ReadPass is a budget e-reader optimised for public transport use. There’s a transport pass integrated in the case or in the device itself. The device offers relevant features and gamified content to alleviate boredom during commutes, and provides travel information at a glance. Can include solar charging, emphasise green habits and promote public transport use.
People complain public transport is boring. People complain they don’t have time to read. Surely there’s plenty of opportunity to read on the train! But many people just end up doom-scrolling on their smartphone.
Enter ReadPass – a gadget you can buy at a ticket office or a convenience store. It combines the functions of a rail pass and an e-reader. But it’s not just about slapping a card on the back of a gadget. This device has been optimised for travel and includes the following features:
- News feed adapted to your reading habits and location – and it looks just like an old-time newspaper, too. Well, not quite, but it’s pretty close as far as electronic devices go!
- Trip info, real-time updates and recommendations at a glance.
- “Frequent rider points” that can be redeemed to get free content, such as books or games.
- Solar charging – just leave it on the desk at work, and you should never worry about running out of charge on your way home!
It’s available with a variety of cases to suit your individuality. Get yours now!
Well, you can’t get one just yet, but it’s not unfeasible to manufacture this gadget, especially if your local transport company and the government join the initiative. Spread the word!
How it works
It’s more or less a typical e-reader with a touchscreen, which have been getting more diverse and affordable over the years. The main differences are the solar charging in addition to standard charging method(s) (totally feasible given an e-reader’s inherently low power requirements compared to regular smartphones), the selection of stylish travel-friendly cases, and the preloaded software.
The device should have a SIM card slot, but if the transport companies are willing to take an extra step, they can set up a system where these devices automatically connect to Wi-Fi at stations, bus stops, and on board vehicles – this will make it easier to determine location without engaging the energy-intensive GPS sensors.
This kind of Wi-Fi infrastructure has another potential benefit: station-based location can help create a touchless rail pass (in cities where ticketing system allows it) – if the device knows where you got on and where you got off, it can charge your account accordingly (privacy concern, but nothing new – our regular phone already has all this info; besides, it may be possible to link the device to an anonymous travel card, i.e. it knows where you go, but it doesn’t know who you are).
Just hop on the train and read, no need to bother with tickets and passes at all!
Benefits
- Encourage more public transport use
- More efficient trip planning
- Bring back the old newspaper vibe
- Revive an interest in reading
- Less [conventional] screen time/doom-scrolling/social media
Some more potential goodies
Can become a perfect travel companion beyond your city:
- Can be made compatible with international transport systems.
- Can be loaded with offline maps for easy solar-powered navigation.
What sets it apart
There are smartphones, and they are incredibly good! There are e-readers, and they can do their job very well, too. There are even smartphones with e-ink displays, or intentionally simplified phones to help people cut screen time and develop good habits (e.g. The Light Phone).
But in everyday life, most people would still revert to mainstream smartphones most of the time because, you know, they are convenient and they do everything. Why would you carry around another device just for reading?
You would, if it doubled as your rail pass, and helped you on your commute. There we go, a compelling use case scenario and a good reading habit in the making!
Financial viability
The price of the actual device may need to be subsidised (like Amazon does with Kindle), but the money can be gained back through the thriving commercial ecosystem that develops around the concept, by means of:
- Increased public transport use that leads to higher ticket revenues.
- Advertising (not intrusive, please!), such as local shopping guides, freemium products (e.g. an expansion pack for a game you got for frequent rider points), ticket sales for local events, etc.
Challenges
- Development and manufacture of such device is not exactly cheap – financial analysis needs to be conducted.
- Many of the functions can be (and are) duplicated by smartphone apps. Need to make the device functional and trendy enough to ensure sufficient level of adoption.
Next steps
Good news for developers! Despite the high-tech nature of the product, prototyping and producing an MVP is surprisingly low-investment. A small team can start by taking an existing Android phone with an e-ink screen and developing the core apps (and yes, just slap a transport card on the back of it!)
Submitted by: Ilia Leikin
Hashtags: #PublicTransport #eReader #eInk
Looking for: advice, technical analysis, genius marketers, someone to lead a startup, government/corporate representatives to back the initiative
Status: newly submitted
