I wandered away from eTail Boston a little early to get some fresh air.  Mobile commerce and Social commerce were big topics this year.  My problem is that I’m simply not that mobile or social…I wake up, get the kids ready for preschool, scan gmail on my aging Blackberry, drop the kids off, and work in front of a laptop for most of the day.  So I went mobile and decided to enjoy a walk down Boylston St. instead of listening to another talk about the amazing ways to shop using phones or tablets that I have yet to adopt because I really need to spend the money on repaving the crumbling heap that is my driveway.

I also decided to get some fresh air because my cold from last week went mobile, invading my sinuses so badly that even a broth of spicy Asian noodle soup from Wagamama washed blandly down my throat.  A few blocks and cough drops later, I gave up and headed back to my car to make the early bird rate at the Prudential garage.

And then I did something remarkable…

I opened Google on my ancient Blackberry and held the little green phone button as instructed to voice search.  I croaked the name of my doctor’s office…and waited a few minutes for the number to appear.  I called and shared my woe with the receptionist, who asked me to hold for a moment to speak with a Nurse Practitioner.  While holding, I followed my Garmin GPS’ commands to escape Boston via the Mass Pike.  The nurse arrived before I made it to the tolls, asked about my symptoms, and promised to call in a prescription for antibiotics if I would please stop using my phone while driving.  It was an easy sell.  I hung up and drove the remaining 20 minutes to the CVS in Wellesley (on my way home) to pick up the prescription and a box of industrial strength tissues.  I scanned my CVS card while making the purchase, and watched my receipt grow into a small Torah of coupons for things I don’t believe I need.

At eTail Boston I listened to lots of presentations about mobile and the challenges surrounding multi-channel marketing.  I didn’t pay my doctor or purchase my prescription or even look for a discount on my box of tissues from my mobile device.  Mobile shines as a lifeline that quickly assembles information from people and systems while you’re on the go.