing you to focus on the content itself.

Customizable Reading Menu

The "More" action buttons for the reader are now grouped together in the bottom-right corner of the page.

For existing users, please note: The custom button order you previously configured will be reset after updating to this version due to data incompatibility. However, you can tap the "More" button in the bottom-right corner to reconfigure it. The new version supports configuring up to four custom shortcuts on the left side.

This custom configuration is saved locally and will not affect your settings on Mac or the web, so you can have different menu preferences on different devices. We also plan to continue optimizing the entire menu structure in the future to group content more logically.

Cubox's powerful custom actions don't just include official features; it also supports sending your Cubox data to your favorite apps like Bear, Day One, Craft, Drafts, Things, TickTick, Obsidian, and more through URL schemes and custom content formats. Learn more about Custom Actions

Cubox is your personalized reader.

Dynamic Reader Animations

To adapt to the new textures, we've optimized the traditional push-and-pull animations for opening the reader. The new animation is an intuitive, continuous zoom-in that feels more layered and dynamic. Following your gestures, each saved article feels like a lively card that is gently unfolded and softly put away.

The Cubox reader supports swiping at the top or bottom of the page to switch between the previous or next article in the current list. The new animations provide smooth transitions for these complex interactions. The visual guidance itself acts as a clear navigation tool.

Optimized Widgets

Cubox offers widgets in various sizes and with different functions, including reading lists, annotation reviews, and quick actions. These widgets on iPhone, iPad, and Mac now support the semi-transparent effect of the Liquid Glass material, which automatically adapts to your desktop state.

The text size for iPhone lock screen widgets has been optimized to display more content.

A Fresher Cubo Icon

Choose your favorite icon style from light, dark, color-adjustable, or transparent options.

Upgrades for iPadOS and macOS

On iPad and Mac, Cubox continues to use a gallery view with a multi-column structure, making full use of the wide screen. It balances management efficiency with an immersive reading experience, allowing for seamless one-tap switching.

With every system evolution, new ideas and languages emerge. We are happy to draw on these to strive for a "more natural use," making Cubox an enduring and excellent everyday tool.

For more details on the new version, the only way to truly experience it is to try it yourself. 👉 Check out the Cubox App Store page.

If you discover anything during use, please let us know to help Cubox continue to improve! ❤️

Life is a blur of constant activity, and we often find ourselves caught up in the hustle and bustle. From crowded subways to busy kitchens and long waits at traffic lights, reading has become a small luxury squeezed into the spare moments of our day.

Our eyes are tired, yet the list of unread articles keeps growing. Maybe it’s time to close your eyes and let the words flow right to your ears.

Cubox now supports AI text-to-speech on iPhone and iPad apps. Simply open an article you've saved, tap the play button in the bottom menu, and before you know it, you’ve listened to the entire thing.

Cubox is different from a typical book or podcast app. With so many new articles being saved every moment, it's impossible for us to pre-process a massive volume of audio conversions. To address this, we've created a custom solution tailored for the "read-later" experience, offering a range of features that work right out of the box:

• Multiple natural AI voices are available and can be switched in real time.
• The AI voices support both Mandarin and English.
• You can choose from eight different playback speeds and change them on the fly.
• The current sentence is highlighted with an underline as the audio plays.
• Tapping the player's title takes you back to that spot in the article.
• An estimation algorithm allows you to seek forward and backward in the audio.
• You can play and control the audio globally within the app while performing other actions like highlighting.
• The player works in the system background, so you can listen while using other apps.

All these features are designed with the same intuitive feel as your favorite system media player. We're confident you'll know how to use them right away, so we won't go into more detail. Feel free to update your app on the App Store and try it out.

In a previous update, we introduced a new option in the unread status settings. You can now automatically mark an article as "read" once you've finished reading or listening to the whole thing. This way, you don't have to manually mark it as read after listening.

Want to know more details? Read on for our FAQ section below.

Frequently Asked Questions

What languages are supported?

Currently, we support Mandarin and English. Note that the voice options will change based on your Cubox app language setting. For example, if you primarily read and listen to content in Chinese, you can go into Cubox's advanced settings and set the app language to Chinese to see a variety of Mandarin voice options, regardless of your device's default language or region.

If you need to listen to both Chinese and English content, the last two voice options in the Chinese list, which have English names, are optimized for reading pure English text.

What kind of content can be read?

The feature supports articles and snippets, including newsletters. This is content collected from external sources with good parsing quality, which makes it suitable for voice synthesis.

Is there a feature to generate AI podcasts?

Not yet. Instead of focusing on podcasts, we're exploring how a large AI model could provide a more efficient "audio summary" that distills the core ideas of an article. We believe that even the best current AI podcast solutions can cause listening fatigue over time. Spoken language is a unique art form, and there are already plenty of great podcasts out there—it's not necessary for every article to become one.

Will this be available on Android?

The Android version is currently in development and will be released soon.

Can I start reading from a specific point in the article?

Currently, you cannot select a specific point in the text to begin playback. However, articles are usually not very long, and you can use the fast-forward and rewind functions with the text as a guide to adjust the playback position.

Why isn't the progress bar always accurate?

Since the AI voice is generated in real time, the playback progress and time are estimates and may differ from the actual duration. They are meant to be used as a reference.

What AI voice synthesis model do you use?

Cubox currently uses Unreal Speech for English. The voice list will match your current Cubox app language setting. We're considering adding intelligent language switching and support for more large language models in the future.

How much can I listen to?

Based on our system, 500 characters of playback consumes one credit. The newly upgraded monthly plan of 2,000 credits allows you to listen to about 100 long-form articles (over 10,000 characters each) per month. As with our previous AI upgrades, we'll continue to balance usage and cost and may explore other solutions to increase the available listening time.

Why did it take you so long to add this feature?

Before modern AI models were available, traditional text-to-speech had a very robotic quality. While we’ve been getting requests for this feature for years, we waited until now because we finally feel the quality is good enough to integrate.

Why should I listen to articles in Cubox?

There are many tools for converting text to speech or podcasts. But Cubox's design isn't about a single feature; it's about providing a space that connects your entire reading workflow. From saving and archiving to reading and highlighting, Cubox makes it easy for serious readers to manage everything more seamlessly than with other note-taking or knowledge management apps.

If you have other suggestions or questions, the best way to reach us is by emailing hi@cubox.cc. Thank you!

When I woke up, I was standing in front of a mirror. I felt stronger and more energetic than the day before. Was this person in the mirror still me?

This question sounds a bit absurd, but what if I woke up one day, picked up my phone, and discovered that the person who loved watching funny TikTok videos yesterday was suddenly obsessed with reading literary classics today? Would I still be the same person? If such a shift happened without warning, I'd probably feel a jolt of panic, because it would truly seem like I wasn't the "me" I knew.

We can't drastically change our physical bodies overnight, but a sudden shift in our information preferences is possible, albeit rare. Who are we, and how do we define ourselves? Beyond the physical body we see in the mirror, our emotions, culture, thoughts, and our taste in information are what truly shape our identity. They are constantly changing, and their influence on our self-perception far exceeds the limitations of our physical form.

Reading, writing, and building a product all have one thing in common: they can attune your attention in a specific direction. Over the years of building Cubox, my perspective has quietly shifted, and more and more things have entered the world of "reading." Looking back at old entries in my Day One journal, this belief has only solidified: reading is the act of interpreting and understanding the world; it turns out everything is related to reading. And from this, the question I'm most curious about has emerged: How do our emotions and thoughts influence, and get influenced by, reading?

Writing to Find a Way Forward

As soon as I thought about publishing some of my journal ramblings, an opposing voice in my head immediately popped up: "This isn't worth writing; everyone probably knows this already." I shifted my perspective to that of a reader and thought it would be more appealing to write something like, "This Method Will Help You Easily Read 100 Books a Year." I focused intently on this voice and finally understood the honesty of the other, smaller voice in my mind: "The truth is, I'm worried it won't be good and people won't like it. So why bother writing it at all? That way I won't get any bad feedback!"

I'm not sharing this internal dialogue to excuse the points I'm about to make. I'm sharing it because it's a perfect example of the "emotions and reading" theme. Any cognitive activity—be it writing, reading, or speaking—triggers countless uncontrollable internal voices. Sometimes, we aren't even aware of them.

In primitive societies, human emotional fluctuations typically came from signals that triggered survival crises. These emotions could be converted into massive action to avoid disaster and help a person survive. But what about today? Our emotional fluctuations rarely stem from genuine survival challenges. Instead, they've shifted to psychological identity, originating from seemingly harmless, fragmented information.

We can be in a peaceful office, casually scrolling through a friend's social media post or the headline of a blog post, and in that instant, our mood can be disturbed: "How did they become financially independent at 30, and I'm still worried about my mortgage?" "Oh my god, did I miss out on something?" "Why would someone post a selfie while eating hamburger?" "How can I lose ten pounds in a month like her?"

Don't underestimate these fluctuations. They quietly pile up in our minds like a mountain. A few seconds of information input can lead to days of emotional exhaustion. It's persistent, subtle, and seemingly endless. As social animals, we judge and define ourselves through others and the outside world. Of all the creatures on Earth, perhaps only humans have this profound experience—it is both a gift and a curse.

The modern information environment is skilled at deception. It pretends to be beneficial, pretending that more information is always better, so that we become immersed in it. The various mechanisms designed into social media leverage these emotions, further amplifying their harm.

Information views also have distinct generational and regional traditions. Our culture is great at passing down an irresponsible information perspective, making constructive discussion difficult to initiate because each person maintains their specific role within the group. Let's recall some of the views we might have heard or seen around us:

• “I have more experience than you do, so listen to me.”

— Authority and experience are the ultimate truth.

• “Why ask so many questions? It says so in the book.”

— Standard answers are all you need.

• “The authorities will handle it.”

— Vague expressions are the norm.

• “Everyone else does 'xx,' so why don't you do 'xx'?”

— The group takes priority.

• “It's the next big thing, you'll get rich quick!”

— Consensus is king.

• “Look at how chaotic 'xx' is. Our way is so much better.”

— Emotion-driven choices.

• “'X' is the trend. 'Y' will be eliminated sooner or later.”

— Taking a side is required.

• “You know!”

— Avoiding discussion.

No offense is intended, and these don't represent any specific stance. They might come from a family member, a formal document, a social media comment, or even something we unconsciously say ourselves. In this environment of intertwined information and emotion, reading, which should exist as an active, thoughtful activity to help us resist emotional exhaustion, notice what's wrong with the information, and improve our communication, has for various reasons become passive and an accomplice to this problem. We no longer choose what we read; we are chosen by what we read.

Ultimately, I believe that in the future, how we handle information will be more important than the information itself. But the problem is, how we handle information is determined by our way of thinking, which is also shaped by all sorts of information, isn't it? Has this all become an inescapable vicious cycle?

I am not a pessimist. The writing in this series, just like Cubox, is a tool and a process to help me clarify my thoughts and practice realism. I believe that the most effective coping measures are actually hidden within each of us. All we need to do is rediscover them. Even if there are only a few readers, we can still find a way forward together.

Writing About What Is Overlooked

The reading I'm referring to isn't limited to books or articles; it's the observation of all information, including listening to music. The saying "we are what we read" means that we must realize that everything we see and hear, every piece of information, is subtly shaping everything about us.

But as I mentioned before, I want to add a new perspective: the self that is shaped by information also determines how we treat what we see and hear—what we are, shapes what we read.

Anyone engaged in creative thinking needs to notice what others overlook, to break free from distractions and focus on the world.

The word "noticing" from the book The Art of Noticing gave me a sense of an everyday yet beautiful state. This is why I titled this series "Mindful Reading," and if it had a subtitle, it would be "The Art of Noticing Information."

There is an unrevealed side behind every piece of information. Mindful reading helps us focus on everything that happens when we read, including our emotional experience during the process, and not just the information itself.

Each person is like a receiver. Simply changing the quantity and quality of information input is not enough. The goal of mindful reading is to first tune this receiver itself, optimizing its information processing method. I will use my limited personal experience to show that with more practice—with practicing paying attention to the often-overlooked but crucial "backside" of information—we can be less easily swayed and live better within the information landscape.

The word "mindfulness" perfectly aligns with the various reading attitudes I want to express. But I won't just talk about it in the abstract; I'll discuss reading and information management in a practical way, writing about big topics on a small scale and familiar topics in an unfamiliar way. For example:

• How to use digital tools to create an environment that supports mindful reading.
• How to reduce unconscious reading.
• How to combat reading FOMO.
• How to aid reading by understanding the author's perspective.
• How to aid reading through writing.
• How to make reading an aesthetic experience.

I'll also intersperse some of my strange daily inspirations (and some practical ones), related to:

• How to read the news.
• How to read short videos.
• How to read nutrition labels.
• How to read commercial advertisements.
• How to read instruction manuals.
• How to read a menu.
• How to read an AI conversation.
• ...

I hope this gives you some inspiration. If you have any perspectives of your own, please feel free to leave a comment and share. I will incorporate your insights into my writing.

Everyone Loves Reading

My colleague Michael is a documentary and book lover. He told me that many movies follow a formula that has led to aesthetic fatigue for him, but documentaries, because they must be faithful to real stories, often end in unexpected ways, which he finds fascinating. He described how one day he saw a collection of interviews with director Zhang Yimou. Reading the text in a Q&A format was like watching a different kind of documentary, and he loved it so much he couldn't put it down. He said, "Once you find something you're interested in like that, would anyone truly not like to read it?"

I feel the same way—interest is so important! In middle school, I was obsessed with the lyric booklets in every one of Jay Chou's cassette albums, copying them down for myself and my classmates, and repeatedly savoring their beauty. In college, because of my passion for car racing, I made subtitles for the official F1 documentaries and collected the complete DVD set of Top Gear... These were all forms of reading that I loved.

Our education system seems to imply that we only know how to read if we have mastered all the knowledge required for exams; that we are "good" at reading only if our reading comprehension perfectly matches the standard answer. But this goal-oriented reading has made some people who originally loved words gradually reject reading. However, a lyric booklet, a movie, or a documentary all have their common spiritual and experiential value. This kind of reading, born out of love, may naturally extend into more possibilities. For me personally, the lyrics made me fall in love with poetry, and my handwriting got better. The racing videos helped me score well on the English test without any specific preparation. Some things just happen naturally.

For those who think they don't love reading, relaxing your relationship with it can help you stay open, and new possibilities may appear in the future. Labeling yourself as "not a reader" may not actually keep you from reading, but it will certainly reduce your awareness of reading itself and take away the possibility of mindfulness.

I'm not saying that all reading is equal and that as long as you like it, it's fine. I'm saying that in the era of "big reading," everyone loves to read. Try changing the negative statement "I don't love reading" into a more specific, concrete statement. The relationship between reading and your self becomes a lot more relaxed:

• I haven't really read any books since I graduated.
• I don't seem to have much interest in literary books, but I'm often moved when I see a beautiful phrase.
• Compared to text, I prefer listening to podcasts, and I'll listen to podcasts that summarize books because it feels like I'm saving a lot of time.
• ...

Someone who isn't keen on a fancy feast might still prefer a simple bowl of homemade noodles. Someone who doesn't listen to classical music can still love an easygoing melody. Please don't reject this possibility. Try standing on the side of reading first!

This mindset is not just for describing our relationship with reading; it applies to anything. And because of this, I hope to always "write nonsense seriously" in my writing. Genuine thoughts flow in a nuanced way. Written expression should not only be concise but also precise. Precision here doesn't mean the words are brilliant, but that they are sincere, capturing those subtle, vague ideas from deep within our hearts through rich language. This process cannot be simplified by AI; it can also be called "Mindful Writing."

And with that, we've completed the first step of the "Receiver" tuning guide: turning on the power.

📢 The long-awaited Cubox plugin is officially live on the Obsidian Community plugins! ❤️ We're grateful for everyone's active testing and feedback during the beta period. The plugin is officially released after 5 iterations. You can now install it directly by searching for it, or by uninstalling the beta version and replacing it. We also recommend updating through Community plugins for the best experience.

Let your reading traces gently fall into Obsidian, your next knowledge stop. Highlights, notes, and saved articles automatically sync to Obsidian without manual pasting, always ready for you.

💡 Is this the solution you've been looking for?

✅ For Knowledge Workers: Send your inspiration, insights, and reading notes to Obsidian with one click, building a digital replica of your brain, one piece at a time.

✅ For Students & Researchers: Quickly organize your thoughts from highlights to summaries, making your reading an entry point for systematic review and in-depth research.

✅ For Productivity Enthusiasts: Let your information flow fall into place automatically, with ideas and excerpts in their proper spots. Less repetitive work, more focused creation.

💪 How the Plugin Empowers You?

✍️ Writing Assistant: Directly quote highlights and excerpts you've saved in Cubox to enhance your writing. No need to search high and low, no worries about content disappearing—your reading materials are always at your fingertips.

🧩 Personal Learning Network: Collect, annotate, take notes, and reflect. Connect materials from different fields and types, building a personalized knowledge base workflow that works for you.

📁 Local Data Backup: Cubox's cloud is reliable, but you can save a local copy of your data for an extra layer of security and peace of mind.

🎯 How to Install, Configure, and Sync

Enable Obsidian Community Plugins

1. Open the Obsidian preferences page and go to the "Community plugins" section on the left sidebar.
2. If this is your first time, click "Turn on community plugins" to exit Restricted Mode.

Install the Plugin

1. In the Community plugins section, click the "Browse" button on the right side of the Community plugin.
2. In the search bar, type "Cubox" to find the official plugin and click "Install."
3. After installation, click "Enable."
4. If you have the beta version installed, simply update it. If you experience sync issues, we recommend uninstalling and reinstalling.

Get Your API Key

1. In the Cubox web app, go to Settings > Extension & Automation.
2. Under "API Extension", enable and copy the API link, then paste it into the Obsidian plugin settings.

Filter Sync Scope

The plugin supports various filters to manage the Cubox content you want to sync based on your needs.

1. Configure filters for folder, tag, type, and status.
2. In the status filter, choose to sync all, only read, only starred, or only cards with annotations.

Custom Templates

The plugin supports custom templates, allowing you to freely combine the variables you need.

For a detailed guide, please refer to Cubox Support.

💎 Collecting and reading are not the end of the knowledge journey. May your reading insights be as strong and valuable as obsidian!

FAQ

Can I sync only part of my content?

Yes, you can choose filter conditions such as a specific folder or tag.

Can I use it offline after syncing?

Yes, the synced notes are local files.

Is there a fee?

The Cubox API is a premium feature, but Obsidian itself is free.

Does it take up a lot of space?

Obsidian is relatively friendly for storing lightweight data.

Will subsequent modifications be synced?

No, syncing is currently a one-way, one-time process.

What if I want to re-sync?

Set a new target folder in Obsidian.

Our digital archives often become like those books we acquire with the best intentions, only for them to sit unread on the shelf, gathering dust. Similarly, many passionate readers find themselves consuming vast amounts of information without cultivating deeper thought, becoming numb to the constant stream of content.

The mind is like a writing-tablet: if it is covered on all sides with writing, no new impression can be made. Merely reading without reflecting is like eating without digesting. It may fill the mind, but does not nourish it. What is superficially absorbed soon evaporates, just as most of the food we consume is excreted rather than assimilated. Only a small fraction of what we take in spiritually becomes part of our being.

—— Arthur Schopenhauer

Healthy reading and independent thought are crucial to avoid being overwhelmed by external ideas. Today, this external influence certainly includes various forms of generative AI. Navigating this challenge isn't simple. As we developed Cubox, we continuously explored how AI could enhance efficiency while preserving the value of rare, high-quality reading.

We’ll walk you through six examples showcasing Cubox's recently updated "Library Insight" feature, now available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Discover how AI can help you truly grasp, remember, and leverage your saved content.

💬 Instantly Retrieve Forgotten Knowledge

Cubox AI analyzes your entire collection, providing quick answers to your questions, much like recalling a hazy memory from your own mind.

When inspiration strikes, the process of asking AI should be effortless. Simply long-press the "Explore" tab at the bottom of the main screen and speak your query.

With a single spoken phrase, Cubox will scour your entire library for answers, providing detailed explanations and citing the original article for deeper exploration of what interests you most, effectively reviving forgotten insights.

Cubox's "Library Insight" encourages you to rediscover the value within your existing content, allowing your thoughts to build progressively into a personal knowledge system. It all begins with asking the right question.

🔍 Cut Through the Noise, Avoid Algorithm Traps

Hot topics often feel like digital explosions – fragmented opinions and repetitive viewpoints. The viral nature of these trends also means creators might overemphasize certain narratives, sometimes introducing inaccuracies.

Cubox AI helps you filter out informational clutter, retaining only the core insights genuinely worth your time. For instance, if a movie is trending, AI can analyze it from diverse angles—such as production, cultural impact, or even related sports knowledge—eliminating redundant information and delivering a concise, high-quality analysis.

No one can fully process every detail of a trending event. Cubox AI provides a calm, mature "God's-eye view" to help us navigate this.

☀️ Create Your Personalized Reading Assistant

For frequently revisited or highly relevant topics, repeatedly querying AI can be cumbersome, especially when precise instructions are needed, and voice or text input is inconvenient, leading to wait times.

Custom AI interpretation offers an excellent solution. For example, it can generate a "daily unread summary" for you, narrating it like a podcast and then recommending the most worthwhile articles for in-depth reading.

Custom questions allow you to pre-configure complex interpretation prompts, specifying criteria such as:

• The specific time frame for content interpretation.
• Which folders or tags the content should come from.
• The themes or topics relevant to the content.
• Whether to review already-read items or filter from unread ones.
• The desired tone and format of the output.
• The language style, whether casual or professional.

Set it once, and it runs daily. You'll not only receive automatic notifications upon completion but can also access these custom queries anytime via the search bar or review past interpretations.

You gain a 24/7 automated AI assistant. Simply save content to Cubox from any device; there’s no need to open the app. All interpretations are processed automatically in the cloud, ready for you the next time you open Cubox.

Automated interpretation helps cultivate strong reading habits, dramatically boosting your information processing efficiency and uncovering connections and hidden insights. This frees your time for truly valuable content.

The true value of a "read it later" system isn't in conversation, but in deep understanding. At Cubox, our aim isn't to chat with AI, but to cultivate our own clear thinking by building upon the ideas of others.

✍️ From Reading to Writing

How can we create without reading? Often, our saved content is intended for future writing or a work report. If your primary reading happens within Cubox, Cubox AI can seamlessly bridge the gap from reading to creation by helping you organize your inspirations.

When you copy or share content to a note-taking app for writing, article citations will be embedded directly in the text. You can also instantly return to Cubox to review your highlights and notes.

No more jumping between multiple apps or searching for expired articles online. Your Cubox becomes your personal writing archive, and AI interpretation makes it invaluable.

🧩 Discover Hidden Knowledge Connections

Within the interpretation window for each article, Cubox instantly links to other relevant content in your collection.

Your saved content forms an invisible, interconnected network. Related content recommendations allow you to effortlessly jump from one idea to another, ensuring a continuous flow of inspiration.

💡 Lifelong Learning is Free Exploration

You have endless ways to explore your reading. Cubox AI can act as a coach, a teacher, a poet, or any professional you admire. Imagine:

• How would one poetically interpret contemporary psychological issues?
• What would Steve Jobs think of this knowledge?
• Which passage would Haruki Murakami recommend for a late-night read?
• How would Schopenhauer interpret a viral social commentary?
• What would a psychological counselor discern from my reading habits?

Cubox AI's "Library Insight" offers a vast playground for discovery. Free exploration helps us uncover more insights and gradually understand ourselves better.

If your article collection is a mere bookshelf, then "Library Insight" is your exclusive book club. Here, you can transcend time to converse with history, expand your ideas, and express yourself freely.

Finally, a reflection from our journey building Cubox AI.

Information will perpetually flow, and AI will only accelerate its generation. Yet, what remains scarce in the short term is our attention. When reading becomes passive, even unconscious, and we lack the ability to truly "pause and reflect," genuine deep thinking cannot occur.

Consciously choosing what to read, when, and how – including how to filter, comprehend, and utilize information – represents our irreplaceable human capacity and dignity. While AI increasingly resembles humans, humans must not increasingly resemble AI.

We've presented many AI-assisted reading methods, but beneath these AI-generated answers lie texts crafted by humans—words imbued with warmth and insight. Therefore, after every Cubox interpretation, remember to open the original article, delve into the text, and find your resonance.

We might forget the specific details of an article, but the profound sense of mental invigoration we feel from encountering truly good content becomes ingrained, a part of who we are.

This is how mental sustenance is absorbed—the genuine "transformation" where "only a small portion truly becomes part of the body" occurs.

Good reading leaves its mark.

This holiday season, Cubox is introducing Pro+AI gift cards for the first time. Share the joy of better reading with friends through a personalized message, or treat yourself to a fresh start for the new year. Let reading be a part of your journey toward growth and self-discovery.

Limited-Time Discount: Pro+AI Annual Gift Cards – 30% Off

✨ Was: $69/year ➡️ Now: $48/year

🕒 Offer valid until January 10, 2025, at 11:59 PM (UTC)– don’t miss it!

Customize Exclusive Gift Card

1️⃣ Select Your Gift Card:

Visit the gift card page, choose your membership, and complete your purchase.

2️⃣ Receive Your Card:

After payment, you’ll get the gift code and design link via email.

🎨 Personalize your card: customize the message, the recipient's name, and your signature.

🔗 Share it easily: Copy the link or download the card image to send to friends.

3️⃣ Redeem Your Membership:

Use the redemption code on the pricing page to activate your subscription.

📌 Gift cards have no expiration date, but we recommend activating them promptly.

For any issues during the purchase process, feel free to contact us via email at hi@cubox.cc.

FAQs

Can I buy a gift card for myself?

Yes. All the purchased gift cards can be given to others or redeemed for yourself.

Can I upgrade my current Pro membership to Pro+AI with a gift card?

Your account can redeem a gift card that matches your current membership type. Please upgrade your existing Pro membership to Pro+AI before redeeming the gift card. 

To upgrade, go to your subscription platform, change your plan to Pro+AI, and the store will automatically handle the upgrade. Alternatively, if you purchased or redeemed a Pro membership, you can upgrade to Pro+AI via the pricing page by paying the price difference for the remaining duration.

Can I get multiple gift cards?

Yes. There are no restrictions on the purchase of gift cards.

What should I do if my purchase or redemption fails?

If you encounter issues during the promotion, contact us at hi@cubox.cc for assistance.

🎄 Happy Holidays from Cubox! 🎁

We’re celebrating the season by offering 30% off Pro+AI membership — our very first discount ever! Whether you're looking to enjoy reading more or learn something new, this is the perfect time to get started.

✨ Was: $68.99/year ➡️ Now: $48/year

🕒 Offer valid until January 10, 2025, at 11:59 PM (UTC) – don’t miss it!

🎁 How to Get the Discount

• Apple Users: Redeem directly via the discount link here.
• Other Users: Visit cubox.cc/pricing and enter the code "CUBOX2025" at checkout follow the steps below:

1. Click “Add discount” on the left side of the payment popup.

2. Enter exclusive coupon code: CUBOX2025.

3. Click Apply to display the discounted price.

📌 If you’re an Android user, don’t worry! We’ll provide another purchasing option soon so you can enjoy the discount. Stay tuned!

FAQs

1. I’m a Pro member. Can I upgrade to Pro+AI at the discounted price?

Yes, you can directly subscribe to Pro+AI through the app or website. The new membership will take effect immediately.

• If you are a Pro subscriber, your remaining membership value will be automatically prorated or refunded.
• If you purchased Pro without a subscription, the remaining Pro membership duration will roll over and be used after your Pro+AI subscription period ends.

2. I’m already a Pro+AI member. Can I subscribe at the discounted price?

• If you purchased Pro+AI annually, simply subscribe again to extend your membership. The durations will stack, and the new period will be consumed first.
• If you’re a Pro+AI subscriber, we’ll provide another purchasing option soon so you can enjoy the discount. Stay tuned!

3. Can I still get the 14-day Pro+AI trial with the discount?

If you’ve never tried Pro+AI, subscribing at the discounted price will also grant you an additional 14-day trial period. However, if you cancel during the trial and the promotion ends, you won’t be able to repurchase at the discounted price.

4. Can I enjoy the price lock at the discounted price？

This promotion does not combine with the Pro+AI price lock offer. Users who subscribe to Pro+AI for the first time during this event can renew at $68.99/year after the discount period.

5. What should I do if my purchase fails?

If you encounter issues during the promotion, contact us at hi@cubox.cc for assistance.

📖 Enjoy the holidays, enjoy reading—and don’t miss out on this special offer！

Agile innovation and simplicity are part of the culture of Cubox, which is transforming into a high-quality experience for readers through the dedicated efforts of our team. In recent updates, the fundamental experience of Cubox has never been overlooked.

As we move into August, the development of the new web version is halfway complete. We're optimizing the architecture and interaction design to enhance the desktop reading experience further. Cubox AI will also offer more dimensions of interpretation in reading assistance and content filtering.

We've introduced two important new membership benefits: Each account will now have a one-time 14-day Pro+AI free trial, allowing everyone to experience the full range of features. Additionally, we are offering price lock protection for Pro+AI members to express our gratitude to our early supporters.

Why did we make these changes? What does the future hold for Cubox AI? We share some of our thoughts below.

🌐 New Web App Preview

In the new web version, we redesigned the entire interface and interaction, helping you read or manage information in a more modern and efficient way. The new version will support:

• New look: A more minimalist and modern design language.
• Interactive multi-columns: Switch freely between immersive reading mode, four-column, three-column, and two-column modes.
• Seamless reading switch: Quick switch between articles, instant loading with no wait time, comparable to client experience.
• Reader control panel: Outline, AI Insight, annotations, and card information at a glance.
• Unread list: Sync with mobile to manage all unread content.
• Data performance optimization: Smooth reading, management, and searching even with massive collections.
• Shortcut key optimization: More intuitive shortcut key design.
• Other upgrades and optimizations.

The core functionality development of the new version is more than halfway done. We expect to release a public beta version this quarter. Stay tuned and participate.

✨️ AI Insight Efficiency Boost

The latest iOS and Android clients continue to upgrade AI Insight, focusing on extracting more effective viewpoints from AI Insight.

Cubox has upgraded "Quick Read" from a simple summary to a richer "Summary + Key Points" format. When using AI Insight to understand article information, you can quickly grasp all the key information in the article. This upgrade will help you better understand the main points and important insights in content such as academic articles, news reports, business reports, technical documents, and policy documents.

If Auto-Insights New Content is enabled, the content will be ready for you the next time you open the client, allowing for immediate reading or quick filtering.

If Auto-Insights New Content is not enabled, another important change will help you: click the insights button, and the text will start generating in real-time, even for newly collected content, eliminating long waits.

🚶 Cubox AI is Not an AI Assistant

Many AI extensions and assistants now support various text processing capabilities: translation, summarization, explanation... We all feel the powerful potential of AI in various work scenarios, and the boundaries of documents, notes, and reading are being blurred. In this context, Cubox AI did not immediately provide similar assistant capabilities.

What will the future of Cubox AI look like? Our thinking is: in the field of productivity, AI should not only be used to improve efficiency or create shortcuts for knowledge acquisition. Shortcuts are tempting, but when there are countless paths to improve efficiency, those less-traveled paths may offer a different view. AI has much to offer in enhancing the experience of the understanding process, evaluating the degree of understanding, and pursuing true input and cognitive upgrades, or simply making reading more comfortable.

Reading with attitude, learning with interest — true learning has no shortcuts, but there are many paths that can make reading enjoyable and fulfilling. Cubox has been on this path since its inception: solving those "good problems" that might be overlooked.

📌 14-Day Free Trial

The deeper you delve into Cubox, the more immersed in knowledge you'll become. We offer a 14-day free trial of all Pro+AI features for all users.

After operating for over 1000 days, Cubox's membership subscription remains its only business model. We continue to promise not to generate revenue through ads or by using user data.

Therefore, we have also been considering how to invest our very limited resources in serving our core member users. After careful consideration, we have also canceled the monthly membership plan and refund policy. Free users can choose a 14-day free trial of the premium membership, fully experience all features, and then decide whether the premium version meets their needs before purchasing or subscribing.

🔐 Membership Price Lock

Cubox's core distributed content parsing, snapshot archiving, AI automation, and other services involve significant cost investments. As the collection of content grows, these technical and maintenance costs continue to increase. To ensure a better reading experience and help Cubox operate healthily, we will continue to optimize the membership plan.

To thank our early supporters, Cubox offers a price lock benefit for Pro+AI members:

From August 13, 2024, 16:00 UTC, users who pay for or subscribe to the Pro+AI annual membership on the Cubox platform (excluding gift cards and activation code redemptions) will permanently enjoy the initial purchase price for renewals, unaffected by any future membership plan price adjustments.

Additionally, Pro+AI annual members who meet the above purchase requirements and are in an active state at August 13, 2024, 16:00 UTC, will automatically enjoy this benefit.

You can find the membership plan FAQs on the Cubox website. If you have any questions about membership upgrades, you can always contact the official email hi@cubox.cc for help.

📄 Twitter (X) Parsing Optimization

You can now save single tweets (text, images, videos) from Twitter (X) as "articles", making it easier to continue reading and annotating.

How to Save:

1. Share via Cubox from the Twitter (X) app. You can edit content info, tags, and folders during the save.
2. Copy the tweet link in the Twitter (X) app. Open Cubox, tap the + in the top right, paste the link, and save. Fast saving tips: go to More > Extension Center > Clipboard Save > Read All Text. Open Cubox to automatically recognize clipboard content for faster saving.
3. Use the Cubox browser extension while browsing Twitter (X) on your computer. Click the extension button and select "Save to Cubox." You can also directly annotate Twitter (X) content on the web, and Cubox will automatically save it.

If you're not satisfied with the parsing results, try refreshing manually. In the Cubox mobile app, tap More > Re-Parse Article in the reader, and Cubox will re-parse it for you.

App and website structures vary and update frequently. If you encounter any issues while saving, email us at hi@cubox.cc. Cubox will continue to improve parsing optimization.

🛠 Other Optimizations and Fixes

• Fixed duplicate login issues.
• Fixed the issue of images not loading offline on Android articles.
• Fixed the issue of abnormal title display in Android insights.
• Fixed the issue of archived content appearing in Android quick search results.
• Fixed the issue of search matching results not matching keywords on Android.
• Fixed the issue of abnormal annotation search on Android.
• Fixed the issue of the browser extension causing loss of focus on search engines and other pages, preventing direct input.
• Fixed the issue of shortcut key conflicts with the browser extension on some web pages.
• Other known issue fixes.

Thank you for reading this issue of the usability plan, and we look forward to continuing this pleasant reading journey with you!

Whether it's reading later, highlighting, studying, reviewing, or managing, "reading" is the heart of it all. It truly allows the "knowledge" to flow. However, nowadays, reading has become a challenging task for both habits and mindsets. People often face the problem of "saving without reading."

Cubox's charm lies in offering flexible, powerful tools that adapt to your habits and reduce interruptions in your reading flow, helping you build good reading habits. We have never stopped evolving.

Previously, Cubox's "Inbox" design made it easy to view all unprocessed or unclassified content, encouraging you to organize your information. Now, we have a simpler view on "comfortable reading": true order comes from continuous reading, prioritizing reading above all, and organization is optional, serving the key knowledge in your reading materials.

Cubox has launched a back-to-basics upgrade - "Unread." A simple click to read and organize instantly. It helps you shed the management burden, bringing back comfortable reading.

Start Reading from "Unread"

On the homepage and in your collection list, you'll find a new "Unread" section to display unread content. A small blue dot marks unread content cards.

You can start reading directly from "Unread." When you close a reader or switch to another article, Cubox will automatically mark the content as read.

Cubox also offers manual read marking. Swipe to select and batch clean up the content you no longer need to read.

You can star key content for future in-depth reading, mark short-term unnecessary content as read, archive or delete unneeded content, and categorize content by topic.

Is there a more efficient way to filter content?

For news articles, quickly filter through headlines and speed reading. For unfamiliar topics, foreign content, or long articles, AI's summarization and key questions improve filtering efficiency.

In the homepage's "Unread" and the new "Analysis" section in Library, AI-processed unread content is displayed first. Click the preview area to view AI details, including Quick Read, Key Questions, and Ghost Highlights for article filtering.

Further process content on this page. Swipe right to mark as read, left to keep as unread and move to the next analysis. Click the card to read, star, categorize, or archive.

Every reader has their own methods for managing content. The examples above are just one way to do it. You can customize your own reading and management process using Cubox. We'd love to hear your tips in the comments!

Unread management is now available on iPhone/iPad/Mac 7.9.0 and Android 7.10.0. Web and Windows support is coming soon in our new version (look out for the beta later this year).

Switch between articles while reading

In Cubox, all content is handpicked, deserving a smooth experience. The new version switch feature allows you to immerse yourself in reading without interruptions.

Open the Cubox reader, swipe to the article's end to jump to the next one. Pull down at the top to return to the previous one, without exiting the current page, enhancing reading efficiency.

On Mac, Cubox supports space bar scrolling to the article's bottom, then pressing space again to enter the next article.

Switching between articles is now seamless, making it easier to organize your unread content. You can read through everything without having to go back to the list to select the next item. This smooth experience is available with Android 7.10.1 and iPhone/iPad/Mac 7.9.2.

Customizable Shortcut Keys for Webpage Saving and Capture

After launching the new browser extension supporting original web annotation, it quickly became a favorite among many users. However, many users mentioned the Option/Alt key conflict. In response, we quickly released version 7.5.3.

Now, you can customize shortcut keys for "save webpage" and "capture." Right-click the extension icon > Extension Settings > Shortcuts, click the input box, press and release the shortcut key to set it.

Future versions will support black/white list settings and optimized feature guides.

We've noticed that many Cubox users are efficiency enthusiasts who love using shortcuts to enhance their reading experience.

Cubox offers handy shortcuts for reading and searching on the Mac, iPad, iPhone, Mac Assistant, and web versions. You can find detailed information in this article.

As we continue to add new features to Cubox, we'll keep expanding shortcut options to boost your productivity on desktop!

Other Optimizations and Fixes

• Added "Copy" option in the browser extension annotation menu.
• Added a floating button switch in the extension menu. Click the floating button to save web content.
• Edit saved cards directly from the browser extension main menu or choose to open in Cubox.
• Fixed browser extension icon save state display issue.
• Fixed duplicate save issue caused by original web annotations.
• Fixed inability to close highlight display on original web pages.
• Changed the "Capture" function to default off in the browser extension, can be manually enabled.
• Added feedback and suggestion entry in the browser extension main menu and settings page.
• Optimized iOS large data sync memory usage, reducing device memory usage by 60%-70% for smoother performance.
• Fixed abnormal display issue of some iOS widgets.
• Fixed Mac tag rename not updating immediately issue.
• Fixed iPad gallery mode exiting reader not marking content as read.
• Fixed iPad split screen mode "Analysis" entry not opening the list page.
• Fixed Android tag move issue, where Cubox was unresponsive and nested tags not expanding.
• Fixed Android input method not supporting Chinese search input.
• Optimized spacing between article titles and reader top.
• Other interface issues fixed.

Continuous Improvement

Cubox has rolled out features like new user guide, navigation structure optimization, "Unread," and switching between articles while reading. These features optimize the reading process, aiming to make reading flow naturally. Share your reading process and insights with us.

We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us.

We refine Cubox to bring back the essence of reading, and it will make you more insightful.

See you next time.👋

Webpage annotation is one of the most anticipated features for Cubox readers.

Imagine reading a web page in your browser, highlighting content, and writing notes as you go. When you return to Cubox, you can always find your saved articles, annotations, and snapshots to continue reading, annotating, and reviewing. The whole process is easy and smooth!

For a full-platform app like Cubox, which already has reading management, annotation management, review, and AI features, incorporating web annotation was a far greater challenge than any other kind of annotation extension. After months of hard work, the Cubox team has delivered. The optimized and updated version of the browser extension 7.5.2 is now available! 🎉

☕️ Natural Reading and Annotation

At the beginning of the design, we didn't follow the rules but started with a few key questions.

1. Can highlighting be faster than underlining?

Cubox Reader already supports cursor-selected graphics to add highlights and notes. For selecting words, phrases, and sentences, cursor selection is needed. Is there a faster way to select multiple graphic passages? We have tried many ways.

2. Can we keep annotations when the web page updates?

Cubox not only records annotations but also tracks changes to find the latest position of the annotation. Even if the original content no longer exists, we keep the reader's notes.

3. How does the annotation interaction integrate with clipping?

Highlighting and clipping are both ways of annotating and saving content. The new extension needs to rationalize these approaches and provide efficient interaction between them.

4. Is it possible to read without being distracted by annotation menus?

Protecting reading attention is crucial. We aim to provide rich functionality while keeping the browser interface clean.

5. How can I continue to view and modify annotations on different devices?

Cubox has strong multi-platform synchronization. Web annotation must continue this - whether in the original web page or Cubox reader, you can view and edit annotations on different devices, keeping highlights and notes synchronized.

6. Can web annotations be imported into other apps?

After reading, many users import annotations into note-taking apps for further organization. In the latest version, web annotations and notes are stored in Library "Annotation" and can be exported in batch. This prepares for support of exporting to mainstream note-taking apps.

📷 Capture like a Camera

Can web annotation get faster? We bring you the Smart Capture interaction.

Smart Capture is better at selecting entire paragraphs or multiple images.

You can activate Smart Capture with a shortcut key, customizable next to the Capture switch in the extension menu (default ⌥ or Alt). Click the edit button, press, and release the shortcut key, and it's recognized.

We refer to "Take Photo" and "Scan" actions and design methods for selecting single and continuous content blocks.

To select non-continuous content, press and hold the capture shortcut key, left mouse button to select/unselect.

To select continuous content, press and hold the capture shortcut key, and drag from the starting to the final position to select the whole area.

With the latest annotation menu and keyboard shortcuts, you can quickly highlight and clip the Snippet on a web page. For more on "Smart Capture" and the design story, read our blog: Markers, Cameras & iMac - A Design Game for Cubox Original Web Page Annotation.

🎡 Start Marking It Up!

Try the latest webpage annotation feature.

Download the latest browser extension for Cubox (7.5.2). Web annotation is on by default, or turn it on manually by clicking the Cubox extension button:

One-click save and read it in Cubox anytime

Click on the Cubox extension icon and select "Save to Cubox".

To maintain the one-click saving experience, we offer two methods:

• Use the shortcut ⌥-S (or Alt-S) to quickly save the page.
• Click the Cubo floating button to save it. (Turn on the floating button: Right-click on the extension icon > Extension Settings > Show Floating Button)

To edit content information and add tags while saving, right-click the Extension icon > Extension Settings > Expand details window after saving.

In the future, what you read and annotate in Cubox will also be restored to the original webpage, so you can review the highlights and notes when you open the webpage.

Annotate while reading on webpage, highlighting directly

Webpage annotation supports two ways of selecting content, "Cursor Selection" and "Smart Capture". "Smart Capture" is good at selecting multiple discontinuous contents, such as blocks, images, and links.

Once selected, you can "highlight" and add "notes". The new annotation menu supports arrow keys and enter shortcut, so you can read smoothly while marking.

Selected content, Clip Web Snippets

You can select the content and choose "Clip" to save web snippets like newspaper clippings.

The new version upgrades the style of clipping: multiple snippets of the same article are saved in one "Snippet" card, for easy viewing and reviewing. (You can annotate Snippets in the Reader. This type of annotation won’t restore to the original page but can be exported in Library > Annotate.)

👏 You have experienced the core features of webpage annotation.

Don't forget your Cubox AI reading assistant.

While you're saving or annotating, Cubox AI is at work too. Once content is parsed, an icon for finished parsing appears in the Cubox extension menu and on the Cubo floating button. Click it to view Quick Read, Key Questions, and Ghost Highlights directly on the page.

In upcoming updates, we'll support generating AI Insight with a single click and view the AI output in real time.

This is a Pro+AI members-only feature. Ensure you've turned on More > Cubox AI > Auto-Insight New Content on your phone.

💧 Be Water

Cubox is a Read Later app, but far more than just a Read Later app.

As a reader for learners, we rarely mention 'read later'. Reading later solves the problem of inconvenient reading at the moment, improving efficiency but often leading to 'never read again'.

We recognize the need to read later, but also encourage immediate reading, catching inspiration right away, and keeping the learning process going, which is the point of Cubox as a modern reader.

Users shouldn't adapt to the tool; the tool should be 'Be Water': fluid, adaptable, simple, and transparent. With this philosophy, Cubox invites you to enjoy reading comfortably, whether reading later or getting through the day.

Download and experience Cubox from all major extension stores, and share your valuable comments.

One spring day in 2024, we finally decided to heed the strong calls from our user community and introduce the web page annotation feature to the Cubox browser extension.

In the Cubox apps, annotation functions like multi-color highlighting, annotation management, review, and the floating card function on web pages... It seemed all we needed to do was transfer this mature interaction to our extension.

But is that really all that annotation is capable of?

Annotations reflect the relationship between people's thoughts and the reading of text. In the medieval period, handwritten manuscripts already had marginalia. After the spread of printing, people began to mark directly on the pages of books. The original pencils and ink pens easily damaged the pages and caused contamination until the 1950s when highlighters were invented. These allowed for bright colors to be left underneath or even on top of the text without seeping through to the back of the paper. Since then, highlighters have been the ideal tool for book annotation and are still in use today. Subsequently, various tools in digital media have also gradually supported similar annotation modes: underlining, note-taking. The interaction of highlighters from paper to screen is intuitive enough to be widely applicable, leaving little to complain about.

However, looking around, how many people have stopped reading paper books, and in the more distant future, will those who have never experienced paper book annotation still relate to highlighters, or even know what they are?

These thoughts ignite our curiosity: Is it possible to think outside the box and design a new annotation system specifically for digital media?

Let's Forget About the Marker

Interactive elements can affect the reading experience. For some readers, the process of highlighting with a marker pen represents a path of contemplation and review. However, highlighting on a digital interface is somewhat different from paper: we don't need to strike through each character, simply drawing from the starting point to the endpoint will select all the text in between.

However, this subtle difference does not change a fact: highlighting requires precise aiming and cannot be too relaxed. It's like the moment before releasing an arrow in archery, one must hold their breath and concentrate to ensure a precise hit afterwards. Between dense lines of text, using an ultra-fine line to navigate and pinpoint is a tense and serious task.

To redesign the highlighting feature, let's be bold and forget about the marker pen for a moment.

If we consider saving or highlighting as "making a mark" on information, we find that there are many models worth learning from in the real world: A bookmark in a book serves as a marker for a whole page's location; taking a picture or scanning a page marks the entire page in another medium. These methods don't require character-level operations, thus, they are more efficient than using a marker pen.

Even this book reading light caught my eye. Initially, I thought it was a smart scanner that only needed to be placed at the corresponding position to work, which made me wonder if it was possible to make it smaller in size, to hold it and mark the text at the current location with just a button press, and have the mark saved to the cloud simultaneously. (Even though it turned out to be just a light, I still believe there are many possibilities with this glass panel—it acts as a bridge between digital and paper.)

In summary, why isn't there a "marker pen" that can automatically locate the sentence we want to highlight, requiring only a single click? Our goal then becomes more specific: find an object easier to operate than characters, to achieve one-time marking without the need to go over each word.

Naturally, we expanded our scope to paragraphs and noticed the inherent logic in the HTML structure of web pages: the same elements within a single type of area often represent a viewpoint or theme. Using them as the marking object would save a lot of trouble. In fact, many writing applications are adopting the block mode, simplifying operations by using paragraphs as objects. Even instant messaging apps weaken the use of line breaks, prioritizing the logic of sending with a return, essentially binding the content’s paragraph structure to its meaning itself. Each paragraph, each message, becomes an independent, atomized piece of data, making all related interactions much simpler.

After a long detour, it turns out that the answer isn't as "fresh" as we imagined, lacking the excitement of discovering a new continent from the unknown. But we are also nearing our destination.

Capture Like Taking Photos

What could be more intuitive and faster than raising a camera to capture the content within a book? Tear out the page and stuff it into a folder? Yes, that’s exactly what we aim to do. Directly send paragraph contents to Cubox without worrying about the original content being “torn” or destroyed, meaning disappearing from the internet.

The iPhone camera’s text capture feature is a great demonstration. Utilizing smart prompts and the aid of a finger’s selection, when a user presses the button, they can feel the entire process of content being “torn out”. Here, the boundary between reality and the virtual experiences a slight blur.

For reading, the mouse cursor acts as the camera lens, pointing at the information needed. It's an element that is worth making good use of, but also requires careful restraint because the mouse cursor carries many other functions when browsing web pages, and people do not want to be constantly reminded to "mark some content!" when reading. Outside the cursor, we don't want any other interference from the Cubox interface, everything must be hidden, subtly and silently effective.

Ultimately, we made significant simplifications based on the concept of system screenshot shortcuts. On the browser, we only need one shortcut key to open the "lens": Hold the shortcut key option (or alt) → Open camera lens → Find the target content → Click the shutter to capture.

Scan Like Panorama Mode

A paragraph may be a single topic, but a topic also might be spread across three, ten, or even more paragraphs. If a reader had to perform ten such capture actions as described earlier, the task of shooting would become tedious and painful, not to mention the captured content would still need to be manually merged and organized later.

When a camera’s viewfinder can’t encompass the necessary people or scenery, we use panorama mode to perform a scan-like shoot. The capture of annotations also needs a panorama mode.

Our first solution was to introduce a ‘recording’ mode, which allows for the scanning of multiple pieces of content. For example, once ‘capture’ mode is activated, the mouse stays in capture mode, allowing a scan from point A to B before confirming the exit from capture mode. The issue is, we would need to design another button or shortcut for this, adding another layer to the user’s learning curve, which is less than ideal.

How can we expand on the existing foundation directly? We pondered how the phone’s camera button works—click to take a photo, long press to record a video. This is a very subtle distinction, we don’t need to foresee everything. With the same shortcut key and mouse operation, we can maintain continuous recording. Next, no additional design is necessary, simply: hold down the mouse → glide over additional paragraphs → all passed paragraphs are selected and treated as one group of content.

We’ve attempted to finalize the merging of the same elements upon release to indicate to users that, yes, this is the entire area you want. This is scan mode, not high-speed burst shooting.

This design also addresses a long-standing issue: when should multiple annotations merge, and when should they not? With this design, even if the content is adjacent, users can choose between two annotation methods: annotate as separate entries or as one. As long as the intention differs, the interaction will too, resulting in different saved data, eliminating the need for additional action buttons or prompt pop-ups.

Although the capture interaction cannot be operated with one hand, one-handed operation is not common in desktop-based learning reading. We have also retained the traditional highlighting functionality as a supplement.

Properly Save Content

Once the capture is completed, the subsequent actions include highlighting, note-taking, clipping, and the AI that will be added later. How can we accommodate all?

We want both the mouse and keyboard to continue to facilitate subsequent actions with the following solution: a menu appears near the captured content, supporting direct operations with both mouse and keyboard. To ensure the most basic operations are always within reach, we placed highlighting and clipping at the very top, with support for direct action via cursor or keyboard enter key.

Annotations and clippings have similar functions in reality. If a user is accustomed to using annotations, their frequency of using clippings will significantly decrease, as Cubox tries to save the complete page information regardless of the method. So, the question arises: which action should be designed above, which below, and should we provide an option to let users configure this menu themselves? Considering the exclusivity of these two functions to some extent, we’ve only added one small feature — remembering the last used action. For the same user, simply repeat the ’capture - enter’ action, and your most frequently used function is ready at your disposal.

At this point, the entire process from capture to completion is accomplished: Capture - Select Action - Execute Action.

While progressively adding features, we have not increased the complexity of interactions or the learning curve, keeping everything natural and intuitive.

Making Visuals and Interactions Delicious

The previous version of the expansion interface theme was dark, and we had hoped it would stand out against most pages, but we later realized that with so many web pages featuring dark mode, it was hard to truly achieve this. In the new version, we’ve rethought and introduced a new visual concept of “multi-layer transparency.” By layering two levels of frosted glass effects, we’ve achieved a balance of isolation and harmony with surrounding content, as well as a sense of spatial dimension.

Have you noticed our new floating icon? There’s a little Easter egg here – try hovering your mouse over it and see what happens!

Perhaps the classic iMac G4 has long inspired us in the river of time. Its surrounding transparent material is so vibrant, separating and yet corresponding with the world around it, that it’s simply irresistible. (Experience the charm of a design from 22 years ago under a 4K lens: Apple iMac G4: Retro Review）

Beyond visuals, sound is another way to make experiences delightful. I have a fondness for the mechanical texture and the reliability it conveys, like the sound of a camera shutter. Since phone cameras emulate such mechanical sounds, why can’t the Cubox extension? Therefore, for the first time, we’ve experimented with sound effects on Cubox, with toggle options available (and there’s still much optimization to do). With a combination of elastic animations, visual, and sound effects, we’re trying to give interactions a real “touch” feeling.

Timeless Classics, Everlasting Memories

We almost missed the most crucial feature - “One-click Bookmarking” remains a well-known function among our veteran users. Under the perspective of capture, one-click bookmarking can also be seen as a “capture” of the complete page. Thus, we implemented the same shortcut logic for it, which means: holding the option key to enter capture mode. However, if you don’t select any content in this mode and directly press ‘s’ (Save), it will bookmark (capture) the entire page. In short, the shortcut for one-click bookmarking is option+s, it’s easy to remember as it’s a continuation of the capture shortcut.

However, that’s not enough. In many scenarios, we only want to use the mouse and avoid touching the keyboard. Due to the necessity to accommodate multiple functions, the new version of the extension can no longer carry the one-click bookmark function on the app icon itself. Hence, we moved it to a new Cubo floating button, clicking it allows one-click bookmarking, and hovering over it will reveal the operation menu.

Yet the floating button wasn’t created solely for one-click bookmarking. Besides bookmarking, it has other significant purposes: it increases the visibility of operation guidance, enables the Cubox extension to blend seamlessly into the webpage itself for more convenient interactions, prompts you swiftly to view AI interpretations that have been automatically generated, and allows you to position the function in areas other than a crowded toolbar (you can press and move it up or down).

The second classic feature we must mention is the highlighter interaction mentioned earlier. In fact, after a thorough experience with the internal test version, we not only retained the highlighter interaction but also supported all the functions mentioned above with it. In scenarios where there’s a need to mark and bookmark beyond just paragraphs, it’s still indispensable. The interaction method is similar to previous versions - simply select text with cursor to use it.

Here we provide a quick summary of Cubox’s content operation features.

After selecting content with “Smart Capture” or “Cursor Selection”, you can:

• Highlight a section or multiple sections, writing inspirational notes
• Clip this content into Cubox, where all clippings from the page are automatically combined into one page
• Save one or more links from the selected content into Cubox

Following this:

• The relevant webpage will automatically begin article parsing and AI Insight in the Cubox backend (this feature needs to be enabled in the mobile apps)
• Whenever any content is highlighted, Cubox will automatically save the entire page and parse the article to restore your highlights in real-time
• With both highlighting and clipping, Cubox will automatically attempt to save a full-page snapshot as an important backup for future reference
• Data from highlighting or clipping syncs automatically across Cubox’s different platforms, allowing you to continue reading, reviewing, and exporting at any time

A key term here is “automatic”. You don’t have to do anything or receive any prompts and disturbances, once an operation is completed, all irrelevant elements will disappear from your interface.

Cubox quietly aids every knowledge worker in resisting the disappearing of the most important parts of memory and thought by the internet. You don’t need to keep saving content, transferring territory to copy and paste, or struggle to recall where that sentence you once read is located. All you might need to do is “mark it” when inspiration strikes, and leave the rest to Cubox.

Final Thoughts

The fun in the design process does not ensure the excellence of the design itself. Ultimately, it needs to withstand the test in the hands of every user.

Currently, the new version of the Cubox extension is online in the Chrome, Safari, and Firefox application stores, with an update for Edge coming soon. Meanwhile, we are planning improvements including but not limited to:

• There is a shortcut key conflict with system text editing, which we are optimizing with an update coming soon;
• It is not possible to directly edit collected cards, we will optimize this and provide a prominent entrance for editing, archiving, deletion… update coming soon;
• The one-click collection function of the hover button is too concealed, we will add guiding instructions, update coming soon;
• Ongoing optimization of annotation creation, restoration success rate, and stability;
• Improvement in the display effect of highlights on pages with different colors, especially dark web pages;
• Optimization of sound effects logic to reduce disturbance or offer options;
• AI Insight will support real-time, streamlined output to allow viewing page summaries and key questions with a single click while browsing;
• Direct positioning and viewing of welcome phantom highlights generated by AI Insight in the original webpage;
• Interaction in the browser extension is different from that in the main App, we need more time to consider how to enhance cross-platform consistency.

Besides the changes in the new capture interaction, the original collection menu and new hover button also have many changes with diverse underlying thoughts. Please do experience them and provide feedback.

The real design process isn’t as orderly as described here. At times it resembles a game where inspiration isn’t born from A to B but often blooms like fireworks in the mind when a goal is proposed, encompassing all past seen, touched, and experienced inspirations. The process of design is capturing these sparks. This writing is like explaining each particle in the fireworks, and why it takes its path, any implied significance is doomed to be futile. “Expressing design with language is another kind of design,” akin to the significance of “review” with respect to “annotation”. The writing process is our journey of “redesigning from a different angle”.

During this process, we also imagined more intuitive and efficient interactions, like using gestures or eye movements on devices like Vision Pro to capture. We certainly look forward to the arrival of more efficient days, yet often question ourselves: for learners, is it truly better to have higher information-processing efficiency? Are we pursuing faster task completion, or enhancing our minds and bodies to engage the world better? If the answer is always “faster”, then why do we need annotations? Why not just ask AI when needed? While many AI applications strive for this ideal, we are skeptical.

At least from Cubox’s standpoint, in the ancient realm of reading, one should treat learning as a process and the process as the goal itself. It’s not about eagerly seeking new technologies, looking for a “second brain” to replace ours. What difference does it make when the “first brain” is idle every day? What we need is to read, review, think, create, recognize, and understand the world. Reading is a bridge to the pinnacle experience of our physical beings, irreplaceable, especially after the rise of AI. We must remember this on the path to efficiency.

Lastly, thank you to the Cubox design team and all developers for their hard work and exceptional contributions, to all Cubox users for their valuable feedback and consistent support over the years. May the new Cubox extension help you capture more daily inspirations, enabling you to enjoy thinking while reading the world.

👋 Meeting again, Cubox has introduced an important change: in the new version, Cubox's Tab Bar has been simplified to three tabs: Home, Library, and Search.

Whether you are new to Cubox or already familiar with the previous interface, you can quickly get started without facing too many page options. In the following content, we will walk you through the main changes and share the thoughts behind them.

🎈 Effortless Organization in One Page

The new Tab Bar merges the Tags list into the Library page, located below Folders.

Folders and tags can be used separately for different management methods, catering to various user needs for data organization. They can also work well together—folders for major categories and tags for thematic organization.

In the latest design, Cubox combines them into one page, eliminating the need to switch back and forth. Previously, organizing content required managing folders and tags on two separate pages, which was inconvenient.

If you have many folders and tags, you can collapse sections to focus on what matters most. Use Search to directly access related lists, allowing quick content organization.

When managing tags and folders, swipe left or right to select the desired tags or folders. Long-press to move them up or down to change their order, and long-press with indentation to set nested structures.

Cubox might be the only reading tool on the market that supports infinite nesting structures for folders and tags. This powerful organizing capability will show its unique advantages in different scenarios. Every folder is a theme, and every tag is a node. In future updates, whether through AI or sharing capabilities, this seemingly classical and complex management method will gain new vitality.

🤔 Rethinking the "+" and Memos

In addition to the changes in the Tags list, the "•••" More option on the original Tab Bar has been moved to the top left corner of the main page. More importantly, we have removed the "+" button from the center of the original Tab Bar, but you can still find it in the top right corner of major pages to manually add memos, links, images, and files.

Why did we make this change? Initially, Cubox's saving feature was designed for web content reading, and the most common way to save was through extensions. Manual saving is less efficient compared to extension-based saving. Therefore, manual saving served as a supplementary feature. If you want to know all the ways Cubox supports saving content, you can check the Help & Support documentation.

Especially for Memos, due to its simple and lightweight functionality, it is not considered a serious writing tool. It is more suitable for recording fleeting thoughts during web reading.

In this context, we believe that downplaying manual saving in the client will help guide new users more effectively and allow our team to focus on more relevant functional iterations—we have so much to improve in web content saving!

We also understand that many users have saved a large number of Memos over the years and gradually hope for support for Markdown format and Review features. However, after evaluation, the Cubox team believes that in the short term, it is difficult to develop these features to our satisfaction. Comparatively, we have more important, reading-related issues to address.

True power comes from focus. But the team's attempts have not stopped; we will consider integrating Memos better into the reading process and finding its most suitable "reading" scenario.

For quick idea capture, if Cubox doesn't meet your needs, we also encourage you to try other excellent applications dedicated to capturing ideas. We apologize for any inconvenience caused to frequent Memos users by this change!

Although we have removed the Memos entry from the Tab Bar, Cubox still retains quick ways to capture ideas. For example, you can long-press the app icon on mobile, use the desktop widget, or use the Mac Assistant shortcut to quickly open Memos.

🔍  Search at Your Fingertips

"Search" has now been added to the Tab Bar.

Cubox already supports quick search for titles, descriptions, and links, full-text search, and annotation search. However, based on user feedback, we have also identified areas for improvement in search, as some scenarios are still lacking.

In future versions, we will deeply refine "Search". The new search features will involve AI, focusing on how AI can help you discover and organize content. Let AI handle tedious work, so you can focus on reading. These new ideas require Search to have a dedicated page to accommodate rich possibilities, which is why we made this change.

📖 From Saving to Reading

Recently, Cubox has improved the efficiency of content saving. The speed of browsing information doesn't equal content depth or growth. When content comes too quickly, we consider how to make it valuable. Collecting isn't the same as reading, and reading isn't the same as understanding. Only through deep reading and review can knowledge be gained.

Under the new Tab Bar structure, Cubox prioritizes content, followed by management. When you open Cubox, you quickly enter reading mode. We help you remember your last reading status.

If you were reading under a specific folder or tag before leaving, Cubox will open the same folder or tag by default, quickly returning you to the reading context. You can quickly switch to Home or Search from other pages.

A small preview: we will combine the Read & Unread function, optimize the "Inbox" list, and provide automatic next article reading, significantly enhancing the reading experience.

Other Optimizations and Updates

• Fixed an issue where data synchronization (rebuilding the database and preparing the data) continued to fail when importing bookmarks or performing certain batch operations on the data.
• Optimized memory usage for large data synchronization. Device memory usage during app initialization or large data synchronization has been significantly reduced, lowering usage by 60%-70%, making Cubox run more smoothly.
• Fixed the issue with the iOS Memos widget where it could not jump directly to edit mode. In the new version, clicking the widget will allow you to directly edit Memos.
• Added a colorless background style for the Home page. Try scrolling down the Home page to a certain position and you may find a small surprise.
• Optimized and unified the application's Chinese and English text, including the Tab Bar, Tags page, and Settings page.
• Fixed other known issues.

This UX Boost plan update is still part of the recent "Reading Process Optimization" system. We will continue to focus on user feedback in future updates, aiming to create a more comfortable and seamless reading lifestyle.

Starting a reading should be as simple as possible.

A calligraphy teacher's experience: there is no need to obsess about the maintenance of the brush pen, which should always be moist. Ink and paper are always on the table, ready to go. You can write a character while waiting for someone, after tea, or after dinner. If you have enough time, you can even practice a whole post.

A good reader does the same thing: get started quickly and without reading resistance. In Cubox UX Boost Program 02, we'll cover several recent upgrades to Cubox regarding this.

Onboarding

🥳 We've brought a new Onboarding page to help you get started on your reading journey quickly. In the app, we will show you how to save content via system sharing extensions. In the web app, we will demonstrate how the browser extension works and provide installation links.

If you're a new user logging in for the first time, you'll see a selection of 10 articles that you can add directly to Cubox to start exploring how to read, take notes, and manage your collections with Cubox. Existing users can also click 'Feeling Lucky!' to get a random article on "My Reading" homepage, once they've finished reading all the AI Insight content.

Extension & Automation page has also been upgraded, so you can quickly set up the saving methods on different platforms. In iOS app, Clipboard Save has also been optimized. Simply choose "Read All Text" on Clipboard Save page, and the system will no longer pop up confirmation when copying the Clipboard.

Immersive Annotation

This is a small change we've made to minimize reading interruptions: the annotation menu no longer pops up after highlighting. You can annotate Seamlessly without interruption. The iOS/macOS apps have already been updated, and Android users will soon be able to use this feature.

Concentration matters, and Cubox designed the Annotation feature to be as close as possible to the original reading experience: just pick up a marker and highlight.

The Annotation menu has evolved over time, thanks to your feedback. We've recently removed the highlight icon, and changed the color menu to a permanent display, making it easier to change the color of highlighted content on the fly, all for the sake of reading efficiency.

AI-assisted Reading

You may have noticed that the Cubox AI usage limit for Pro+AI members has been increased to 1,000 requests per month. 🎉 AI Insight can summarize full-text, unpack key questions, and automatically highlight important information. You can also ask questions about the article in Ask AI to continue digging deeper.

For better AI performance, we've recently optimized the output of Key Questions and Ghost Highlights, and the quality of getting Insight continues to improve. We've also optimized the format of Ask AI results, so the answers no longer contain Markdown tags, and we'll consider supporting previews in Markdown format in the future.

As an AI built for reading, we have been thinking about how Cubox AI can assist reading and bring new ways of reading without challenging users' existing habits and immersive reading experience. We will continue to listen to your voices and bring more AI features and more usage credits.

Upcoming

Web annotation, a highly requested feature, deserves a progress update: Cubox engineers are working hard on it, and it's expected to launch in June. It's a more natural and comfortable reading behavior to seamlessly start highlighting and take notes on your thoughts without interrupting the reading process of any web page in the browser.

So we have put more effort than expected into both the interaction and data layers, we appreciate your patience. ❤️

Web annotation is part of the effort to achieve a simpler and more seamless reading workflow. Similarly, we will soon support read & unread status management and optimize the logic of Inbox to solve the problems of "not knowing where to start reading" and "not knowing how to organize after reading". We look forward to seeing you soon.

Strategies & Tips

In each issue of "Cubox UX Boost Program", we will share some strategies & tips from time to time, hoping to bring you more reading inspiration.

🖊️ How to annotate while reading?

We will look for effective information while reading. Annotating is the process of filtering information, as well as the process of stopping briefly, strengthening memory and thinking. It's good to ask yourself about reading goals and what should be annotated. Take content writers as an example, in order to accumulate writing materials, the goals of highlighting may be wonderful cases, interesting analogies, strict logical arguments, and practical tips.

In Cubox, you can turn on Autohighlighting to automatically highlight the content selected by mouse. Hovering the highlighted content brings up the annotation menu, so you can change the highlighting color and record your thoughts.

📖 Find your most comfortable reading line length.

When reading, fonts, font sizes, page layouts, etc. All of these factors are critical to the reading experience. Finding the "golden visual recipe" that works for you also creates your most efficient and enjoyable private reading space. This is an experience missing from the various web pages, and Cubox is good at.

According to paper typography research and designers' experience, in a single-column layout, English typography is usually better with between 45 and 75 characters per line.

How do I change the layout in Cubox? Once in the Reader, you can change the page layout by clicking the "Aa" button. For those who prefer to read on iPad or desktop, you can also try adjusting the text to a narrower width, so that the font size can be adjusted to match the optimal number of characters per line for both landscape and portrait screens, thus improving the reading experience.

Of course, the actual experience varies from person to person, which is why Cubox offers a wide range of adjustments. We have received positive feedback from mildly visually impaired people who have had a smooth reading experience with Cubox, which makes us realize the value of working on every detail.

✉️ How do I subscribe to a quality Newsletter?

Newsletter is a decentralized form of content distribution. It is quieter, freer and has a higher signal-to-noise ratio than algorithmic content delivery. Many quality creators share their content through newsletters.

Can I get Cubox to receive newsletters for me and focus my time on reading them? On the Extended & Automation page in Settings, you can enable Email Drop Instructions and give Cubox the ability to receive email subscriptions. All you have to do is choose a time slot and immerse yourself in reading the latest content.

📮 How to filter and read your RSS feeds?

RSS is a classic information Protocol and distribution standard, and people regularly read the unread content in their RSS inboxes, filtering for quality information and further organizing and planning. In order to prevent RSS from becoming another information dump, you can select your feeds, read and organize them regularly, and absorb valuable information to become part of your own.

What can Cubox do for you? You can skim the daily news in your RSS feeds and send the ones you're really interested in to Cubox for better reading, tagging, categorization, and actions. If you want to further simplify the process, for example, you can directly read Substack content within Cubox. You can integrate high-quality RSS feeds into Cubox through third-party services and Cubox's open API.

Thanks for reading this update, see you next time! 👋