For those of you who take the subway to work and back each day, chances are you would find that most folks have their noses and thumbs buried in a smartphone or tablet, as it seems to get more and more rare these days to see someone reading a book instead. These smartphones and tablets will most probably rely on a pre-loaded game or movie, since the New York City metro system lacks an Internet connection on most of its routes.
The New York Public Library’s “Underground Library” concept intends to make life more “palatable” for their passengers, especially for those who are involved in long commutes, as they intend to offer a virtual library on the train that relies on near-field communication (NFC) that will send a sample of the current best seller to your handset when you swipe your NFC compatible smartphone against. The first 10 pages would be free for you to read, and you can check out directions to the nearest local library branch in order to continue reading a hard copy of the book, pretty neat, no?