Mobile technology in Edinburgh saves human limbs!

Edinburgh, UK

Scotland's Edinburgh proves mobile technology makes things you do faster, easier and more productive. Mobile can make things tremendously more pleasant. A lot of mobile promises for tourists and/or business travelers used to end up disappointing with slowness or lack of availability when desperately needed most. One of the biggest cities of UK cracks a whip on inconvenience and sequential way of doing things.


My wife and I spent a weekend in Edinburgh, UK. I packed lightly and caught a flight to Glasgow. Yes, Glasgow - I felt like checking out Edinburgh's main transit stations on a train ride from Glasgow via ScotRail. That is where a list of positive mobile experiences begins:

1. Relax, stretch and quiet down while getting your mobile gear in order
2. Let your phone tell  you what's hot in the area
3. Scan to get in-the-know
4. Love mobile versions of websites
5. Mobile payment at your coffee shop
6. Buy a ticket on your phone and avoid losing a limb

Relax, stretch and quiet down while getting your mobile gear in order

I realized that getting a 1st class ticket might be an overkill. In comparison to WizzAir, ScotRail has a royal treatment for you in 1st class. Super comfy, adjustable and large seats' space give access to working outlets. You don't hunch at an outlet in a restroom to get some juice in your smartphone's battery. While it's charging you are pampered with newly implemented WiFi on the train. 

Let your phone tell you what's hot in the area

Princess Street in Edinburgh is stuffed with mobile technology stores including mobile/cellular carriers. As of March 22nd 2013, 10 GBP will get you 500MB of internet connectivity from Vodafone, while stores like EE will hook you up with UNLIMITED bandwidth for 16 pounds (among many other options). Let your phone devour that pure Scottish bandwidth. Foursquare can tell you what's sponsored or what your friends recommend, but if not too many of your connections on 4sq frequent the British Islands, a mobile app called Welcome to Scotland with provide recommendations. Download it via WiFi while on the train, have a game plan for your trip by the time you get to your destination.

Scan to get in-the-know

As you stroll around Edinburgh, your eyes tend to catch those white-and-black collections of tiny squares called QR codes. Hold your phone to it for a second or two and find out more about bus tours, attractions of the area or stores as you pass them along enchanting Princes Street.

Love mobile versions of websites

It's hard not to get yourself enclosed in horizons defines by beautiful outlines of old castles. Google random two keywords "castle edinburgh" and you'll find local castle's website. Not that full size, flash-bloated and overwhelming portal for PCs with 21" monitors. Mobile version of the site will provide more than you need to know IN AN INSTANT. It's super fast and it has all the info you might need to know while a female companion hold your arm in awe of admiration. Seriously, the days of mobile versions of sites being border-line useless are over according to webmasters on the east coast of Scotland.

Mobile payment at your coffee shop

Starbucks' mobile payment success is so yesterday's news, but you can't yet use it in every storefront on the globe. Certain regions that host Starbucks may still have security, technology or staff training restrictions preventing coffee connoisseurs from the fastest and most convenient method of payment known to mankind. Scotland is not one of those regions - quite the contrary, those squiggly rotating scanning devices are ready to go in multiple locations of Edinburgh. After you freeze your ass off and make a caffeine pit stop at Seattle's famous coffee giant, the last thing you desire is to sift through foreign currency to pay for anything. Waving Starbucks mobile app on your phone screen is much faster, easier and more pleasant.

Buy a ticket on your phone and avoid losing a limb

Last weekend was horrendously cold in Edinburgh. Strong gusts of wind would sometimes sway us front side to side as we walked yet another crossing of Rose Street. Several degrees below zero combined with strong wind that makes snow fall vertically freezes your butt off. A walk up to the top of a tall castle hill overlooking entire city and providing a glimpse of the shoreline makes your limbs feel stiff by the time you get to the main gate where the ticket office is. Half a mile long serpentine-shaped queue is the last thing your frozen butt wants to see on a blistering cold day. Pull out your phone, recall castle's mobile site, tap Buy Tickets, enter your credit card number from the comfort of a nearby general info booth. Quick print from a ticket terminal gets you back on track, while the ticket center's multiple windows handled perhaps 3 spots from the queue. Had we waited on that queue we would most likely end up in barderline-amputation-severity frost bites.

For that reason, I dare to claim that

" Mobile technology in Edinburgh saves human limbs! "

If you don't believe it, share your insights below. Intrigued to find out your thoughts on mobile in Scotland.
Happy journeys!